Goodbye, Magnolia (Cornerstone Book 1)

by Krista Noorman

  “Oooh,” she breathed.

  She pulled her cell phone out and sent a quick text to Michelle. “Thanks for the dessert.”

  A few seconds later came a reply. “Dessert?”

  “The cheesecake,” she typed.

  She left her office for a moment to rifle through the drawer in the other room, where she and Sarah kept all their leftover take-out silverware. She grabbed a fork and knife wrapped in plastic and ripped open the package.

  Her phone was buzzing across the desk when she returned. She sank the fork into the cheesecake and it practically melted in her mouth.

  “Oh. My. Heaven.”

  She grabbed her phone to check the message, a response from Michelle.

  “What cheesecake?”

  February 23 - 27, 2009

  Vegas, Baby

  The last full week of February, wedding photographers from around the country descended upon Las Vegas for the annual Professional Wedding Photographers Convention. Maggie stood next to her hotel room window with a view of the mountains. The sun was rising over the neon city and everything was covered in a warm glow. This was probably the only peace and quiet she would get the entire trip, and she soaked it in. The room was a little too quiet, though, and she wished she had brought Sarah along with her.

  This was the second time she had gone in the past five years. Ben went with her the last three years they were together, when her business was starting to take off, so it was hard not to associate this convention with memories of him. But she knew it was important to connect with other wedding professionals and stay up to date on the latest technologies.

  Inside the convention center were rows and rows of booths set up to display products for photographers — cameras, lenses, albums, editing software, and other equipment. Besides all of the booths at the trade show, there were great speakers and seminars given by top photographers in the industry. There were also a lot of parties hosted by the big camera companies, bridal magazines, and online photography forums.

  Her days were filled with seminars on marketing, branding, and the power of social media, as well as time spent perusing the booths for all the latest products. Most nights she caught an early dinner and browsed through all the brochures and samples she had gathered during the day.

  Late Wednesday morning, Maggie stood on the trade show floor near the Nikon booth of all places waiting to meet up with two fellow West Michigan photographers, who were only attending the last half of the convention. Back home, photographers from around the area got together for dinner and a little networking every few months. It was at one of those gatherings, where she met Jamie and Shannon, both with wedding photography styles similar to her own. They became instant friends.

  “Maggie James!” cried Jamie. She and Shannon hurried across the room toward her.

  Maggie greeted them both with hugs. “It’s been way too long.”

  “I know. You are one busy girl.” Jamie tucked her short auburn hair behind her ear.

  “So are you. Kinda sad we had to travel all the way to Vegas to see each other.”

  Sweet, soft-spoken Shannon nodded in agreement. “I saw the last wedding you posted on your blog, Maggie. The bride was breathtaking.”

  “She looked so gorgeous, didn’t she?” Maggie was very proud of her pictures from the Christmas wedding.

  The girls chatted about recent and upcoming weddings as they walked the rows of booths together. After two days of walking the floor alone, she was happy to have friends there to keep her company.

  When they could take no more of the product booths, the girls headed to Le Café at the Paris hotel for lunch.

  A few minutes after they were seated, Shannon raised her hand and waved to someone across the room.

  Maggie glanced over her shoulder to see who it was.

  “It’s Simon Walker,” Jamie stated. “You know him, right?”

  “Yeah.” Maggie took a sip of her drink. She had been lucky enough not to run into Simon until now.

  “Who’s that with him?” asked Jamie.

  She looked again, but did not recognize the beautiful blonde girl following behind him in their direction. “I’m not sure.”

  “Oh, that’s Anna,” Shannon informed them. “His assistant.”

  Simon and Anna stopped at their table.

  “Hello, ladies.” His hands softly rested on Maggie’s shoulders. “Are you enjoying Vegas?”

  “How could we not?” Jamie answered.

  “Are you girls coming to my party on Friday? I got a suite at Bally’s.” He squeezed her shoulders lightly.

  Maggie had forgotten about Simon’s goofy party invitation. She smiled to herself. I wish Sarah was here.

  “Yeah, we’re planning on it,” Shannon replied. “Hi, Anna. How are you?”

  “I’m good.” Anna spoke sweetly.

  “What do you think of the convention?”

  “It’s incredible. There’s so much to see and learn.”

  Shannon and Anna chatted back and forth about the convention, but Maggie could not concentrate on what they were saying. She could only focus on Simon’s thumbs tracing small circles on the back of her shoulders.

  “Well, we should get to our table. Enjoy your lunch.” Simon let go of Maggie’s shoulders. He moved to the other side of the table and their eyes met. “I expect to see you all on Friday.”

  She gave him a weak grin and let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Her cheeks were flushed and a few butterflies were flitting around in her stomach. Her shoulders missed the warmth of his hands, not because they were his hands, but because it had been a long time since any man had touched her like that.

  Anna, with her perfect blonde hair and long legs, followed Simon across the room. Was this the girl Michelle had been talking about? Maggie grew curious.

  “How do you know Anna?” she asked Shannon.

  “Oh, a few of us had lunch downtown, and she was there.”

  “With Simon?”

  “No, Simon wasn’t there. One of the other girls invited her. She’s new to wedding photography, a couple years out of college. She shot her first wedding for a friend last month at Meijer Gardens.”

  The pieces suddenly clicked into place. “Is her name Anna Klein?”

  “Yeah, I think that’s her last name.”

  “My friend, Dede, was the coordinator for that wedding. But I didn’t know Anna was working with Simon.”

  “Oh, that’s just recent,” Shannon informed her. “She really wanted to work for a studio and learn everything she could about running a business. I heard he was looking for someone to help out, so I gave her his information.”

  “That was nice of you.” Not very nice for Anna, though. Poor girl.

  Jamie leaned forward and spoke quietly. “They make a cute couple, don’t you think?”

  Maggie tried to appear nonchalant as she glanced across the room to where Simon and Anna were seated. They were talking and laughing and seemed to enjoy each other’s company.

  Simon suddenly looked over at her, and she quickly looked away.

  “Yeah, they do.”

  When Friday evening arrived, Maggie found herself standing at the door to Simon’s suite, wearing her cutest little black dress, poised to knock. She could hear music playing inside. The party was obviously underway. She wished she was anywhere else, but she had promised Jamie and Shannon she would make an appearance.

  Just fifteen minutes.

  She took a deep breath and noticed the door was propped open a couple inches, so she entered. The room was dark, with only a few lamps lit, where several small groups were gathered, talking, and drinking. A couple photographer buddies of Simon’s were playing music through a computer hooked up to a killer sound system. Off to one side was a lighting setup, complete with disco ball and colorful flashing lights, where people were dancing. Another photographer had set up a photo booth with fun hats, wigs, and other props, which some partygoers were already taking advantage of.r />
  “Maggie!” exclaimed Jamie.

  She joined her friends, who were standing with Anna by the bar just inside the room. “Hey! You girls look gorgeous.”

  “Thank you,” Shannon replied. Her black hair was straightened, long and smooth, and she wore a low-cut dark blue number. “And look at you, gorgeous.”

  Maggie had taken extra time to curl her hair and apply a little extra makeup for the occasion. It wasn’t often that she got to dress up. She attended weddings regularly, but she always wore her “uniform” — black shirt, black pants, black shoes — to blend in and be invisible. It was definitely not a fashion show for her.

  Jamie pointed across the room. “We have to go do the photo booth. So fun!”

  Maggie scanned the room. There was no sign of the host, which was a relief.

  “Hi, Anna. I’m Maggie.” She extended her hand to Anna.

  “I know. Simon told me.” Anna stared at the cell phone in her hand as she spoke.

  “Oh.”

  “I’m a huge fan of your work.”

  “Really?” Maggie watched Anna nod. She appeared to be texting someone and never noticed Maggie’s outstretched hand.

  “It looks like the booth is almost open,” Jamie declared. “Come on!” She grabbed Shannon and Maggie’s hands and pulled them across the room.

  Maggie loved Jamie’s enthusiasm. She was always fun to be around.

  Anna followed along as they squeezed past the dancing guests, and they stood outside the booth to wait their turn. Some guys emerged then with no shirts on.

  “Woohoo!” hollered Jamie at the sight of the shirtless males.

  Maggie couldn’t help but laugh. She wondered what those pictures would look like.

  The girls filed into the booth. They wore silly hats and wigs, made crazy faces and model poses, and laughed the entire time. It felt good to laugh. Maggie needed more laughter in her life.

  As they were finishing their turn, Simon peeked his head into the booth.

  “Wait!” He squeezed in between them. “Another round.”

  Shannon, Jamie and Anna proceeded to hang all over him while he did some serious GQ poses. Maggie stood off to the side and let them have their fun. She wasn’t sure where to stand or what to do, but she had no interest in making a spectacle of herself in front of the camera.

  For the final shot, Simon grabbed Maggie’s arm and pulled her center frame. He dipped her back with his face only inches from hers. She could not contain her laughter as the flash fired one last time.

  He lifted her back up with a huge smile on his face.

  Being so close to him, it occurred to her that he had a nice smile and very nice eyes. She mentally slapped herself.

  The girls headed back over to the bar and got drinks, except Anna. She and Simon hit the dance floor together. Maggie watched them laugh and dance, fast and fun at first, then slow and close. She wondered what kind of relationship they had. Was it strictly professional? Because it appeared to be much more than that.

  She glanced around the crowded room at the other guests. Some were familiar faces in the wedding industry, others she had never seen before, but everyone seemed to be having a great time. Simon knew how to throw a party.

  A few songs later, Simon dragged the West Michigan girls out to dance with him.

  “Come on, Canon.” He took her hand and tugged her across the room.

  The other girls surrounded him like they had in the photo booth and danced to the beat. But Maggie held back.

  Simon faced her and raised an eyebrow. “Get over here, Canon.”

  When she moved closer to the group, Simon lunged forward and wrapped his arms around all four of the girls, swinging them around in a strange, clumsy, group hug sort of dance.

  Maggie’s laughter earned a smile from Simon.

  He has the best smile. She blushed at the thought, but grinned when she realized she was actually having fun with him. It was the first time that had ever happened.

  When the music changed to something slower, the group dance broke up, and Simon held his hand out to Maggie. Normally, she would have declined in an instant, but she moved without resistance into his arms. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer. Taking her hand in his other, he moved slowly to the music.

  It felt strange to be so close to Simon. Strange, yet nice. Again, not because it was Simon, but because it was nice to be held.

  “I like this song.” Maggie tried to make conversation. It was Michael Bublé’s version of the song “You Don’t Know Me”.

  “It’s nice,” Simon agreed.

  “Michael Bublé is my favorite.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say. She was nervous and uncomfortable, so she stared at one of the buttons on the front of his shirt.

  “Canon,” he spoke softly as they swayed.

  She refused to make eye contact.

  He leaned closer and whispered, “Maggie.”

  She gave in and looked up at him, which was a big mistake.

  Their eyes locked for what seemed like forever, and she could feel him slowly moving in.

  Simon’s lips touched hers once, ever so lightly. She didn’t move a muscle. His breath was warm against her mouth. He leaned in again, brushing his lower lip gently against her top lip trying to get her to respond. Maggie’s pulse quickened. Her eyelids slid shut as her lips began to move against her will.

  The swaying stopped. They stood motionless under the disco ball, but their lips continued the dance.

  His kisses were sweet and gentle, and she felt tingly all over. He pulled her closer, and her fingers found their way into the back of his hair. She couldn’t seem to form a coherent thought. Her brain was fuzzy, and a sudden panic seized her. I'm kissing Simon Walker!

  She abruptly pulled away, which left her a little dizzy.

  He looked at her dazed, as if the kiss had surprised him, too.

  She tried to walk away, but he wouldn’t release her. His arm remained around her back, pinning her tightly against him. He reached up with his other hand and brushed a hair out of her face. His touch against her cheek made her stomach flip.

  "I have to go.” She wiggled out of his grasp.

  She heard him call her name as she bolted out the door as fast as her legs would take her.

  “Maggie!” He chased her into the hallway and took hold of her arm.

  She turned to face him and pulled her arm from his grip, not quite knowing what to say. “I … that was …”

  They spoke simultaneously.

  “A mistake.”

  “I like you, Maggie.”

  “What?” Her eyes revealed the shock of his confession.

  His eyes showed only disappointment.

  Maggie’s expression was that of utter disbelief. “You … like me?”

  He smiled so sweetly, it was almost enough to melt down a few of the steel bars that guarded her heart.

  “I like you,” he repeated. "I wanna spend some time together. See where things go.”

  She continued to search for the right words. “But ... this … it was just a kiss. That's all."

  "And a darn good one, if I do say so.” His signature cockiness was back again.

  If Maggie wasn't so confused, she might have found him charming. But his comment only annoyed her. “I shouldn’t have come tonight. I have to go."

  He caught her hand to stop her. “Maggie, please.”

  She looked him straight in the eye. “Let me go.”

  He released his grasp, and she walked away. One quick step after another, she moved toward the elevator at the end of the hall. There was no sound of footsteps behind her, and she was relieved that he wasn’t following.

  She pressed the down button. It seemed a century passed while she waited for the doors to open. She pushed the button three more times hoping it would speed things up. All the while, she could feel his eyes boring a hole in her back.

  When the doors finally opened, she felt his stare follow her in.
She turned around to press the lobby button and, although she tried not to look at him, curiosity got the best of her. She glanced down the hallway, but immediately regretted it when she saw the wounded expression on his face.

  What have I done?

  “You kissed him?” Sarah nearly choked on her oatmeal cookie.

  Maggie buried her face in her hands. She and Sarah sat at the kitchen table with Patty and Vi having tea and cookies on the Sunday afternoon following the convention.

  Sarah spoke through her laughter. “How did this happen?” She didn’t let Maggie answer, her expression suddenly serious. “How was it?”

  “Those Walker men do know how to kiss,” Vi revealed with a wink.

  “Um, overshare.” Sarah screwed up her face.

  Maggie looked up at Vi. “Can I ask you something without you being offended?”

  Vi nodded. “Of course, dear.”

  “Are you and Pete really together now?”

  Vi and Patty exchanged knowing glances.

  “I mean, you and Dave had your vow renewal and everything. Thirty years and it’s over, just like that?”

  “Maggie,” her mother scolded.

  “It’s OK.” Vi touched the table in front of Patty.

  The room was silent for a few long moments.

  “I’m not with Pete,” Vi admitted. “People took that story and ran with it.”

  Maggie looked at her with concern. “Really?”

  “We spend time together. He’s a nice man, an old sweetheart of mine from high school, but we’re friends now. Nothing more.” Vi did her best to reassure Maggie.

  She didn’t look relieved.

  “He wasn’t right for me back then, and he’s still not the one I love.” Vi gave her a comforting grin.

  “But you’re not with Dave now? I don’t get it. You two were so happy.”

  Vi nodded her head in agreement. “Looks can be deceiving sometimes, sweetie.”

  “Yeah, I know that.” She knew first hand what it was like to put on a happy face and act like things were fine, when in reality they were falling apart.