Accidentally my Man

2

       Adeline sighed as she sunk into her bed. She felt like her head would explode from the lists of flower arrangements, lights, cutlery, and balloons. 

     Her father had assigned her the task of double-checking every single party arrangement, which meant making many, many phone calls.

     "White and gold bouquets," she'd tell them.

     "Which shade?" they'd reply, leaving her dumbstruck.

     "What are the options?"

     "Cream, pearl, ivory, porcelain, lace..." and on they went. Who knew there were so many different shades of white?

     She couldn't wait to be done with all this event planning.

     "Isn't this the job of the event coordinator?" she'd asked her father.

     "Yes, but often as leaders we must supervise and review every little detail," he replied sternly.

     So now she was stuck with the arduous task of making sure everything was in tip-top shape for the gala next week. Nothing could go wrong, or she would be the first one to blame.

     She began to doze off, thinking about how she would finish reviewing all the arrangements by next week. It wasn't long before Bertha's obnoxious bell woke her, ringing loud and clear.

    "Yoo-hoo! Addie-dear!" Bertha called from the dining room. "Lunch is ready."

     Adeline groaned, forcing herself to get up. "Coming," she mumbled. 

     She almost did a double take when she saw her father seated at the other end of the long table. "Dad?" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here so early?"

     "Hello Adeline," he said flatly without looking up from his phone. "I decided to finish work from home today. And see how you were doing with the gala arrangements."

     "Right," she smiled nervously, taking a seat at the opposite end of the table. "It's going well. I was making calls all morning."

     "I presume you're not done," he glanced up at her.

    "No, not yet. I'm taking a break." She forced herself not to roll her eyes.

     "Shrimp scampi, Chef Ryan's specialty," Bertha broke the silence as she came out of the kitchen, placing several plates down on the table.

     "Thank you Bertha," Adeline smiled. "My favorite."

     "Just like your mother," Bertha smiled warmly until she noticed her father's dark expression. "Excuse me," she cleared her throat, walking away quickly.

     Adeline glanced at her father, who still maintained the dark expression that had taken over at the mention of her mother. Every now and then moments like these would happen, where someone would slip and mention the unspoken name, instantly changing her father's demeanor.

     She cleared her throat, hoping to change the subject. "How was work today?"

     "Same as usual," he replied flatly. "You should come in more often," he added, looking up at her with sudden interest. "Mr. Stevens is looking for someone to fill the supervisor role for one of his upcoming projects. You'd qualify."

     "Maybe," she mumbled, although the answer in her head was 'Absolutely not.' The farther away she was from Phipps, the better. 

     They ate the rest of their meal in silence, until her father finished and rose from his seat. "I'll be in my office."