One Winter's Sunrise: Gift-Wrapped in Her Wedding Dress

‘Considering the meeting was meant to go from ten to eleven and here it is, nearly midday, yes, I think you could say that,’ said Eliza with a big smile splitting her face.

‘Of course that could have had something to do with Gemma’s superb macadamia shortbread and those delectable fruit mince pies,’ said Andie.

‘Yes,’ said Gemma with a pleased smile. ‘I thought I could describe until I was blue in the face what I wanted to serve for the lunch, but they’d only know by tasting it.’

Party Queens’ foodie partner had not only come up with a detailed menu for Dominic’s Christmas Day lunch, but she’d also brought along freshly baked samples of items from her proposed menus. At the end of the meeting only a few crumbs had remained on the boardroom’s fine china plates. Andie had caught Dominic’s eye as he finished his second pastry and knew it had been an inspired idea. The Christmas star shaped serviettes she had brought along had also worked to keep the meeting focused on the theme of traditional with a twist.

‘I think they were all-round impressed,’ said Eliza. ‘We three worked our collective socks off to get our presentations so detailed and professional in such a short time. Andie, all the images and samples you prepared to show the decorations and table settings looked amazing—I got excited at how fabulous it’s going to look.’

‘I loved the idea of the goody bags for all the guests too,’ said Gemma. ‘You really thought of everything.’

‘While we’re doing some mutual backslapping I’m giving yours a hearty slap, Eliza,’ said Andie. ‘Their finance guy couldn’t fault your detailed costings and timelines.’

Eliza rubbed her hands together in exaggerated glee. ‘And I’m sure we’re going to get more party bookings from them. One of the senior marketing people mentioned her daughter was getting married next year and asked me did we do weddings.’

‘Well done, Party Queens,’ said Andie. ‘Now that the contract is signed and the basic plan approved I feel I can relax.’ Her partners had no idea of how tight it had been to get Dominic across the line for the change from glitz and glamour to more humble with heart.

She and her two friends discreetly high-fived each other. The room was somewhat of a goldfish bowl and none of them wanted to look less than professional to any of Dominic’s staff who might be walking by.

Eliza leaned in to within whispering distance of Andie and Gemma. ‘Dominic Hunt was a surprise,’ she said in an undertone. ‘I thought he’d be arrogant and overbearing. Instead, I found myself actually liking him.’

‘Me too,’ said Gemma. ‘Not to mention he’s so handsome. I could hardly keep my eyes off him. And that voice.’ She mimed a shiver of delight.

‘But he couldn’t keep his eyes off Andie,’ said Eliza. ‘You’d be wasting your time there, Gemma.’

Had he? Been unable to keep his eyes off her? Andie’s Dominic radar had been on full alert all through the meeting. Again she’d that uncanny experience of knowing exactly where he was in the room even when her back was turned. Of hearing his voice through the chatter of others. She’d caught his eye one too many times to feel comfortable. Especially with the remnants of that dream lingering in her mind. She’d had to force herself not to let her gaze linger on his mouth.

‘Really, Andie?’ said Gemma. ‘Has he asked you out?’

‘Nothing like that,’ Andie said.

Eliza nodded thoughtfully. ‘But you like him. Not in the way I liked him. I mean you really like him.’

Andie had no intention of admitting anything to anyone. She forced her voice to sound cool, impartial—though she doubted she would fool shrewd Eliza. ‘Like you, I was surprised at how easy he is to get on with and how professional he is—even earlier this week when I switched the whole concept of his party into something he had never envisaged.’ That overwhelming attraction was just physical—nothing more.

‘And you totally didn’t get how hot he was?’ said Gemma. ‘Don’t expect me to believe that for one moment.’

Eliza rolled her eyes at Andie. ‘I know what’s coming next. He’s not your type. How many times have I heard you say that when you either refuse a date or dump a guy before you’ve even had a chance to get to know him?’

Andie paused. ‘Maybe that’s true. Maybe that’s why I’m still single. I’m beginning to wonder if I really know what is my type now.’

Her friendships with Gemma and Eliza dated from after she’d lost Anthony. They’d been sympathetic, but never really got why she had been so determined to try and find another man cast in the same mould as her first love. That her first love had been so perfect she’d felt her best chance of happiness would be with someone like Anthony.

Trouble was, they’d broken the mould when they’d made Anthony. Maybe she just hadn’t been ready. Maybe she’d been subconsciously avoiding any man who might challenge her. Or might force her to look at why she’d put her heart on hold for so long. Dominic would be a challenge in every way. The thought both excited and scared her.

Eliza shook her head. ‘It’s irrelevant anyway,’ she said. ‘It would be most unwise for you to start anything with Dominic Hunt. His party is a big, important job for us and we don’t have much time to organise it. It could get very messy if you started dating the client. Especially when I’ve never known you to stay with anyone for more than two weeks.’

‘In my eagerness to get you fixed up with a handsome rich guy, I hadn’t thought of that,’ said Gemma. ‘Imagine if you broke up with the billionaire client right in the middle of the countdown to the event. Could get awkward.’

‘It’s not going to happen, girls,’ Andie said. ‘I won’t lie and say I don’t think he’s really attractive. But that’s as far as it goes.’ Thinking of last night’s very intimate dream, she crossed her fingers behind her back.

‘This is a huge party for us to pull together so quickly. We’ve got other jobs to get sorted as well. I can’t afford to get...distracted.’ How she actually stopped herself from getting distracted by Dominic was another matter altogether.

‘I agree,’ said Eliza. ‘Eyes off the client. Okay?’

Andie smiled. ‘I’ll try,’ she said. ‘Seriously, though, it’s really important for Dominic that this party works. He’s got a lot riding on it. And it’s really important for us. As you say, Eliza, more work could come from this. Not just weddings and private parties. But why not his company’s business functions too? We have to think big.’

Gemma giggled. ‘Big? Mr Hunt is way too big for me anyway. He’s so tall. And all those muscles. His face is handsome but kind of tough too, don’t you think?’

‘Shh,’ hissed Eliza, putting her finger to her lips. ‘He’s coming.’

Andie screwed up her eyes for a moment. How mortifying if he’d caught them gossiping about him. She’d been just about to say he wasn’t too big for her to handle.

Along with the other two, she looked up and straightened her shoulders as Dominic strode towards them. In his dark charcoal suit he looked every inch the billionaire businessman. And, yes, very big.

She caught her breath at how handsome he looked. At the same time she caught his eye. And got the distinct impression that, of the three women in the room, she was the only one he really saw.

* * *

Did Andie get more and more beautiful every time he saw her? Dominic wondered. Or was it just the more he got to know her, the more he liked and admired her?

He had been impressed by her engaging and professional manner in the boardroom—the more so because he was aware she’d had such a short time to prepare her presentation. Her two business partners had been impressive too. It took a lot to win over his hard-nosed marketing people but, as a team, Party Queens had bowled them over.

The three women got up from their seats as he approached. Andie, tall and elegant in a deceptively simple caramel-coloured short dress—businesslike but with a snug fit that showed off her curves. Her sensational legs seemed to go on for ever to end in sky-high leopard-skin-print stilettos. He got it. She wanted to look businesslike but also let it be known who was the creative mind behind Party Queens. It worked.

Gemma—shorter, curvier, with auburn hair—and sophisticated, dark-haired Eliza were strikingly attractive too. They had a glint in their eyes and humour in their smiles that made him believe they could enjoy a party as well as plan them. But, in his eyes, Andie outshone them. Would any other woman ever be able to beat her? It was disturbing that a woman who he had known for such a short time could have made such an impression on him.

He addressed all three, while being hyper aware of Andie as he did so. Her hair pulled back in a loose knot that fell in soft tendrils around her face, her mouth slicked with coral gloss, those remarkable green eyes. ‘As I’m sure you’re aware,’ he began, ‘my marketing team is delighted at both the concept for the party and the way you plan to implement the concept to the timeline. They’re confident the event will meet and exceed the target we’ve set for reputation management and positive media engagement.’

It sounded like jargon and he knew it. But how else could he translate the only real aim of the party: to make him look less the penny-pincher and more the philanthropist?

‘We’re very pleased to be working with such a professional team,’ said Eliza, the business brains of the partnership. But all three were business savvy in their own way, he’d realised through the meeting.

‘Thank you,’ he said. He glanced at his watch. ‘The meeting ran so late it’s almost lunchtime. I’m extending an invitation to lunch for all of you,’ he said. ‘Not that restaurants around here, excellent as they are, could match the standard of your cooking, Gemma.’

‘Thank you,’ said Gemma, looking pleased. ‘But I’m afraid I have an appointment elsewhere.’

‘Me too, and I’m running late,’ said Eliza. ‘But we couldn’t possibly let you lunch alone, Mr Hunt, could we, Andie?’

Andie flushed high on those elegant cheekbones. ‘Of course not. I’d be delighted to join Dominic for lunch.’

Her chin tilted upwards and he imagined her friends might later be berated for landing her in this on her own. Not that he minded. The other women were delightful, but lunch one-on-one with Andie was his preferred option.

‘There are a few details of the plan I need to finalise with Dominic anyway,’ she said to her friends.

Dominic shook hands with Gemma and Eliza and they headed towards the elevators. He turned to Andie. ‘Thank you for coming to lunch with me,’ he said.

She smiled. ‘Be warned, I’m starving. I was up at the crack of dawn finalising those mood boards for the presentation.’