“She did. You know, you don’t have to mollycoddle me. I’m a big girl.”
“I like to . . . what did you call it? Mollycoddle?” I can hear the chuckle in his voice when he says this, and I play right back in laughter, saying, “Yes. Mollycoddle. For such a worldly man, you should broaden your vocabulary.”
“Is that so? Well, maybe when I get back I should show you just how expansive my vocabulary is.”
I laugh. If there’s one thing Bennett is not, it’s a dirty talker, but I give him a flirtatious, “Hmm . . . maybe you should come home early.”
“I wish. Although I am enjoying the warmer temperatures here. It’s nice and sunny.”
“If you’re trying to make me jealous, it won’t work. You know I love the cold and grey. Gives me a reason to cuddle up to your warmth every night.”
“So what kept you warm last night?”
“Stuffing my stomach full of Clara’s baked ziti and then huddling down deep in the blankets.”
“Well, I’ll be home soon enough to keep you warm, hun,” he says in a smooth voice before asking, “So what’s on your agenda today?”
“I was going to give the hotel a call to see if I can set up a meeting to look over the space again.”
“We were just there.”
“Yeah, but now I want to see it empty, without all of Chicago’s upper crust loitering in it.”
He laughs at me and then says, “Sweetheart, don’t you forget that you are as upper crust as they get.”
“And I only have you to thank for that, darling,” I tease. “But seriously, I want to see what the space looks like empty and talk to management to find out if they have any new leads on vendors. I’d like to step out of the norm from what we’ve done the past couple of years.”
“As long as it has your hand in it, it will be amazing. Everything you touch turns to perfection. Just look at me.”
“Perfection, huh? Well, I can’t argue with that ego of yours. I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
“And I you,” he compliments before saying, “The car just pulled up to the hotel, so I need to let you go.”
“Okay. Try not to work too hard. I miss you.”
“Miss you too, love. Have a good day.”
We hang up and I let out a deep breath. Talking to him like that used to be difficult in the beginning, but now it’s as natural as wanting to wipe dog shit off your shoe.
I walk into my closet to pull out the clutch I took to the party the other night. Opening it, I take out the business card that Declan gave me and walk back out to the living room to make the call.
“Lotus,” a woman’s voice purrs.
“Declan McKinnon, is he available?”
“And who shall I say is calling?”
“Nina Vanderwal.”
She puts me on hold for a moment and when the line is picked up, she tells me, “Mr. McKinnon is finishing up a meeting. Would you like me to take a message?”
“Well, I don’t want to disturb his schedule, but I will be organizing an event and would like to come see the main ballroom space and discuss vendors.”
“Of course. Let me direct you over to our manager,” she says before transferring me.
After a brief chat with the hotel manager, we set up a meeting an hour from now. Hanging up the phone, I call Baldwin to have the car ready to drive me over to the hotel. When he arrives, I’m ready as he helps me slip my coat on over my ivory silk top that’s tucked into my tailored, black, wool pants.
“Are you ready?” Baldwin asks as I grab my purse.
“Ready.”
We ride down on the elevator, and as we walk through the lobby, the car has already been pulled around out front.
“Watch your step,” Baldwin says as I maneuver around the small ice patches in my high heels.
When I arrive at Lotus, I walk in and am greeted by the manager who is waiting for me. He leads me into the ballroom, and I take note of the space. The main seating area will easily accommodate the event, and there is an attached lounge that houses various cigars and liquors that are displayed around the dark mahogany room. The bar is broad and masculine, and the woodwork is quite impressive. It’s a shame all this was hidden beneath the sea of people that was here at the grand opening. The setting is an intimate one despite the vast size of the room. The dance floor is situated down a small flight of stairs, setting it off from the dining room, creating a less hectic atmosphere for entertaining.
A familiar accent catches me off guard as I’m walking around and taking notes in my memo book.
“How does she look?” His brogue casts through the room, and when I turn to catch his eye, I ask, “Excuse me?”
Scanning the space, he clarifies, “The space, I mean. Looks different empty, doesn’t it?”
Turning my head to admire the décor, I say, “Yes. I was just thinking about how much detail I failed to see the other night with all the people here.”
He walks over to me, looking polished in his slacks and fitted button-up, sans suit jacket and tie, with a slight grin on his face, and reaches out for my hand and finally greets, “It’s good to see you again, Nina.”