LITMIR.BIZ

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facade and force the fury and passion to the surface. He’d poke and prod until the dam finally broke and the truth spilled out.

      “How have you been?” he asked, hoping the mundane question would help her relax.

      A hint of strain blossomed across her elegant features. When he’d first met her—and hired her on the spot—he’d thought her delicate. And though her fine-boned appearance gave that impression, he’d quickly learned she possessed a backbone of steel. But right now she seemed more than delicate. She looked undone.

      “I’m a little stressed right now,” she confessed. “Which is why I’m here.”

      “Tell me about it,” he prompted.

      She hesitated, gathering her self-control and wrapping dispassion around herself like a protective cloak. “About eighteen months ago, I started my own business.”

      “Elegant Events.”

      He’d surprised her. “How did—” She waved the question aside. “Never mind. You would have made it your business to know what I did after we went our separate ways.”

      “You mean…after you left me.”

      The correction escaped without thought or intent, the words whisper-soft and carrying an underlying edge. An edge she caught. The strain she fought so hard to conceal deepened, melded with an old anger and an even older hurt. Her hands curled tight, her knuckles bleached white. This time when she compressed her mouth he suspected it was to control the betraying tremble. Time stretched taut.

      “Do you really want to go there?” she asked at last. She pinned him with a single look. “Do we need to deal with the past now? Is that the only way you’re willing to help me?”

      “It’s not the only way.”

      “Just the way you prefer.” She didn’t wait for the confirmation. “Fine. I’ll make this as straightforward as I know how. You, with your unrelenting need to keep business and personal in separate compartments, gave me a choice. I could work for you or love you, but not both. I, foolishly, chose love. What I didn’t realize is that you were already in love. And that love would always come first with you.”

      “You were the only woman in my life,” he bit back.

      She lifted a shoulder and smiled in a way that threatened to tear his heart right out of his chest. “Perhaps the only woman, but not the only thing. Piretti’s was always your first love. And because of that, it will always be the love you put first.”

      “You left me because I worked late on occasion?” he demanded in disbelief. “Because sometimes I was forced to put work ahead of you or our social life?”

      She didn’t bother arguing, though he could see part of her yearned to. The anger and disillusionment could be read in her expression, the bitter words trembling on the tip of her tongue. She waited until both faded away before speaking.

      “Yes,” she said with painful simplicity. “Yes, I left you for all those reasons.”

      “And a host of others?” he guessed shrewdly.

      She inclined her head. “And a host of others.” Before he could demand more information, she held out a hand in supplication. “Please, Gabe. It’s been nearly two years. There’s no point in beating this issue to death after all this time. Can’t we move on?” She paused a beat, a hint of wry humor catching him by surprise. “Or am I wasting my time coming here today?”

      He had no intention of moving on, but he could be patient. Maybe. If he tried really hard. “You aren’t wasting your time. If it’s in my power to help, I will. Why don’t you start by explaining the problem to me?”

      She took a deep, steadying breath. “Okay, let’s see if I can’t keep this short and straightforward, the way you like it. In a nutshell, Elegant Events is an event-staging business geared toward upper-echelon corporations and large-budget clientele.”

      “Of which there are plenty in the Seattle area.”

      She nodded. “Exactly. My goal was—and is—to plan and stage every aspect of the event in order to spare clients any and all worry and headaches. They tell me what they want, and I provide it. If they’re willing to pay for it, I’ll find a way of fulfilling their every desire, and if possible, to exceed their expectations.”

      “And you do it with grace and elegance and panache.”

      Pleasure gave her cheeks a hint of much-needed color. “You should write my PR releases. That’s precisely our goal. We strive to bring something unique to every event, to set the perfect stage, whether it’s to high-light the release of a new product or to create the perfect memory for a special, once-in-a-lifetime occasion.”

      “Like the Marconi affair tonight.”

      She shook her head in amused disbelief. “Is there anything you don’t know? Yes, like the Marconi affair tonight. You’re only ninety once, and Natalie is under tremendous pressure to make her father-in-law’s birthday celebration an unforgettable occasion.”

      Gabe couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Catherine so happy, and that fact filled him with regret. She’d suffered at his hands. It hadn’t been deliberate on his part, but that didn’t alter the facts. “I don’t doubt you’ll pull the party off in grand style,” he stated with absolute conviction.

      “During my years at Piretti’s, as well as during the time we were together, I learned a lot about what works, and more importantly, what doesn’t. And though I didn’t expect the business to take off right away, to my surprise and delight, it did.” Energy and enthusiasm rippled through her voice. “We’ve scored some impressive clients and they seemed pleased with the various events. At least, I thought they were.”

      Her excitement dimmed and he frowned in concern. “Obviously, something’s gone wrong. What’s happened to change all that?”

      The last of her vivaciousness drained away, leaving behind the tension. “Two things. First, we’re losing clients. It’s nothing overt. Just contracts I thought were a sure thing have suddenly gone away without any explanation. Everyone’s polite and makes encouraging noises, but when it’s all said and done, they choose another company.”

      “And the second problem?”

      “Is the most serious.” Worry darkened her eyes and turned her voice husky with nerves. “We’re on the verge of bankruptcy, Gabe. And I don’t know why. I thought we’d been careful with our profit margin, but maybe there’s been more waste than I realized. I can’t quite get a handle on it. It’s not my area of expertise. I can tell something’s off, but I can’t seem to pinpoint what. I’m hoping you can figure it out and suggest changes to correct the problem before we go under.”

      He keyed in on one very pertinent word that he hadn’t noticed until then. “We?” he repeated.

      She hesitated. “I have a partner, someone who prefers to remain anonymous,” she hastened to add.

      He didn’t like the sound of that. “Why?”

      Catherine lifted a shoulder. “She just does. Since half the startup money was hers, I respect her desire for privacy.”

      She. Gabe refused to allow his relief to show that the partner was female rather than a male. It was petty of him, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. Not when it came to Catherine. Still, it seemed odd that this partner would want to keep her identity a secret. Maybe he’d do a little digging and see if he couldn’t find out what the mystery was all about. “Depending on what I find, that may need to change,” he warned. “There’s an excellent chance I’ll want to meet her.”

      “I did discuss that possibility with her. She’s agreed that if it means the difference between salvaging the business and having Elegant Events go bankrupt, she’s willing to meet with you.”

      “Good decision,” he said dryly.

      “Agreed.”

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