Chapter 9

Nine

Harper

M y job at Happily Ever Afters was to manage the office, including the contracts, the billing, and the schedule. With three wedding planners and multiple weddings each weekend, it was a large task.

When Gia first hired me, it was to streamline their scheduling by choosing and utilizing a program. After that task was completed, she expanded my role. I loved the job, and I was so grateful to her for offering it to me.

I didn’t have a college degree, and she could easily have justified hiring someone who did. But she always said I was uniquely qualified for the position.

I sat in on the initial consultations with clients to make sure I had a feel for the bride and groom and how demanding they would be so I could work that into the schedule. I also handled all deliveries and vendors. The more Happily Ever Afters grew, the more Gia relied on me.

We started each morning with a meeting between the two of us. Today, I carried the tablet I was never without into her office. She sat behind her large desk, looking professional in a fitted blouse and pencil skirt.

“Did you have a chance to look at the numbers?” Gia asked without looking up.

I sat across from her in the plush leather chair. “We aren’t signing as many couples. Our conversion rate is down.”

“Do we know where they’re going?” Gia asked.

Some couldn’t afford a wedding planner, or one of Gia’s caliber, others already had another planner in mind—a friend or even a family member—and others went to an all-inclusive option, either a destination wedding or something like Silas Sharpe’s Chesapeake Resort. “Since the last time we talked about it, I started sending follow-up emails with a survey asking if they’d tell us why they chose not to use our services. Of those that responded, they either said they decided to go without, or they went to Chesapeake Resort.”

Gia groaned.

“There’s not enough data to conclude that Silas’s resort is the problem.” The luxury resort bordered the bay, offering a golf course, two large pools—indoor and outdoor—a spa, and several five-star restaurants. Silas employed his own wedding planner and didn’t allow any outside planners on-site.

Gia pursed her lips. “Oh, Silas is most definitely a problem.”

“The fact is, we’re booking fewer high-budget weddings.” I wasn’t positive about the reason yet. Gia had her suspicions, but I wasn’t convinced. I needed more data.

“We need the high-budget weddings to float the business the rest of the year.” Gia voiced what we already knew.

“What are we going to do? I don’t want to let anyone go. Aria just started handling her own weddings. Not only that, but we’re friends with them.” They’d become family. We had a contract with outside vendors like Lily, Sophie, Abby, and Harrison, but Aria and Ireland were salaried employees.

“I think Ireland loves this job, but she hasn’t expressed any interest in being promoted. Not like Aria has.”

“I think it’s because she doesn’t have to work. She genuinely enjoys working with brides and keeping busy.” It was my understanding that Ireland had a trust fund to fall back on. She enjoyed this job but most likely didn’t need it. “But it’s not fair to take her trust fund into consideration when deciding who we might need to let go.”

“Definitely not. It’s just that Aria needs this job. I like what both planners bring to the business, and I don’t want to lose either of them. Some brides are more suited to Aria’s personality, and others to Ireland’s. That’s what makes this service so unique.”

“We don’t want to lose anyone.” It was better for everyone to have more planners on staff. I didn’t want Gia to overextend herself by managing the weddings on her own.

“There has to be another way to bring in business before we consider cutting staff. We need to assume a certain percentage of brides will prefer the all-inclusive option, so how do we lure more brides interested in what we have to offer?” Gia asked, and, as always, I was surprised she asked for and relied on my opinion.

“I’ve always thought of the business as a specialized service. Brides come here to be taken care of.” It wasn’t just hiring someone to assist you. In most cases, we became close with the couple and their family, rejoicing alongside them at the ceremonies.

Gia nodded. “We’re a luxury for some, but a necessity for others. We need to appeal to any and all brides who are looking for assistance on their wedding day. Do we need to hire a marketing specialist, or is this something we can handle on our own?” Gia asked.

“We could brainstorm some ideas, and if we’re stuck, then maybe we should consult someone else,” I suggested.

“Let’s list what we’ve already tried.”

I pulled out my pad of paper, preferring to write with a pen when we were making lists or brainstorming. “We’ve run ads online and in the local paper, we’ve booked tables at local bridal fairs, and we’ve advertised in bridal gown stores. We have a visible storefront on Main Street. Frankly, it’s a lot.” I was at a loss for what we could do that we hadn’t already.

“Are there any fundraisers or auctions going on? Maybe we could raffle a free wedding package,” Gia said, her eyes bright with interest.

“We’d be giving away a service for free,” I pointed out, and her shoulders slumped.

“I don’t usually like to do that. Our time and work are worthy of compensation, but I’m not sure what else there is.”

“Let’s ruminate on it for a few days. See if we get some inspiration.” I’d hate to tell Gia that our only option was to work for free. We weren’t even sure a raffle would drum up more clients. There was also the possibility that we’d saturated the market. That there weren’t any more customers out there who hadn’t heard of us. If so, the only option would be to trim some of the employees or expand further. The second was a risk, and I was hesitant to suggest it.

Gia nodded. “My best ideas usually come to me when I have some time to think about it.”

“You didn’t get any inspiration when you attended Chris and Naomi’s wedding at the Chesapeake Resort?”

Gia’s lips twitched. “Not unless one of us has the money to purchase a luxury resort on the bay with multiple pools and five-star restaurants.”

I laughed. “What he offers is so different from us that he’s not exactly competition.”

“If a couple wants a destination wedding, then we can’t compete.”

Something about what she said clicked in my brain. “But isn’t Annapolis considered a tourist destination because of its rich history and architecture? Why couldn’t it be the same for weddings? We’ve been advertising locally, but what if we expanded our marketing campaign and drew people in with the idea of a destination wedding? It’s a desirable location for many. I mean, who doesn’t love a historic harbor town?”

Gia stood and started pacing behind her desk, her excited energy coming off her in waves. “I love it. We’d be latching on to Silas’s marketing plan but with a twist.” She paused and then looked at me. “He’d be so mad if he found out about our plan.”

“But you’re not copying him. This is something we could and probably should have been doing all along. We could cater to a much larger population if we can convince out-of-state couples that this is their ideal location for a wedding.”

“And they’ll need more help because they’re not from the area. They won’t already have a baker or a photographer in mind.”

“They’ll need our recommendations and guidance. We might not have a resort, but we can point them to the right reception location and bring everything else to them.”

Gia paused and gestured with her hands. “I can see it now. Have you always wanted a destination wedding, but you weren’t sure of the perfect location for your big day? ”

“ Come to Annapolis ,” I said with a smile. “ We have the Chesapeake Bay as the backdrop and a gorgeous historic town. We can also feature local food specialties, like crab and seafood, and use images of the water.”

“It’s perfect. I can’t believe we hadn’t considered this before. This could be huge for us,” Gia said as she resumed her pacing.

“Do you want to run some ads online to test it?”

Gia’s eyes widened. “What if we bring in too many clients, and we can’t handle them all? Or what if they do a search and find Silas’s resort? We’d be helping him.”

I held up my hand to stop her rant. “Now you’re going down a negative spiral. You can’t think of all the negative possibilities.”

“Thanks for catching that. I hate when I start doubting myself.” Gia prided herself on being confident and decisive. She charged what she was worth and provided quality service.

“Everyone needs a reminder now and then.” I couldn’t help but think I’d been doubting myself lately too. What if I just needed to believe in myself?

Gia sat at her desk and toggled on her computer screen. “Let’s work on the campaign, talk budget, and get moving on this. I don’t want to wait.”

That’s what I loved about Gia. When she got an idea, she quickly assessed it and then went for it. I admired her. I wished I was fearless. Maybe if I was, I would already have made a move on Leo. The thought sent tingles down my spine.

Instead, I kept my thoughts and desires hidden, too afraid to tell Leo how I felt. How I’d always felt. This childhood crush had morphed into something far bigger than I anticipated. I liked him, and I had no idea what to do about it. Not when I was so entangled with the Giovannis that I’d never unravel myself.

“What do you think?” Gia asked as she tilted her screen so I could see the campaign.

I refocused on work because, at the end of the day, I needed this job. Leo was a distraction I didn’t need.

On Friday night, Evie insisted on wearing her nicest dress and asked me to blow-dry and curl her hair. I spent so much time on her, I barely had time to find something to wear myself. I was still getting ready when a knock sounded on the door with a corresponding text from Leo letting me know it was him.

“You can answer it. It’s Leo,” I called to Evie, who unlocked and opened the door. I heard her shriek of joy and Leo’s deep voice, but I stayed in the bathroom, putting on some mascara.

I’d put on a black cocktail dress that I wore to evening weddings. It felt a little weird getting dolled up to go out, and even stranger to be going out with my daughter. At the same time, my heart thudded dangerously in my chest. I liked the anticipation of going out with a man, even if I wasn’t sure where he stood or what any of this meant.

I would enjoy the restaurant, the meal, and the company. And when he told me he was only interested in me as a family friend, I’d have to be okay with it. It was always best to temper expectations. I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

There was no better life out there for me. This was what I’d chosen and where I’d always be. I depended on the Giovannis for everything: my jobs, childcare, and my home.

“You almost ready?” A deep rumble from the doorway to the bathroom briefly startled me.

“Almost,” I said brightly, hoping he’d give me a few minutes to pull myself together. It hurt to remind myself of our situation, but it was necessary. Dreaming about a different life didn’t change anything. It just made the eventual crash that much worse.

“ Sei bellisima ,” Leo murmured.

The Italian words on his lips heated my body. Desire curled in my belly as I met his gaze in the mirror.

“Thank you,” I said as I set the mascara wand on the counter and turned to face him. He wore black slacks and a crisp white shirt opened at the collar. He was striking.

He stepped closer to me, his hand lifting, hesitating, and then brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “There are no words. Non ho parole .”

“Mommy,” Evie said, coming into the bathroom. “I’m starving.”

I smiled apologetically at Leo. “I wouldn’t let her eat any snacks this afternoon. I didn’t want her to spoil her dinner.”

“We’d better go then.” Leo winked at me, then turned and lifted Evie into his arms. ”I wouldn’t want you to starve.”

Evie giggled. “Put me down.”

“Never!” he cried as he carried her out of the bathroom, giving me a few seconds of much-needed time to myself.

I took a few deep breaths in a vain attempt to calm my racing heart. Leo usually wore a dress shirt and pants when he worked at the restaurant, but this was different. I could smell the faint scent of his aftershave, as if he’d recently showered to go out with me. His shirt and pants were neatly pressed, not rumpled from a long day at work.

I took one more deep breath before smoothing my hands over my skirt, then walked into the hallway. In the foyer, Leo held Evie’s hand as she bent over to slide on her dress shoes. My heart squeezed in my chest at the sight.

Evie deserved to have a father figure in her life. Someone who put her first.

Leo lifted his gaze and met mine over Evie’s head, and something electric passed between us. It felt like he could see through me, see my hopes and dreams, my desire for a man in our lives. He knew how important Evie was to me and what this meant to me. I hoped he wasn’t just playing big brother but was truly interested in us.

I smiled tremulously. “Ready to go?”

Without waiting for an answer, I slipped on the pumps I’d set by the door this afternoon and grabbed my silver purse with the chain I’d splurged on for weddings.

“You look like a princess,” Evie said as she faced me.

“You do too.”

“You both are beautiful. Siete bellissime. ” Leo’s deep voice resonated in my chest.

“Thank you.” I loved the compliment, but I enjoyed it even more in Italian.

He opened the door, still holding Evie’s hand. I locked the door and followed them down the steps. There was a red sports car parked at the bottom.

“Is this yours?” I asked Leo when he opened the rear passenger side door.

He smiled sheepishly. “I don’t get a chance to take it out often.”

“This is so cool!” Evie said as she slid inside.

“Do you have a car seat?” I asked. “We can always take my car.”

Leo shifted on his feet. “I bought the same one my parents have. Is that okay?”

I peeked inside to see Evie competently snapping the belt closed. “That’s perfect.”

When I straightened, he shut the door. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

He stepped closer, palming my cheek. “But I did.”

Before I could respond, he opened the front passenger door, and I slid inside, needing a second to calm my traitorous heart. It had been wildly thumping in my chest ever since he appeared in the bathroom. There would be no slowing it down if he kept saying things like that.

My body was heated, and my skin was flushed by the time Leo rounded the hood and slid behind the wheel.

“Where are we going?” Evie asked from the backseat, barely containing her excitement.

At least her presence should keep my out-of-control attraction to Leo in check. I couldn’t touch him or say the things I wanted to with her watching us.

“A restaurant on the water that specializes in seafood.”

“Sounds amazing,” I murmured, and he smiled over at me.

“I’m a lucky man. I get to take out two beautiful girls.”

“Did you hear that, Mommy? He said I was beautiful, and you are too.”

“That’s very sweet of him,” I said to Evie. I wasn’t sure what his intentions were. If it was to make me feel less lonely, it was nice, but I wanted more. I couldn’t continue like this. Not when my body seemed to think this was leading to something else entirely.

“That’s because you are,” Leo said to Evie in the rearview mirror, and I got what people said when they mentioned how important a father figure was to a little girl. I’d researched it online and wondered if I was doing the right thing by raising Evie on my own.

Leo could be just what my little girl needed and what I wanted.