Puppy Love

by Gloria Herrmann

  “Are you okay?” Mackenzie asked, her voice was now full of concern.

  Am I? She’d just woken up and left a strange hotel suite. That wouldn’t exactly classify as a normal, run-of-the-mill morning in anyone’s book. To add to the mess she was already in, Tiffany was late meeting Mackenzie and Molly for breakfast and wedding dress shopping. Why do they even want to go today? They know I’m going to be hungover. Torture. Because that is what best friends do to one another.

  “I just drank too much. I don’t even know why we planned to go on this dress shopping expedition today,” Tiffany complained.

  She handed the cab driver several bills and hopped out. He winked at her when she turned back. Her walk of shame was not going unnoticed by him or the several neighbors that were outside. Tiffany tried to cover her face. Can this day get any worse? She could almost hear life snicker, “It’s still early.”

  “Not today, Tiffany. I just can’t fight with you today, okay? I want to focus on Moll,” Mackenzie said with a huff.

  Mackenzie and Tiffany were close but had only been friends for the last ten or so years. Molly was their shared buddy, but what Mackenzie needed to remember was that Tiffany had been there first. She had been besties with Molly since their junior year in high school, Mackenzie had come along quite a bit later. The problem with Mackenzie was that she felt the need to scold and parent both Molly and Tiffany. Why? They were in their mid-thirties, just like her. They were grown-ass women and didn’t need the extra mothering.

  Molly was a world-famous photographer who created book covers for tons of best-selling authors and was doing quite well for herself. Well was an understatement. She had a gorgeous studio that had the most magnificent view of the waterfront in downtown Seattle. Within the last several months, their girl had found herself engaged to one helluva guy.

  Mackenzie taught kids to not eat glue and how to color in the lines—or at least that’s how Tiffany viewed her friend’s job as a kindergarten teacher.

  Then there was her. She was an assistant to a CEO of a small corporation—but a corporation, no less, that owned several other small coffee shops. They weren’t anywhere near the size of the famed Starbucks, but they were well-known. Their coffee was also amazing and Tiffany loved her job. It didn’t hurt that she also loved coffee, too.

  Mackenzie really had no cause to worry. They were all doing just fine in their little lives. A gnawing thought bit her. Didn’t I just wake up in some devilishly handsome man’s hotel room? Okay, perhaps Mackenzie had good reason to be a little concerned about her, considering the fact that Tiffany still had no clue how she had wound up there.

  “You’re so cranky, Mac,” Tiffany stated. She kicked her heels off and started to peel off her clothes as soon as she crossed her threshold. A hot shower to scrub away the memory of whatever may have happened the night before was now a top priority.

  “I wouldn’t be if you’d been home and ready like you said you would be.”

  “Just tell me where to meet you guys, okay?” Tiffany said as she stood in her bra and underwear, waiting to get into the shower. She decided to brush her teeth. The minty paste started to foam in her mouth as she listened to Mackenzie continue her lecture.

  “Are you brushing your teeth?”

  “Yeah, why?” Tiffany asked then spit into the glass-bowl sink.

  “Because it’s gross. I just heard you spit.”

  “So? Don’t you spit when you brush or do you just swallow?” Tiffany asked playfully. Her real intent was to push a few more buttons. She swished water in her mouth and spit again.

  “Good grief. Of course, I spit—just not when I’m on the phone with someone. You shouldn’t even be brushing your teeth when we’re talking. It’s kind of rude.”

  Tiffany rolled her eyes and caught a glimpse of herself in her mirror. She looked like hell, so that gorgeous guy had gotten quite an eye full this morning. Great. This is exactly why I’m single.

  “Mackenzie, if we are done with the lecture, can I go? I need to hop in the shower and then I will catch up with you guys. Go ahead and have breakfast without me.”

  “You are impossible, Tiffany. We’ll see you at the diner. Just hurry, please,” Mackenzie said and the hung up.

  Today was a whole mess of craptastic. Tiffany hadn’t even had coffee yet. Maybe that’s why the world didn’t seem right and nothing made any sense. Molly had a severe coffee addiction that was worse than Tiffany’s but not by much. Mackenzie loved coffee, as well, but always made it too sweet and added too much creamer. Different strokes for different folks. But after doctoring it up like that, what was really the point?

  Showered and properly caffeinated, Tiffany was dressed and ready to conquer the quest of finding just the right dress for her bestie. If there was anything that Tiffany was great at, it was shopping.

  * * * *

  “There she is,” Molly cooed from behind the rack of tons of wedding gowns wrapped in crinkly plastic.

  “It is I.” Tiffany hugged Molly and ignored the scowl that was etched on Mackenzie’s face. They still hadn’t resolved their tiny fight from the engagement party the evening before. Leave it to Mackenzie to stew about it and make it a far bigger deal than necessary.

  But Tiffany didn’t hold grudges. That wasn’t her style. She hugged Mackenzie and ignored how rigid she was. “We can discuss our issue later, but please don’t make this today miserable,” she whispered to Mackenzie.

  Mackenzie rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the rack of dresses she stood by.

  “Save me,” Molly begged.

  “Oh, stop. You see anything you like or want to try on yet?”

  Molly shook her head. “No, this sucks. I hate shopping and this is like pure hell. No one told me what a nightmare it would be.”

  “Oh, girl, we haven’t even started on the accessories or shoes. This is the easy part,” Tiffany teased. “We need to figure out shoes, the veil, lingerie and don’t get me started on the jewelry.”

  Molly let out a loud groan.

  Mackenzie added, “You could easily eliminate all that and get married in Hawaii. Think about it—barefoot and a simple dress.”

  “God, yes!” Molly’s cocoa-colored eyes grew wide. “That’s brilliant. I could totally do that. A beautiful beach wedding. Why in the heck didn’t I think of that?”

  “Because you barely got engaged and this is all moving a mile a minute.” Tiffany held out a dress. “What about this one?” It was silky with incredible bead work.

  “Nah, that doesn’t scream ‘beach wedding’.” Molly scrunched up her nose. “What about a swimsuit?”

  “Do you think Owen would actually go for a beach wedding in Hawaii?” Mackenzie asked. “You know I was just kidding, right?”

  “Yes. But it would be kind of amazing, don’t you think?” Molly slid dresses across the metal rack, not stopping to really look at any of them. “I love Hawaii, I did a couple shoots there. Anywhere tropical is good with me.”

  “Well, you should probably talk this over with Owen first. He might be a church wedding type of guy. Maybe he wants the whole traditional thing. You never know,” Tiffany pointed out.

  “If he wanted traditional, then he wouldn’t have proposed to me. I am the furthest thing from traditional,” Molly explained with a giant grin.

  Tiffany and Mackenzie nodded in agreement.

  Mackenzie held up a beautiful option. “You do have a point there,” Mackenzie said, placing another dress covered in plastic back onto the rack.

  “What about this one?” Tiffany held out another dress. It was a soft cream color and had a sweetheart cut, perfect for Molly’s big boobs.

  Molly shrugged. “I’ll try it on for shits and giggles, but I’m kind of diggin’ this whole beach idea.”

  “I’m going to run to the restroom,” Mackenzie excused herself.

  Molly waited until their friend was out of earshot. “Okay, what the hell is going on?”

  “What?” Tiffany tried
to act surprised.

  “A couple of things actually. One, why didn’t you come to breakfast? I know you were a little hungover, but still. Then you and Mackenzie. Um, I guess you guys haven’t made up yet.” Molly gave her a tight-lipped smile.

  “Well, I’m sorry about breakfast.” Tiffany wasn’t sure if this was the time to go into detail about her whereabouts and all that mess. Maybe Molly would be able to help solve the puzzle, but then again, Tiffany wasn’t in the mood to be scolded. The guy was obviously someone that either Owen or Molly knew, otherwise he wouldn’t have been on the boat. She just needed a little more time to figure things out.

  “Forgiven. But what about you and Mackenzie?” Molly twisted her neck to check to see if Mackenzie was headed back. “Hurry. She’ll be back soon.”

  Tiffany released an exaggerated sigh. “What’s there to say? She’s pissed off at me, end of story.”

  “Uh, you were supposed to apologize to her last night and straighten everything out, Tiff.” Molly looked past Tiffany in search of Mackenzie. “I don’t see why you can’t both host the bachelorette and wedding shower? But I do think you hurt her feelings a little.”

  “Mackenzie always gets bent out of shape. She’ll get over it.” Tiffany reached for another dress, peeked at the price then gasped.

  Molly peered over her shoulder. “Holy mother of God. See? This is insane.” She motioned toward the entire rack. “Why am I even doing this?”

  “Because you’re madly in love with Owen,” Tiffany said with a large smile.

  “I suppose, but to go to all this trouble? What about just getting hitched at the courthouse?”

  “God, no. There’s always Vegas?” Tiffany suggested.

  “Yeah, true.” Molly almost appeared to be considering it for a moment.

  “But I do think Mackenzie is right. A beach wedding would be incredible.”

  Molly nodded. “It’s just that this is so overwhelming already and we haven’t even started. I know that women spend hours poring over bridal magazines. I haven’t even bought one yet.”

  “Or some spend their entire childhood planning for this event.” Tiffany smiled.

  “No! Seriously? Did you?” Molly’s dark eyes went wide.

  “Well, kinda. I thought all little girls did—the dress, the flowers, that first dance and, of course, the groom.” Tiffany had dreamed of getting married since she could remember. If this had been her getting married instead of Molly, she would have had nearly everything picked out, even the caterer, by the time the engagement ring had been slid onto her finger.

  “Yeah, he sort of plays an important role, huh?”

  “So how are you and Owen?” Tiffany asked.

  Mackenzie appeared and immediately set to work sorting through the gowns that Tiffany had draped over another rack to be tried on.

  Molly smiled. “Things are good. Last night was amazing. Just being there with everyone… It was so special.” Molly’s eyes filled with happy tears.

  Tiffany and Mackenzie circled her. Now that one of them was marriage-bound, it set in how much it sucked to be single. Tiffany was thrilled for Molly and wished her all the happiness in the world, but she’d love to find her Mr. Right, too. She wanted the beautiful engagement ring, the excitement of planning a fantastic wedding, and of course, someone to spend the rest of her life with. Tiffany was getting pretty tired of being unattached and lonely. Then her brain kindly reminded her that she hadn’t been so lonely this morning.

  Chapter Three

  When her alarm on the bedside table let out a horrible shrill, Tiffany slapped at it, causing a terrible crash. Her glass of water from the night before was now on the ground soaking her carpet. Crap. A couple of books she’d attempted to read but served more as decoration were now scattered about. She fumbled for the lamp in the darkness. Where in the heck is it? Her bedroom had no sunshine coming in yet because it was early. Too early. Tiffany was always a little disoriented in the mornings. Coffee. Her brain and body begged her to caffeinate as soon as possible.

  After finally getting her alarm to shut off, she yawned and rubbed her eyes. It took a great deal of willpower to get herself up and showered for work. She was exhausted even after having gone to bed earlier than normal. They had shopped like crazy the day before and, unfortunately, had not found the perfect dress, mainly because Molly was now sold on the idea that everyone could just come in their bathing suits. Her friend was really running with this whole beach wedding idea.

  Tiffany whimpered and managed to leave the warmth and comfort of her bed. She started her morning ritual—coffee, shower and more coffee. Then she was off to work, braving the thick river of morning commuters. If she made it into work without her pulling out her hair, then the day stood a chance of being halfway decent. Everyone pegged her for being this little ray of sunshine and happiness, and for the most part, Tiffany was, but what they didn’t see were the dark bits. The ones that Tiffany had kept hidden as best she could, the ones that were covered in a dirty layer of insecurities. But what human, especially female, doesn’t have those floating around? Too much time in traffic meant too much thinking.

  She zipped her tiny compact car into the parking garage, gathered her stuff then raced for the elevator. Tiffany felt the spill before she looked down. She was late but knew what had just happened and what was going to make this Monday even more craptastic. The doors opened, several people that were clutching their briefcases and coffees were tucked inside. Tiffany excused herself and squeezed in with them. She tried to rummage through her large designer purse. Okay, it’s a knock-off, but no one can tell. Tiffany tried to find a napkin or something to wipe up the coffee that was quickly staining her gorgeous and slightly expensive turquoise blouse. A maxi pad, that’s all she had. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Tiffany was a resourceful girl, always had been, and she could make this work. Tiffany unwrapped the pad and tried to ignore the stares of people eyeing her curiously. As Tiffany blotted her blouse carefully, she smiled.

  “How ‘bout them Mariners? What a game last night,” Tiffany said loudly, hoping to ease the uncomfortable silence. She got a few polite nods in response.

  Has no one ever spilled anything on themselves before? Are these corporate schmucks so perfect? Granted, Tiffany probably should wear a bib. This wasn’t her first time at the rodeo. She knew that her chest was often the splash zone for food and drinks. She was a little clumsy. So what? The annoyed glares that several people shot her made Tiffany feel uncomfortable. Note to self, pack more napkins in purse. Hell, a whole roll of paper towels to be on the safe side.

  Only Tiffany would have a Monday that involved spilling coffee on herself and having to clean it up with a jumbo overnight pad. This sucker was not some dainty nondescript thing. No, this was one size away from being a diaper. Last month she’d had a heavy period and she’d packed it just in case. Tiffany didn’t think its purpose would have been to absorb coffee, but that was life—or at least how hers was.

  The elevator finally took Tiffany to her floor. Her office was right next door to her long-time boss, Patty. Tiffany had climbed the ranks from mail clerk to the marketing president’s assistant in a matter of a few years. Patty was charmed by Tiffany. Their shared love for knock-off designer bags and coffee had made them instant friends and the rest was history. Fast forward nearly six years and Tiffany had one of the best offices in their building at Blue Moose Coffee Corporation. She had a terrific view of downtown Seattle and could see the legendary Space Needle. Well, her view was more of the other skyscrapers next to it, but Tiffany would swear that on a clear day she could make out a tiny bit of the Space Needle. That counts, right?

  Her hands were sticky with coffee as she juggled her purse and travel mug. Her heels clicked against the gleaming, spotless wood floor. She was almost to her office, where Tiffany hoped she had an extra shirt of some kind. Tiffany prayed that she hadn’t used the last emergency blouse then hadn’t replaced it. She couldn’t recall and tried to hurr
y without being seen. But in order to get to her office, she had to pass by Patty’s first.

  Tiffany peeked at her watch. Hopefully Patty was in a meeting and she could take care of her little laundry mishap before being noticed. Not that it really mattered. Tiffany adored Patty. Her boss was an intelligent and powerful woman. Tiffany kind of envied how successful she was. She teased Patty all the time, telling her that she wanted to be just like her when she grew up. Patty wasn’t exactly the maternal type even though she had kids and even a few grandbabies. Her boss didn’t try and project that onto Tiffany. She treated her like an equal and didn’t offer motherly advice. Their relationship was rock solid. Tiffany kicked ass at her position, taking care of so many details and important aspects of the company that no one could possibly believe everything she did on a daily basis. Patty entrusted Tiffany with a great deal, giving her tons of tasks and responsibilities that had made other assistants’ heads spin. Not Tiffany… She delivered every time. She loved her job and was damn good at it—simple as that. It was the waking up and driving there that sucked. Once she was properly caffeinated and in her element, it was all rock ‘n’ roll.

  Tiffany zipped past some cubicles and several desks. She waved and smiled, but avoided any chit-chat. When Tiffany finally reached Patty’s opened door, she tried to scurry past, but her eyes became glued to the man sitting across from her boss. Then Tiffany heard him laugh. That voice. She knew it from somewhere. She was confused and started to slip into a bit of shock. It was him. Then he turned around in his seat. He smiled at first then it fell off his handsome face. It was definitely him.

  “Good morning, Tiffany,” Patty greeted her and smiled. “Please come in and join us.”

  There was something in her eyes that caused Tiffany to be alarmed. Sadness? Bad news? Something wasn’t adding up. Patty’s smile was forced and why was he here? Too many questions and not enough coffee to process them all.