by Fifi Flowers
I had a series of books from comical ones to straight up basics. Everyone who caught me reading said that everything I was reading was a guideline and rarely worked as described. “There’s no book to truly prepare you for parenthood, my friend. It’s all trial and error. A lot of failures but even more rewards, if that makes you feel any better.”
“What the fuck!” I wanted to shout at all of them.
I wondered if Saffron was hearing the same things from other people. Soon enough. Soon enough we would compare notes. I just knew it was only a matter of time before we would reconnect. If not intimately, I knew we were going to be working together and I was overly prepared.
Hopefully she didn’t hate me, but she couldn’t blame me for trying my best to show her what I was willing to do for her. She didn’t even know yet that I had been working with a bridal magazine. No longer needing the contest but of course following through with it, I turned to them with ads. Special package deals for the facility and boasting about our outstanding wedding planners. One in mind. I took it upon myself to personally speak with some brides and grooms to feel them out before putting them in contact with Saffron.
According to our hotel schedules, Saffron only thought she had an engagement party, a wedding and a bridal fair on the books. Little did she know that she had a slew of consultations lined up as well... Correction. We had a bunch of consultations. If that was the only way to be in the presence of my beautiful wedding planner, so be it. I was willing to listen to details and desires. Bring it on! I could make everyone’s dreams come true. Flowers. Cakes. Food. Photos. Decorated rooms.
I would be enthusiastic.
I would be charming.
I would have the privilege of spending minutes, hours…days with Saffron.
It could be a great thing or a very bad thing. My plans could always backfire too. Something told me to keep on promoting and supporting her. Something told me to keep melting her heart with gifts. You’ll wear her down. She’ll see that you want everything for her. Everything with her...with them. Show her love. Love makes everything right.
The devil sitting on my other shoulder told me to back off. Abort my crazy mission. Man up. You’re a damn fool. If she wanted you she would be throwing herself at your feet. She knows where you live. Let her come to you. The last part I was listening to, she would eventually come to the hotel to work. She would not walk away from her obligations.
Saffron, like me, liked order. I had witnessed that at the Santa Barbara wedding. I knew from personal experience that people who were organized and liked to follow a schedule were not fond of drastic changes and upsets. Setting her up and interfering was probably not my smartest decision since I met her but I couldn’t stop the ball from rolling nor did I want to. I was counting the days and looking at the calendar far too often, willing time to speed up. I learned the hard way that the longer you look at a clock or calendar, time slowed days to a near standstill.
Thankfully, I had a project to keep me busy since I had gotten things moving along with the boutique hotel not far from Saffron’s wedding shop. That part was a bit painful but I really wanted to make the hotel mine and the owners were looking for a quick solution rather than losing the money they had put into it. They also did not want to see it fail. What I offered gave them a sense of reaching their goals, a chance to be proud. Like creating a child and watching it leave the nest. Babies were on my brain.
Chapter Nineteen
Saffron
I could definitely say that Laird wasn’t playing fair at all. Toying with my emotions and appetite. Sending yummy treats to my wedding shop along with adorable baby gifts, he was wearing me down. Yet, he kept his distance. I wasn’t sure of what I was to do. I didn’t have his phone number and he didn’t have mine as far as I knew. Although both of us had easy access to each other through the hotel. I refused to go that route since the hotel was basically business and Laird was definitely pleasure. It was my respectful upbringing and knowledge of etiquette that had me using snail mail to send thank you notes to his home. I knew that address by heart thanks to my real estate stalking prior to Laird’s purchase of the house.
My dream house. In a perfect world: We would be married. Living in the house. Decorating the nursery. Preparing for the birth of our child while enjoying our alone time together before we became three.
“Push those fantasies right out of your head” I told myself every time those thoughts crept into my brain—usually after a package arrived and I found myself swooning. I had to give myself a lot of pep talks including the day I was scheduled to return to the hotel to perform some wedding planning duties. “You can do this” were the words I uttered quietly to myself often and again the morning I turned my car over to the valet and walked into the familiar hotel lobby.
My makeup was perfectly painted on. I was wearing a new light pink dress cut for my new body type. Similar to my sheath dresses, but instead of being closely molded to my body, the new ones flared in an A-line style. Purchasing several of them in different shades, I made sure that I had shoes to match. One of our wedding shop shoe vendors could make shoes in any color imaginable and I had used them often. Lingerie was a last addition I had to make—I refused to wear mismatched undergarments. I loved how I felt when everything came together.
Confident in my stride, I went to the front desk and asked if a client of mine had checked in. We were supposed to meet at the far end of the lobby that looked out to the main lake on the property, but there was no one that looked like a bride. Not that there was a particular look to a bride-to-be, but all I saw were tourists snapping pictures in the vicinity of where we were to meet.
I was definitely not late and had not missed her, so after another fifteen minutes I went looking for help. I found that if people were unsure they often headed to the desk for help. Apparently, my bride had been overly excited and arrived an hour earlier than my own early arrival. As I thought, she had gone in search of someone to help her. I hadn’t expected that the person to assist her would be one Laird Hayes.
Was he having me watched? Or was he spying on me himself I wondered as another employee of the hotel came strolling up to me. “Miss Courbe, Mr. Hayes would like you to meet him in the grand ballroom. He’s there with your client.”
Whether I wanted to run in the opposite direction or not, there was no choice but to do as Laird requested. Shoulders back, head up proudly, large handbag with supplies in hand, I made my way through the lobby and greeted my client with a firm handshake. I simply nodded at Laird, avoiding eye contact. As always, I listened to my client’s questions and wishes before launching into my own ideas to fill the gaps in her plans. Undoubtedly, they always skipped over a detail or two. This one was pretty on the ball and a bit disturbing when she kept mentioning Mr. Hayes’ input.
I couldn’t believe that Laird was insinuating himself into playing a key role in her wedding. Even joining us for lunch and comping the meal as if we were a team and that was our normal way of treating clients.
“Don’t you think it would be great if we pulled this together?” Laird remarked.
The bride was giddy, “I can’t wait to work with both of you. Where do I sign?”
I was at a loss for words, uncertain of how to respond to a client that was obviously charmed by Mr. Fantasy. He was good looking with his perfectly combed dark hair, sparkling light blue eyes and dazzling smile, all packaged in a custom suit. He had the wow factor working for him and I stumbled to find my footing.
That was not the only occasion where Laird intervened. He had things messaged to me by the hotel like a schedule of other interested parties at all of their locations and he always made some kind of appearance.
In all of the years I had been planning weddings, none of the hotel management got involved unless I asked for their help. Even when we were dating...when we were hanging out, Ellis never attended one of my wedding events. In fact, I swear he made a point of not being present on many occasions. Ellis let me do my own
thing and never worried about things not going smoothly. I had a perfect record with weddings and dealing with brides and grooms... even brides that many people would deem bridezillas.
Bridezillas were rare but Lairdzilla was a real thing every time I turned around. More and more, he didn’t appear to be disappearing either. He butted in, getting his nose wedged into nearly every aspect. At least he had not appeared at the wedding shop for bridal gown fittings or wedding invitation selections. He did, however, continue to send treats to the shop along with flowers accompanied with baby items.
He never mentioned anything personal between us or spoke of the baby. It was as if he was waiting for me to bring up the subject. I wasn’t sure what to say since most of our conversations were businesslike and often were with future brides, grooms and their families. It was rare to not have him present from the beginning of my meet-ups or at least join in at some point. I stopped being visibly annoyed by him walking the grounds and pointing out photo-ops or giving his opinion at tastings. He was always more than happy to help out in any way he could, even if it wasn’t necessary. I learned to smile politely and nodded my head more than I ever had in all my life.
By the time I left him after each visit, I literally drove away from the hotel screaming. He was so infuriating and so fucking gorgeous... And I will confess to screaming in a different way on one of my visits. It started the minute the bridal couple took off for a complimentary spa day at the resort. Something that had never been done to my knowledge. I swear it was his way to get rid of them so that he could get me all to himself.
Conveniently, we were left all alone while we stood in the honeymoon suite. That was another first for me as I had never gotten involved with planning a wedding night. That was, usually, something left up to the bride and groom...or the couple’s parents.
“What are you doing?” I breathlessly moaned as Laird pushed me against a wall. “Their wedding is tomorrow and... Wow—” He covered my mouth with his hungrily. Grinding his hardness into me, my body went on high alert and hummed wanting so much more.
“Taking what’s mine,” he replied in a sexy growling voice and I didn’t object.
I let him lift up my dress. I let him move my panties to the side. I let him enter me.
That perk of working together was one of the best ones I had discovered when he finally wore me down. Giving myself to him shamelessly, I found it extremely difficult to say no to Mr. Fantasy and his overall enticing package...not just his package, but his gorgeous face and charming ways.
“Saffron, you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I’m not sorry for the way I railroaded your wedding planning. It will all come together beautifully tomorrow...I will help...and I’d do it all over again even though it’s not really my thing.”
I grinned, stilling a giggle that threatened to escape. “So you’re not stealing my job title?” We had moved from the wall onto a nearby sofa. I loved the feel of being curled up on his lap with his arms around me.
“Not a chance in hell.” Laird didn’t hesitate for a moment as he stroked me with his free hand, not holding me in place. Exploring my body slowly, he landed on my little rounded belly and I waited for him to say something first.
It was a walkie-talkie that spoke up, interrupting us. “Mr. Hayes, you’re needed at the front desk. Urgent matter. Code Grey...possibly Silver.”
“Shit!” Laird said to me, quickly settling me on my feet before he responded to the call. “On my way. Make sure police are called... Aggressive guest.” He explained that they had various emergency codes in place like in a hospital or school.
I couldn’t blame him for running off after placing a chaste kiss on my lips, but I was sad that our intimate connection had been halted and I was leaving the hotel alone.
Silly like a teenage girl kissed for the first time, I touched my fingers to my swollen lips before I reapplied my lipstick using the mirror in my car visor. I felt like I was floating in a dreamy haze as I drove back to the wedding shop. My mind was retracing every second of our totally unexpected, but blissful, encounter. It happened abruptly but it was orchestrated perfectly. I could see every move clearly in my head.
What I didn’t see was the car speeding up behind me as I sat waiting at a red light. Every wonderful vision quickly faded away as darkness fell over me.
Chapter Twenty
Laird
Damn hotel work! I was getting somewhere with Saffron and then got pulled away. I should’ve made sure that I had other top management on hand to deal with anything that popped up. Unfortunately, the shit storm was more involved, preventing a fast wrap up. No chance of getting more time with her, but I hoped to lure her to my house or maybe a restaurant.
A date...the idea of a fresh start was an enjoyable one.
Hours later, I gave the wedding shop a call hoping to find her there since I didn’t think it was appropriate to call her cell phone. She had not given me her number and I didn’t want her to tell me off, citing employment laws. Up until cornering her in the suite, she had only offered me a business card minus a personal contact number. I tried it shortly after she gave it to me but it was not Saffron’s voice I heard on the other end. I planned to remedy our lack of personal communication that evening, once and for all. I hoped that London or Savannah would help me out.
“I wish I could help you, she never returned. Which is not like her at all since she had a tentative appointment with a bride I was fitting for a dress.” I didn’t like the tone of London’s voice, she sounded worried the way it cracked.
Savannah probably scared me the most. “She’s not answering her phone either.”
“We thought she was with you,” London snapped in an accusing voice.
“She left hours ago.” I was running my fingers through my hair, trying to think if she had mentioned anything she had to do after our meeting. I came up empty. “Do either of you know her phone login and password…or do you have her on your find friends app?” I had her number but there was no way of connecting me with her to learn her whereabouts.
“Why didn’t I think about that?” London questioned in an upbeat tone and then asked Savannah, “Can you pull Saffron up on your phone in your friends app?”
“Got it...” I heard Savannah reply in the background. “It’s searching now and she’s only a few blocks away...Let me see... Oh my God!” Her voice instantly fell to a lower octave which I hated justly. “It points toward the medical center...”
“I’m on my way...already driving toward your shop... I’m...” I could barely get my next words out. “...going straight there. Call her parents. Come meet me.”
I couldn’t get to Saffron fast enough—speeding through yellow lights and a couple turning red. How I didn’t receive a ticket, I had no idea. Every cop must’ve been on a break or on a more critical call. I had people giving me the finger as I honked at them to get moving. If she wasn’t answering her phone, that wasn’t a good sign.
Reaching the hospital in record time, I found the first parking slot I could find near the emergency entrance, parked, got out and ran quickly for the entrance. Out of breath and filled with anxiety, I nearly collapsed on the reception desk and caused the woman to sit up straighter. Thankfully, she understood my inquiries because I wasn’t sure I was making any sense as I asked if anyone had been admitted by the name of Saffron.
Looking down, she inquired, “What’s your relationship to Saffron Courbe?”
“Her husband.” I wasn’t above lying. I knew well enough from watching hospital shows on cable television that they only gave information to family members. I wasn’t about to say that I was her brother, I planned to kiss her and probably say things that only a boyfriend or husband would say...or the father of her unborn child. “She’s pregnant!” I probably didn’t need to tell that to the desk person, but I wanted them to know that they needed to look after the two people I loved most in the world.
It was about that time that tears fell down my cheeks as she let me
know that she was being attended to and a nurse would come get me. Within a few minutes I was called back and, again, I rushed to let them know that she was pregnant.
“Yes, Mr. Courbe, we know. She had an ultrasound in her purse with her name on it. The paramedics said she was mumbling about a baby before she lost consciousness and, again, when she came around—in and out—she’s let us know in her own way. However, she doesn’t seem to know where she is or what happened to her. She’s a bit confused about her own name. They took her for a CT scan of her brain—”
“Isn’t that dangerous for the baby?” Radiation couldn’t be a good thing.
“They covered her abdomen. The baby’s fine. An ultrasound confirmed a strong heartbeat. Rest assured that we are monitoring both of them. And Mrs. Courbe’s scan showed no head trauma. She has no sign of broken bones or internal bleeding. Most likely the power of the airbags gave her a concussion. She also has a bruise on her left shoulder and upper arm from the side airbag. She appeared to be protecting her belly, according to the firemen who arrived first on the scene of the crash.”
“What happened?” I wanted answers.
The nurse wasn’t exactly sure about all of the details but she let me know that the paramedics were back with another patient and she would see if someone could speak with me. While I waited, the nurse took me to a room where I found a bruised up but beautiful Saffron lying in a hospital bed. Attached to one of her arms was an IV drip while the other one had a blood pressure apparatus hooked around it and her index finger was in some kind of clamp device. I hated seeing wires from her to machines but I was happy to see the screens actively humming and lighting up.