Chapter Seven

A couple hours later, Kira hadn’t seen or heard from Franklin, so she went to look for him. Coming toward the dining room and the small ballroom, she found him standing on a ladder, cleaning the massive crystal chandelier. It was situated right in the middle of the room. She walked in carefully so that she wouldn’t catch him off guard and make him fall.

“There you are. I’ve been looking all over the place for you,” she said, shielding her eyes from the light so she could see him standing high up on the ladder.

“I’ve been right here.” He carefully placed a crystal piece on a rung on the light fixture.

The large, very ornate, crystal chandelier gleamed as the light hit it. He must have put a lot of work into cleaning every piece and part.

Glancing around the room, excitement shivered through her as she imagined the space being filled with people celebrating. The Rotary Club Anniversary would be the first large event since she took over the inn.

The walls were in great shape and the crown molding gave it a more regal look. The wall sconces on each side of the room had the same dangling effect as the chandelier.

Franklin started coming down the ladder. “Did you need me for anything?”

“No, not particularly.” She looked down at the floor.

“There are a couple of bad spots, but I’m going to have them fixed and the floor refinished, so I wanted to get the chandelier done before then.”

He’d thought of everything, and she was thankful. It wasn’t that she hadn’t done group events. She’d supervised them all the time when she lived in Chicago and worked for a national hotel chain. She loved coordinating them, but then again, the hotel had several massive ballrooms, so it was on a very different scale.

“Don’t worry, by the time we’re done, this place will be a showpiece.”

Franklin’s statement jerked her out of her daydream, her mind still on the conversation that they’d had earlier. “Are you doing this all by yourself?” She walked closer. “I’d love to help you.”

“Sparkle and shine,” he said, holding up an instrument that looked much like a toothbrush.

“What are you using to clean it?” For the life of her, she couldn’t remember what they’d used in the past.

“I created a solution of one part isopropyl alcohol and four parts distilled water.” He dipped the instrument into the mixture.

“But you’re wearing gloves.”

“I can see how many chandeliers you’ve cleaned in your lifetime.” Franklin laughed. “I’m using these white cotton gloves so that I won’t transfer my fingerprints onto the crystal. It wouldn’t be productive to clean it just to leave my thumbprints.”

Once again, she noticed his large hands. Of course, Mr. Perfect would wear gloves.

“I don’t have any,” she replied.

Franklin removed one of them. “You’re right-handed?”

She nodded.

“If you take the right one, I can use the left one. We can get done quicker if we work together.”

Kira smiled at him. “Sparkle and shine,” she repeated.

“That’s right. We want those people to be in awe when they walk in here. We’ll be the talk of the town. Since the folks around here love to gossip, let’s give them something of substance. That a small boutique hotel could provide such ambiance and service.”

She could only hope. “Have you already thought about the bartenders, band, or talked to Ben about the wait staff? We’ll need a number of workers to pull this off.”

“Yes, I checked to make sure that you already had a liquor license, so I called the supplier. I’d like you to sit in on the band audition. I’m going to talk to Hank about it later today.”

“Let me know when and I’ll make myself available.” Kira picked up the extra brush and wet it so she could get to work. For a few moments, she watched how meticulously Franklin handled cleaning the chandelier, so she did the same.

He was humming as he worked, putting his all into the task, and she was ready to tell her aunt that no matter how much she was against it, Franklin would stay for the full three months.

…

For the next several weeks, they all worked together to prepare for the big event. Luckily none of Kira’s family, including her aunt Mary Louise, had interfered, which gave him hope. Franklin and Kira often worked into the night together. He loved the way she laughed even when nothing was funny. She was full of spunk and was as determined as he was to make Hank’s event run smoothly, without any hiccups.

The night of the event, Franklin was ready to greet the guests of the Clover Rotary Club. Even though he was working, he couldn’t see himself in any old regular pair of pants. He took his time and put on a black suit, white shirt, and black bowtie. He didn’t even mind that he could get dirty. He just wanted to present himself in the most professional manner. Along with the staff that they’d hired, he’d be in most cases the first person a guest saw when they entered the spacious room.

He walked into the ballroom that had been transformed into an elegant space that was warm and inviting. He was very pleased with the floral centerpieces that Kira had chosen. They worked well with the lighting and candles that had been sprinkled throughout. He never thought he’d be excited about this kind of project, but he loved when a plan worked out.

The small dining room looked better than he ever imagined. There were high-top tables draped with clean, white linen, the bottoms gathered with a gold organza bow. The candle centerpieces were just enough to give people room for drinks or a ladies’ handbag.

They used them for conversation gathering and a place to rest. He went into the kitchen to see if Ben and Gail were ready for the event to begin. It was a big deal for them, too, since they had to create the hors d’oeuvres that would be passed around first. Plus, he wanted to make sure the wait staff was dressed appropriately. Crisp shirts and slacks were important for the look they were going for.

He noticed several trays already prepared and Gail placing hors d’oeuvres on a decorative tray.

“These look beautiful,” he commented. He knew from experience that when he encountered someone who was always evasive, complimenting them or recognizing their efforts could calm some of that angst. “What is it?” he asked, standing to her side.

She looked up at him and a small smile grew on her face. “Shrimp in Phyllo Cups. Simple, really,” she explained as she continued her task. “With just a few ingredients, you can have a delicious bite that looks lovely on the plate.”

“They smell good, I know that.” He smiled. “Great job.”

Even though she didn’t respond to his compliment, her head nod told him they’d get along. At least for tonight.

Ben came over to him, wiping his hands on a towel that he had thrown over his shoulder, dressed in his white chef’s coat with his name embroidered on the front. He also wore his toque.

“She’s really excited,” Ben said, speaking about Gail. Franklin saw a glint in Ben’s eyes as he watched him watching her.

“This is going to be good for everyone. Everything all set?”

“Let’s go!” Ben said, giving Franklin a fist bump.

Making his rounds, Franklin checked on everything on his mental checklist. Tonight had to be perfect.

In the main dining area, the royal-blue and gold-colored tablecloths had been put on the tables. Creating an ice sculpture from the Rotary Club’s wheel logo was a special touch. He was so glad that Kira suggested it. He knew that she was creative and daring, but when it came to her family’s business, she seemed a bit intimidated and wary. He understood it, too, since this family had the business all these years, and now she was responsible.

After he’d made sure the disc jockey had started the music and the bartenders had all of their supplies, they were ready to receive the guests. He went to find Kira; they hadn’t touched base since that afternoon. He saw her before he could get to the door, and he nearly did a double take.

Dressed in a sleeveless, fitted black dress that stopped at the knee, she looked simply divine. Talk about giving a new meaning to Little Black Dress. Her short hair was curled tight on her head. She was radiant. His eyes traveled down her shapely legs to her strappy heels, which weren’t too tall but looked sexy on her.

“Wow,” Kira said as she approached him. “Franklin, it looks so good in here.”

He grasped her hand and twirled her around right in the middle of the floor. They ended up flush against each other. Franklin looked down into her eyes. “You look lovely this evening, Kira. Really.”

Her face reddened. “Thank you,” she replied, stepping back. “But I was talking about the room.”

Franklin grinned. “Yep, and I was talking about what I was talking about, too.”

They both laughed.

She playfully hit his arm. “Well, you don’t look so bad yourself.”

Franklin pulled at his suit lapel. “Why, thank you.”

“When I worked at the Marriott, we always had to dress nicer for special events. You don’t want the guests seeing you look raggedy.” She chuckled.

“My thoughts exactly. I hope you have some other shoes.”

“If I start running around too much, I have a more casual pair I can put on.”

“I’m sure we’re going to get busy. Last I heard from Hank, they’re going to have more guests than they anticipated.”

Her eyes widened, and Franklin quickly reached for her hand to calm her. “Nothing to worry about. You know how people are. Ben is prepared.”

Kira exhaled. “Gail isn’t giving you a hard time, is she?”

“No, as a matter of fact, she was rather nice to me a minute ago when I complimented her hors d’oeuvres.”

“That sounds about right. Everything is great with Gail as long as it’s centered on her.”

“Did they put the sign out so that folks know what room the party will be in?” she asked, then said, “I don’t know why I’m asking you such a silly question. I already know the answer.”

“Nothing wrong with double checking. But yes, I did it myself. I also put one out that said the kitchen was closed for a special event.”

They turned toward the door and saw Hank and his wife Beatrice walk in and then went to meet them.

“You all really know how to put on a show,” Hank said as he shook Franklin’s hand.

“Well, you better be careful, Hank, because you might get stuck planning this event every year.”

“Hey there, Hank and Bea. You both look so nice,” Kira said.

Beatrice let go of her husband’s arm and moved closer to Kira. Franklin couldn’t quite hear what she was saying but figured it had everything to do with him, because Bea kept looking in his direction. It didn’t take Kira long to break away, though. She came to stand beside him and whispered through her teeth as she plastered a smile on her face. “Tell you later.”

Franklin kept a pleasant expression; he had guests to take care of. He placed his hand on the small of Kira’s back. “Let’s leave these folks to enjoy their party and see if they need any help in the kitchen.”

…

Not only did Kira have a lot riding on tonight, but her family’s reputation was on the line as well. There were so many people that showed up for the rotary club event that she was afraid they wouldn’t all fit. Had she gotten overzealous wanting to prove to her family that she could take on such an event? She shook her head at herself. Kira couldn’t think about that. She had to stay confident even if she had to cross her fingers.

As the night went on, she noticed how well the staff worked under Franklin’s direction. He was so smooth in his instruction; she was very impressed.

Watching from the sidelines, she was proud of the execution, and it looked like one of those high-class fundraising events where the guests paid top dollar.

In the kitchen, Kira got so busy that, when she saw her aunt walk in, she almost dropped a tray with champagne-filled crystal on the floor. She knew there was no getting around the situation. She’d have to face her aunt and the backlash if Mary Louise wasn’t pleased with the outcome of the event.

“Auntie,” Gail said, rushing over to kiss her cheek.

Kira cleared her throat as her aunt approached her. “Auntie Mary, I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

As always, her aunt had that movie-star glam with the shimmery, floor-length, beaded black dress, with dangling sparkly earrings and cute matching pumps.

Kira kissed her cheek. “You look so good,” she said as she saw the servers return to the kitchen to refill their trays again.

Franklin stepped over to Kira. “How are we doing?”

“They seemed to be enjoying the food,” she replied. “We’re refilling the trays as fast as we can, so I’d say it’s a slam dunk.”

Franklin extended his hand to her aunt. “You look lovely this evening, Mrs. Davis.”

She held her breath as she watched her aunt’s lips press together. Her eyes narrowed on Franklin. Even though she didn’t verbally respond to him, Kira exhaled once she saw her aunt slowly nod her head.

Franklin smiled and looked in Kira’s direction. She smiled back at him before she gave her aunt her attention once again. But her aunt’s gaze was still focused on Franklin.

An uneasy feeling hit the pit of Kira’s stomach. “So, Auntie, what do you think so far?”

“We’ve never hosted this many people before. Whose idea was it to close the dining room?”

She’d already told her aunt the plan when she came in a few weeks ago. Maybe it was a test to see if she’d been telling the truth.

“I did,” Franklin said. “We had to find a way to help Hank and the Rotary Club celebrate their anniversary. I think it was done smartly, don’t you?”

For several heart-stopping moments, Kira waited for her aunt to respond. In the back of her mind, she could hear her aunt’s warning about acting impulsively. Making decisions without checking with others or weighing the outcome. This time, in her heart, Kira knew it was the right decision.

Mary Louise finally broke out a smile. “Classy and sophisticated, baby.” She embraced her.

Kira took a few steps back and clutched her chest while releasing a loud sigh. “Whew!” She dramatically wiped her brow for effect.

“The food is simply divine.” Her aunt called Gail over and hugged her, too. “I’m so proud of you girls.” She looked over at Franklin and Ben. “All of you are doing a great job and I’m going to get out of your way. I need to get back in there anyway.”

“Were you just trying to scare the hell out of us, Auntie?” Kira asked. The whole time she kept playing her aunt’s words in her head.

Mary Louise chuckled. “No, no. So many people complimented me on the event. I had to tell them the young Davises were in charge. I wanted you all to hear what people are saying.”

Kira wrapped her arms around her aunt’s shoulders. “Thank you for telling us. It means more than you know, but we do have work to do.”

“We’ll see you later, Auntie,” Gail said before she went over to the freezer to prepare the cocktail glasses for the frozen dessert.

“Your grandpa would be so proud,” Mary Louise said, then glanced at Franklin again and walked out of the room.

Kira could do the happy dance after hearing her aunt’s compliments. She looked over at Franklin, who gave her a wink before instructing the servers who were ready to distribute the desserts.

“I’m going to go out and mingle.” All she could do was smile. She’d proven to her aunt that she and her staff, Franklin included, could handle the task, and she didn’t have to say a word. Her plan had worked out.