She grabbed the computer monitor and shook it. Maybe a wire was loose. Nope, no change. Just as she was about to kick the PC tower her cell phone rang.
It was her mother. Great! She hesitated, took a deep breath, and then pressed the answer button.
“Hi, Mom.” She tried to force a cheerful note into her voice. She hadn’t spoken with her mother in a few weeks and could only imagine why she’d call without a reason. They usually spoke only on holidays or birthdays. Or when her mother needed something or wanted to start an argument.
“I haven’t heard from you lately. Is everything okay? I didn’t know if maybe you’d been ill. You know, from your weight gain. All that added stress on your body, it’s just so bad for it.”
Apparently this was one of the times she wanted to argue. Veronica slumped in her chair, the familiar feeling of inadequacy creeping over her accompanied by an immediate craving for M&Ms. She fished the lip balm from her pocket instead and mashed it onto her lips.
“I’m fine, Mom. I lost almost all the weight after I left my job on the island, remember? I feel great. And I have a new job. I’m the event manager for O’Rourke Signature Events. You know, the huge mill next to the river that was remodeled?”
Veronica mashed on more lip balm, waiting for her mother’s response, cursing the tiny spark of hope that flickered in her chest. Maybe she would actually be happy for her for once. Technically the word “manager” wasn’t in her job title, but she could fib a little. And the local newspaper had published a small article on Gertie and the mill’s restoration. Maybe her mother had read it.
“What? What do you mean ‘event manager’? So you’re basically like a hostess? Well, that’s interesting.”
Veronica let out a heavy sigh, the spark of hope extinguished.
“No, Mom. I’m not a hostess. I’m responsible for planning weddings and parties, things like that. On a very large scale. The wedding I’m planning now is going to cost well over sixty thousand dollars.”
“Oh. Well, that sounds like something anyone could do. How hard could it be?”
Veronica struggled to control the anger that was rising up. It was always the same with her mother. Never thin enough. Never smart enough. Her jobs were never anything to be proud of. She wished she could be more like TJ. He would probably just laugh and start whistling. She smeared more balm on her lips.
“Really, Mom, could you maybe be happy for me just once? Possibly encourage me even, instead of always being so negative?” It was only with great effort that she kept her tone even.
“Veronica, you’re such a crybaby! Maybe if you had a real job I’d be happy for you!” her mother shot back.
That did it. Veronica tossed the lip balm on the desk, stood, and yelled into the phone. “I’m sick of your attitude, Mom. This is a real job, and maybe if you paid even the least bit of attention to anything I’ve done in life, you’d be supportive instead of being such a bitch!”
She ended the call, plopped down in her chair, and stared at the blank screen on her computer. Even though she knew she should have exerted more control, the yelling had released her frustrations. Still, the dreaded feelings of childhood inadequacy remained. What if her mother was right and she couldn’t pull this wedding off?
No. The old Veronica thought that way. The new Veronica got things done. She could do this. If only she could get the stupid computer to work.
Harper peeled herself away from the brick wall where she’d been eavesdropping near Veronica’s office. She couldn’t believe someone would talk to their mother like that! She’d even called her a bitch.
Harper’s eyes stung as she hurried down the hall. How many times had she wished her own mother was around for something as simple as a phone call? But her mother had died when she was a baby. Even though Aunt Emily was loving and kind and tried to fill her shoes, it just wasn’t the same.
Harper had never gotten the chance to talk to her mother on the phone or do any of the things that most daughters took for granted. If she had, she never would have been so disrespectful. Veronica must really be an awful person, just as her Uncle Tanner had said.
Harper was glad she found out. She was starting to feel bad about messing with computer cables while Veronica was meeting with the hot finance guy.
She hadn’t done anything permanent. Veronica would most likely be able to fix it, but at least it slowed her down a bit. That was just a little bump in the road. Harper had a massive road block coming soon, thanks to her instructions from Uncle Tanner.
Squeak. Squeak.
Shoot! Gertie was coming. Harper ducked into an empty office. She was supposed to be taking inventory in the musty basement of the items Gertie had bought from a caterer that had gone out of business. She didn’t want Gertie to see her up here. It wouldn’t be good to call attention to herself or have anyone wonder why she was on a floor she shouldn’t be on.
She waited until the squeaking stopped before peering out into the hallway. Gertie must have gone into Veronica’s office. Hopefully she’d be in there for a while.
Harper hurried out into the hall and toward the elevator. She needed to work fast to complete the inventory. Even though this wasn’t a position she would stay at, she still wanted to do a good job. It wouldn’t do to get fired before she accomplished her mission. Uncle Tanner was counting on her.
6
Veronica was on the floor under her desk concentrating on trying to figure out if the octopus of computer cables were all plugged in properly when Gertie’s voice startled her. She jumped, smacking her head on the bottom of the desk. “Ouch.”
“What’s going on in here? What the heck are you doing down there?”
Veronica backed out, rubbing her head. “I’m checking the cables. Something’s wrong with my computer. I’m trying to get the proposal done so TJ can approve it and I can get the ball rolling on Marly’s wedding. Again.” As soon as she said the last part she wished she hadn’t. Gertie didn’t need to know that she had come in way over the budget and that TJ had returned the proposal to her covered in red ink.
Gertie’s eyes narrowed and her head craned forward. “What is that all over your lips?”
Veronica swiped at her lips, coming away with globs of lip balm on the back of her hand. She might have put too much on during the phone conversation with her mother.
“Just some lip balm.”
Gertie’s gaze moved to the computer. “So you’re still working on the proposal?”
Veronica nodded, her gut tightening.
“Huh. That Edward is a real prize. He’s trying to run this wedding like it’s a company. Telling me when he wants the proposal and that he expects better pricing as this is our first event. Pffft. Typical rich cheapskate!”
“Tell me about it.” Veronica knew how cheap Edward could be.
“I mean, hell, his company doesn’t even have fashions for wheelchair users. Try sitting in a chair sixteen hours a day with normal pants on! The zippers and buttons digging into your waist. My stomach looks like a damn roadmap at night when I get undressed for bed! And sleeves! I’ve had so many damn sleeves get caught in the spokes of these wheels!” Gertie paused, a thoughtful look coming over her face. “Humph. Maybe I should talk to him about that. In the meantime, he just added fifty people to the guest list, so now he’s giving us—and by us I mean you—until tomorrow night for the proposal to be finalized.”
“Fifty people?” Veronica reached for her lip balm, then stopped herself. She already had to cut ten grand off her original proposal, and she’d spent hours on that. Now she needed to not only cut down the original proposal, but do it with an extra fifty people? How was that even possible? She plopped down in her office chair, a feeling of despair sweeping over her.
“Chin up, sunshine. I wouldn’t have given you this job if I didn’t think you could do it! Even pulling a wedding together in less than two weeks is possible. You did great stuff on the show. Think of this as a challenge! Are you going to let Edward win? I kno
w you can come in under his ridiculous budget.”
Veronica’s heart warmed at Gertie’s pep talk. She needed it, especially after that demoralizing call with her mother. “Of course I can… just as soon as I get this computer working again.”
Gertie wheeled herself to the wall and leaned over near where the cable came out.
“Hm. Dear, this is most likely the culprit of your computer problem.” Gertie held up a crimped cable. “I’ll have Rob from IT bring you a new one. In the meantime, hopefully this will do.” She straightened out the cable with her long, thin fingers and plugged it back into the wall. “It’s the wire from the wall to your computer that’s the issue. Next time just call Rob.”
“Gertie! There you are. I…” Edward Kenney appeared outside the door, his frown focused on Veronica. “Miss St. James?”
Veronica’s stomach dropped. She hadn’t seen him since she’d been fired from Draconia more than a year ago. He looked the same, tall, dark, and moody. Back then he’d always complimented her work and even sided with her against Marly, but when things had gone bad, he’d turned on her.
“Oh, have you two met? This is Veronica St. James. She’s your wedding planner. Actually, she’s my event person.” Gertie waved her hand between Veronica and Edward. “And this is Edward Kenney, father of the groom.”
Edward’s lips pursed. “No, I don’t think so. She isn’t planning my Jasper’s wedding. She’s actually…”
“Yes, she is.” Gertie cut Edward off. “Veronica is one of the best in the industry.” She threw a wink at Veronica.
“The best in the industry? I don’t know about that. However, I do know that she worked for me and…” Edward stared at Veronica, as if he wasn’t quite positive she was the same woman who had worked for him.
“Then you know how good she is at what she does, don’t you? I mean a seasoned executive like you wouldn’t hire someone who was incompetent, right? You’d only hire the best,” Gertie said, cutting him off again as she strategically ushered him out of the room. “Let’s go to my office.”
Edward glanced back at Veronica over his shoulder as they left. “Well, if you insist that she’s the best and Jasper’s wedding will be managed correctly, I will take your word for it. I’m trusting you, Gertie.”
“Of course, of course. Now, about that fashion line of yours. I think wheelchair fashions could be a good niche, pants and shirts…”
Veronica turned back to the computer. Gertie’s fix had worked! Good, because now that she’d seen Edward, Veronica was more determined than ever to nail down this budget.
Her determination didn’t come from spite, though. That would have been the old Veronica. The new Veronica wanted to nail the budget so that Gertie’s business would succeed and to prove to herself to Gertie—and maybe even a little to her mother and Edward—that she was more competent than ever.
7
The next morning, Veronica made herself her sixth cup of coffee, or was it her seventh? She’d worked late into the night and then had returned early that morning to put the finishing touches on the proposal. Good thing there was a Keurig in the break room or she’d probably be asleep under her desk right now.
She’d kept the Keurig and the vending machine busy—the stain in her coffee mug and the pile of silver candy wrappers in her trash barrel were proof. Eating Peppermint Patties for dinner and breakfast probably wasn’t the best idea, but it would have to do for now. She’d work it off by taking the stairs as much as she could.
She looked over the proposal for what she hoped would be the last time. Adding fifty people to the guest list hadn’t driven the cost up as much as she’d feared. She finagled the appetizers around, cut one of the vegetable sides, and managed to reduce costs accordingly. She’d spend half of her night reconfiguring the layout of the reception room to fit an additional seven tables and floating bar.
She’d added outdoor seating under a large tent to the proposal. This wouldn’t cost anything as they already had a tent in-house, and she needed the extra space because the tables for the fifty extra guests would have lessened the space for the dance floor.
Marly had emphasized that there would be a lot of dancing at the reception, and Veronica wanted to make sure she got what she wanted. Veronica had even added a second dance floor under the tent, with two floating bars at either end and some bar-height tables set up for conversation. Because the glass end wall in the reception room opened, the space would flow into the tent.
She gnawed on her bottom lip as she worked on the graphic representation of the new setup. Marly was really going to like it. At least Veronica hoped she would. It’s what Veronica would have chosen for her own reception. Despite the problems Veronica and Marly had had in the past, she genuinely wanted the wedding to be successful. Ha! Imagine that? Veronica hoping one of her former enemies would have a dream wedding. She really was growing.
She knew Edward and Marly would most likely fuss over the room being set up differently than it had originally been shown to them, which was why she’d done the extra work of creating the graphic showing the layout with the new setup and tent. She’d even double-checked the forecast. There was no indication of rain.
Satisfied that everything was in order, she hit the send key, emailing the proposal to TJ, and then printed a copy. As she basked in her accomplishment, watching the printer spit out the pages, the door to her office flew open. She jerked around to find Marly standing in the doorway, hands on her hips and face beet red.
“What did you do?” Marly screeched.
“Huh?” Veronica asked, grabbing her coffee mug before it toppled off of her desk.
“I just came from the bridal store for my last fitting. Guess what? The gown didn’t fit. Do you know why? Because you told them to alter it to a size two and not a size twelve!”
Veronica’s jaw dropped. What was Marly talking about?
She hadn’t talked to anyone about the wedding gown. The last she knew the bridal store would be delivering the gown to Marly the day before the wedding. She shuffled through the paperwork on her desk, trying to see if somehow she had missed a mention of Marly’s gown. How could she miss such a detail?
“Marly, I really don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t talked to anyone about your gown.”
“I knew something like this would happen. I knew you’d pull some crap to try to ruin my wedding. I mean, really, a size two? You always made fun of my weight and now you want me to believe you had nothing to do with having my gown altered to a size two?” Marly gestured to Veronica. “By the way, you aren’t exactly a size two anymore yourself, you know, so stop the weight shaming!”
Veronica’s eyes narrowed, and she swallowed her sarcastic remarks before they spewed out of her mouth. Marly was right. She had tormented her about her weight when they had worked together. And right now they were probably the same size. And the truth was, she didn’t even think Marly was overweight.
“Marly, I swear I did not call the bridal store!”
“What’s going on in here? I can hear you all the way from my office.” TJ stood in the doorway, his eyes darting from Veronica to Marly, a confused look on his face.
“She screwed up my wedding gown, and now it doesn’t fit!” Marly yelled, pointing a finger at Veronica.
“I did not do anything to your gown.” Veronica struggled to keep from yelling. She looked at TJ helplessly.
TJ raised his hands. “Okay, calm down. I don’t know the whole story, but I do know we don’t handle anything to do with the wedding gown, aside from it being delivered here if the bride is getting married on-site.”
Marly crumpled the piece of paper she held and threw it across the room, barely missing Veronica’s head. “That’s the bridal store. They told me that someone from here called them with the changes. I do not have time for this! I have employees waiting on me at work. You two need to fix it.” She stormed out.
“Wow. I guess she really is a bridezilla, huh?” TJ said.
&
nbsp; “I totally get why she’s so pissed off. I would be too. It’s a few days before her wedding, and her gown’s been altered to fit a stick figure. There’s no way they can now magically make it bigger.”
Veronica surprised herself with how much sympathy she felt for Marly. Maybe it was because the situation brought back memories of her prom. She had bought the perfect lavender gown, even practiced poses in it for weeks… and then her date had stood her up. No one ever saw her in that gown, except for her mother, who had laughed at her and told her she looked like a fat grape. Veronica knew how important just the right gown was. If she’d felt that way about a prom gown, imagine how Marly felt about her wedding dress.
She picked up the crumpled paper, smoothed it out on her desk, and looked for the address of the bridal store.
“Well, here’s the address of the bridal store,” Veronica sighed. “I just have no idea how to fix the problem. We may have to fork over a lot of money to get a new dress on short notice.”
“Maybe I can help,” TJ said with his usual optimism.
“You? How could you help? Unless you’re also a seamstress in addition to being a dishwasher and a financial wizard.”
“Ha ha. Funny. I’m pretty good at talking people into helping me, and I suspect that maybe that’s not one of your talents.” TJ leaned one shoulder against the doorframe, crossed his arms over his broad chest, and raised an eyebrow. “We might as well go to the store together. We both want Gertie to succeed, right? And besides, I’m just sitting around killing time waiting for your proposal.”
Veronica grabbed the papers from her printer and waved them at him. “Well, the good news is the proposal is done. The bad news is this wedding gown fiasco could ruin all of the work I just did.”
8
Veronica and TJ took a cab across town to LaScaldena’s, a posh boutique that specialized in designer wedding gowns. As they approached the front door, Veronica noted the intercom located beside it, along with the “By Appointment Only” sign.
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