Cassie sat at one of the tables in the bar, papers spread before her. Inventories, schedules, bookings, promotions. As she tried to sort the information before her in her mind and prioritize the tasks at hand, she was finding that everything she needed to concentrate on was being pushed aside by thoughts of the events of recent days and mental preparations for the big dinner that night.
Preparation for the meal itself was nothing to concern herself over, but as for the company and the conversation that would accompany it . . . there was not enough preparation in the world.
She tried not to think too much about it. Aside from playing the part of a good hostess, the dinner party was beyond her control. These days it seemed like everything happening in her life was beyond her control.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a door open and footsteps approaching. She smiled, grateful for a pleasant distraction, when she saw Chloe enter the room.
