She was a very pretty girl—lots of blonde hair, a cute figure and a bubbly personality. They’d had a fun time at first but as he got to know her better, he realized that Marlene was a bit of a social climber. Money and status were important to her and he’d overheard her telling a friend that she was getting closer to her goal of never having to work again.
That was right after she’d met his Aunt Daisy at one of her cocktail parties and saw the inside of the Sprinkles mansion. He realized then that Marlene was a gold-digger and she thought that she’d hit the mother lode. To say that she hadn’t taken it well when he’d ended things was an understatement.
But she had no shortage of confidence and seemed convinced that she could overcome his objections and get things started again. She didn’t seem to understand that any attraction he’d had for her was gone, so no matter how many times she tried to worm her way back in, it wasn’t going to happen. He braced himself for the usual barrage of questions that usually came on a Monday morning. She beamed as she saw him walk in the door.
“Good morning, Charlie! Don’t you look handsome today. Is that a new shirt?”
That caught him off guard and he glanced down at his shirt. “No, this isn’t new. Thanks, though.”
“How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?”
“My cousin got married. It was a good time,” he said simply as he continued walking past the desk.
“Talk to you later,” she said as he disappeared around the corner. And he knew that she would.
Sure enough, as he was leaving for the day she stopped him.
“So, my friend Pamela invited me to meet her at a swanky party she’s going to. Turns out it’s at your aunt’s house. Daffodil something or other.”
“Her Daffodil Derby party.”
“That’s it! I assume you’re going?”
“I wouldn’t miss it. I go every year.”
“I thought you might be. I wondered—since you’re going too, maybe we can go together and get caught up a bit? Might be fun.”
Charlie smiled. Fun was the last thing it would be, but still he felt bad saying no. It had to be done, though.
“I’m going with Jenna, actually. We just recently started dating.”
“Jenna? I thought the two of you were just friends?” Marlene was already pouting and looked skeptical.
“Yeah, that Jenna. I’ve always had a crush on her, but we’ve never been single at the same time. Finally, the timing seemed right.”
“Oh. Well, I guess I’ll see you there, then.”
“You’ll have fun. My aunt’s parties are always a good time,” Charlie said and then exited the building. It was done. He wasn’t sure that Marlene believed him, but hopefully in time, she would give up and move on.
He’d have to remember to give his aunt a heads up about his little deception so she wouldn’t be caught off guard if Marlene said something to her. He had a feeling his aunt would approve. Besides, there was always the possibility that this fake relationship could turn into something real.
He’d always been attracted to Jenna, and she had felt so right in his arms when they’d been dancing. He’d been surprised by how much it had bothered him to see her dancing with someone else, especially someone like Shep.
He knew that she had a problem with dating a police offer, though. That would be a huge obstacle he would have to overcome. But he wouldn’t get ahead of himself. He still needed to see if she could even be attracted to him. He planned to find out at his aunt’s party.
Chapter 8
Jenna got into her studio early Monday morning, eager to go through all the pictures from the wedding. She’d taken a quick peek at home on Sunday but just looked at the first few dozen shots. She preferred to do it in her studio on her large screen monitor where she could see better. She’d spent the rest of the day Sunday being lazy, relaxing and doing all the chores around the house that needed doing, such as the laundry that had piled up all week.
She drove by her mother’s shop along the way and wondered how her day with her friend Harry had gone. She decided to swing by there when she finished up at the studio and bring some coffees with her. Her mother usually opened up around ten and it was generally quiet most mornings. They should be able to chat a bit before it got busy.
Jenna loved her studio. It was in an older building, on the first floor and had floor to ceiling windows along the street and one whole length of her space was exposed brick. She fired up her computer and made herself a cup of coffee before settling in to go through the pictures. Since she was coming in early, she hadn’t bothered to have one at home like she usually did.
Once her coffee was ready, she started reviewing the pictures and was pleased to see there were some great shots. She didn’t know Charlie’s cousin Connor all that well and his wife Anne, even less, but they’d both been easy to work with. Anne was pretty laid back, unlike many of the brides she’d had to deal with, and she had given Jenna free rein to do what she wished in addition to the basic shots she knew she wanted like cutting the cake, walking down the aisle and lots of group photos and individual pictures of everyone in the wedding party.
Jenna wasn’t at all surprised when she saw her pictures of Connor and Anne as a couple and saw the genuine love and bliss reflected in their eyes. They were meant to be together and she sensed they had many happy years ahead.
The individual shots of the wedding party were the final ones to be reviewed and Charlie’s were dead last. She’d known she was getting some good shots as she took them, but she moved so quickly that often she was surprised when she looked through pictures at the end like this. There were sometimes expressions that she didn’t fully see as she was snapping away, and she caught her breath when she came to the very last picture she’d taken of Charlie.
He’d been quiet and somewhat contemplative as she’d been shooting and what she saw now stunned her. The expression on his face was one of intense longing, and it seemed to be directed right at her! Goosebumps raced along her bare arms as she stared at the picture. What did it mean? Was she seeing it correctly? Maybe Charlie was thinking of someone else?
Her gut, though, the one that seemed to pick up on these things, said it was meant for her. What was she going to do about that? What did she want to do?
* * *
Jenna gathered all the best shots together in an album to give to Anne and Connor. She did not include the final photo of Charlie. It seemed too personal, too private to share with them. She printed a copy out, though, and tucked it in her purse. Once she had everything organized, she headed out and stopped at the corner coffee shop for two coffees to bring to her mother’s store.
When she arrived, it was about a quarter past ten and there was already a customer at the register buying at least a dozen balls of yarn. Jenna waved at her mother, stepped into the back office and set the coffees down. She sat and took a sip of her coffee while she waited for her mother to join her. She walked into the back room a moment later.
“I had a little rush when I opened the door today. Two customers were waiting outside and a third joined them. I haven’t had my coffee yet, so thank you for this.” She took a seat and positioned her chair so she could see the front door in case anyone came in.
“So, how did your day go yesterday? Did you have a nice time with Harry?” Jenna asked.
Her mother’s face lit up. “We did. It was a lovely day. We went to an art show then walked around a few wineries and had a late lunch.”
“Will I get to meet him soon?” Jenna was curious about the new man in her mother’s life.
“I imagine you probably will. I think you’ll like him. Now, enough about me. Tell me about the wedding. Did you have a good time?”
“I did.” Jenna told her all about the wedding, in great detail. Her mother always liked to know about everything—what the food was, what people were wearing, and if there was any interesting drama. Jenna told her about Shep and how Charlie had rescued her.
�
��He sounds awful, that Shep. And what a silly name. I’m glad Charlie was there for you. He always seems to be there for you, doesn’t he? He’s a good friend.”
“He is.” Jenna debated a moment about whether to share their upcoming deception with her or not. But she knew she’d love to hear about it. She smiled and said, “We’re going to pretend to be more than friends, though. Charlie’s ex-girlfriend keeps pestering him to get back together, and she’s going to be at his aunt’s Daffodil party.”
“He’s hoping that might make her back off? She knows you’re just friends. Do you think she’ll believe it? I think it’s a wonderful idea, though. So fun!” Her mother seemed almost a little too excited about it.
“It’s just for one night, to throw her off. Nothing more than that,” Jenna insisted.
“Well, you’ll have to make it look believable. Keep that in mind. What will you wear?”
Jenna hadn’t thought that far ahead. She laughed. “I have no idea.”
“I’ve seen the pictures of that party in the society pages. Most of the women wear yellow and the men are in green. You should try to find a yellow dress. A pale butter shade. That will look pretty with your dark hair.”
“Oh, right. Now that you mention it, I do remember hearing someone say that about the colors.” She thought for a moment, mentally going through her closet. “I may actually have a dress that could work. I bought it a few years ago to wear to another wedding. I loved it and haven’t had an occasion to wear it again since.”
“Good. I look forward to seeing a picture of the two of you.”
Jenna chuckled. “That might be difficult as I will be the one taking all the pictures. I’m helping his aunt for a book project she is working on.”
“Oh, that sounds interesting. Maybe she can snap a picture of the two of you. I bet she’d like one as much as I would.”
“She probably would, actually. I’ll see how it goes and think about asking her.”
“What’s that picture?” Her mother asked.
Jenna followed her glance to her purse and the confusing and intriguing picture of Charlie that she’d printed out. It was sticking out of a side pocket. Jenna handed it to her mother.
“This is one of the shots of Charlie that I took. I didn’t catch this expression when I was shooting and I wasn’t sure about whether or not to include it in the album I’m making for Connor and Anne.” Jenna almost felt embarrassed as she looked at the picture again. The raw emotion on Charlie’s face seemed even stronger now and she was pretty sure that it was directed at her. But, that made no sense, really. She hadn’t gotten that vibe from Charlie in years. Not since she’d made it clear that she was only interested in friendship.
Her mother was quiet for a moment, as she sipped her coffee and looked at the photo. Then she sounded quite serious as she said, “Maybe you should think about dating that boy for real. I’ve always liked him.”
“I like him too, Mom. But he’s a cop. You know how I feel about that. I know how hard it was on you.”
Her mother sighed. “At times it was hard, but I got used to it. It was just part of loving your father, and I wouldn’t have given that up for anything. Just think about it.”
“All right. I’ll think about it. This is silly, though, as I don’t even know if he’s interested.”
Her mother just smiled and stood up at the sound of the front door opening.
“I should probably be on my way. I’ll talk to you soon, Mom.”
Chapter 9
Jenna noticed that there was already a good-sized crowd gathered as Charlie pulled his Jeep into the valet parking line at his aunt’s house. Two valets wearing bright green jackets approached the vehicle and opened their doors. Charlie handed over his keys and then the two of them walked toward the front door.
Jenna had been impressed when Charlie arrived to pick her up. He’d looked surprisingly handsome in his hunter green jacket, pale yellow shirt, green plaid tie and matching pants. The deep green of the jacket brought out hints of green in his dark eyes that Jenna had never noticed before.
She was glad that she’d thought to wear a lightweight sweater as the air was a little cool, though it often was in San Francisco. Breezy, too. She was happy with her outfit. The yellow dress was perfect for the party. It was the palest yellow and was made of a floaty fabric that draped over her curves in a flattering way. It had a bit of a 1920’s flapper feel to it, with spaghetti straps and a slim cut that ended mid-calf. She couldn’t help but be reminded of the Great Gatsby as they strolled across the lawn and saw all the beautiful people in their dressy outfits, sipping cocktails.
Sam opened the door to greet them and when she heard Charlie’s voice, Aunt Daisy immediately appeared.
“Oh, you both look lovely. Charlie, I’m going to steal Jenna away for a bit. Why don’t you go find yourself a drink?”
Charlie chuckled. “I can do that.”
Jenna followed Aunt Daisy through the throngs of people in her drawing room. Every few feet, she stopped to introduce her to different people. Jenna tried to pay close attention but after a while the names went in one ear and out the other. At one point, at Aunt Daisy’s urging, she accepted a champagne cocktail from a tuxedo-clad server. She had hesitated, since she was also there to do a job, but Aunt Daisy had insisted.
“One drink won’t hurt anything. If anything, it will relax you so you’ll take the most marvelous pictures. Which I know you would anyway. It’s just a bit of champagne with a lovely raspberry drizzle. It’s my own recipe.”
Jenna took a sip, and it was delicious. She took another small sip as they strolled through the house and out onto the back patio, which stretched out to an oversized, kidney-shaped swimming pool and an elegantly appointed outside seating area, complete with a fully staffed bar.
Yellow linen-covered tables lined the patio and were covered with platters of assorted cheeses, shrimp cocktail, small sandwiches and various dips and crackers. Servers floated by offering stuffed mushrooms and mini-beef wellingtons. Everything that Jenna tried was delicious. Charlie had often said that Aunt Daisy was a bit of a foodie.
Jenna’s jaw dropped when she saw the dessert table. There was a huge cake in the middle that almost looked like a wedding cake as it had so many tiers. The frosting was a pale yellow and was thick and shiny and swirled in pretty patterns.
“You don’t even want to know how much butter is in that frosting, but it’s what gives it the shine and amazing flavor. The cake is a lemon sponge and the inside filling is raspberry jam and lemon curd. It’s going to become your new favorite,” she said with a wink.
Jenna got her camera ready and Aunt Daisy positioned herself near the towering cake. “I thought this might be a good shot. I don’t want to be in many of the pictures, but this one should do.”
Jenna agreed. The light was good outside and Charlie’s aunt looked cute by her cake. She snapped a bunch of pictures and then Aunt Daisy decided that she’d had enough.
“I should get back to my guests now. If you want to just roam around, dear, and take any shots that you think look interesting, that would be great. Try to get some of all the food stations, of course, and the bar and various people. Then enjoy yourself and have as much food and drink as you like.”
Aunt Daisy wandered off and Jenna got busy taking pictures of everything she could think of that might make sense to go in a book on entertaining. Just as she finished, a server came by offering champagne cocktails and Jenna happily accepted one. Her first had been empty for a while as she focused on taking pictures and she wanted to wait until she was finished before having a second drink.
As she wandered back toward the house, several of the art gallery owners that Aunt Daisy had introduced her to earlier stopped her to chat a bit more about her work, and two of them suggested that she send them links to her online portfolio. Jenna was walking on air as she rounded the corner and then saw Charlie deep in conversation with Marlene.
She’d met Marlene a few times w
hile Charlie had been dating her and had never really cared for her. She’d sensed from their first meeting that Marlene was more interested in money than she was in Charlie. But she’d never said anything because she didn’t know for sure.
It was obvious now, though, as she hung on Charlie’s every word when she wasn’t gazing around the opulent room in awe. She was also dressed to the nines in a form-fitting bright yellow dress that flirted with being too low cut. Her heels were high and her purse was a limited edition Coach bag that Jenna had briefly lusted after but sensibly opted not to purchase.
“There you are,” Charlie said when he saw her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his side. “I was just telling Marlene that we’ve recently started dating.”
Jenna nodded and smiled brightly. “That’s right. I don’t know what took us so long.”
Marlene’s eyes narrowed as she closely watched the two of them.
“Well, I’m very happy for the both of you,” she said stiffly. “I see someone I need to talk to. If you’ll excuse me?”
“Of course,” they both said at the same time and then glanced at each other and tried not to laugh. Marlene was already halfway across the room.
“She seemed skeptical. Do you think she bought it?” Jenna asked.
Charlie frowned. “I don’t know. I hope so.”
They had fun for the next hour or so as they chose the horses they wanted to win and placed their bets. Aunt Daisy’s friend Judy was collecting the money, while her grandson, Paul sat at a table with his calculator and spreadsheet, filling in the bets. Jenna was thrilled when her horse, Mr. Zen, was the big winner. She doubled her money and won fifty dollars.
They were all gathered outside around the bar which had a big screen TV and after the race finished, the crowd began to drift away and head back inside. Charlie and Jenna were about to follow them when he took her hand and pulled her toward him instead.
The Wedding Photo Page 4