Lacey's Night of Sinn (18+)(*TEASER ONLY*)

|1| EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL |:|

"Not there!" Lacey Diaz grabbed the young man's shoulders, startling him as he was setting up the hors d'oeuvres. She guided him to an adjacent table. "They go here, on the table labeled hors d'oeuvres. You see that? All the tables are labeled."

The man nodded and set the trays down.

"Over to the right a little. A little more. Yes, that's good, perfect. Where's the mock-up that was sent over to Margie last week?"

The man shrugged, making heat flow through Lacey's body. She made a fist at her side for a moment, then let it go and exhaled. "Let me explain something to you. Everyone is working diligently to complete their task, as laid out in my specific instructions. The food display is the center ornament of the event, which is why I spent time to create a mock-up with visuals that outline to the "T" exactly how I want everything to look. Please, consult that instructional packet before you come out here again to place another item on the tables. Do we have an understanding?"

He nodded, his eyes the size of saucers. "Yes, ma'am."

She turned around so he could go and complete his task.

"We need raffle tickets over here. Daria!" Lacey pointed to a young woman hanging streamers. "Put the ice breaker cards on each table and don't forget the table clothes." She frowned. "Daria? Where's Dari—"

"Hey Lace." Lacey's best friend, Rita, slung her coat over the bar stool at the small bistro table as Lacey leaned into a cheek kiss from her friend.

"Ah-ah, Ree. Coat goes in the coat closet."

Rita curled her upper lip and threw her coat over her forearm. "Has anyone ever told you that you're bossy?"

"Every day, and I call them team members. You're late, by the way. I need someone to finish lighting the candles."

"This is what you get for free labor lady, okay? 'Sides, I had to get ready. All of this doesn't just happen. And you, mami? You need to loosen up." Rita looked around. "People are starting to show up already? Is the thirst real or am I just being critical?"

"Rita Hernandez, stop judging my fellow lonesome, hopeful souls and help me finish setting up. Daria! Gosh, where is that woman?"

Rita shrugged. "Who would have thought this little singles thing would gain so much momentum?"

A bolt of excitement ran through Lacey. She couldn't believe it either. "Rumor has it that Claire Grier will stop by to write about it for the Hot in Town section of Chic City magazine. So everything has to be perfect."

Rita rolled her eyes. "Claire or no Claire, you'd want everything to be perfect anyway." She smirked. "Since things are taking off, it sounds like somebody's paying my rent this month."

"Do you have a new sugar daddy I didn't know about?" Lacey fixed a streamer that was a little off center.

"A new sugar mama, and her name starts with an 'L' and ends with an 'acey'." Rita laughed, bumping Lacey with her hip, then strolled to the closet to hang her coat.

"Ms. Diaz, I heard you were looking for me. I was coordinating floral locations with the florist." The woman was out of breath, her blond hair tousled on top of her head. Lacey would have felt bad if she didn't pay the woman so well. It's why she had hired her this year, because otherwise she'd be the one completely stressed.

"Very good. The bouquets look great!"

"Wasn't for a lack of trying. The florist was trying to pull some crap about not having what you ordered, when we put the order in last year."