ABIGAIL

Didier's muscles flex as he sets up tables and I can't help staring at them for longer than necessary. Later on, those muscles will be covered by formalwear, but they are etched in my memory from last night.

When we said we would take things slowly, we weren't joking. After some dates and spending time together out of work, it was only natural that things would turn intimate. I don't have great experience in the lovemaking department, but last night was dreamy. Didier was careful and tender. I don't doubt there's also raw passion in him and I'm sure it will show in due time, but I couldn't wish for a better first time with him.

"Stare a little longer and I'm sure the buttons will fly out with the power of your gaze."

"Oh, fuck off, Thomas!" I say to my brother, who just laughs.

After taking a deep breath and trying to ignore Didier's body, I continue setting up decorations. I feel more at ease since my family knows we are together, but I can't permit myself to be unprofessional during an event.

"Are you okay?" I ask Thomas, who looks worried while scrolling his tablet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just going through the list and realizing the caterer should have been here fifteen minutes ago," he looks out of a window, but no new supplier vans have arrived. "I'm also missing Amber's flowers."

"Maybe they are stuck in traffic. You know how hectic it can get on this side of the town on a Saturday afternoon."

"You are right. I had a short night of sleep and I'm not thinking straight. Marissa said something earlier about taking a different route."

Not trying to see everyone else's situation through my lens, but I suspect the reason of his short night of sleep the moment Marissa arrives to bring her order. His concerned face lights up and he grins before greeting her with a kiss. I'm happy my stupid brother has seen the light because Marissa is perfect for him.

While they chat, his phone starts ringing. He excuses himself and I point Marissa to the place we want the trays of petit fours, eclairs and miniature tarts displayed.

"Morgan Events, this is Thomas... Are you serious?... And this just happened?... What am I supposed to do then?... I know it's not your fault, and I'm really sorry this happened, but now I'm left without catering... Calling around? It's a freaking Saturday! Whoever was not contracted already is probably off... If you know of anyone send them to me then... Yeah, I expect a full refund when your insurance pays off."

Thomas hangs up and closes his eyes while taking a deep breath. He then types a hurried message.

"Tommy, is everything okay?" I ask and Marissa stops setting up the sweets on the table.

"The caterer had a fire in their building and it damaged their equipment, van and the prep work they did for us. I just messaged Will and Jimmy, because something tells me we will need all the help we can get to figure how to make food before the first guests arrive in three hours," he rakes his fingers through his hair while he thinks.

"I can stay and help," Marissa tells me, since Thomas is again on his phone.

"Thank you, Marissa. Let's see what he wants to do next when he hangs up," I say, and she nods.

Marissa gives me a hand setting the tables and not even fifteen minutes later, my other brothers arrive with company. London and Will have been at my place for dinner a few times, but I don't know who is the handsome guy who came with Jimmy.

"What is the urgency?" Will asks. "Tommy only said I need help in the message and pinged this location."

"I got the same message," Jimmy says.

"The caterer had a fire and we have no food to serve," Didier says.

"If there's no food to serve, what are we doing here, then?" Will asks while staring at Thomas, who looks defeated as he talks on the phone with what must be the tenth catering company since receiving the bad news.

"No food is a disaster," Jimmy says. "Everyone, I want you to meet Grayson. We are dating."

"Dating?" I repeat and look at Grayson, who looks familiar. "Pleasure to meet you. When did this happen?"

"We met at one of the weddings I played at and then he was one of my radio dates."

"Didn't you date women on the radio dates?" Will asks.

"A story for another day. Anyway, don't make a fuss out of this. Grayson's mom isn't exactly a fan of the Morgans and she knows the whole of Greenwood."

"I told him I don't care, but he doesn't believe me," Grayson says as he shakes hands with us.

I like him already and if Jimmy opened his heart to him, it means he's sweet and kind.

"I can't find anybody... I understand you don't have an inventory to feed fifty people... Yes, I'm aware I need to arrange these things in advance. Thank you, yes. I need all the luck," Thomas says to whoever is at the other end of his call. Marissa rubs her hand on his arm to comfort him.

My brother has left the planning tablet on a table nearby, and I open the catering file to see which high tea items we ordered for this event.

"Marissa, do you have bread at the bakery?"

Will and Jimmy burst out laughing, and I flip them. Didier lifts an eyebrow at my question while London shakes her head at Will for laughing. I know it sounds idiotic, but I have an idea.

"Not fresh, of course, because we don't open on Sundays, but I have frozen loaves and some pre-baked that only need to be finished. What do you have in mind?" She ignores my two stupid brothers and comes to see what I'm reading on the tablet while Thomas dials a new number.

"Is this something we can pull off?" I feel hopeful.

"I think we can, but I really need all hands on deck. I'll give Luke a call to see if he's available to help. Do you have a pen and paper for me? I need to make a shopping list to send these two to the supermarket," she points with her chin at my brothers.

"What can we do for you?" London asks and Grayson comes to stand next to us.

"I hope you know how to butter bread because we'll need to make a crazy amount of tiny sandwiches, rolls, and quiches. Abi, please tell me this place has an oven."

"Yeah, it has a proper service kitchen," I say while handing her the writing supplies.

"In the meantime, I'll bring London and Grayson with me to the bakery to grab serving trays, plates, glasses, and flatware," Marissa says as she writes while scrolling on the tablet. "I can load the van quicker with extra hands. I only hope Papa hasn't forgotten something at the bakery and catches me getting the stuff out of the building. I'll hear it for the rest of my life."

"This is a disaster," Thomas walks towards us while running his fingers once again through his already messy hair.

"It's not. I'll be your caterer today," Marissa kisses his cheek and presses the paper in Jimmy's hands. "London, Grayson, let's go!"

Will and Jimmy leave to complete their task as well and I'm left with a very confused Thomas and a proud Didier.

"What's going on? What will she do?" Thomas stares at the door where everybody left and looks ready to lie down.

"Everything is under control. Marissa has a plan and we will all help," I hand the tablet back to him and he just stares at it blankly.

"Who was that guy?"

"Jimmy's date," I shrug as my brother mumbles that he'll need more than a beer tonight after this scare.

Not even half an hour later, Marissa, London, and Grayson arrive with crates of dinnerware, trays, and cooking utensils. Shortly after, Will and Jimmy arrive armed with grocery bags. Didier and I rush to Will's car and carry as many as we can inside as well.

"Didier? I have dinnerware in those crates. I did my best to make fifty settings of plates and silverware, but in the hurry, I might have counted wrong. I don't have fancy pots, so we'll have to pass the coffee and tea on trays. We'll have to be creative to make sugar and creamer stations on each table, but I think I brought enough supplies for the ten tables."

Didier and Thomas begin making place settings at each table. Amber arrives with the flower arrangements, complaining about traffic, and I give her a quick explanation of what's going on before going into the kitchen.

"London, mix the cream cheese with the dill and capers, spread a thin layer on a wrap, put slices of salmon on top, roll and cut into one inch slices. Discard the ends and plate in rows," Marissa instructs London. "Oh thanks God, you are here."

For a moment, I thought she was talking to me, but then Luke walks inside and grabs an apron.

"Grayson, good job with those cucumbers and next I need you to peel and dice the apples. Luke, I have tart bottoms here and ingredients somewhere."

"On it," he says and grabs a pack of eggs.

"What can I do?" I ask her and she places me on plating duty.

Marissa works the kitchen crew like a kind general and doesn't look stressed at all. She is incredibly determined to make this work.

"Can we do anything to help?" Thomas comes inside with Didier.

"You can butter my bread," she says while she continues to slice the crust of bread.

Marissa catches her naughty words and is the first to laugh. We all join and then Thomas finally catches on the meaning.

"You are all perverts. Give me a knife and the butter," he says.

Didier starts the coffee service and fills pots with water for the tea. In record time, we have several trays filled with beautiful food.

"What about the serving staff?" I ask Thomas while looking at all of us and our mismatched clothes.

"I have a bag with black aprons in my van," Marissa says quickly. "I was going to bring them to get embroidered on Monday. Here are the keys, Abi."

"Thomas should marry you for this," I say and hurry to the van before my brother can say anything.

The moment I open the back door, I hear voices coming from the entrance. I alert Thomas, who is putting a clean shirt inside his pants and then combs his hair quickly before heading to receive whoever has arrived. I hand out aprons and I'm grateful for Marissa. I wasn't joking when I said Thomas should marry her, because I would love to have a sister-in-law like her.