Page 23 of Rules of Engagement
"Eliza? What do you think?" Amelia asked.
She thought it was fourteen months of planning squeezed into less than two weeks. The venue change was nice and worked in their favor, but securing tents for the date could be tricky depending on scheduling, not to mention catering since they weren't using a hotel…
"Wasn't that wedding huge?" Carter asked. He'd lifted Piper onto a stool, where the little girl now ate a banana. "Kind of over-the-top?"
"Yes," Amelia said, "but we wouldn't do anything nearly that elaborate."
Eliza inhaled and forced herself to gather her dwindling energy reserves. "I will do whatever you need me to do," she began, "butI need definitive numbers. And you'll have to choose a menu by the end of tonight so I can contact caterers, and once that's established, there's no changing things without serious cost increases." And stress.
"What if we didn't do a sit-down dinner," Lincoln said. "Make things more casual?"
"She still needs numbers," Carter said.
Eliza made eye contact finally and realized with a pinch in her heart that he was taking up for her. Trying to get the happy couple to realize the time crunch was definitely an issue. The problem? She didn't need his help. "Hors d'oeuvres would be easier," she said. "And give us a lot more breathing room to make any last-minute changes because we could supplement shortages from local restaurants."
"I like that," Lincoln said. "I always try to support local businesses."
She exhaled and managed another breath as the tightness in her chest eased. "Well, going that route, we could actually set up something with a few waiters roaming with edibles and champagne," she said, thinking on her feet.
She could probably hire waitstaff from the restaurants themselves, people looking for extra cash for a couple of hours' work. "That wouldn't require a full dinner menu, which would require renting plates and utensils and the like."
"I like the sound of that," Lincoln said. "So long as Amelia agrees."
"Yes," Amelia said immediately. "Especially the part about the ease of adjusting for changes. The more people find out, the more they express an interest, and I hate to be the one saying, 'No, you can't come.' Especially when one of them is Oliver Beck."
Marsali's Oliver? Interesting.
And great publicity. But his presence would mean less likelihood of no-shows because attendees got to rub shoulders with the A-list actor.
That kind of free publicity could definitely increase business.
And since paid publicity wasn’t something she could afford right now, it made getting this wedding just right all the more important. "Okay, that would definitely be the best way to go. So we're thinking a tent for Carter's yard, standing tables intermixed with regular, and three hundred chairs to scatter between the three yards with emphasis in the ceremony and tent area?"
"Yes, that sounds perfect," Amelia said, her expression filled with bridal excitement. "What's next?"
Eliza inhaled and braced herself. "Menu. What are eating at this reception?"
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Chapter 8
Carter made himself at home in Lincoln's kitchen and set to work on fixing dinner. The steaks had been set out earlier, and by the time the food was ready, he figured Eliza would be due a break.
He wasn't sure how she did what she did, but as a contractor who'd spent more than his fair share of time going over house plans with clients who constantly changed their minds or saw some great new thing they wanted to add due to Pinterest—something that happened a lot with his job these days—he empathized with Eliza.
Amelia wasn't demanding in any way, but one glance at her expectant expression made it clear Eliza was having a hard time setting boundaries due to the time crunch. She wanted to keep her clients happy—always a good thing—but there had to be limits.
He noticed a break in the conversation and took advantage of it. "Eliza, how do you like your steak?"
Her head jerked in his direction, and he watched her gaze drop to the platter piled high.
"Oh, you don't have to—"
"We planned to," Amelia said. "Dinner for all of us. Mac and Marsali are coming over later."
"Amelia, we have alotto go over," Eliza said.
"And you will," Carter said. "But you have to eat."
