Mastered (The Enforcers 1)

She sighed. So much for her plans for the evening. She supposed she needed to come up with a plan B and notify Drake, who would then notify Maddox. But try as she might, nothing appealed. She had no desire to go out without Drake or her girls.

If only Drake didn’t have that damn business meeting here tonight.

She came to an abrupt halt as she started to climb out of bed, her mind running at the speed of light. She knew he was having the delivery service cater his meeting and there were six guests. She could kick the delivery service’s ass any day of the week and knock Drake and his associates’ socks off with a decadent meal.

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. There was no need of him having his delivery service bring in food for his meeting when she could arrange a kick-ass dinner and play the consummate hostess for him. She wanted to make him proud of her, prove that she could fit into his world and not shame him in front of the people he associated with.

She’d go all out for the meal and prepare something worthy of a five-star restaurant, and she’d dress to the nines and even wear the expensive jewelry he’d bought for her. The jewelry she’d been so reluctant to accept. Once dinner was served and she ensured everyone’s comfort and enjoyment, she would discreetly disappear so they could discuss their business matters without her underfoot.

But there was a lot she had to do and if she didn’t get started now, her plans would be an epic fail.

The first order of business was to plan the menu and so after showering and changing, she sat down at the bar in the kitchen and prepared a list of all the items she’d require. Then she’d simply call Edward and have him send out for the groceries.

That task completed, she went into her closet and spent an hour pondering her wardrobe possibilities. She didn’t want to be over the top or look like she was trying to impress, even if that was precisely what she wanted to do. Impress Drake. But she wanted . . . classy. Beautiful, elegant and yet simple.

Finally, she chose a blue strapless, knee-length cocktail dress that was perfect. She realized with excitement that the sapphire and diamond choker that she’d never worn would look perfect with the dress, and she could wear the diamond stud earrings Drake had bought for her. She’d finish off the look with the diamond tennis bracelet and a pair of silver heels. She’d wear her hair up to best show off the choker and earrings and allow a few tendrils to float down her neck and cheeks and use a curling iron to make loose ringlets.

Her brain came to a screeching halt when she remembered the single most important barrier to her pulling off her big surprise. Maddox. And the fact that he was supposed to be taking her to her girlfriends’ apartment.

She frowned. Think, damn it. There had to be a way.

Wait. Lana had said they were all working tonight. Open to close, which meant the apartment would be empty, and she still had a key. All she had to do was arrange as much as she could in advance, then have Maddox drive her to the apartment. He’d wait in the car while she went up, and she could climb down the fire escape, hustle a few blocks over and hail a cab back to Drake’s.

“You’re a genius, Evangeline!” she said gleefully.

Her plan was flawless and totally doable. Maddox would never suspect that she would bail out the fire escape, and she could be back in plenty of time to dress and finish preparations before Drake arrived with his guests.

Satisfied that she’d planned for every eventuality, she laid out her wardrobe for the evening and then picked a simple outfit to wear out with Maddox. Something that wouldn’t impede her climb down the fire escape from the seventh floor.

The rest of the day dragged on with Evangeline checking her watch every half hour, willing time to go faster. She breathed a sigh of relief when Edward personally brought up the groceries she’d ordered and winked at her when she anxiously told him not to breathe a word to anyone about his outing. She told him the truth, that she was planning a surprise for Drake, and he seemed delighted to be included in the plotting.

Happy to now have something to pass the time with, she put together everything she could beforehand, preparing three different appetizers and two choices of sauces to accompany the veal she would pop into the oven the minute she returned home from her girlfriends’.

She mixed the ingredients for the sides and then slipped them in the refrigerator. Satisfied that dinner was arranged and would only require half an hour cooking time at most when she arrived back, she checked her watch and then squeaked. It was already four thirty!