Chapter 45 - Everything went according to plan—except my heart

**Lisa**

“For God's sake why are the napkins ivory? I said champagne! Champagne people, that's what I asked for. Can you see the gentle golden warmth of a Parisian sunset appear on these napkins? Of course not!”

The gala was finally here and chaos plagued me like a devoted puppy.

The staff member gave me a blink. Their appearance is somewhat beige.

I let out a moan. "We are not offering mediocrity at this gala. Follow my instructions to the letter.”

In the background, I was frantically rearranging the tables, rearranging the flowers, checking the sound system over and over to be sure it was working, and barking last-minute instructions.

Damon strolled in, looking effortlessly handsome and totally unbothered. “Lisa.” he called.

His voice communicated meaning, “No, Damon, not now. I have a lot on my plate.”

“Yes, you do. But it could be a lot less if you quit scurrying around like a cranky squirrel.” 

I glared at him. "Did you just call me a cranky squirrel?"

He shrugged, "You sound like one."

Before returning to my checklist, I gave him a warning finger and walked away.

Checking my to-do list again, “Have the caterers been confirmed? The keynote speaker is where? Does the lighting look good? What if—”

Damon stole my clipboard and pulled me to his chest, “Breathe, Lisa.”

"I am breathing." I snapped.

"Excessively. You're literally hyperventilating. Calm down."

"I can't afford to be calm. I have to be ready for any potential emergency."

Damon held my shoulders on both sides and said, "Listen to me, Lisa. You have worked your ass out on this project. Everything is going to be fine. Trust me on this one.”

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do." He smiled. "Because you meticulously planned everything, including the exact color of the napkins—"

"Which is wrong." 

“Relax , Princess. I got you.”

I let out a sharp breath, attempting to process what he had said. "What if something goes wrong?"

“We’ll handle it, together. I’m still here." He slipped a flyaway hair behind my ear. But for the time being? You need to pause, take a deep breath. You’ve made it this far, Lisa. This,” he gestures to the hall around us, “Is all you.”

I bit my lip. "All right. But I reserve the right to panic if something goes wrong.

Damon laughed. "Agreed."

I inhaled deeply one last time.

All right. Okay. I can do this. Right?

The rest of the evening played out like a dream, one that was wonderfully planned and carried out.

The guests waltzed in looking dapper and impressed. The caterers did not ruin the evening, the music was played at the perfect volume, and the lighting was cozy and welcoming.

I floated along the hall, saying hello to sponsors, striking up conversations, and occasionally giving the ivory napkins a disapproving look but I managed to ignore them all night. As promised, Damon was by my side when he could and made sure everything went without a hitch. He would simply stare at me with a mixture of laughter and calm certainty whenever I started to feel anxious, and somehow I would remember to breathe.

When the main course was served, I saw that guests were truly enjoying their food rather than muttering grumbles beneath their napkins. The speeches and entertainment went smoothly. I felt light. for the first time in weeks, and I allowed myself to savor it. I became aware of something as the event progressed. 

Whenever Damon introduced me to guests, he introduced me by my name and as the project manager, nothing more. I understand that we aren’t officially anything yet but it hurts. My heart burned every single time I heard the words ‘project manager.’

I became aware of something by the time the last toast was said.

It worked. Everything went as planned.

Someone touched the small of my back from behind and whispered in my ear, "Told you." 

I exhaled, my shoulders finally relaxing at the sound of Damo.s voice. "Alright. You win. It all worked out.”

He grinned. “Say it again, I don’t think I heard you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t push your luck.”

"This is my project manager, Lisa."

Not much more. Nothing less.

What was I expecting?

‘Lisa, my clever and extraordinarily talented co-conspirator, the woman I—’  

“All right, Lisa, don't go there at this time.” I muttered to myself. This was work. I shouldn’t expect Damon to greet me with celebratory declarations of love and a backdrop of fireworks.

Still, yet, I felt small. I really fit in. Who was I trying to fool? Whatever happened to us was probably because of the tension, the preparation, the late hours.

My eyes searched for Damon, flashing that endearing smile, he walked around the room as if he owned it. 

I needed air. I needed to get out of here, I hurried through the crowded room and locked myself in one of the bathroom stalls.

Just as I was closing the stall door, small feet dressed in stilettos stopped the door from shutting.

"How did you do it?" I heard a voice asking. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone but I put on a rehearsed smile and stepped out of the stall.

I saw a woman resting against the sink with her arms folded, grinning as if she had just discovered the universe's secret.

“I’m a veteran in this industry. I know every single person in the game, but you, I’ve never met you or heard of you. That means you’re a rookie yet, your first project is to manage the Knight’s fundraising gala in Paris. How?”

Lisa's eyebrows went up. "I don’t understand. What do you mean?"

"Oh, don't act foolish." The female snorted. "Everyone knows how you got this position."

Lisa blinked. "I’m sorry, who are you?"

She looked stunned to hear that I didn't know who she was but she quickly recovered, “See, you just proved my point.

Taking a bold step forward, “Who the hell are you?” I asked again, starting to lose my patience.