"I think I'll make it over the bridge," he said dryly. "And I have first-hand experience with messed-up families."
"Then let's talk about you for a while. What are your parents like?"
"My mother is very tightly wound. She likes everything to be perfect. She plans out her life to the last detail, and she isn't happy when others interfere with her plans. She has a caring heart, but it's not that easy to see. She can be cold and distant until you really get to know her—actually, until she decides she'd like to know you. She's into tennis, golf, and bridge, and enjoys her country-club friends. She's always concerned about what her peers think of her. She's perpetually having cosmetic work done, trying the latest diet, and working out with her personal trainer."
"She must look amazing."
"She's attractive." He paused, shooting her a quick look. "I love her, because she's my mother, but she doesn't always make it easy. She has a lot of opinions, most of which I don't agree with."
"That can be difficult. What's your father like?"
"He's outgoing, loud, loves to tell bad jokes, and thinks he's hilarious. He's charming enough to have found four women who wanted to marry him, and there was never a shortage of women in between those marriages."
"How old were you when your parents split up?"
"I was in the fifth grade."
"That must have been hard on you."
"Frankly, they were fighting so much, I was happy enough when they finally ended it. My mother is much happier with her second husband, and my dad—well, who knows how long this latest marriage will last? His brides get younger and younger, and he is only getting older and older. I don't know why he bothers to keep walking down the aisle. I can't imagine how complicated his alimony payments must be."
"Does he have other children?"
"He has a daughter with his third wife. She's about twelve now. Her name is Daphne, and, no, I haven't spent much time with her. She and her mom moved to Florida after my dad divorced her mother. I believe my father got a vasectomy after Daphne was born, although, I've heard from Matt that his latest wife really wants a child and he's thinking about getting it reversed. That seems crazy, considering he's sixty-seven years old now, but who knows? I've never been able to predict what my father will do."
"Do your parents live in the city?"
"My mother lives in Sausalito—around the corner from the Hunts, in fact. My father lives in a luxury condo downtown. I see my mother about once a month, when she tries to set me up with someone—my dad, every couple of months, usually for a drink or a steak dinner."
His family sounded like they lived a very comfortable, luxurious life, but it didn't seem warm or loving. No wonder Barrett didn't envision a happily ever after for himself.
"Why on earth did you ever pick Vanessa?" she asked. "It sounds like she was a younger version of your mother—a woman you didn't get along with."
"That's a good question. When I first started in law, working at her father's firm, I got caught up in that life, in the social circle we both moved in. We were thrown together at every turn, and there was a lot of pressure from the partners for the young lawyers to have significant others at events. Vanessa fit right in. It wasn't until we started planning the wedding that I began to see the real differences between us. And that year was also a year of changes for me career-wise. I was beginning to realize I didn't want to kill myself working for a big corporate law firm, but I didn't see how I could get out of it. I felt like I was on a runaway train."
"I can see getting swept up in everything. Wedding planning can take on a life of its own," she said.
"That's a generous comment," he said, glancing at her.
"It's true. I've seen a lot of couples lose sight of their priorities. I do try to keep them on track."
"I believe you." He paused as he changed lanes and took the first exit off the bridge. "I thought once we were married and we were back to normal life, things would feel right again, but they never did. We couldn't get along at all. Every day was a new battle. We would look right at each other, but we couldn't really see each other. I wanted out of my career. I wanted out of my marriage. It was a bad situation, and it had to end. My parents and her parents thought we should have tried harder and for a longer time. But we were both done."
"It didn't sound like Vanessa was done the other night. She wanted you to come to her father's party. And she's not engaged anymore."
"Maybe she just had a moment of fond regret. I've seen that with my divorce clients. But it doesn't last. It's really just a wish that things could have been the way you wanted them to be. But they weren't then, and they wouldn't be now."
"I can see that. Even with mothers of the brides, I hear a lot of stories about their love affairs and their weddings. They often want their daughters to recreate their day. They want to be reminded of the moment they said I Do, the feelings they had, the hope in their hearts. Not that they're all unhappy now, but I think they just want the reminder. And who am I to judge? I've never made that walk down the aisle, except as a bridesmaid. That I've done five times already."
He smiled as he pulled up in front of her building. "Fortunately, I have not been put in the position of having to do that since my own wedding."
"One day you'll have to stand up for your brother."
"That might be the next time I'm at a wedding."
She smiled back at him. "Well, thanks again for the ride and for everything you've done for me in the last twenty-four hours. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just name it."
"I'll keep that in mind. I think I might like having you in my debt."
She pointed a finger at him. "Don't get any crazy ideas. The swan picture stays."
"Now that I've met your grandparents, I'm a little more appreciative of what the swans mean to you."
"Good." She opened the car door. "I'll see you around."
"I'm sure you will."
Chapter Eleven
For the next two days, Kate was kept busy with clients, venue tours, and cake tastings. Her meeting with Candice and her mother Olivia Hunt went well, but there were a lot of questions—pointed, probing, and somewhat aggressive questions, some of which she still needed to answer.
Olivia seemed determined to catch her off guard in some way. She also pushed for things that clearly Candice was not interested in having at her wedding. But while Candice spoke up, she usually acquiesced in the end to her more dominant mother.
Kate still had no idea if they were going to retain her services or not. She needed to present a complete proposal by Monday, and then the Hunts would make their decision.
She had a small backyard wedding tomorrow, which fortunately had not required a rehearsal and dinner celebration, so she had a little time tonight to work on her proposal.
Shari came into her office just before five on Friday, a rather odd look in her eyes as she perched on the chair across from her desk. "Are you ready for tomorrow's wedding?"
"It's all set. Vivian and Charles are easy."
"Well, it is the second time for both of them."
"And they're so happy they found each other, they're not too worked up about the wedding."
"That's good," Shari said in a distracted way.
"What's up?" she asked.
"There's something I need to talk to you about, Kate."
She stiffened at Shari's tone. "You sound serious. Please don't tell me you're quitting. If you need a raise, if you need time off—"
"I'm not quitting," Shari said quickly.
"Good. Because I really don't think I could do without you."
"That's nice to hear. What I need to talk to you about doesn’t involve work; it's personal. It's about me and Todd."
"What about you and Todd?"
"We haven't been getting along for a while. Our trip to Tahoe was a desperate effort to try to find time to communicate and figure things out, but it didn't really work. I'm meeting with a divorce attorney tonight."
Her heart
sank. "Oh, Shari, I'm really sorry to hear this. Are you sure you want to go for a divorce? What about counseling?"
"Todd won't go. I've been begging him for weeks. He said he doesn't need to pay a shrink to tell him what he already knows, that he's not happy. The truth is, Todd is really depressed, and I think it's about more than our marriage, but he won't talk to me, so I can't help. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I'm out of options." She drew in a nervous breath. "And there's a bit more."
"What?" she asked warily.
"My appointment is with Barrett. I know you two are at odds, but since he helped with your grandparents the other night, I'm thinking you're not so down on him?"
"I'm not down on him," she said. "I just feel like you're rushing a little, Shari. You haven't even mentioned anything before today."
"I was going to talk to you the day that Barrett moved in downstairs, but you were all worked up about him telling you that your weddings contribute to divorces, and you were so proud that Todd and I were going well. I didn't know how to bring it up."
She sighed. "I had no idea, and I'm sorry you didn't feel like you could talk to me. You have to do what's right for you, and that does not involve worrying about my record as a wedding planner whose couples don't get divorced."
"For the record, our divorce has nothing to do with our wedding."
"I know. And I'm sure Barrett will be a good representative for you. He actually does seem to care about his clients."
"It's just a first meeting. I didn't want you to walk by and wonder what we were talking about."
"Got it. Is there anything I can do?"
"You're doing it. You're being my friend."
"Always. Friends first. Coworkers second." She paused. "When is your meeting?"
"It's in ten minutes. He said he was going to be working late tonight, preparing for some court appearance tomorrow, and he could fit me in."
"Well, good luck."
"Are you headed home?"
"Actually, I'm going to grab some food and then come back to finish up the proposal for the Hunts."
"What are our odds of getting that job?"
"Probably less than fifty-fifty, but we'll see what kind of magic I can work. I'm having trouble figuring out what Candice really wants and how I can give her that and appease her mother at the same time."
"If anyone can do it, you can. I'll see you Monday."
She nodded, letting out another sigh as Shari left. She felt really bad that Shari's marriage was on the outs but worse that Shari had been so nervous to talk to her. She'd changed her opinion of Barrett days ago; she probably should have filled Shari in on that. She was actually glad that Shari was talking to Barrett. Having gotten to know him better, she thought he would give Shari good advice, and he clearly wasn't in it just for the money, considering he'd walked away from far more lucrative legal work. He really did want to help people. In that way, they were similar.
She turned her attention to her computer and the proposal she was working on, but twenty minutes later, she realized she needed some fuel for the evening ahead.
Grabbing her bag, she headed downstairs. Barrett's outer office door was open, but his private office door was closed. He might still be talking to Shari, or he could just be working. Over the past two weeks, she had often noticed Barrett's lights on as she left for the day. He clearly worked late a lot, as did she. Something else they had in common.
And she really needed to stop thinking about what they had in common and remember all the things they didn't agree on.
Pushing Barrett out of her mind, she headed out the front door and walked down Union Street to her favorite Chinese restaurant.
As she perused the menu, she couldn't decide what she was in the mood for and wound up ordering a couple of dishes. She told herself she'd save whatever she didn't eat for tomorrow, but there was a part of her that wondered if Barrett might want a dinner break. It was probably a bad idea, but she couldn't seem to shake it.
A half hour later, she entered her building and saw that Barrett's inner office door was now open as well. Pausing, she didn't hear Shari's voice, so she walked into the reception area and called out, "Hello?"
"Kate?" Barrett replied. "Come on in."
She moved into his office, relieved that he was alone. She hadn't wanted Shari to think she was intruding on her private meeting.
Barrett got to his feet, a smile on his face, and she couldn't help but smile back.
It had only been two days, but she'd missed him.
"I was just thinking about you," he said.
Her heart skipped a beat. "Really?"
"I was wondering how your grandmother is doing."
"Oh, she's doing well. She is going to come home Sunday probably. She'd like it to be tomorrow, but the docs want to make sure she doesn't have complications from the surgery."
"That's great news. Lance must be thrilled."
"He hasn't left her side."
"I wouldn't have thought otherwise." Barrett paused. "I smell something good. What's in the bag?"
"Chinese food. I have work to do later, and I was hungry. I think I ordered too much. I was wondering if you might want to share, unless you're on your way out, or you have plans. I know it's Friday night." She forced herself to stop talking.
"Apparently, you and I are on the same Friday night track. I have work to do as well. But I could take a break."
"Great."
"Let's go in the conference room," he suggested.
"There's a conference room?" She realized she hadn't really looked at his office since the first day when he'd still been remodeling.
He led her out of his office and through the reception area to a small conference room. He flipped on the lights and moved over to a fridge. "I have beer, white wine, and soda."
"A beer sounds good," she said, setting the bag of food on the table, as she took off her coat and sat down.
Barrett came back with two beers and a couple of paper plates, then took the seat across from her.
She started opening containers. "I hope you like what I ordered. I have chicken chow mein, sweet and sour pork, egg rolls, rice, and Kung Pao chicken."
He raised an eyebrow. "And you were going to eat all this yourself?"
"Well, not in one sitting, but Chinese food is always good the next day. Help yourself." As he put some pork on his plate, she said, "Shari told me she was meeting with you about a possible divorce. I was really surprised that her marital problems had gotten to that point. I guess I haven't been paying attention."
"I'm sure you saw what she wanted you to see."
"Maybe. Or I wasn't paying enough attention. Shari was afraid to ruin my record of happy brides and lasting marriages. I mentioned that you'd suggested out-of-this-world weddings contributed to divorce."
"That was a generalization," he admitted.
"Of course it was. I know it wasn't the wedding that caused their problems. I'm just sorry she didn't feel like she could tell me."
"She told you now."
"Do you think there's any chance they can work things out?"
"I don't know. That's on them."
"But you'd encourage it, right?"
"I always do. I prefer my clients come to me when they've exhausted all possibility of reconciliation. Then they are much more focused in their thinking. By the way, this is good," he added, as he scooped up another bite of chicken chow mein. "Where's the restaurant?"
"About three blocks down the street. I know all the best take-out places on Union Street, if you're interested."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Where was your other office?"
"Downtown, near Union Square."
"And a pipe broke?"
"Yes. It flooded the entire floor. Then more problems were discovered, so there's a lot of remodeling going on."
"But you'll go back."
"It was a good location. Better parking than around here, but I have to admit this old house is growing o
n me. Aside from the parade of brides and their mothers going up and down the stairs."
"It hasn't been that bad."
He grinned. "No, it hasn't. So, what do you have going on this weekend?"
"I have a backyard wedding tomorrow. It's an older couple—one a widower, the other a divorcee, so it's a second wedding. They're so happy and chill that it's been really easy to plan. It's going to be a short ceremony followed by a beautiful lunch and then they're off to Bali."
"That sounds like a decent plan."
"They definitely wanted something intimate and personal."
"I'm surprised they hired a planner."
"They both have big jobs and children, and they wanted me to take care of all the details: the flowers, the music, the photography, the food, etc. It was actually a nice change, and they have been great to work with."
"Do you ever get to just have fun on a weekend?"
"Sometimes, but I like to be busy on the weekends; that usually means business is good."
"Would you ever hire someone to help? Or does Shari cover the weddings as well?"
"No. Shari doesn't do the weddings. She handles all our financials and our paperwork and the stuff I am not as good at. But dealing with the brides, their families, and the actual wedding is not her thing. I, on the other hand, think that's the most fun."
"Then you're in the right business."
"I know I am. What about you? What are you doing this weekend?"
"Tomorrow, I'm going to run a 5K down the Great Highway and through the zoo in a fundraising race for diabetes research. My grandfather had diabetes, and I grew up watching him give himself shots. He eventually died from the disease. Since then, the Fox Foundation has been a sponsor of this particular race."
"That's great. I didn't realize your family had a foundation."
"Both Matt and I are on the board. My father used to be involved but not so much anymore. Philanthropy is not really his thing. He prefers work that increases his profit margins." He paused. "Too bad you're busy—you could have joined me."
"I could have cheered you on at the finish line, but I'm not in condition to run a 5K. Are you?"
DREAMING OF YOU GO PL Page 11