looking up at her as a lot of men did.
Although he had been traveling for most of her first month in Sacramento, he was expected to be in his office full-time for the next several weeks, so she would have the opportunity to observe him more closely.
She glanced at the clock. There were two more minutes left before she was to buzz him with an excuse to end his meeting with Gregory Yates, the director of S.P.I.C.E. The Society for the Protection of Individual Choices and Elections was originally meant to include a wide range of issues, but had become known primarily as a gay rights group.
S.P.I.C.E. had been a strong supporter of Jones in the last election, so he usually found time for their director if at all possible. Today, however, he wanted to keep it short since Gregory was here to nag him about the homosexual murder in Santa Monica three weeks ago, and he had no news for him.
Two phone lines rang simultaneously just as she was about to perform the interruption. She put one on hold while she took care of the other.
“Senator Jones’ office. Ellery Winters speaking.”
“It’s Vincent Barry, Miss Winters. I’m sorry to bother you again, but we’ve run into another small problem regarding the banquet tomorrow evening.”
Ellery’s shoulders slumped. She wondered if her mother ever had as many small problems as the catering manager of the Yorkshire Hotel seemed to be having. Although, to be fair, she didn’t think her mother had ever catered a sit-down dinner for two thousand wealthy and famous people at one time. “Go on.”
“Our regular seafood supplier now says he can only get us enough quality jumbo shrimp to serve the shrimp cocktail appetizer to half the guests. Perhaps we could substitute a tropical fruit cup? We could dress it up with a gold palm tree or a miniature flag.”
Ellery sighed heavily. “That might have worked before the menus were printed, but that’s unacceptable now. We cannot have a roomful of people expecting shrimp and getting a fruit cup, with or without a gold palm tree… at least not for what these people are paying.” She tried to think like Audrey would have. “Hold on, please. I have another call.” Besides giving herself a chance to think, she needed to take a message from the other caller, but when she pressed that button, she only heard a dial tone.
She took another moment to buzz the senator before getting back to the caterer.
“Yes?” he said over the speakerphone so that Gregory would hear what Ellery was about to say and, hopefully, take the hint to leave.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but the reporter from Newsweek is on line one for the interview he scheduled. He said this is the only time he has before deadline.”
“Thank you. I’ll take it in a moment.”
Ellery quickly shifted her brain back to the catering crisis and picked up that call again. “Can you definitely get half the order of shrimp?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good. Cut the number of shrimp per person in half and substitute jumbo black olives stuffed with garlic and herb cream cheese. If you place one between each shrimp, it will look creative and they’ll still be getting the appetizer listed on the menu.”
“That’s an excellent suggestion. And we’ll pierce the olives with fancy toothpicks. No one will ever notice the missing shrimp. If you have a few more minutes, Miss Winters, I’d like to go over one or two other details.”
“Actually, there’s something else I need to take care of right now but if you’re free at eight o’clock, I’ll come over to the hotel and go over everything one more time.”
“Eight would be perfect.”
“I’ll see you this evening then, Mr. Barry.”
Gregory came out of Jones’ office with less of a frown than when he went in. “Is it your birthday?” he asked, noting the flowers.
Ellery smiled. “No. Senator Jones sent them. Isn’t he thoughtful?”
Gregory returned her smile. “He’s the best thing that’s happened to
Although he had been traveling for most of her first month in Sacramento, he was expected to be in his office full-time for the next several weeks, so she would have the opportunity to observe him more closely.
She glanced at the clock. There were two more minutes left before she was to buzz him with an excuse to end his meeting with Gregory Yates, the director of S.P.I.C.E. The Society for the Protection of Individual Choices and Elections was originally meant to include a wide range of issues, but had become known primarily as a gay rights group.
S.P.I.C.E. had been a strong supporter of Jones in the last election, so he usually found time for their director if at all possible. Today, however, he wanted to keep it short since Gregory was here to nag him about the homosexual murder in Santa Monica three weeks ago, and he had no news for him.
Two phone lines rang simultaneously just as she was about to perform the interruption. She put one on hold while she took care of the other.
“Senator Jones’ office. Ellery Winters speaking.”
“It’s Vincent Barry, Miss Winters. I’m sorry to bother you again, but we’ve run into another small problem regarding the banquet tomorrow evening.”
Ellery’s shoulders slumped. She wondered if her mother ever had as many small problems as the catering manager of the Yorkshire Hotel seemed to be having. Although, to be fair, she didn’t think her mother had ever catered a sit-down dinner for two thousand wealthy and famous people at one time. “Go on.”
“Our regular seafood supplier now says he can only get us enough quality jumbo shrimp to serve the shrimp cocktail appetizer to half the guests. Perhaps we could substitute a tropical fruit cup? We could dress it up with a gold palm tree or a miniature flag.”
Ellery sighed heavily. “That might have worked before the menus were printed, but that’s unacceptable now. We cannot have a roomful of people expecting shrimp and getting a fruit cup, with or without a gold palm tree… at least not for what these people are paying.” She tried to think like Audrey would have. “Hold on, please. I have another call.” Besides giving herself a chance to think, she needed to take a message from the other caller, but when she pressed that button, she only heard a dial tone.
She took another moment to buzz the senator before getting back to the caterer.
“Yes?” he said over the speakerphone so that Gregory would hear what Ellery was about to say and, hopefully, take the hint to leave.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but the reporter from Newsweek is on line one for the interview he scheduled. He said this is the only time he has before deadline.”
“Thank you. I’ll take it in a moment.”
Ellery quickly shifted her brain back to the catering crisis and picked up that call again. “Can you definitely get half the order of shrimp?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good. Cut the number of shrimp per person in half and substitute jumbo black olives stuffed with garlic and herb cream cheese. If you place one between each shrimp, it will look creative and they’ll still be getting the appetizer listed on the menu.”
“That’s an excellent suggestion. And we’ll pierce the olives with fancy toothpicks. No one will ever notice the missing shrimp. If you have a few more minutes, Miss Winters, I’d like to go over one or two other details.”
“Actually, there’s something else I need to take care of right now but if you’re free at eight o’clock, I’ll come over to the hotel and go over everything one more time.”
“Eight would be perfect.”
“I’ll see you this evening then, Mr. Barry.”
Gregory came out of Jones’ office with less of a frown than when he went in. “Is it your birthday?” he asked, noting the flowers.
Ellery smiled. “No. Senator Jones sent them. Isn’t he thoughtful?”
Gregory returned her smile. “He’s the best thing that’s happened to
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