Work Wife

Gala

"Ah, I must have met stoner Logan," I joke and he nods in agreement. Ainslee is about to add in something else but she's interrupted by Susan and a woman dressed in a glittery, beaded gown eager to talk to Chase.

"This is Chase Camden," Susan says as the older woman holds her hand out, unaware or unbothered that they just intruded on our foursome. "Chase, this is Rita Allison."

"Oh! Rita!" Chase says, clearly putting a face to a name. "It's so nice to finally meet you." Chase takes a step forward slicing me off from those three and leaving me with Ainslee and Logan. I can tell Ainslee is waiting for an introduction by the way her eyes linger on Chase, but Chase never spins around, now engrossed in fundraising numbers from last year. I look away from their trio and back to Logan, "You're at table nine with me. I don't know if you remember Eloise from your party-"

"Oh I remember her," Logan interrupts and I try and shake off my flicker of annoyance. Of course he remembers the stunning blonde.

"Well, she's with us too," I quickly add and Ainslee is still distracted by Chase even though she's standing with us. She takes a sip of her champagne and I realize she looks like she's playing dress up in her fancy gown. Like she slipped it on and didn't bother to sleek her flyaways down or slip into the right shoes. The choker helps but she's wearing minimal makeup and her handbag looks like it's from Target. Somehow it doesn't all fit together.

"Is this your first gala?" I ask her while praying someone will come over and snag me to go put out a fire. She finds a smile as she nods.

"I was so nervous that I was going to be underdressed," she giggles as she sweeps a hand down her sparking gown. I can't tell if she's being sarcastic but luckily I don't have to reply because she adds, "Oh Logan, guess what?" Her charming twinkle is back as she flits her blue eyes to me, "Stella here is now one of my bridesmaids! So we'll all get to party together next week!"

"Oh, no way?" Logan says after polishing off his bubbly. "Nice. So you coming out on Wednesday with the rest of us then?"

I nod, "Yes, I was always planning on heading down there early to make sure we had everything organized. I'm also the wedding planner."

"Yeah, Chase mentioned that. Makes sense seeing that's what you do for a living," Logan says with a smile.

"Now she gets to work and play," Ainslee says with a smirk and Logan nods like he totally understands what she's talking about. Chase finally remembers he has a fiancée and spins around to grab her hand to pull her out of our trio and into theirs. I hear him introduce her and my stomach rumbles, reminding me I need to get to the damn food line.

"Did you eat?" I ask Logan now that it's awkwardly just the two of us and he shakes his head.

"Nah, wasn't sure how all that worked. Also, I ate before I got here. Catering food is never good," he replies with a glance at the buffet line. I frown, irritated that he's making a dig at my vendor, and reply, "Actually they're local and people rave about them." Logan doesn't look convinced and I don't have the energy to care.

"It's an open bar," I tell him enthusiastically and point off to the mass of people waiting to grab a drink. I freeze as I wonder why there is such a large crowd huddled around the bar. I frown and notice there is only one bartender flying around, trying to help dozens of people.

"Uhhh..." I say, confused as to why we only have one bartender when there should be three. I turn to walk toward the long line and Logan follows. I snake around to the back and find the poor man dabbing his head with a cloth.

"Where is your help?" I ask him as he yanks two beers from the ice bucket. He spins around, slides them to the men waiting, and then answers, "No idea. One of 'em was supposed to be getting more glassware and the other said she didn't feel well."