Meet Eva King, a high-spirited manager in an international firm. She scraped her way up from zero to hero in the cold, hard world of power, money, and politics, where nothing and no one was going to get in her way.
Until handsome Sven came along. No...
Now, do you remember when I said earlier that I didn't need a partner to take me to company dinners, balls, and social gatherings?
That I often went to these events solo?
Well, let's just forget that I said that.
This all changed on the night of the Brisbane Corporate Ball, which was a grandiose annual evening event of opulence magnified—the type that would have seen Jay Gatsby coming out of his reclusive state to find the whimsically epicurean Daisy Buchanan sipping her Champagne.
Even Nosferatu would have slipped away from the mist and the shadows to attend this splendid, ritzy, and classy affair, which attracted the crème de la crème, or the upper echelons of society in Brisbane.
Sorry, Frankenstein, you're not invited. This swanky soirée was marked as platinum class, VIP only. No riff-raff.
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Held at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens on Mount Coot-tha, which boasted over fifty hectares of immaculately manicured flora and fauna, the alfresco venue certainly did not fail to impress.
The main area, where guests were mingling, was surrounded by mature trees and lush foliage plants, including bamboo. It was lit by an assortment of decorative lights, including oriental lanterns, fairy lights, and other types of creative luminous arrangements.
A few eager butterflies in expensive gowns and suits danced to the greatest hits of all time, thanks to the live music played by Summer in December, an Australian band that recently won a national television talent competition.
"Det er helt fantastisk!" Sven's ocean eyes sparkled with dazzling fascination and his pink lips opened wide when we sauntered toward the exquisitely enticing garden.
I noticed elaborately decorated buffet tables that featured an assortment of international cuisine, as well as an overpopulated drinks bar under a marquee. The catering staff, clad in pristine uniforms, dashed around, politely offering drinks and canapes to the guests.
Journalists, photographers and camera crew from Brisbane Extra television news, Channel Ten News, and Channel Seven Night News were busy interviewing corporate heads, local politicians, and a few other celebrities.
Young, leggy female models, who came as accessories for aging industry magnates with thick wallets, snapped selfies, no doubt for their Instagram profiles.
I rolled my eyes at that woeful sight, which served as a reminder that I could not change the world alone.
Where were the Wonder Women who wore the shield of confidence and shook the industrial real estate market? I scanned the garden and sighed with relief when I saw Grace Nielson, the Mayor of Brisbane.
She ruled the council with an iron fist, and supported equality at all levels. She was with her partner, Marianne Cortez, a renowned artist whose work was recently showcased at the Queensland Art Gallery.
