Diary of a Wedding Planner in Love (Tales Behind the Veils Book 2) (14 page)

Sunday, February 16th

I finished my wedding shifts a little before six tonight (without any rain, thank you, Lord!) and went straight to bed without even eating dinner. I dozed on and off, watching bad reality television between snoozes.

Cabe finally called around nine. My anger had built over the weekend, starting with the no-call no-show from him on Valentine's Day, increasing with the rain-fueled day of misery on Saturday, and reaching a pinnacle with Glenda the Witch Bride on Saturday night. I was irritable and short-tempered all day today, which I'm sure came across to at least some of my unfortunate wedding guests.

I was so mad I actually hit the ignore button and let Cabe's call go to voice mail. My hands shook as I dialed to retrieve his message, seething inside with hurt and anger.

              Hey, Ty. Look, I'm really sorry about this weekend. I had some family members come into town unexpected. It kind of messed up the whole weekend, and I'm sorry. I know you're probably pissed at me, and you have every right to be, but I just wanted to let you know I didn't mean to disappear again. I know I said I'd communicate with you, and I meant it. I just…well, this family thing just hit me out of nowhere. I want to talk to you. Tell you about it. Call me back.

I didn't, which, I must say, felt extremely satisfying and empowering.

I mean, come on. You didn't call me all weekend because you had
family in town
? Really? You couldn't even return a text? Make a quick call to say you had company?

I've never known him to lie, so I believe he had something going on with family, but talk about rude, inconsiderate and disrespectful. To just blow me off without a word because he had family in town?

I'm sick of being on the crap end of the stick. Let him sit there and wonder where I am and why I'm not calling for a change.

Monday, February 17th

He called again this morning before I left for work, and again about twenty minutes after I got to the office. I didn't answer.

I planned to call him back once I got settled in, but Lillian came in the kitchen area while I was fixing my coffee and asked me to follow her to the conference room.

My curiosity turned to worry when I saw Laura sitting at the conference table with paperwork on the table in front of them. When Lillian closed the door behind us, my stomach flipped and twisted into a knot. I first thought maybe Glenda had complained about me or maybe I'd been ruder to guests on Sunday than I thought.

My shoulders slumped as I took the seat they offered and prepared to take my reprimand. I reminded myself not to cry and to be respectful. I couldn't help but think this felt like one more straw on the camel's back. My temper simmered, ready to blow, but my bosses' office wasn't the time, the place, or the audience for it.

"Don't look so scared, sweetie." Laura smiled. "We didn't call you in here for bad news."

I forced a grin and nodded, but I know my eyes still looked like a deer caught in crosshairs.

"We have been planning to talk to you for some time," Lillian said, "but we thought perhaps we would get everyone past Valentine's weekend and then talk if we all survived."

They both laughed and I tried hard to join them, but I just couldn't muster it up. I think something may be seriously wrong with me. I may have flipped on a bitch switch I don't know how to turn off.

Laura's next words surprised me and caught me off-guard.

"We've been so impressed with your performance, Tyler. You do so well thinking on your feet, rolling with the punches. You have a knack for seeing the big picture and at the same time being able to focus on the smallest of details, and that is a gift."

"You can't teach that," Lillian added.

"No, you can't," Laura agreed. "You either have it or you don't. You do. You've shown us you're able to perform well under pressure, especially under the tremendous circumstances of this past weekend, although we had already made our decision long before that."

Decision? What decision? It sounded like something good, but I'm always a little wary of people making decisions about me without actually including me in the process.

"As you know, Laura and I have just purchased Lakeside Gardens, and we feel to ensure the best experience for our couples and their guests, we need to have one person in place to manage the property and its ceremonies. Someone who knows the building inside and out—the logistics, the best processes. Someone who can manage people in such a way that we can maximize the number of ceremonies produced in a day without overlap and delays."

I nodded as my brain raced ahead of their words and guessed the outcome. They were going to offer the position to me, and I already knew I didn't want it.

I mean, any time your bosses are offering you a position and lavishing praise upon you in the process, it's a good thing, right? But I just spent an absolutely miserable three-day weekend at Lakeside Gardens. I had been assigned most of the ceremonies there for the past year. They were right about me knowing the property inside and out. I had more experience at Lakeside than anyone else in the office.

But they weren't necessarily good experiences.

"Lillian and I would like for you to be that manager," Laura said. She smiled like she was presenting me with the biggest blue ribbon at the fair. "It would be a salary increase, of course, and we'd need to look at how we'd reassign any files you have now which conflict with bookings already made. But we feel this would be a great fit for your skills."

My brain fired in seventy different directions, and I hoped one of those signals had reached my mouth and formed a smile.

I didn't want to appear ungrateful or uninterested, but I definitely needed to process what they were offering me before I replied.

"Can I think about it?"

"Well, sure you can. We'd like to have you in place when you come back from your birthday trip, so if you could give us an answer by the end of the week, that would be great. Do you have any questions?" Laura smiled, and I saw concern in her face that indicated I may not have pulled off a convincing smile.

"I'm sure I do, but it's just all so unexpected. I think I have to get my thoughts together before I know what to ask." I realized after I spoke that my Southern accent had kicked in full-on, which says a lot about the condition of my brain at the time. I don't revert to those speech patterns unless I'm in extreme situations. Drunk. Or mad. Or stressed beyond normal levels.

"Of course, of course." Laura nodded and glanced to Lillian, who was looking at me like I'd just refused to curtsy to the queen.

"I mean, I'm really grateful. Thank you so much for considering me. For your kind words about my performance." I scrambled to do damage control. "I'm just a little overwhelmed coming off the weekend and getting this news. I'm honored, really. I am. Thank you so much. I'll figure out if I have any questions and get back to you before the end of the week. Thank you again."

I stood and backed my way out of the room, smiling the whole way. My mind raced as I walked back to my office in a daze. Then without any thought or consideration as to whether or not I was still mad at him, I called Cabe and asked him to meet me for dinner. He's so good at laying out pros and cons and helping me see an issue from different angles. Whether he's acted like an ass or not, I trust him and I need his opinion.

Okay, maybe that was an excuse. Maybe I just wanted a reason to see him despite all that's happened. Who knows?

Tuesday, February 18th

My nerves damned near crackled with excitement at the anticipation of seeing Cabe last night, due in part to the job offer stress, I'm sure, but also because I hadn't seen him in almost a week, and I missed him. My anger at him had subsided quite a bit with the whole work thing occupying all available channels in my brain.

"So it's a promotion?" he asked when we'd gotten our appetizers and I'd explained their offer.

"I think so? I'm not sure. I mean, it's more money, yeah. But I'd just be doing the ceremonies. So to me, it's
not,
really, because it's almost like a demotion from handling entire events."

"They've been giving you more full weddings on your own, right?"

"Yeah. I thought I was working my way up to being a senior and eventually I wouldn't be assisting at all, just working my own files. But now I guess I'm sidelined." I broke off a piece of bread and shoved it in my mouth. My appetite had been almost non-existent since Valentine's Day, but it was like being with Cabe suddenly signaled my body that we'd survived a drought and sustenance was available. I was ravenous. Like I couldn’t get enough food and get it fast enough.

"Well, do you
want
this job? Do you even like doing just ceremonies? You've always sounded like you enjoy the planning aspect. How much of that would you be doing?" He motioned the waitress to bring more bread and poured me another glass of wine.

"For the ones with only a ceremony, they may have me book and confirm vendors, which is minimal. But the event manager would plan everything for the full-scale weddings, even with me doing the ceremony. I don't know if I'd be included in any planning sessions at all. Good question to ask."

I wrote it down in the notebook I'd brought for that purpose.

"Ask how this affects your line of growth for future positions. Will it help you reach senior planner, or would this essentially pull you out of that path and stick you somewhere else? Where do you go from this position?"

I wrote as he spoke, and I mentally gave thanks for his calm, logical nature. I knew all these things, but he could lay them out so clearly.

We talked throughout the entree service and until they cleared our meal. By the end of the evening, I had several questions outlined to bring to Laura and Lillian, along with a well-defined pros and cons list. I knew I was leaning against accepting the position already, but with Cabe's help I had valid arguments and reasoning I could present to my bosses. Now I just needed the courage to stand up to them and not allow myself to be talked into a job I didn't want.

We walked to our cars silently, each deep in our own thoughts. Just as we reached my car, it dawned on me Cabe hadn't told me about the family visit or why he was AWOL all weekend. I'd been so pissed when he blew me off, but with my focus and worry consumed with the job offer, I'd forgotten to ask about it.

"Oh, what were you going to tell me about the weekend? You wanted to explain about your family?"

He frowned and stuffed his hands in his pockets, shaking his head ever so slightly as he replied. "It can wait. I know you have a lot on your mind, and it's kind of a long story. Another time. Just know I'm sorry and I didn't mean to be an ass. It was just…well, again. It's a long story."

It obviously bothered him, and I felt guilty for monopolizing the conversation all night. It never occurred to me
he
might need to discuss what had happened.

"I'm sorry, Cabe. I didn't mean to be self-absorbed. We can talk now."

"No, it's okay. I'll tell you later."

"You sure? I don't mind listening now."

He shook his head again. "No. Thanks, though. For not being mad and all."

I didn't say anything. After all, I had been mad. I'd been furious. And if it hadn't been for all the work drama, I still would be. The awkward silence stretched until he spoke again.

"So when do you have to give them an answer?"

Smart move on his part. Switch the conversation's focus back on my issue and off his.

"By Friday. They said they want me in place after my birthday trip, which I guess I need to tell them is canceled."

I cringed when I realized I'd just brought up Paris. Neither of us had mentioned the trip since the night at the restaurant when he said he'd cancel it. It was like a healing wound we avoided so it didn't reopen and hurt us both.

Cabe looked down at his shoes and kicked at a non-existent rock on the pavement. I opened my car door and threw my purse inside, cursing myself for bringing it up just as we were leaving. I'd been so focused on the work aspect that it came barreling out of my mouth without much thought for the consequences. More tension added onto everything else.

"I have a confession to make," Cabe said without looking up from the ground.

I leaned against the door frame and braced myself for whatever was about to come. The word confession is rarely followed by something good.

He finally met my eyes and held the stare for a moment. Silent. A little shiver ran across my skin as I squared my shoulders and prepared to hear him out.

"I never canceled Paris."

My eyes flew wide open. "What?"

He shrugged and gave the little half-smile he does when he's embarrassed about something.

"I just couldn't do it. I know it sounds really stupid, but I didn't want to cancel it. I booked it for your birthday. I wanted to take you. To see Paris with you. It just didn't seem right to cancel it."

I didn't know what to say. So I didn't say anything.

He cleared his throat before he continued. "I mean, it was too late to get any money back, you know? Either way, I'd already paid for it. So I guess I just figured maybe…well, I don't know. Again, it's stupid."

"You figured maybe what, Cabe? What were you going to say?"

I held my breath as I waited. I realize it was irrational of me to want him to say what I was thinking, but the heart isn't known to be logical. Obviously some part of him still wanted to go, or he would have canceled the trip. So if he hadn't, we could still go. I could still go to Paris with Cabe for my birthday.

"Cabe, what were you going to say?" I pushed, hoping he'd say what I wanted to hear.

He looked down again. "Maybe we could just go. You know. It won't be like it was gonna be before, but we're still hanging out and stuff. So maybe it wouldn't be so different if we hung out there instead of hanging out here. I mean, if you still wanted to."

I threw both arms around his neck and kissed him with everything I had. I know it's probably a terrible idea to go. I know I probably should have told him no. I probably should have remained calm and not nearly knocked the man down with enthusiasm.

But here's where my heart went with this. If he still wants to take me to Paris, he still wants
this
.
Us
. Which means we have time to work things out before we go. Then I realized how little time that was.

I pulled back so abruptly he nearly lost his balance.

"Cabe! It's only two weeks away!"

"I know. Everything's planned, though. I already had the museum passes and the transportation cards. The hotel and the airfare are booked. The only thing I hadn't done was the Eiffel Tower, and we can book it online. But if we're really gonna do this, we have to take care of that quick. It sells out."

I took his hands into mine and held them there.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Cabe? Are you really sure? Because we don't have to. You don't have to do this for me or because it's my birthday. Or for any reason. We can just not go. I'm fine with that. You being okay is more important to me than going."

He smiled and kissed my hands.

"I want to take you to Paris for your birthday."

So there you have it. I'm going to Paris. For my birthday. With Cabe. My on-again, off-again, might be, may be, could be boyfriend who's somehow not my boyfriend. I'm excited, I think. But nervous, too. I sure hope this turns out to be a good thing.