Cliff's Good Deed

49 - More Worries

The big day of the annual summer social finally arrived and Hannah was anxious. Her reputation as the new facilities manager depended on a smooth running, successful event. She had worked hard to make sure everything would be perfect. As with all things in life, she worried about the unexpected.

While driving to the club, she replayed all the preparations in her head. Was there anything she might have overlooked? The head chef assured her all was ready, the maintenance team would be on duty and standing by in case of accidents. The bathrooms were stocked, and all the fixtures shined. The band had set up earlier in the day and performed their sound check.

Hannah's boss, Mr. Cento, had reviewed her checklist and signed off. If he was happy, then not much could go wrong that would reflect badly on her.

The weather cooperated. It was a spectacular day with a lower than normal summertime temperature and no rain in the forecast.

There had been no sign of James. Being able to pull up to the main entrance and turn her car over to the valet had eased her worry. She was thankful to Mr. Cento for granting her that privilege. Overwhelmed by the club event, she hadn't wanted to dwell on James.

She couldn't help thinking about Cliff. Hannah knew they were overdue for a talk, but had anything really changed? She knew he wanted to keep their relationship alive. So did she. She couldn't see past the fact that his mother didn't think she was worthy. Hannah wouldn't be able to avoid seeing Cliff tonight and decided to be polite, but cool. They'd get their chance to talk later.

Hannah had looked up Kayla in the membership rolls and reviewed her background and her club photo. She was dismayed by how pretty the girl appeared and how young. Her family was wealthy and her father well-connected. It was no wonder Cliff's mother approved of Kayla's worthiness.

Izzy had explained Cliff was taking her out of obligation, but a girl like Kayla could easily turn a man's obligation into desire.

Early on Cliff had made a big deal out of wanting to see her in her little black cocktail dress, so Hannah had slid into it before leaving the house. In that dress, she could compete with any young chica the likes of Kayla.

Hannah shook her head, snapping herself out of those thoughts. She was being petty and ridiculous.

She got to the club two hours before the start of the event and pulled up to the valet stand. Oscar, the head valet, opened the door and greeted her.

"I see a lot of new faces," Hannah said as she stepped from her car. "Did the extra help arrive from the temp agency to cover tonight's heavy crowd?"

"Yes, boss, a half-dozen temps, just like you ordered. None of them have valet experience, so I need to keep a close eye on their deportment with the club members."

"Thank you, Oscar. Be sure to let me know if you need help with anything unusual." She handed him her keys.

Oscar whistled for one of the temps and started to explain the parking procedure and how to keep track of which keys belonged with which cars.

Hannah walked along the promenade leading into the event center. The walkway was spotless, and the hedges neatly trimmed. The scent of flowers filled the air. She reminded herself to congratulate the entire staff on a job well done.

She approached the photographer and introduced herself. The woman, Lily, and her helper, Tom, explained the setup and the system used to keep track of the photos, matching them with the guests. Satisfied that Lily and Tom had everything under control, she started walking away toward the entrance.

"Wait," Lily called out.

Hannah turned.

"Since it was your idea to use the hedge as a backdrop, let me take your photo. You'll be our test subject."