by Chelsea Hale
He looked like he wanted to interrupt her, but she pushed forward. “I get it now. It’s who you are. You won’t be happy without serving the way you do. I can’t take that away from you. It’s taken me longer to figure out what I want to do, and what I want from life. But I’ve got a better idea now.”
She couldn’t keep in a grin, even as she tried to bite it closed with her teeth. “I’m happy. I’m happy for you, too. I want you to travel and do what you want to.”
“What’s your dream, then? It’s stupid that I don’t even know.”
They started walking again. The cool breeze swirled around them, and she pulled her coat tighter around her, keeping her neck warmer. “I finally realized that I’m already living my dream of doing wedding videos. I love it. And I’m good at it.”
“I’m happy for you, Coco. I really am.”
They walked around the block one more time, mostly in silence. As they neared his house, they slowed.
“I guess this is goodbye,” he said quietly.
“I guess it is.” She gave him a quick hug then caught his gaze. “When are you leaving on your next adventure?”
“You’re going to think I’m crazy.” He ducked his head.
“It’s less than a week away, isn’t it?”
“Thursday night.”
She tilted her head back and laughed. “Goodbye, Jeffrey. And good luck.”
Chapter Nineteen
Three days later, Coco boarded the plane headed back to Colorado. It had been a whirlwind week with her family, and she was excited to wrap her brain around her upcoming wedding shoots. She had left messages with Peter at his office. He’d been out every time she’d called.
She relived the last time she saw him: last Wednesday night with John and Tina. She’d wanted to stay, but it wasn’t her place, not when Peter had withdrawn his offer. Besides, she really did have editing to do. She flushed at the memory of Tina calling them a couple.
A couple. More than just business partners. She could see it. Would Peter?
The more she thought about Wednesday, the more she wanted more Wednesdays like it. Not just working with Peter—that was a bonus—but being with him. Watching brides and grooms enjoy their wedding videos—the ones she’d put together—was more rewarding than just handing them the finished DVDs. She wanted to be able to appreciate the way they looked at her final work of art showcasing their special day. Being in a nice theatre room and see her work with the people she made the video about made her contribution real.
The shock of that hit her hard. All this time, she thought she needed to go somewhere or capture something big to be able to be someone, but the way Tina responded to her made her feel like she had done something big. She made a world of difference to that couple, and that satisfaction was worth the time and energy to edit. It energized her. The whole experience was compounded with Peter by her side.
The final boarding finished, and the flight attendant gave the safety instructions before the plane took off. Coco hardly noticed any of it.
“I’ve been so blind,” she whispered to herself. I don’t need Hollywood. It had nothing on what she already had. Wedding videos had always been a foot in the door, a stepping stone to her next great thing, but they weren’t. They were the great thing. It was what she loved doing. Not just as a means to an end, but the gateway to her life. She loved seeing couples in love.
She loved the way it made her feel to watch the blossoming of love unfold in her videos. She wanted to capture the moments for couples so that year after year on their anniversaries they could rekindle that joy of being first married. Those moments spoke to her.
She didn’t want to help Peter set up his videography service. She wanted to be in charge of the videography at his studio. She had to tell Peter she wanted more than just a chance to work with him. She needed to admit her feelings about their kiss—the one she’d savored, and compared all of Jeffrey’s kisses to since then.
Peter had to have felt it too. The thought of reminding him with a few good kisses caused her cheeks to hurt from the incessant smiling. She could work anywhere, but she wanted fireworks to light up her life.
The plane climbed in altitude and leveled out. Soon the drink cart came down the aisle, the flight attendant handing her two small bags of peanuts and an apple juice. They were so far up, the trees and roads blurred, only distinguishable by the color contrast. Everything seemed so small, yet, her dreams were reachable. The inspiration struck her deep. What she wanted to do seemed so clear. Her love and passion could be achieved and the idea was enough to make her heart soar. She could do this.
Coco left Denver airport and drove straight to Peter’s studio, glad she had her own car so she could have some privacy. She’d spent the entire flight thinking about what she’d say to him.
What if he didn’t feel the same way about her? What if he really was sorry that he kissed her because he hadn’t enjoyed it? It was a risk she’d have to take.
If worse came to worse, she could do a trial run for him with her videography, to prove she had what it took to be in this business full-time, even if they didn’t pursue a relationship. Not just on holidays and weekends and summers when she didn’t have classes. She could be a major asset.
She couldn’t work full-time until she graduated in May, but most people who would want wedding videography services before the summer had probably already booked with someone. It could work out.
She pulled into the small parking lot, surprised there were only two spots left. Business must be booming for senior pictures. She practically skipped out of her car, grabbing her camera bag to show Peter some of the shots she got while in South Dakota.
Two women formed a line in front of her to talk to Becca. Mothers of the seniors? They all looked too young for that. Business looked good. She smiled appreciatively around the studio. A wave of warmth and a feeling of home surrounded her. Her cards were no longer on the reception desk, so she pulled out the last ones from her purse, hoping it would be enough. After all, the sooner they started drumming up business, the sooner they’d be working together again. And spending more time together. The thought made Coco’s heart soar.
Coco didn’t recognize the woman sitting at the reception desk. She had dark hair and long pink nails. Maybe Becca was out sick. “Where’s Becca?” Coco asked the girl. She set her cards out on the desk, filling in the hole where they’d been before.
The receptionist eyed Coco and picked up one of her cards. “She’s the one conducting the interviews.” She handed the business cards back to her. “I’m sorry. I’m under strict instructions not to let any applicants leave their cards.”
Confusion filled Coco’s head, clouding her thoughts. “My cards have run out. That’s where I put the refills.”
The woman’s face didn’t move. “I have my orders, and I’m not going to be fired over business cards. You can take it up with the owner.”
“Where is Peter?”
“He’s not here. Until he is, nobody will be leaving cards on this desk.”
Coco harrumphed, about to walk out, then stopped. “I want to talk to Becca.”
“You can only do that with an interview.” The woman handed her a paper on a clipboard. A pen dangled from a piece of string attached to the board.
“What is this for?”
The woman’s eyebrows raised a tick, and she pulled the clipboard back to herself. “It’s for the videography services this studio is offering coming this summer. But if you don’t even know that—”
Coco smiled her biggest smile, snatching the clipboard from the woman. “I’m in the right place.” All of the couches and loveseats were taken. With the fill-in receptionist tracking her like a hawk, Coco opted not to sit in one of the design rooms, and instead leaned against a wall on the far end of the studio between two large paintings.
She read through the application but her mind refused to focus on it. Peter was hiring a videographer? What happened to waiting until after her trip
to talk about it? She had offered to help him set it up. Did he forget that? Or did he really not want her to help?
Others filled out their applications as her pen made a circle in the top corner of her paper. How were there so many people here to compete with? Peter hadn’t even given her the chance to take the job. She thought after last week that he loved her work. Maybe he just really needed someone to fill-in, and now that it was over, he’d pick other people who he really wanted to work with.
She filled out the paper, but stopped when it asked about her past experiences working as a wedding videographer. Coco sucked in a breath. He was at one of the last ones she did. Should she describe the moments, or not?
This was ridiculous. Maybe she’d been too hasty to think he liked working with her, too. Maybe the kiss really had messed everything up. She wrote about her experience for good measure and handed it back to the woman at the desk. “Here’s my application.”
“Interviews are for fifteen minutes. There are six people in front of you.”
“That’s okay. I can’t stay.”
“Today is the only day for interviews.” The woman smiled like she knew Coco had never been a serious candidate anyway. Who was she kidding? If Peter wanted to hire her, or partner with her, he would have done it. If he had felt anything for her, he would have said something.
“I understand.” She walked out the door and drove home.
“Hey, you’re home!” Liz said from the kitchen table. “How was visiting your family?”
Coco smiled. It was a question she could answer honestly. “It was good to see them, and we had a nice time together.” Coco looked at the boxes on the kitchen table. “Are your invitations already done?”
Liz beamed. “Yes. Did you see Mandy’s hand-lettering on them? She is an amazing artist.” Mandy’s style had several big loops and varied between thick and thin lines on each letter. It created an elegant feel without the invitations looking stuffy.
“I may have to ask her to hand letter a few things for your DVD, so it will tie in the feel. I love her style.”
Mandy came into the kitchen. “We need to get those stuffed,” she said. “You can stop staring at them now.” She laughed.
“Nope. They deserve more attention before they are mailed. They’re perfect!”
Mandy grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. “How was your week with Jeffrey?” she asked.
Coco bit her lip. “It was—”
“Nope. Hold it. Let’s get Jenny down and stuff these envelopes for Liz. I can tell you have a story.” She raised her eyebrows at Coco, but Coco didn’t respond. “Oh, you do.”
Ten minutes later all four roommates worked on stuffing Liz’s invitations. “Thanks for your help, girls. This is a big job.”
Jenny waved her hand in the air. “We don’t mind at all. This is fun. Now we’ll have it all done before your bridals on Saturday, and we can relax at our sleepover at your parents’ house on Friday night. The hot tub is calling.”
Liz’s parents’ house was a mansion in a gated community. They’d had several girls nights over there. It was a fun place to go for the weekend or for a holiday, since Coco rarely went home for holidays because she filmed weddings then.
“I mean all the wedding plans, not just the invitations.” Liz smiled.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Coco replied.
“Well, you’re all lifesavers!” Liz said. “Let’s definitely use the hot tub.”
“I’m in,” said Mandy, “but now I want to hear Coco’s story. Spill it. Tell us about your week.”
“Yeah. So, this week took a surprising turn,” she said slowly.
“How surprising?” Jenny asked.
“Jeffrey planned this huge dinner with both our families and his extended family,” she started.
“Well, that’s nice since he was gone over Thanksgiving,” Liz said.
“It was very thoughtful … until he proposed in front of the entire room, mid-meal,” Coco said. Who does that?
The room erupted with squeals from her roommates.
“No way,” Mandy said when the squeals stopped, her eyes wide.
Coco pressed her lips together, trying to hold in a smile. “It was a pretty crazy moment.”
“I want to see the ring,” Jenny said.
Coco looked up. “That’s the other surprising turn. I wore it for a few hours. I’m sure one of the pictures we took together shows it up close.”
“Wait. You said no?” Liz asked.
“I said yes first … and then I said no.” She told them the whole story. It didn’t take long. Telling her roommates made the decision feel more right. She knew she’d done what she needed to.
Jenny added a stuffed envelope to the growing pile in the center of the table and looked at Coco. “So, how are you? I mean, you guys were together a long time.”
That part had started to sink in over the last couple days since they’d broken up. Even when Jeffrey hadn’t been in town, he’d still been part of her life—the part where she waited for them to be together all the time. Now that she wasn’t waiting anymore, there was an empty space.
“I think I’m okay.” She shrugged. She’d been focused on figuring out her career plans but knew she’d have to come to terms with ending a seven-year relationship.
Mandy didn’t look convinced. “You just broke up with a guy after you got engaged. That’s kind of a big deal.”
Liz agreed. “Mine was an emotional rollercoaster, but I knew it was the right decision.”
Maybe she should feel more than she did. She wasn’t sure. Confusion swirled around her. She cared. She had loved Jeffrey, but maybe the last two years of him traveling had set her up to be okay without him in her life.
“I have an idea,” Mandy said. “I’m going out with Dan on Saturday. Why don’t you come and double with us. I know he’s got a roommate who isn’t dating someone right now. How about a blind date?”
“A blind date so soon?” Jenny asked. “No need to rush into the dating pool right now. She probably needs time to process everything.”
She didn’t know what she needed, but she hadn’t been on a date with someone other than Jeffrey since high school. A product photo shoot in the mountains with Peter sounded about right. Coco shook her head. Maybe getting her feet wet in the dating pool was a good way to move on. “Sure, Mandy. I’ll come.”
“I’ll call Dan and set it up,” Mandy said, beaming.
Chapter Twenty
Peter took a full week off of work, even though the conference in L.A. was only four days long. He needed time to clear his head. The conference had been an experience, one that he’d wished Coco had seen. He networked like he was the one who was looking for a position in Hollywood and came up with a few leads for Coco before he remembered that it wouldn’t matter anyway. By the end of the week, she’d be engaged and making plans to move across the world to follow Jeffrey.
Peter stomped the voice that said it was his own fault for not telling Coco how he felt. He cared for her and her happiness. He cared more for her than he cared about his own studio’s success, which was why he had taken back the offer of partnering.
He didn’t want to recreate her dreams. That’s what her family and Jeffrey had tried to do. He wanted her to be happy, and if her happiness included living in a completely different country and supporting Jeffrey, well, he’d figure out a new solution to his videography services, which was why Becca had been conducting the interviews.
He pulled out his phone and turned it on. He’d kept it off, hoping that the silence would help him think, but now he wanted to clear the air with Coco. Once she showed him her engagement ring, he’d explain why he couldn’t offer her the partnership. Maybe she’d still be willing to help him set up the videography services, and maybe she’d like to do temporary work until she was married. It was worth a shot.
Her phone went to voicemail. “Hi Coco. It’s Peter. By now you know why I can’t offer you the position as a videograp
her. I’m sorry it couldn’t work out.” Suddenly the coastal air felt oppressive. He needed to get back to Colorado.
Chapter Twenty-One
At Liz’s parents’ house, Coco double-checked her equipment to make sure she had everything for filming the next morning. Why was she having bridal nerves? She wasn’t the one getting married, but still the knots in her stomach twisted tighter.
Peter’s cryptic voicemail played through her head. No reasons, just a blanket apology. She wanted to change his mind today at Liz’s bridal shoot. But if not, she was doing fine on her own. She had enough business to keep her busy. Maybe Peter didn’t want to mix business with dating her. She flung the half-baked thought out. He didn’t know she was available. She’d tell him tomorrow.
After hanging out in the hot tub early in the evening, the girls toweled off and came inside. Liz went immediately to bed so she’d be rested for pictures, but Coco stayed up and chatted with Mandy and Jenny for another couple of hours. She crawled into the queen guest bed in the massive room, mentally thinking through the shots she wanted to capture during Liz’s bridals.
In the morning, Coco found Liz in another bedroom down the hall, already getting ready. A woman Coco didn’t recognize was doing her hair, and another was painting her nails. Mandy was doing Liz’s makeup, and Jenny handed brushes to Mandy. Liz’s mom, Helen, watched their progress in the mirror from behind her daughter.
Coco pulled out her camera from her bag and began filming. “I’m just in time for the fun stuff.”
Liz opened her mouth to speak, but Mandy cut in before she could get a word out.
“Don’t talk, Liz, it’ll mess up your makeup,” Mandy said, waving a brush playfully at her face.
Liz only shrugged.
Coco laughed. “It’s going to be a great day. Getting bridals done in advance is smart. You’ll be much less stressed by the time the wedding comes if everything is done early.”