services. He didn’t mention that he’d also drawn up contract specifications and confidentiality agreements for whoever eventually landed the job.
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Chase,” Elliot began. “But Ella—”
“I know what you’re thinking,” he interrupted. “Ella deserves some compensation for the time that she’s put in already. I think letting her keep the deposit would be reasonable.” Indeed, he should have thought of that earlier. “And, I don’t know if she mentioned it, but I’ve asked her to plan a small party for me at the penthouse.”
“Really?” Elliot blinked at that. “She didn’t tell me.” His grin unfurled. “So, you’re throwing a party?”
His uncle’s surprise troubled Chase. Was he really seen as such a stick in the mud that throwing a party would be out of the realm of possibilities?
“It’s dinner for six. Well, seven including Chase,” Ella supplied.
“Oh.” Elliot’s expression deflated like a beach ball that had sprung a leak. “That’s not really the same as a party.”
Chase caught himself before he could argue. They were getting off track—something that was easy to do when conversing with his uncle.
“The point is Ella needs more experience when it comes to her new line of work, and she’ll be getting it.”
“How practical of you, Chase,” Owen drawled, eyes gleaming. “Saint Chase. Always willing to help out the little man. Or woman, in this case.”
“It is practical,” he said.
“He’s doing it as a favor, really.” Ella smiled.
Chase nodded, glad that she saw it that way. The dinner party would allow her to get her feet wet on a much more manageable event. That was much better than having her foundering right out of the starting gate while trying to plan a party for seven hundred. A party that would see more than its fair share of media coverage.
Elliot nodded, too. “Good thinking, my boy. I’m on the guest list for your dinner, I assume.”
“Uh, actually—”
“I’m eager to see Ella in action,” Elliot said.
Okay, it would be dinner for eight. Rounding up the number shouldn’t pose a problem at this stage. He’d only just given Ella the addresses.
“It will give me an idea of what to expect,” his uncle continued.
“Expect?”
“For the wake.”
“Wh-what?” Chase’s gaze cut to Ella, who smiled sheepishly before glancing away.
“He wouldn’t let me quit, even after I explained that I am brand-new to the business,” she mumbled.
“All of us were new at our jobs at one time or another. That’s what Dad told her,” Owen inserted with a told-you-so smile.
“Quite right,” Elliot agreed.
“But Ella’s background is in fashion merchandising. ”
For a moment, the scene with Camilla at The Colton played back. Chase had defended Ella then every bit as vigorously as he was denouncing her abilities now. That was different, he assured himself, even as the word hypocrite whispered in his head.
Elliot waved his hand in dismissive fashion. “I don’t care what her background is or even if she has a college degree. I never graduated from high school. I earned a general equivalency degree later on, but, sadly, I found school boring at the time.”
Chase tried again. “But making toys, Uncle, it was and remains your passion. Party planning is, well, something that Ella is just dabbling in.”
“I’m not dabbling.” She frowned at him, her expression wounded. “This is what I want to do.”
“See?” Elliot looked pleased. “When I created the prototype for Randy the Robot, the established toy companies wouldn’t give me the time of day. It’s why I decided to launch my own. Everyone deserves a chance. I’m giving Ella hers.”
“It’s settled, Chase. Why not accept it?” Owen added with double meaning. “Dad is going to get his Irish wake. The media will be there. The board of directors will be in attendance. And Ella is in charge of it.”
Owen smiled.
Chase
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Chase,” Elliot began. “But Ella—”
“I know what you’re thinking,” he interrupted. “Ella deserves some compensation for the time that she’s put in already. I think letting her keep the deposit would be reasonable.” Indeed, he should have thought of that earlier. “And, I don’t know if she mentioned it, but I’ve asked her to plan a small party for me at the penthouse.”
“Really?” Elliot blinked at that. “She didn’t tell me.” His grin unfurled. “So, you’re throwing a party?”
His uncle’s surprise troubled Chase. Was he really seen as such a stick in the mud that throwing a party would be out of the realm of possibilities?
“It’s dinner for six. Well, seven including Chase,” Ella supplied.
“Oh.” Elliot’s expression deflated like a beach ball that had sprung a leak. “That’s not really the same as a party.”
Chase caught himself before he could argue. They were getting off track—something that was easy to do when conversing with his uncle.
“The point is Ella needs more experience when it comes to her new line of work, and she’ll be getting it.”
“How practical of you, Chase,” Owen drawled, eyes gleaming. “Saint Chase. Always willing to help out the little man. Or woman, in this case.”
“It is practical,” he said.
“He’s doing it as a favor, really.” Ella smiled.
Chase nodded, glad that she saw it that way. The dinner party would allow her to get her feet wet on a much more manageable event. That was much better than having her foundering right out of the starting gate while trying to plan a party for seven hundred. A party that would see more than its fair share of media coverage.
Elliot nodded, too. “Good thinking, my boy. I’m on the guest list for your dinner, I assume.”
“Uh, actually—”
“I’m eager to see Ella in action,” Elliot said.
Okay, it would be dinner for eight. Rounding up the number shouldn’t pose a problem at this stage. He’d only just given Ella the addresses.
“It will give me an idea of what to expect,” his uncle continued.
“Expect?”
“For the wake.”
“Wh-what?” Chase’s gaze cut to Ella, who smiled sheepishly before glancing away.
“He wouldn’t let me quit, even after I explained that I am brand-new to the business,” she mumbled.
“All of us were new at our jobs at one time or another. That’s what Dad told her,” Owen inserted with a told-you-so smile.
“Quite right,” Elliot agreed.
“But Ella’s background is in fashion merchandising. ”
For a moment, the scene with Camilla at The Colton played back. Chase had defended Ella then every bit as vigorously as he was denouncing her abilities now. That was different, he assured himself, even as the word hypocrite whispered in his head.
Elliot waved his hand in dismissive fashion. “I don’t care what her background is or even if she has a college degree. I never graduated from high school. I earned a general equivalency degree later on, but, sadly, I found school boring at the time.”
Chase tried again. “But making toys, Uncle, it was and remains your passion. Party planning is, well, something that Ella is just dabbling in.”
“I’m not dabbling.” She frowned at him, her expression wounded. “This is what I want to do.”
“See?” Elliot looked pleased. “When I created the prototype for Randy the Robot, the established toy companies wouldn’t give me the time of day. It’s why I decided to launch my own. Everyone deserves a chance. I’m giving Ella hers.”
“It’s settled, Chase. Why not accept it?” Owen added with double meaning. “Dad is going to get his Irish wake. The media will be there. The board of directors will be in attendance. And Ella is in charge of it.”
Owen smiled.
Chase
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