It could have been my wedding I was planning, but I had ruined that. The night that had been forever burned into my memory was the best and worst night of my life. I hated that his willingness to sacrifice everything had been the very thing that broke us up.
That had been our last night together. It had been one of the last times he told me he loved me. I couldn’t let him do it. I had gone back and forth with my decision, but ultimately, I knew it was the right one. It had cost me a lot back then. I had been heartbroken for him and me. I knew I had hurt him.
“You had to,” I whispered. “You had to.”
If he would have skipped the Air Force, he would likely still be in Everglade City, working a dead-end job and barely scraping by. His family didn’t have the money to send him to college. He didn’t have the grades to get a scholarship. The Air Force had been his best chance on making it out of town and getting to do something with his life. It was his free ride to college to do whatever he wanted.
I cocked my head to the side. I wasn’t even sure he did go to school. I supposed it didn’t matter. He’d made billions either way. “You’re welcome,” I muttered.
I should have been sent a thank-you card for giving him the platform to jump from. If I hadn’t broken his heart and pissed him off, he never would have worked so hard to prove himself. He was better off because of me.
“Keep telling yourself that,” I said with a sardonic laugh.
I knew the old Evan. He would have found a way out. I should have trusted him back then. It was me who didn’t trust myself. I was afraid I would be an albatross. Evan was destined for great things and I was convinced I was destined for mediocrity. I had been trying to save myself the heartache of being dumped down the road.
I stopped feeling sorry for myself and got ready for work. I had a lot to do and little time to get it done. I prayed when I got to the office, there would be AC. I was already overheated and didn’t need to deal with an outside source of heat making it worse.
“Good morning,” I greeted Tara.
“How was the meeting?” she asked.
I groaned. “Awful. Amber showed up.”
“She is the bride,” she reminded me.
“Yes, I know.”
“Is she as bubbly as she seems on TV?”
I rolled my eyes. “She’s definitely something. We have to get a venue, like now. And remember our little joke about the red velvet? Turns out that is pretty much what she wants. With elephants.”
She looked confused. “Elephants? Like pictures? A safari theme?”
I laughed. “Oh no. She wants to ride in on an elephant. Oh, and she wants a kingdom.”
Tara’s eyes widened. “What the hell is a kingdom?”
“Exactly. She wants it all. No expense spared.”
She blew out a breath. “And she wants it all in three months.”
“Yep. Three months to pull off a wedding that should take years to plan.”
“Sure, why not?” she said, laughing.
“Where do we start?” I said before walking into my office.
“I’ve got a few places lined up. Can they meet you tomorrow to tour the first one?”
“Why don’t you shoot him an email?” I said. “I’m going to do some research on elephants. I know we can get the thrones, but I need to find a caterer. Oh, did I mention the cake she wants is six feet tall?”
“Does she want an elephant to pop out of it?”
I laughed. “Please, don’t say that around her. She’ll want it.”
“Did you get any time to spend with him?” she asked softly.
I shook my head. “No. She was already there. I guess she surprised him.”
“So, he had set up the romantic dinner for just the two of you?”
I rolled my eyes. “No. It wasn’t a romantic dinner. It was a business meeting.”
“In one of the best restaurants in town.”
“He owns it,” I shot back.
“At night.”
“He’s a busy man and it was kind of an emergency meeting.”
She laughed. “Why are you making excuses? It sounds like your old flame still has a spark.”
“He’s engaged to be married to another woman. There is no spark. There can’t be a spark. It’s strictly professional. Besides, have you seen who he’s engaged to? I cannot compete with her.”
She shrugged. “Sure sounds like he has something else on his mind.”
“Go,” I shooed her away. “Get me some venues.”
She walked away, leaving me alone. I didn’t need her fueling the little fantasy I had going on. I was trying to keep things professional and at arm’s length. I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop. I felt absolutely ridiculous even typing the words elephant rental in Miami in my search bar.
The things I did for money.
Chapter 11
Evan
Unlike my last meeting with Cherie, I was not looking forward to the upcoming one. Amber was in one of her moods, which was only going to make things more difficult than they already were. I had hoped Amber would get called away but no such luck.
I was anxious to see Cherie. She had been front and center in my thoughts for days. The more she dominated my thoughts, the more I realized the wedding was a mistake. How could I marry someone that I didn’t love? I had been convinced I could eventually love Amber with enough time. I wasn’t so sure now.
Cherie had my heart and soul. She always did. I didn’t know if there was a future for us, but I knew there wasn’t a future for me and Amber. Not a happy one at least. I had been stuck in an internal struggle for days. Amber was the woman I had proposed to. She was the woman I had convinced myself I needed to marry.
Then Cherie came back into my life and all of it had been turned upside down. I wanted Cherie, but did she want me? Would she even have me? If I ended things with Amber to chase after my wedding planner, what would Cherie think?
I thought I felt the familiar chemistry between us, but there was a chance it was one-sided. She had shut me down when I tried to bring up our past. She wasn’t wearing a ring but that didn’t mean she didn’t have someone in her life. She had dumped me once and it damn near killed me. I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to get mixed up with her again.
“You’re a committed man,” I told myself, looking at my reflection in the mirror.
I had to give my relationship with Amber a real effort. That started today. I was going to be a proper fiancé. I would sit back and put on a big smile while the woman I loved and the woman I was going to marry planned my wedding.
“Totally normal,” I mumbled before heading out.
I had my driver pick up Amber from her place. We were meeting Cherie at one of the venues she had found that was available. I was going to keep an open mind.
“Oh my god,” Amber groaned.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Seriously? Look at this place.”
“We’re in the parking lot,” I said. “Hold judgment until we get inside.”
She scoffed. “I am not having my wedding here.”
“Amber, she got us an appointment to look. Please at least have the courtesy to look at the place.”
She huffed. “Fine but I don’t like it.”
I got out of the car and looked at the space with the manicured gardens and a beautiful waterfront setting. I thought it was very nice. It wasn’t the Taj Mahal, which was what I think she secretly wanted, but I could see the potential.
“Hi, guys,” Cherie greeted, walking toward us.
My eyes were on her, eating up every little detail. She was wearing a light-colored pantsuit with a pretty pink top that contrasted her olive skin. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and a pair of dark shades covered her eyes.
“Hello,” I greeted, my own eyes hidden behind my dark shades. It gave me freedom to look and look was exactly what I did.
Amber put a hand on her hip, her foot turned out as she looked Cherie up and down. “What
exactly do you hope to accomplish here?” Amber asked. “I thought I made my wishes clear.”
Cherie pushed up her sunglasses and smiled. “This place is suitable for up to three-hundred guests and it has the space to accommodate most of what you are asking for. And the best part is, it’s available for your date.”
Amber curled her lip. “This is not the place.”
Cherie ignored her. “The manager is waiting for us inside. She’ll give us the tour and we can talk about how to set up your kingdom.”
I was impressed with Cherie’s ability to say it all with a straight face. I would have laughed. Amber walked behind her, clearly pissed and making sure everyone knew it.
“Where is the grandness?” Amber asked. “It’s a flat, boring property with nothing exciting. I can hear sirens in the distance. We’re about two steps outside the ghetto.”
“The music will be blaring and will drown out any unwanted sounds,” Cherie answered without missing a beat.
“Look at the sand,” Amber wailed. “There is sand all over the place.”
“It’s close to the beach,” I answered.
“We’ll put up pretty little barriers that will block out the bulk of the sand from the path. If necessary, we can hire a maintenance team to work throughout the wedding to sweep the area free of sand.”
I once again found myself holding back my laugh. I knew Cherie well enough to know she was being sarcastic without sounding like it.
“That’s gross,” Amber retorted. “No one wants to see maintenance.”
“We can add some flourishes to this area,” Cherie said, once again ignoring Amber’s rudeness. “We can create an archway that will lead guests inside. We’ll drape the entire area in red and gold silk to give you the look you’re going for.”
Cherie pulled open the door to a large open space with some rather tacky carpeting with palm trees all over it. Amber turned to look at me. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth twisted in horror. She was acting like she had just seen a severed head. “What the hell is this?” she shrieked. “Oh my god. I just vomited in my mouth a little.”
Cherie remained calm. “I understand it’s a little dated, but we can spread out a wood floor or even a faux marble if that’s what you would prefer. We’ll have more of the silk coverings and use cutouts to create what feels like an entryway into a grand castle or whatever building you are going for. In here is the ballroom.”
She kept moving, trying to sell the place before Amber could really shit on it. I had a feeling it was too late. Amber had made up her mind the moment she realized we were heading south. She was a snob and anything that was out of her usual neighborhood was unacceptable.
“This is ridiculous,” Amber seethed. “Why are you wasting our time with this? Do you understand how much our time costs? This is not what we want. I cannot believe you actually thought this was a good idea. I don’t know who you normally plan for, but clearly, it isn’t for people like us.”
Cherie turned and faced Amber. We stood inside the large ballroom with exposed beam ceilings, with walls covered in a wallpaper that matched the carpeting in the entry. “I know it doesn’t look like much now, but we can transform this into something completely different. People like you have already booked up the venues you would normally use. If you’d like to choose another date for your wedding, I’m sure your choices would open up a bit more.”
“Again, I know it’s hard for someone like you to understand, but people like us don’t wait for anything. Did you even try to scout other locations? This doesn’t show you put in any effort. I suppose I’m going to have to do all the work.”
“My assistant and I have checked in with every venue in the area that would be suitable for the size of your wedding,” Cherie said, her cool façade slipping just a little. “Unless you would like to call in some special favors, your options are limited.”
“My options are never limited,” Amber spat. “A real wedding planner would know how to get what I wanted.”
Cherie took a deep breath. “I can make some more calls.”
Amber’s arms were folded across her chest, her tirade not even close to being over. “Did you even pay attention to where this place is located?”
Cherie shrugged. “It’s close to the beach.”
Amber slowly shook her head. “It’s almost sad that you don’t realize what a joke this place is. You know who we are. You know the kind of money we have and yet you bring us to this trashy little place. I know you don’t know the difference between class and trash, but this is trash.”
Cherie’s eyes flashed. I stepped forward, knowing it was time to intervene. I had let it go on too long as it was. “Amber, this is the first place we’ve seen. She told you what could be done to make it what you want.”
Amber shot me a glare. “Gee, Evan, why don’t we just get married in a trailer park?”
“This isn’t a trailer park,” Cherie said quietly.
“It’s basically the same thing. You can put a million lights in here and it is still going to be trash. Maybe you should think about sticking to weddings that are more in line with your style. If trailer trash works for you, go for it, but this is my wedding and I will not lower myself to your standards.”
Cherie flinched and I’d had enough. It was the last straw. Amber could be a real bitch sometimes. I had seen it before, been embarrassed by it before, but not anymore. I would not allow her to talk to Cherie like she was a second-rate citizen.
“Enough,” I said in a deep, menacing growl. “You don’t like it. We all know that, but that does not give you the right to speak to Cherie like that.”
Amber’s face filled with shock. “Excuse me? This is my wedding and you’re letting this woman ruin it! Where did you find her anyway? Seriously, this is the trashiest venue I’ve seen. Only a low-rent planner would dare bring us here and try to convince us it was a good place. Lipstick on a pig, Evan. You cannot put lipstick on a pig and try to fool everyone.”
“Stop,” I warned.
“No! It’s my wedding.”
“It’s our wedding,” I reminded her.
“You told me I could have whatever I wanted. I’m Amber fucking Marks. I’m not about to ruin my reputation by walking into this place with all my friends laughing at me. Why did you hire her anyway? She doesn’t know what she’s doing. Has she ever worked for people like us? You can’t just hire anyone off the street.”
“You need to stop,” I warned, stepping in front of her, my back to Cherie. I was trying to protect her from Amber’s vile words. I had seen Amber’s vicious tongue in action before. I had seen her make assistants cry and photographers walk off set. She played the diva very well and didn’t give a shit about who she hurt during one of her tirades.
“No,” Amber shouted at me. “I am not going to have my wedding in this disgusting hovel. It isn’t okay. It’s hideous and embarrassing to even be seen here.”
“Cherie is busting her ass trying to give you everything you want in a ridiculously short period of time. You could do some legwork and find the venue yourself.”
Her jaw dropped. “Excuse me? I’m the client. That woman needs to figure out what her job is. She has no business taking on our wedding. Look at her. She—”
“Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Now.” I said every word slowly enough to make sure there was no misunderstanding. I would not hit a woman, but I would absolutely haul her ass back to the car without thinking twice if she insulted Cherie again.
The look on Amber’s face was priceless. I would have laughed if the situation weren’t so serious. I had never spoken to her in such a way before. I had always rolled over and let her throw her little fits and given her what she wanted. She was a spoiled brat used to getting whatever she wanted because of what she looked like and who she was.
I was so over all of it. The woman was vile and cruel and the very thought of spending the rest of my life with her made my stomach lurch. Hell, I wasn’t sure I could spend another five minutes with her.<
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Chapter 12
Cherie
I stepped back, not wanting to get in the middle of whatever was happening between Amber and Evan. I could tell by the set of his shoulders he was pissed. He wasn’t the kind of guy that got pissed very often. At least, he never used to be. Amber wasn’t backing down. In fact, she was provoking him. I watched as the model stepped toward him, getting close to his face as they stared each other down.
“This is done,” Evan hissed.
“What are you talking about?” Amber shouted. “I don’t want this place. I want grand and beautiful. You said I could have whatever I wanted.”
I rolled my eyes. She sounded like a petulant child. She was the type that could be given the world on a silver platter and she would still find something wrong with it. I knew her type. They built themselves up by tearing others down. Her insults were not worth my worry. I had been called far worse in my lifetime and had learned a long time ago people like Amber were just bitches.
“You are rude and obnoxious. You treat people like shit and I’m sick of it.”
“Evan, stop,” Amber whined. “I want us to have the perfect wedding. I want us to look back on the day and think it was the best day of our lives. I can’t have the perfect wedding when you hire people like her.”
“Stop,” Evan growled. “I’ve heard enough. You’re a shallow woman who thinks your surface beauty gives you free rein to treat other people like shit. I can’t stand it when you act like that. Your beauty is skin deep. You’re an ugly woman on the inside.”
I flinched hearing his words. Tears sprang to Amber’s eyes. “You can’t talk to me like that.”
“I can and I did. Someone needs to take you down a peg or two. You walk around acting like you are somehow better than everyone because of the body you were born with. We all know that under the five pounds of makeup on your face, you’re an average woman. You know you only have a couple of years left in the industry and you are trying to secure your future by marrying rich. I’m not going to be the sucker that marries you.”
Heart Breaker Page 7
