EPOV
"The multinational Cullen Enterprises has added yet another feather to its cap with the acquisition of Equity Steel, despite concerns raised with the ACCC concerning Cullen Enterprises now owning a whopping 47% share of the Australian Steel market. When combined with its share of the export market and adding in its acquisitions of steel production plants both here in Australia and overseas, Edward Cullen owns and operates closer to a 57% slice of the steel mining pie.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission spokesman Mr Garrett Strong defended the decision to allow the latest acquisition, despite community and industry concerns, stating that no other tenders were received for the flailing Equity Steel and with the smaller company now coming under the umbrella of the much larger, and liquid, Cullen Enterprises, the ACCC had to consider the loss of income, export and trade opportunities that would be lost should the steel industry lose yet another small business by allowing Equity Steel to go into liquidation. He is quoted as saying that 'The loss of income and export revenue to the North Queensland region alone should Equity Steel close its doors could have catastrophic results and as such the ACCC has not opposed its acquisition by Cullen Enterprises.' Consumer watchdogs no doubt continue to monitor the rise and rise of Edward Cullen, CEO and major share holder of what is now the country's largest steel manufacturer and exporter, as he ruthlessly swallows up yet another competitor in his attempt to rule the steel mining world."
"What a load of bullshit," my brother in law Emmett McCarty spat after I'd finished reading him the article in the mornings newspaper. "You have to let me do something about your public image, man."
"No," was my simple answer. It always was. I was a businessman and it didn't and shouldn't matter whether I was a nice guy with a wife and two point four children or a monster who kicked puppies in my spare time. I ran a business, a very successful one, and I employed thousands. That should be enough.
As the head of public relations, with a damn fine mind for marketing as well, Emmett had been at me for years to have a more public presence. A better one than the one I had currently anyway. I'd always balked and I always would. Didn't stop him trying though.
"One week you're being praised for being a major employer, the next you're the big bad wolf using your nasty fangs to eat another dead in the water company. One interview," he begged, as usual. "Anyone who knows you knows you aren't trying to rule the steel mining world," he chuckled. "Maybe a little corner of it, but not the whole thing. Let me get that message out there."
"Maybe a little corner," I conceded with a chuckle of my own. "And the only message that needs to come from this office is that I'm here all the time working hard to make sure that my employees are still employed. That's it."
He was shaking his head but we'd had this conversation so many times now that he knew not to pursue the idea of an interview. "Okay," he conceded, but I could see the wheels in his head turning so I waited for what was to come next. "Equity Steel ceases being Equity Steel in a few weeks time, right?" he asked and I nodded. "Normally we just change the name plates on everything, insert some key personnel to make sure the previous owners don't make off with assets, issue everyone Cullen uniforms and continue trading as normal. Why don't we do it differently this time?"
"How differently?" I asked.
"Publicly," he said with a smirk.
I hated that smirk. It meant he was trying to get something by me. It meant he had something cooking and didn't want to share it fully yet, knowing I'd shoot it down. "More," I said, knowing it would be all I'd need to say to get him to give me more information. We knew each other well enough by now. He'd been the closest thing I'd ever had to a brother since high school and he'd been my actual brother since marrying my sister eight years ago. We didn't need a lot of words.
He took a moment to think on the way to present whatever idea he had cooking to me and when he turned around to face me, leaving his place by the windows, the smirk was in full force. Dimples and all. I hated the smirk...but I loathed the dimples.
"Gladstone's tiny," he stated simply, referring to the town that was home to Equity Steel. "I'd bet my left nut nothing big ever happens there. So hows about we give them something big. Hows about Cullen Enterprises puts on a big thing and welcomes the new little brother to the family?"
"A big thing?" I asked, skeptically.
"Yeah," he mused as he went back to the windows. "Throw a party. A big party. Invite every single Equity employee, and their families too, kids and wives, girlfriends and boyfriends and all, and show them a good time. Show them that their jobs are safe. That you aren't interested in breaking up the assets of what you've just bought. Show them, and everyone else, that you're willing to spend money in town. Show them that you're their big, bright new shiny best friend instead of the guy who's quite possibly just bought their futures to wield as you see fit."
"I've never said I'd break the company up," I protested. "Why would I buy a perfectly decent operation and then break it up? I can just issue an internal statement and tell them all that their jobs are safe. I don't need to buy them a beer and pretend to be their friend."
"So don't pretend," he barked. He turned and I could see the fire in his eyes. Why it was there I had no clue, but I was guessing I was about to find out. I wasn't wrong.
"The press present you as a ruthless, heartless bastard, Edward. The Equity employees only have that version of you to go on. They'll be frightened and worried about whether or not they're going to have a job come the end of the month. You won't let me give the press any other impression of you and so you continue to be seen this way," he raged.
I could see and hear the frustration coming from him and I sighed before answering. "But a party? I'm no good at parties. I don't mix well. I'd have to go alone and that never looks good. I hate the food. I hate the music. I hate the dancing," I grimaced. "God I hate the dancing. And if there're kids allowed to come along they'll all be loud and obnoxious and puke on things. I can't handle that."
"You're so full of shit," Emmett whispered as he came back to opposite my desk and took his regular seat. "Firstly, I said a party, not a benefit. Second, you'll mix just fine because you won't be in a tux. Third, go alone, who gives a shit? Nobody knows anything about you personally so if you want to you can just say that your significant other is away and couldn't attend. But personally nobody gives a shit if you're attached or not. And as for the food, Jesus Christ Edward, you'd think I was talking about making you eat live grubs. We'll throw a party with hot dogs and ice cream for the kids. Hell, we'll have one of those candy bar table things set up and the little buggers can eat their body weight while the parents meet you. And if they puke, well, then they'll puke in their parents cars on the way home. Jesus," he spat as he got to his feet again. "There's nothing wrong with trying to show the world that you aren't actually what you seem to be."
"And what do I seem to be? Other than a ruthless business man?" I asked.
"Cold, Edward," he sighed. "You seem cold."
His statement was shocking to me.
I'd never thought of myself as cold before. Perhaps standoffish, possibly even a little anti social lately, but I didn't like the idea that others thought me to be cold. I was about to reply, but was cut off.
"Things can't go on as they are for much longer. The whole country thinks you're some sort of reclusive monster. It'll start to affect your bottom line soon. People aren't going to want to be associated with Cullen Enterprises if the guy who owns the show has a bad public image. Throw a fucking party in the little town you've just turned on its ass. Make nice for a few hours. Show anyone who wants to see that you're just a guy who's good at what he does. Show them all that you care about their wages, their kids and their mortgages. Show the whole fucking world that you're more than what you seem to be!"
His tone had changed from frustrated Public Relations Manager to that of concerned brother and I was left with no other option than to agree.
"Okay," I said quietly.
"Okay," he replied, just as quietly.
He made to leave. The discussion over. And I was prepared to let him go, leaving everything as it was but he turned at the door and faced me.
"I know you aren't cold," he said carefully. "The family know you aren't cold. I won't let this become a media spectacle but I will use the media to get the message out there."
I nodded, thankful that he'd clarified his own thoughts about me. "I'll do whatever you need me to do, Em."
"Thank you," was all he said as he left.
BPOV
Angela grimaced as she stuck her head around my door. "I have Esme Cullen on line two for you," she whispered as I set my bookwork aside.
"Christ," I moaned and nodded to Angela that I'd take the call.
I had two weeks left with Swan Catering and Events and I didn't want or need another booking from Esme Cullen in that time. Angela was a quick learner and was going to make a fine replacement when I left, but jobs the size of anything Cullen might make her turn and run for the hills this early in the game. I didn't want to spook her.
"Good morning Mrs Cullen, how can I help you today?" I asked as I took up the call.
"Good morning Bella!" she trilled in her lovely velvet voice. "I have a very special job for you my dear."
I closed my eyes and silently cursed my luck. "Swan Catering is undergoing some staff changes right now, Mrs Cullen. I'll put you back to Angela Weber, she's taking over from me and she'll be happy to take your booking and to talk to you about your needs for your next benefit."
"No!" she screeched just as I reached for the phone console to transfer the call to Angela. "No," she said more calmly. "It needs to be you, Bella. You know us so well and this isn't another benefit. This is something quite different."
"I'm sorry, Mrs Cullen, but I don't have the time left with the company to take on another job personally. Angela really is very good and I'm sure she'll throw you a wonderful um, whatever it is you're throwing."
"I see," she sighed. "Put me back to Ms Weber then."
She'd reverted to 'Ms Weber' so I knew she wasn't happy. I felt awful shutting her down like I did, but I'd been truthful. I didn't have long enough left with Jasper's company to do another Cullen 'do'. I pressed the buzzer to alert Ange that I was transferring the call back to her and then went back to my bookwork.
I didn't hear another thing about the call, or whatever the booking ended up being, until later that afternoon. I had my head in a ledger and was chewing on my pen lid when the knock came at my office door. It was odd for Ange to knock so I simply called for her to come on in. I didn't look up until I heard my name in a voice that wasn't Angela's.
"Good afternoon, Bella," Esme Cullen smiled as she came right into my office and plonked herself down into the chair that faced my desk.
"Mrs Cullen," I stammered, hurrying to push the loose strands of my hair back into its unruly ponytail. I threw my pen down onto the ledger and attempted to look less startled than I was.
"Esme, please," she insisted for the millionth time since she'd been using Swan Catering. "Now, let's talk about this party that needs throwing," she giggled as she drew her appointment planner from her Prada bag.
"But Angela will need to be..." I began but was waved off from finishing by the flourish of one impeccably manicured hand.
"I've spoken with Angela, lovely girl, but I've made it clear to her, and to your brother, lovely boy, that I will only hand over this work to the company if this particular party is handled by you, and only you. Angela will take over my business with the benefits for the hospital in due course, but I need your particular prowess to pull this party off."
"I don't have the time. I finish up in two weeks..." I trailed off again when she arched her eyebrow at me.
"Plenty of time," she smiled. "Seeing as you are leaving us at the end of the month, and I want it noted that I'm not happy about that at all, I've moved my party to then," she said matter of factly as she placed her planner on the edge of my desk and pointed a fingernail at the date that had been circled in bright red pen.
It was my last day. My last ever day as the coordinator. My last ever day planning parties and benefits. My last ever day that I'd need to be referee for the band of misfits that made up Swan Catering.
All I could do was sigh as I too pulled my appointment planner from under a stack of invoices and opened it to the same weekend she had hers open at. We had one other booking that weekend and as luck would have it, or as my damn rotten luck went, it was a very small christening morning tea on the Sunday. The Saturday was blank. Empty. Bugger.
"Ah, I see you're free. That's worked out nicely then," she smiled. "This one is a little different for me so I'm going to let you have total control," she went on as she pulled a sheaf of papers from her bag and held them out to me across the desk. As I looked them over she spoke.
"My son, Edward, has absorbed a small steel company up in Queensland. Gladstone to be precise, and he's wanting to throw a party there for all his lovely new employees. A sort of welcome to Cullen Enterprises kind of thing."
I'd heard of Edward Cullen and had wondered if he was any relation, seems he was. I'd also heard that he was a hard assed, ruthless bastard who chewed up and spat out little companies for fun. I wasn't sure I wanted to throw a little party for a bastard like that.
"The party will need to be early afternoon as there will be children of all ages attending," she went on as I read over the list of invitees and how many 'plus wives and children' were listed. "We're hoping everyone will come but can't guarantee exact numbers at this point. But somewhere in the region of four hundred, four hundred and fifty I think will be about right."
"That's awfully big," I mumbled as my brain started worrying about what sort of venue I was likely to be able to find at such short notice that could hold those sorts of numbers, numbers that included children at that.
"It is I'm afraid," she sighed as though she'd thought of the same issues I had. "But a venue isn't a problem as the site of the factory has the perfect space for it. The issue, I'm afraid, is going to be amusing all those people for a whole afternoon. Especially the children."
"I see," I said, because I did see the problem. I'm not good with children. Or most adults either. Or adults and children together. Or bored, hungry children with adults who are plastered on free booze. Damn.
"A few ideas have been tossed around about how to amuse them, but you'll be able to talk to my son in law about that when the time comes," she said matter of factly. "If we are in agreeance that you'll personally do the job I'll give him your details and the rest can be worked out with him?" she asked as she stood, staring down at me.
"And if I say no?" I asked, staring up at her.
"I'd like to think that we've become friends, Isabella," she said, using my full name to much affect, "So I'm asking you to do this job, this one last job, for me, as your friend, before you go off and do whatever it is you're going to do next."
I was about to answer and tell her that I'd do it when she spoke again.
"Turn to the last page, dear," she told me and as I did she paused to let what I was seeing sink in. "Quite a working budget, isn't it?" she giggled as I goggled at the number.
"Yeah," I drawled, less than professionally.
"I'll personally throw in another ten percent for you personally, as a bonus, if you do this for me," she quipped as she pulled her handbag onto her forearm. "Are we in agreeance then?"
"Deal," I said as I stood and held out my hand across the desk.
"I thought so," she chuckled and shook my hand. "I'll miss our little meetings," she said as she made to leave my office. "I do hope your brother appreciates what he's letting go by letting you leave," she said as she reached my door. "Emmett, that's my son in law, will call tomorrow morning. Thinking caps on, Bella," she giggled as she left.
I was left there, at my desk, still staring down at all the zeros on the last page as she closed my office door. And another ten percent for me! It was enough to pay my mortgage for six months and buy all the books I'd need for my course.
"Holy shit," I laughed as I sat back in my chair.
"She's awesome!" Ange shouted as she burst through my door a second later, catching me laughing my head off at both my misfortune and my unexpected windfall.
"She sure is," I laughed. "Go and get your book, we've got work to do," I told her as she skipped back out again.
EPOV
"Are you sure about this, Rosie?" I asked as I stared at myself in the mirror.
"Everyone wears them," my sister assured me as she threw a shirt at me.
"Everyone wears them," I mimicked sarcastically as I stared at myself in a pair of jeans.
"Well, everyone who's normal wears them," she laughed as she came to my side. "You used to wear them. I remember. Trust me, Edward, you won't look like a yob but you won't look like the big bad boss man either."
"Why can't I look like the big bad boss man? I am their boss. I don't want them to think I'm one of them because I'm not," I pouted as I pulled off my crisp white business shirt and exchanged it for the pale blue button down.
"Spoken like a true snob," she chuckled as she withdrew a belt from one of her carrier bags. "They'll know you're the boss, so don't worry about that. But you want them to feel comfortable talking to you, or approaching you, all the same. So jeans and a casual shirt for an afternoon party are just right. Trust me," she said again as she handed me the belt.
"And the men will be dressed just like this?" I asked as I looked at myself again. The shirt was undone at the top two buttons and apparently I wasn't allowed a tie or cufflinks so I'd just done up the buttons at my wrists.
"No, they won't. They'll be dressed like this," she said as she began to undo the buttons again. I watched as she folded the cuffs back on themselves over and over until the now puckered cloth rested at my elbows. "There. Much more casual."
"Much," I sneered. I felt like a yob and a fake.
"Now for the shoes," she announced as she skipped back over to the bags on my bed. She returned with a box and I cringed as I saw the logo on its side.
"You're kidding," I protested as she handed me one of the trainers.
"I'm not. You'll need to wear these around the house and the yard everyday for the rest of this week and next so they scuff up a bit too."
"Shall I take up jogging so they look suitably worn?" I scoffed.
She patted my stomach condescendingly and laughed. "Nah, no need. You still got the abs of a teenager," she chuckled.
"Are we done here then?" I asked as I undid the belt.
"You just need to decide what to do about your hair," she said as she began stuffing things back into the bags.
"What's wrong with my hair?" I asked self consciously running a hand through it.
"I'll send Jenn over to the office tomorrow, she'll sort it out."
"What's wrong with it?" I asked again.
"Nothing's wrong with it exactly," my sister sighed, tilting her head to one side and staring at me. "It's just...well, um...it kind of looks like you've spent three hours this morning mussing it up just so. I know you haven't," she said as she waved a hand at my protesting look. "It just looks like you have. Get it cut a bit shorter, maybe get it layered. I don't know exactly, which is why I'll send Jenn to the office."
"I don't want my hair cut," I said sulkily.
"You don't want to wear jeans either but you're going to."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"So I'll see you at dinner tomorrow night?" I asked as I walked her out of my room and down the hall towards the front door.
"I haven't missed a Friday night family dinner in forever, unlike some," she giggled before kissing me on my cheek as a goodbye.
"I'm only missing if I'm away."
"Which is a lot."
"Which is necessary."
"Which is a cop out. I'm sure you schedule those business trips specifically for Fridays so you don't have to go."
"I'm sure you do believe that," I laughed.
"Asshole."
"Bitch."
"Love ya."
"Love you too."
I watched her get into her car, buckle her seatbelt and go down my drive before I went back inside and stared down at the pristine white Nike trainers on my feet. "Trainers," I scoffed and headed back through the house to the back decking and then down into the yard.
BPOV
"A fun fair?" he asked, his dimples on full show.
"A fun fair," I said again and waited for his reaction.
"We've got the room I suppose," he said more to himself than to me.
"Plenty of room."
"Can it be pulled together in time?"
"I can make it happen," I said cockily, knowing full well I'd already booked half the attractions already.
"It'd be great for the kids," he agreed. "But what about the adults? What will they do while their little ones are busy?"
"Eating, drinking, dancing and generally being carefree while their new boss picks up the tab," I laughed.
"I'd go for that," he laughed too.
Emmett McCarty, Esme Cullen's son in law, was a huge man but he had the impish air of a little boy playing dress up as a man. I liked him instantly. I also knew that though he may look and sound like an excitable little boy he was anything but. A quick internet search proved that to me. He was the head of public relations at Cullen Enterprises as well as wearing the hat of Marketing Director. He was also the boss's brother in law. He had clout.
"What about the food and drink? Where are we on that?" he asked as he continued to look over the outlined plans I'd drawn up for our first meeting.
I shuffled my own stack of papers and quickly reread the name of the woman I needed to refer to. "I've spoken with Claudia at Equity and she's given me a list of what alcohol was served, and preferred, at the last company Christmas party and I've gotten a list of the ages of the children likely to attend and have catered for them accordingly. As for the adults," I said as I slid another page across the desk towards him, "I've stuck with fun fair foods, just in larger quantities and with a bit more of an adult twist on them."
"Nice," he grinned as he looked down the list of things Jasper and his crew would be making. "I love all this stuff," he chuckled as he read. "What about entertainment for the adults?" he asked next.
"I've booked two bands. They'll set up at opposite ends of the property so they won't clash even though they're quite different. There'll be an open bar so I've booked enough wait staff to cater for that and have arranged for the area to be suitably roped off. That'll give it a more secure feel, as well as giving the drinkers the feeling of being in a pub. Sort of."
"Awesome," he grinned. "What's this?" he asked, pointing at the bottom of one of the pages.
"That's an expression of interest booking for an inflatable outdoor cinema screen," I told him smugly, knowing he was going to love the idea.
"What's that?" he asked.
"It's what it says it is. The company I've chosen will bring along a nine by sixteen feet inflatable movie screen. They set it up, screen whatever we choose, then pack it up and take it away again. I've tentatively arranged for a shipping container filled with suitable bean bags for the outdoors to be delivered on the day and we can host up to two hundred viewers at a screening. It'll even work during the day, so we can offer more than one screening, or more than one showing of the same film."
"Jesus, you are good. Mom was right," he laughed.
"Thank you," I say sweetly. "So do I have your go ahead to confirm the bookings?"
"Do it," he said immediately. "I love it. All of it. This is just what we need."
"Excellent," I say and offer my hand across the desk to seal the deal. "Can I ask a question before you go?"
"Sure," he tells me as he gathers his things.
"When your company buys another company they don't usually throw a big party, do they?"
"Nope, this is a first," he admits.
"Why this company then?" I blurt.
He tilts his head to the side as though he's musing on his answer and then he grins, dimples and all. "You heard of my boss Edward Cullen?" he asks and I nod. "Have you ever met him?" he asks and I shake my head no. "Without having ever met him what is your impression of him?"
I balk. I can't tell him I think his boss is an unfeeling bastard, at least I don't think I can. I'm about to reply when he laughs. Heartily.
"See? That there?" he laughs, pointing at my open mouth. "That reaction right there is what it's my job to counteract. He takes over companies and everyone assumes he sacks everyone, rips it apart and has no trouble sleeping at night. A party with the employees of his newest company might change that opinion. That's where I come in, and now you."
"I see," I manage to say as he moves to the door.
"I'll talk with you again in a few days. You have my card so call my secretary anytime and she'll make out any checks you need to pay the deposits for everything. Thanks, Bella, talk soon."
And with that he was gone and I was left standing in the middle of my office wondering why Cullen Enterprises would spend so much money just to make the boss look like a nice guy.
EPOV
"Look at you!" my mother crowed as she came into my hotel room.
I didn't know whether what she was seeing was a good me or a bad me but she folded me into her arms as she always did and kissed me firmly on the cheek before letting me go and stepping back to look me up and down.
"You look much more relaxed like this," she said as she moved around me. "And your hair is nice a little shorter too."
"I hate it," I moaned unhappily. And I did hate it. It no longer flopped across my face and I felt as though I had nowhere to hide now.
"You'll get used to it," she told me in her mothers voice. "Now, I want you to be nice to Isabella when I introduce you. She's worked really hard to make this happen but I don't want you to treat her like an employee either. She's become a friend to me, and to your father too, and this was a big task we set her."
"I'll play nice with your little friend, mom," I half joked.
"Emmett likes her too you know," she admonished, as though Emmett's seal of approval would make me any more inclined to behave differently towards this girl. "And she's come all this way, at such short notice, to make this all happen for you, so think about that when you meet her please."
"You speak about her as though she has some horrible disfigurement and I should remember to mind my manners and not stare," I chuckled. "I do know how to play nice with other children you know."
"Yes, well," mom tutted, "I just wanted to remind you how hard she's worked to pull this off."
"Alright," I agreed, pulling away, fed up with her tugging and pulling on my clothes and hair like I was five.
"Okay, well, we're leaving in ten minutes if you want to come with us," she said as she backed away.
"I've got my own vehicle," I tell her as I reach for my wallet and the rental keys. "And yes, Seth will be right behind me," I say, rolling my eyes.
"Suit yourself; we'll see you there then."
And with that she was gone and I was alone again. Staring at a version of myself in the mirror that I didn't recognise. "Trainers," I hissed once more for good measure. "You can do this," I remind myself. "This is just like any other publicity stunt. You put your mask on, you say and do the right things and everything falls into place. Just be anyone other than yourself," I tell myself.
BPOV
6 hours before the Fun Fair is to begin
"I need you to get at least another six tables for this area here," I tell Eric, one of the guys I hire regularly to be the muscle on jobs like this, and who was good enough to cancel his other plans and make the trip with us. "And can you get Riley to grab another six or so pieces of the security fencing and tighten up that line by the bouncy castle please."
"On it, boss," Eric calls as he bounds away to do my bidding.
If only those in the makeshift kitchen were so compliant I think to myself as I take another lap of the area, checking things off my list as I go.
The bigger rides like the dodgem cars and the giant slide were delivered and set up the day before, and they came equipped with their own operators too, so there was nothing there that needed my attention.
The small sideshow alley complete with shooting gallery, laughing clowns and milk can toss I hired from the same amusement firm so they too came with their own attendants. They were all set up, the rows of prizes hanging from hooks at the front of each caravan, and didn't need my attention either. I'd settle up the bill for the prizes won at the end of the hire agreement.
I'd had another small section roped off for the older kids and in it now stood two dozen arcade games. A van housing a portable generator sat nearby. All the games themselves were up and running, check. The associated cables were all taped down safely too, check.
I checked in quickly with the two local girls I'd hired to do face painting and they looked set up and good to go when the time came too. They were heading back in to town for some lunch and promised to be back by opening time. Check.
I sidestepped around the gated enclosure for the animal petting zoo, I wasn't keen to get animal muck on myself and nor was I interested in being told the many attributes of the baby bunnies again. Malcolm, a guy I'd found online by a simple search, was a well known local who kept all manner of farm animals and regularly took them to the schools in the area. He had a working with children card and even though he smelled of dung his reputation was solid.
Nowhere on his website did it say that he'd talk your ear off for forty minutes as he set up his enclosures though.
But he was there, as were his animals, and so I gave that a check on my list too.
It was with some relief that I checked on the portable bathrooms next. It was a serious testament to just how creepy Malcolm was that checking the set up of toilets was a much better prospect for me than to be stood standing talking to him.
Six, forty feet long portable buildings stood in two rows of three right up against the fence at the very back of the property. They were fully self contained bathrooms, three male and three female, and I'd rented them complete with a cleaning crew who would – for the cost of a few beers and a hamburger for their dinner – clean and restock them every hour on the hour until I told them to stop.
I checked in on the few concession stands I'd hired and found everything set up and in good order there too.
Jasper hadn't been keen to bring too many of our usual workers with us for the long trip north. The cost was prohibitive for a start, and secondly there were plenty of locals registered for casual work in the area.
So I'd hired a cotton candy machine, popcorn machine and a snow cone maker for the day and then hired nine locals to take turns running them during the afternoon.
They'd all arrived on time, amazingly, and they'd all had a practise at their respective machines and I could personally attest that what they made was very tasty.
I moved to the back of the property to take a look at the progress of the bar and eating areas and liked what I saw. Two enormous open sided tents sat parallel to each other and both of them were set up with hired tables and chairs in plain white.
The bar area was portable but still functional and dare I say it a little bit classy. I'd sourced all the alcohol from local merchants – working in with Emmett's insistence to keep things low key but safe to ingratiate Cullen Enterprises into the local community economy – and was using local casual workers to staff that too. The only exception was Paul Uley. He'd run many a bar for me over the years – and headed up security for me too - and I trusted him implicitly to keep a good eye on the young men and women who would be serving and clearing away during service.
He tipped an imaginary hat and gave me a 'thumbs up boss' as I moved by and into the catering tent.
Jasper always set up his own kitchen, no matter the job, and I was happy to have at least that task off my list of so many. As usual he had everything running like clockwork.
Huge vats of bubbling concoctions were on portable gas burners at the very back, away from anywhere where the public would be moving. Gigantic trays of pies, pastries, and sausage rolls sat in rows ready to go into the enormous gas fired ovens we'd hired for the day.
Sausages were being skewered onto sticks by an army of kitchen hands at one of the collapsible counters we'd rented and at another long bench Alice was icing hundreds of cupcakes decked out in Cullen Enterprise colours.
Jessica and Mike were side by side at the huge prep station to the side and they were both making pretty quick work of shredding what looked like a tonne of lettuce heads. I assumed they were for the burgers that Jasper would soon begin turning on his massive grill plates.
"How goes it out there?" I hear from my brother as he comes towards me, arms laden with the aforementioned burger patties in their trays.
"All looks on track as far as I can see," I tell him and take the top two trays and set them on the counter for him. "On track here?" I ask.
"That cold room's taking an age to come down to temperature but it should be right by the time I need to start stacking stuff in there," he tells me with a nod towards the cold storage room on its trailer parked over by the back of the tent.
I look over my clipboard pages to find the name and number of the guy we'd hired it off. "I've got his mobile number so I'll give him a call and get him out here to check it out just in case," I tell Jasper who nods his agreement. "Other than that do you have everything you need?"
"Lauren!" he shouts to his left.
"What?" comes the usual screeched reply. No 'yes boss' or 'yes chef' for our Lauren.
"Have you got all those ribs in yet?" he shouts back.
"Last tray going in now," comes the reply.
With a smile at me Jasper assures me that everything food wise is coming together on time. I thank him and head back out to check on the other attractions.
The inflatable cinema is only halfway inflated but we still have a few hours yet and the operator assures me he'll be ready for the first screening scheduled for 3 pm.
I'd decided on three separate screenings. 3 pm, 5 pm and a last one after dark starting at 8 pm. We were showing How to train your Dragon 2 as the first film which should attract quite a few of the children, making the lines for the rides and other attractions a little shorter for the length of the film. I hoped.
Second screening would be Frozen which should sort out another good portion of the smaller kids while the bigger ones got their turn on the rides.
There was to be a fireworks display at 7.30pm which should mark the time at which most of the really small children would be taken home for bed, leaving only the older ones and their parents to watch the last movie of the night. Any Which Way but Loose was an all time favourite of both mine and Alice' and I hoped that the older crowd would love to see it again on a big screen, and the younger ones who hadn't seen it before I hoped would like it too. We'd soon find out. It was mainstream enough, and only a little bit violent, and it had been approved by Emmett so I was off the hook if anyone had any issues with it.
Behind the projectionists van was a huge shipping container. I leant against the low brick wall that ringed what we'd turned into the outdoor cinema and watched an army of hired hands march a hundred and fifty bright red outdoor bean bag chairs down the slope into rough lines for viewing.
There were another fifty or so sling backed deck chairs lined up behind the bean bags and behind that I'd invited a small local winery group who would be serving a selection of their best selling wines, to adults only of course.
The popcorn machine had been running nonstop all day to make five hundred bags of pre-popped corn specifically for our movie theatre and by all accounts they would be finished in plenty of time too.
With everything in order as far as I could tell I took the chance to head back to the hotel and shower and change before what was going to be a hell of a last job with Swan Catering and Events.
EPOV
Holy fucking hell!
That was my first thought when I saw what up until yesterday had been the holding yard of my newest company.
It didn't look like a holding yard now though. It looked like a carnival. A seriously huge carnival. A writhing sea of activity. There were people rushing about left and right, most of them with arms full of boxes of...well of what I couldn't say, but their arms were all holding something as they ran about.
I parked my rental undercover at the front of the administration building and went for a look at what this Isabella had set into motion on my behalf.
I felt a total dickhead wandering about in jeans and trainers but I had little choice. My idiotic public relations manager deemed it appropriate attire and that was that. So I trudged across a paddock that had been divided into neat rows, each one bearing a brightly coloured poster at the end of it. I guessed this would be the parking area and gave a mental nod to whoever came up with the idea of numbering the rows.
The first thing that hit me as I approached the actual carnival was the smell. A mixture of grilled meats, animal feed and cotton candy. It smelled of boyhood fun at the Royal Easter Show.
I went right on through what was obviously going to be the central entry point and took a quick look at the set up there. Two tables, one on either side of the middle aisle, had a clipboard with the names of my employees typed neatly and in alphabetical order on it. Markers and coloured wrist bands were in boxes on the ground on either side. A quick peek at the lists and I could see that the wrist bands were for the under 18's. It looked very professional, just as the carpark had.
I walked down an old fashioned sideshow alley and grinned at the thought of firing one of the air rifles and knocking a shiny metal duck off its perch for a prize. Vendors were still setting up the stuffed toys and cap guns in their plastic packaging but took no notice of me as I wandered along looking in here and there.
Tables covered with paints, brushes and what looked like tubs of moist baby wipes sat next to a small cloth gazebo that boasted a sign saying 'party bags'. The paints I understood, face painting for little kids. The other tent intrigued me though. What on earth a party bag was I had no clue.
I stepped inside and saw box after box of striped bags all bearing the Cullen Enterprise logo and all stuffed full to the brim with small toys and sweets. Nice touch I thought as I moved into the next row.
Here there was an enormous bouncy castle in the shape of a tiger. Its huge inflatable jaws open and waiting for the first screaming child to rush headlong inside.
Giant slides, those electric cars designed especially for crashing and bashing, and a huge inflatable paddling pool that contained giant clear plastic balls were all set up, their lights flashing in readiness. The operator informed me that kids could get inside the balls and float around, crashing and bashing against their friends in other balls. I was assured that it was great fun and it looked it.
The next row over had smaller children's rides. A cup and saucer just like the one at Disneyland. A ball pit and a small ferris wheel. There was a small merry go round with brightly painted horses and carriages on their poles just waiting for the screams of excited little people. At the very end of that row was a miniature golf course complete with a water hazard and sand trap. Tiny gold clubs and brightly coloured golf balls were lined up ready and waiting to go too.
It was marvellous!
I wanted to be a child again and have a go on everything, over and over too.
I thanked each of the operators for coming as I went back the way I'd come and made my way towards the delicious smells. I saw a cotton candy making machine and a snow cone machine already churning its icy liquid round and round. Just beyond those I saw two of the biggest marquee's I'd ever seen.
They were both filled with row after row of neat tables and chairs and both looked very welcoming. There was bunting on the front of each tent, again bearing the Cullen Enterprises logo and announcing the contents of each tent under that. The beer garden and the food hall.
There were a half dozen men decked out in black from head to toe at the entrance to the beer garden and I thanked heaven – and whoever Isabella was – that security for this part of the carnival had been thought about.
I introduced myself to the guy who seemed to be the team leader of the group and was shown inside. Thankfully, again probably the smart thinking of Isabella, there was no glass present. What there was was row after row of perfectly clear plastic glasses that looked and had the same weight as their glass counterparts.
I met a Sam Uley and accepted his assurances that he knew what he was doing and that he'd briefed the security team himself. He was sure that nothing untoward would happen that could be directly related back to the serving of alcohol on my premises. He even showed me the permits and documentation that gave me permission to even have alcohol on the lot.
Next door I was introduced to Jasper Swan who informed me that he was the owner of Swan Catering and Events and that he was happy to be the one chosen to put on the carnival for me.
I thanked him, profusely, for what looked like a mountain of work that had been achieved in a very short window and then moved back outside so he could continue what he was doing. Whatever it was it smelled divine.
I heard the music before I saw where it was coming from, but I got distracted on the way towards it by what up until yesterday had been an open, disused field. Now it had hundreds of beanbag chairs in rows in front of a half mast movie screen.
It was a brilliant idea and I wondered if it was something Emmett had come up with, or the mysterious Isabella Swan. Either way it was inspired and I very much looked forward to seeing happy faces staring at that screen later on.
I shook hands with two locals who were setting up a wine tasting and cellar door sales area and then I headed further back down the field to where a makeshift stage had been erected.
Two men were tuning guitars while a third did a sound check with some unseen roadie. The signage pinned to the front of the stage told me the band's name was Insignia and that they too were locals.
I listened for a few minutes and then made my way back towards the administration block, and the office that had been set aside for me to use during the takeover process.
BPOV
I had two hours before the fair was set to begin but about three hours worth of checking to get done before then so I wolfed down some crackers and sliced cheese in my rental car on the way back.
With my earpiece clipped to the side of my head I was able to talk to the operator of the cold room and get his confirmation that it was working correctly and would come to the right temperature, and stay there for the duration of the fair.
Another quick call told me that the two girls I'd hired to make the celebration cake had delivered it in good order and it was now lying in wait in said cold room.
Alice had wanted to make it herself but there just hadn't been time. We'd only arrived at the site two days ago and she'd never have been able to transport something so huge from our home base in Sydney. Nor would she have had time to make from scratch the sugar flowers and other details that it needed to really make an impact. So once again I'd sourced local talent and now all I had to hope was that the sample book I'd looked at was a true representation of just what those two girls could do.
So far the town of Gladstone hadn't let me down. There was a wealth of talent and a veritable endless pit of willing workers who so far had gone over and above what I'd asked them to do.
Nobody had anything too nice to say about Cullen Enterprises taking over Equity Steel, and I hadn't heard too many nice things about the illusive Edward Cullen either, but I was quietly confident that this fun fair would turn local opinion around.
And if it didn't it wasn't going to be because I'd not thrown the employees a fabulous time. It would all be down to Edward Cullen himself if this didn't work.
I finished up my last check in call just before pulling into a parking space at the administration block. There was another car there this time and I assumed that belonged to one of the executives who had come in to do some work before attending the fair. At least I hoped that's what it meant. I'd hate to have set everything up and the employees boycott the whole damn thing in protest.
I didn't think they would.
I hoped they'd come.
I had nothing personally riding on it if they didn't but I wouldn't like it if Esme Cullen was disappointed. Or Emmett for that matter. They were nice people.
As I made another tour of the property I placed a call to Angela who'd stayed behind in Sydney to try her hand at organising the Christening morning tea. From what she told me on that call I had nothing to worry about. She had all the bases covered and didn't need anything further from me so I let her get back to work.
I checked off the last few things on my clipboard before heading for the food tent to check in with my brother. I was delighted to hear he'd met Edward Cullen already and that everything was ticking along as it should. He confirmed that the cold room was down to the right temperature. Another check mark in another box on my clipboard!
With just one hour to go I rounded up small groups of hired workers and thanked them for all they'd done so far and apologised for how hectic the next few hours were going to be.
Then, with just a half hour to go, I made my way to the front gate to make sure my gate girls had arrived. They had. But worryingly so had a dozen or so protestors.
They held signs and were chanting a song about corporate raping and pillaging that was quiet creative, but I didn't want them there.
I knew better than to confront the protestors personally so I stepped back a little ways and made a discreet call to the local police. I was told that the dissenters were on public land, had a permit to protest and were all locals who shouldn't give us any actual trouble.
With that information in hand I left them to it.
Peaceful protest was their right and whether I agreed with their opinion or not I wasn't going to attempt to move them on, or inflame the situation in any way.
A quick call to my security team leader in the beer garden and I had two more qualified bodies on their way from town to man the gate and keep the peace.
Cars began to roll up with just twenty minutes to go and I was relieved, and a little proud, that my little fun fair had been promoted in such a way that Equity Steel employees wanted to come along. I greeted the first few personally, handed out the map and flyer I'd had printed and wished them all a great day before heading back to the kitchen by the food tent.
It was to be home base for me for the rest of the day and into the evening too. The security team had everything at the gate in hand, revellers were coming in in a steady stream, the food smelled delicious and whatever happened next was now, pretty much, out of my control.
EPOV
I watched the makeshift parking lot fill steadily from the lofty heights of my temporary office window. I'd been worried that nobody would show up and all of it would be for nothing, but I needn't have worried after all.
For some reason, the whole thing turning out to be a giant flop bothered me. But not for myself. For the mysterious Isabella Swan.
The scale of the carnival showed me the work she'd put in to put it together and before I'd even laid eyes on the woman I admired her. Anyone who could pull this sort of thing together, at such short notice too, was a force to be reckoned with.
I wondered if she could be poached but thought not, not seeing as it was her brother who was the owner of the company who employed her currently. But I quite liked the idea of stealing away someone who could organise, coordinate and pull of something of this magnitude without a problem.
And I knew there hadn't been a single problem because Emmett hadn't once come to me with a sob story. He had been as cool as he always was. He hadn't put in any extra hours on this as far as I was aware and that led me to believe that it was Miss Swan who'd done if not all the donkey work then certainly most of it.
I stood at the windows and watched a little longer as car load after car load of eager looking employees arrived. And then I spotted the protestors.
At first I thought they were merely more employees, but they didn't park their cars in the temporary lot. Instead they left their vehicles on the other side of the road. When I saw them retrieving placards from those vehicles I knew what they were about. I watched them set up and at first I'd been angry and ready for a confrontation but then I decided it was best not to agitate them anymore than they already were. So I stayed put and watched.
Within minutes, by some unseen hand, two burly security guards arrived at the front gate and assumed the position. They didn't engage with the protestors and from where I was positioned I didn't think a single word had been exchanged, angry ones or otherwise.
As the first low drum beats began to float towards me from where I was watching I saw my family arrive beneath me. It was show time.
I wasn't ready. I didn't feel comfortable in either mind or body and I felt like a fake in my own skin and clothing, but the time was upon me and I had to go through with it now.
I shook off the first pangs of a panic attack as best I could and told myself that I had to trust Emmett's judgement because that's what I paid him for.
"Come on, bro," came his call from downstairs and I couldn't put any of it off any longer.
I set my game face in place, slid my phone into my pocket, scuffed my trainers on each step as I went down them and then smiled nicely for my family.
I had to change my public image and this was the way that Emmett had decided I should do it.
Game on.
BPOV
I stared at myself in my compact mirror and plastered a smile on my face in readiness. I'd hidden at the back of the kitchen tent for just a moment's quiet contemplation but my time was up now.
The noise was growing as the area began to fill up and the excited squeals of children could already be heard, even over the music that was already filling the air. Jasper was at his finest as he managed his kitchen with his usual iron fist and if anything elsewhere was going majorly wrong I hadn't heard about it yet.
So far so good I thought as I squared my shoulders, checked my fake smile once more, and then went out into the throng.
And a throng it was.
There were children running everywhere! They looked excited and enthralled just as I'd hoped they would. The rides were already in full swing and lines were beginning to form for a lot of them.
The cotton candy machine was whirring away when I went by and there were already a heap of children with the sticky mess smeared across their faces too.
But within five minutes of leaving the safety of the kitchen area my phone began to ring and it didn't stop for the better part of the next hour.
One of Malcolm's sheep had crapped on the shoes of one of the children and could I find some wet wipes and get them to the animal enclosure right away was the first minor crisis.
A smallish child had shoved a piece of popcorn up his nose and his parents couldn't find the first aid tent on the map was the next.
The designated lost child point already had three lost souls at it and they were requesting another body to console the children until their parents turned up to collect them was the third.
Three journalists had tried to gate crash and the security guys at the gate wanted clarification on how violent they could be in sending them away was the last.
I figured all these things were pretty standard at an event of this size and of this nature and they were easy enough to deal with.
A small boy with his face painted like Spiderman, and being chased by a frazzled looking mother, shouted that it was 'the best party ever' as he ran by me so I guessed people were starting to have a good time.
I made quick laps of the entire property, phone in my hand as my hired hands checked in with problems or called for advice. All the concession stands were coping and so were the face painting girls and the balloon animal guys. They were busy but not stressed.
Sideshow alley was a huge hit and I'd already seen quite a few children run by with stuffed animal prizes clutched happily to their bellies.
Those bellies had already consumed a lot of popcorn, cotton candy and snow cones too I was told as I checked in with the operators there.
The animal farm had a ring of children around it three deep, with more inside the pens and more in a line snaking around and around so I didn't go too close lest Malcolm collar me for another chat.
The lines for the rides were manageable and nobody waiting in them looked too disgruntled. In fact they were all laughing and squealing like they should be.
I made my way back towards the front gate and checked on the girls there. The lists were now striped in highlighter and around seventy percent of the total list of employees had already turned up. That was already higher than I'd hoped for so I was pretty happy with that news.
The protestors had been well behaved too. They'd waved their placards and kept chanting their amusing songs but didn't actually bother anyone trying to come in or leave. Peaceful protests were my kind of protests.
The three journalists who'd been turned away had interviewed the protestors but there was nothing I could do about that either. I made a note of it and would inform Emmett of it when I found him.
I went back the way I came on the way to home base. Another child with her face painted like a butterfly ran by me and I couldn't help but smile smugly. An hour into the fun fair and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, there had been no major disasters and I'd successfully avoided Malcolm in both directions.
I'd deliberately changed out of my uniform into plain clothing, no company logos or even anything in the same colours as either Swan Catering and Events or Cullen Enterprises. Just plain jeans, a white shirt and ballet flats. To anyone who didn't know me I was just another employee wandering around having a good time and I liked the anonymity of that.
I could observe without letting on that I was watching for a purpose.
It also meant that nobody who didn't already know who I was would approach me to sort out their issues. I was just another face in the crowd.
And that was a good thing because I was quite enjoying watching a copper haired man having a go at the shooting gallery. He appeared to be on his own and he was doing his best to hide his frustration at missing every shot.
Each time he missed he'd square his shoulders, grit his jaw and aim again, only to miss again. I was waiting for him to tell the operator that his rifles were rigged but he didn't.
When his turn was over he'd step aside and let the next person go ahead and then he'd take another turn. One after another the other players collected their prizes, some large and some small, but this guy couldn't hit the side of a building with a bazooka!
I watched for some time, shifting from side to side to let people past, but I couldn't take my eyes off the guy with the copper hair.
He wiped his hands on the thighs of his jeans, my eyes following intently. The jeans were nothing special, just jeans, but his thighs filled them out significantly. And his ass...god his ass was like two ripe peaches begging to be squeezed. I wanted to squeeze them. I clenched my hands at my sides and took a deep breath before raising my eyes to watch him take another shot.
The muscles in his back and shoulders were held taut in his thin blue shirt and I found myself missing seeing whether he'd hit something or not because I was distracted by the sight of him aiming.
His fingers were so long they stretched almost halfway down the barrel of the rifle as he used them to steady it. They looked like a pianists fingers. Long and slender.
He let off another shot and I heard him curse, though he did stop himself from muttering the entire word I still heard it and couldn't help the bark of laughter that came out of my mouth.
He turned, fast, and I was met with two very pissed off, very green eyes staring at me.
I shrugged and covered my mouth with my hand but the damage was done. I'd laughed at him and he knew it.
"If you can do better you're welcome to try, little girl," he sneered.
I shook my head no, startled at the venom in his voice and unable to speak for just a second. He gave me no chance to anyway. He simply glared at me and turned back around to face the rows of slowly moving ducks, taking aim once again.
He loosed off his third shot and the duck fell backwards with a loud clang. He accepted his prize and shoved it roughly into his jeans pocket before taking aim again.
A young girl, maybe fourteen or fifteen, sidled up next to him and accepted her rifle from the operator. She took much less time to take aim and let off the first shoot within seconds. It hit, dead on target, and she whooped with joy.
The green eyed guy glared at her and then took his own aim. He missed though I couldn't tell by how far. I saw him square his shoulders again and then take aim. Bang! A duck fell but it wasn't from his rifle. The young girl had two in a row and she turned to accept the praise of her friends before turning, aiming and hitting another duck without seemingly even trying.
She chose a giant pink unicorn from the operator and skipped away happily on to the next game.
The green eyed guy watched her go, just as I did, and when I turned my attention back to him he was staring right at me. Or rather through me. I felt a shiver overtake me before he turned back to the game and raised the rifle one more time.
Bang!
He'd hit a duck and I found myself cheering for him. The sound came out of my mouth before I could stop it and sounded somewhere between a joyous whoop and a cat being strangled. It was meant to be a congratulatory gesture but I didn't think I'd hit my mark, pardon the pun.
He turned instantly, the scowl firmly in place on his face.
The operator got his attention and handed him a package. He took his little prize, it was far from being a giant stuffed toy and looked as though it might be a little boys water pistol or something similar, and again stuffed it into his jeans pocket before putting his rifle down.
And then he was in my face. Staring me down, his lips twisted up into a snarl.
"Those who can, do. Those who can't, watch and judge, little girl," he hissed and then turned on his heel and marched away.
I was more than a little startled. Actually I was both mortified and more than a little frightened of him and was happy he'd left his tirade at that and moved away.
I wasn't one for confrontation – though I couldn't fathom why there needed to be one at all – and blew out a steadying breath over my lips while I composed myself as quickly as I could.
I slid my hands into my pockets to keep in check the shaking and I stepped backwards until I was out of the way of the passing crowd.
I felt that first, wheezing maelstrom of a panic attack settle itself in my stomach and knew I was in the wrong place and it was the wrong time to give in to it.
Reflexively my hand found its way to my cheek and I rubbed at it subconsciously. It was an instinctual reaction to a raised voice laced with venom and my brain went right back to that last night with Jake before I had a chance to go through my mental affirmations to stave it off.
I was sweating. My heart was pounding. My cheek felt red and hot as if I really had been struck. My eyes filled with tears and I stepped back even further, desperate to hide.
I willed myself to hold it together, to not do this here, to put my game face firmly back on my face and get on with what needed to be done.
I took my hand down, tugged at the bottom of my shirt, licked my lips and blinked away all signs of my reaction to that horrible man.
Within two minutes I was firmly back in the present and the past was back in its box in the back of my mind. I had a job to finish.
I walked back towards the kitchen via the arcade area just to check that no riot had begun because someone wouldn't vacate a game once their turn was finished but instead I found an impromptu competition in progress.
Two teenage boys had taken up residence in a pair of side by side racing cars and a crowd had gathered to watch.
From the shouts of encouragement I could tell that it was a friendly competition and left them to it.
As I got to the kitchen area I could hear Jasper laughing, which was a good sign because if he was laughing he wasn't growling or yelling at someone. And then I heard an answering laugh and I stopped dead.
Emmett was in the kitchen with my brother. That meant that there was a good chance that the whole Cullen clan was in there too. I was about to meet Edward Cullen.
A/N: Thank you for reading.
Please review.