“Deal,” they both agreed.
14
The guests began to arrive at six that evening. Amanda and I took turns greeting and escorting them to the music room where Emmet waited. The servers wandered with hors d’oeuvres and a variety of martinis served in glasses resembling flashlights. Emmet’s client, Purdy Co., was an international firm specializing in alternate energy sources. Tonight’s dinner party was to celebrate the launch of a product they had invented; solar powered flashlights. While searching the web for accents for the evening, I came across the glasses purely by accident. Amanda loved the idea so I ordered a few dozen. We had tumblers and candles embossed with their corporate logo. Amanda suggested we focus the theme and accents on the client instead of the law firm. The client loved it.
Dinner was served in the grand dining room with Jack Purdy, the founder and CEO of Purdy Co., at the head of the table. Emmet rose and gave an eloquent toast to the client for their partnership and recognized several attorneys in his firm for their dedication in support of the development and launch of the solar powered flashlight, called Sun-lights. I had never heard him address a group before. His words were fluent and powerful, as if he had practiced for hours. Before the main course Jack rose and articulated his appreciation to all in the room as well.
Two hours later the guests had finished their dinner. They sat relaxed with conversations humming from one end of the table to the other. Amanda and I ducked away to take a quick look at the atrium and make sure everything was in place. It looked perfect. The atrium was architecturally the most beautiful room in the house. Its glass walls and intricate white wood-work were accented by a majestic twenty foot arched ceiling. Two marble pillars defined the entrance stepping down into the room. In the mornings the atrium was even more breathtaking as the natural light beamed in and reflected off the marble floor. Emmet had left the room completely empty; no furniture, no plants, no artwork, nothing. Nothing to distract from the brilliance of the room; even completely empty it was breathtaking.
That night the room was transformed. To set the mood of a cigar bar or after hours club, lighting was strategically positioned indirectly throughout the room. Not just any lighting, though. Sixty Purdy Co. Sun-Lite flashlights were used instead of spotlights to illuminate the entire atrium; an accent that would surely be noticed by Jack Purdy. Leather couches and cocktail tables were arranged around the room to foster a relaxing environment and support comfortable conversation. Each table had three candles with a foil embossed Purdy Co. corporate logo. The south wall was illuminated with lighting from the deck outside, and on the deck overlooking the gardens were three more couches and a large four-drawer humidor stocked with the best cigars money could buy.
We were like two giddy school girls on the decorating committee for prom. “Emmet would never have agreed to all this because he’s a bit—”
I ended her sentence, “uptight and boring?”
“He would argue traditional and reserved,” she offered with an amused look as she turned on the background music; jazz.
Emmet and Jack walked slowly as the other guests preceded them. We both held our breath for Emmet’s reaction. As any great attorney, Emmet didn’t react until Jack did. Jack looked like someone had thrown him a surprise birthday party. He walked into the room with an awed expression as he noticed his newly launched product was the main source of illumination. As he neared the first coffee table, he picked up a candle and traced his corporate logo with one finger. His head turned to the south wall while he gazed out the window at the massive humidor surrounded by ornate freestanding ashtrays. Amanda and I both moved closer so we could hear what Jack was saying.
“Emmet, I don’t know what to say. Your firm has always gone above and beyond in providing us with the legal services we require, but this…this is a validation of the true partnership we have. This evening punctuates the attention to detail and priority you have always provided our company.” Amanda and I couldn’t hold back our huge smiles. Jack loved it and, therefore, so did Emmet.
The servers were moving through the room offering after dinner drinks and bite-sized desserts. Confident that everything was under control at the party, I headed upstairs to check on the boys. They were watching a movie in Emmet’s room. Apparently, it wasn’t a very engaging movie because it was barely past nine and they were peacefully sleeping. They looked like cherubs.
I couldn’t help myself; I had to get my camera. I couldn’t pass up this perfect picture. If Emmet didn’t catch me, he would thank me. If he caught me…he would probably feed me to Romulus. I tiptoed into my room to get my camera. I was surprised that Emmet would take my laptop, phone and keys but not confiscate my camera. That was a big detail for him to miss.
I had already packed my suitcases, even though I wasn’t to leave until Monday morning. While I bent over my suitcase rummaging through it, the two glasses of wine I had drunk impaired my balance and I felt myself teetering back and forth on my high heels. I was searching for my camera that was no bigger than a deck of cards. Finally, persistence paid off and I quietly slipped back into Emmet’s bedroom. I shot pictures from six different angles. It was so much easier working with still subjects.
Before leaving the room, I straightened up the covers and tucked the boys in. I walked over to eject the movie and turn the television off. When I turned back around I saw Emmet standing at the door.
“I didn’t hear you come in,” I said, trying to sound matter of fact, realizing I had set my camera down on the night stand and there was no way to get to it now.
“Just came up to check on the boys.”
“I know you prefer they don’t sleep in your room, but—”
“They can stay,” Emmet said as he opened the door wider to suggest it was time to go back downstairs.
I headed toward the door, gracefully tripping over my own feet, recovering just before I crashed into Emmet. “High heels and wine,” I said with a grimace. I hoped my actions would distract him from noticing the camera, but Emmet noticed everything.
“Annie,” he said, with a scolding tone.
He noticed, I thought. He’s going to throw me out of his house tonight… or worse, call the police and have me carted away. I guess I deserve it, though. How could I have exercised such a lack of judgment?
“You did an exemplary job with everything tonight. Jack is truly touched you used his flashlights for the lighting. Amanda said it was your idea.” His words were complimentary, but his tone made it seem as if I was being reprimanded.
“Thank you.” I exhaled in relief and quickly exited the room hoping he would follow right behind me, and he did. As we headed toward the stairs, I had a brilliant idea. Well, it was at best an average idea, but at the time the wine made me think it was a true genius attack.
“Emmet, I’m going to freshen up a bit before I come back downstairs.”
“You look fine, Annie,” he said with a stoic expression.
“Wow, every woman’s goal…to look fine,” I said, walking toward my room. This would give me an opportunity to retrieve my camera once he was downstairs. I went into my room, freshened up my lipstick and was ready to head to Emmet’s room. He met me in the hallway.
“Looking for this?” He asked, holding up my camera. What made me think he wouldn’t notice?
“No, it’s for you.” I lied.
“I’m supposed to believe you are giving me your camera?”
Might as well keep the lie going… “No, I am giving you the pictures on the camera.”
“Well, show them to me,” he insisted. He had no idea how to view them and I knew it.
I took the camera from his hands.
“Josh will show you in the morning. You