Chapter 139
“I thought we’d have dinner at Gilded,” Lana said. “I called ahead and made a reservation for a quiet booth.”
“That sounds great,” I said. “I love their steak tartare.” I wanted to bring up the scene Lana had witnessed at my office. But explaining it away would involve more lying.
Fate had intervened once again when she walked in on us and stopped something from happening between me and Victor that I would have regretted.
My first kiss should be with someone I was in love with and who loved me. As incredibly hot and tempting as Victor is, he doesn’t even believe in love.
Plus, I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I liked having him in my life and didn’t want to make things weird between us.
Lana drove as fast and expertly as her son. We were soon pulling in front of the restaurant, and Lana hesitantly handed over her car keys to the valet.
“I hope they don’t scratch my baby,” she mumbled.
I smiled at her words, but I would feel the same way if I owned a car as extraordinary as hers.
Inside the restaurant, we were seated immediately, and Lana pulled a folder out of her large designer purse.
“Besides Lily James donated all those exquisite vintage designer clothes, she also offered to let us hold the auction at her home in the conservatory.”
“That’s wonderful,” I said. “It’s perfect for the auction. How generous of her and Mr. James.”
Lana smiled. “I teased Lily that she wants to ensure her vintage clothing gets good new homes. But she did donate many lovely items that should bring good prices.”
A waiter stopped at our table with our sparkling lemon water and took our orders.
“She can’t control who wins a silent auction, right?” I asked after the waiter left for the kitchen.
“I don’t see how,” Lana replied. “Bidders will be assigned a number. Then they will go around to the various objects and write their bid and number on the bidding sheet. The highest bid wins.”
“It’s so simple that it’s genius,” I said. I had never heard of these things like silent auctions before Lana told me about the different ways to raise money.
“I informed Benson the charity ball will be at the mansion,” I added. “He’s already working on it.”
“Then we won’t have to worry too much about the ball.” Lana sipped her lemon water. “Benson is a gem. He organizes events splendidly.”
“What needs to be done for the auction?” I asked.
Lana laid a piece of paper on the table. “I’ve made you a list of what needs to be done in the James’s conservatory. Lily said William would be happy to help you.”
It would be nice to spend more time with William when we weren’t discussing interest rates or inventory issues, and while we were in his home, we wouldn’t need to worry about John’s spies.
“I’ll make arrangements with him tomorrow at school,” I said and placed the paper in my purse.
“What’s left to plan?” I asked.
“There will be odds and ends as we get closer to the events,” Lana replied. “Do you know what you’re wearing to the ball?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied. “Should I buy a new gown, or can I wear one from a different ball? I have many to choose from.”
“You need to wear something spectacular since you are an event organizer,” she responded. “You’ve never worn your mother’s gown. Why don’t you wear it to the charity ball?”
“It shows too much of my cleavage,” I explained. “It makes me uncomfortable.”
“I don’t remember it being revealing, but a little lace could fix that,” Lana said as our entrées arrived. “I would love to see you in Joanna’s gown.”
William and I spent Friday afternoon getting his conservatory ready for the charity auction being held there the following afternoon.
There was a lot of work to be done. Donations of many beautiful and valuable items had poured in.
“Everything must be presented to its best advantage,” Mrs. James repeated.
William’s mother was fussing over everything. It may have been easier for her to do it herself, but I enjoyed doing actual work for the charity.
“William dear, why don’t you move these racks to the other side, next to the shelves of fashion accessories,” Mrs. James suggested. “That way, people can see what accessories will go with which outfits.”
“That’s a good idea to increase bids,” I said and helped William move the racks of exquisite clothing to the other side of the conservatory.
“I have an appointment,” Mrs. James said. “But most of the work is done. Finish what you’re doing and make sure all the item tags match.”
“We will,” I said. “And thank you for everything, Mrs. James. This auction will make such a big difference for the charity.”
“You’re welcome, Daisy,” she replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After his mother left, William and I finished all the work on the list. Everything was ready for the auction the next day.
William went into the house and brought out two cold colas. He handed one to me and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“Mother can be a bit demanding.” he grinned. “Do you want to do something to relax for a while? We could go swimming to cool off.”
I never wanted to go near that pool again. The bad memory of almost drowning in it still hung in my mind.
“I don’t feel like swimming, and I didn’t bring a suit,” I replied. “But I would love to go for a run. Should we go back to my house?”
“There’s lots of space to run here,” William said.
“Oh, Daisy, let’s run here,” Diana said. “They will be many new sites and smells to explore.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “Let’s go. You and Mark can show Diana and me around your grounds.”
William and I went outside, where I shifted behind a thick pine tree along the back wall of the conservatory.
Our wolves met a moment later, and William and Mark led the way to a field behind their home.
It wasn’t as large as the field behind Alex‘s mansion, but there was also a wooded area to explore.
A mother possum with a half dozen babies riding on her back hurried behind a small gardening shed as we ran around the field.
But we weren’t interested in hunting; we just wanted to run.
After a few laps around the field, we entered the woods to explore. We used our noses to determine the occupants of the woods.
We detected deer, squirrels, and rabbits, and I had my first encounter with a snake.
“Yikes!” I screamed when I sniffed a fern, and the three-foot-long garter snake slithered away a few inches from my nose.
I heard the laughter of Diana, William, and Mark as I quickly backed away.
“The snake is more afraid of you than you are of it,” William teased.
“I doubt that,” I mumbled, causing more laughter from my companions. Just then, I got another strange scent.
I put my nose in the air and sniffed. “What is that?”
“That is something we should leave alone,” William replied. “Come on, let’s go back to the field and run some more.”
Diana and I followed him from the woods.
“What was that I smelled?” I asked. It was something that William didn’t want to confront.
“That was a bear,” William replied, “They usually don’t bother us, but a mother bear with cubs is unpredictable. It’s best to steer clear of them.”
We ran through the field again before William led me uphill to another field loaded with wildflowers.
“It’s beautiful up here,” I said. “And the view of the city down in the valley is amazing.”
“I want to build a home for my mate and me and live here someday,” William said. “My parents gave me this piece of land for my eighteenth birthday.”
“It would be a beautiful place to live,” I said. I could see myself living in that field where the wildflowers grew.
We sat in the middle of that magical place and silently watched the sunset to the east. It was peaceful and calming.
William and I didn’t have to speak. We simply enjoyed each other’s presence.
When it was almost dark, we took another few laps through the fields before returning to the conservatory to shift back.
After dressing, I met William, and we walked around the yard.
“I should go home,” I told him. “Thank you for the run. It has helped excitement over the auction, and I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”
William took my hand and walked me to his Mustang.
It was time for me to go home. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow afternoon and the auction.
I crossed my fingers, hoping it would be a success.
