by AE Jones
Peggy shook her head. “She has no idea.”
“Who does?”
“My assistants, Chrystal and Becky.”
“You can’t tell anyone about the supernaturals,” Devin demanded.
Alex frowned at his commanding tone. Mr. Cocky Pants had graduated to Mr. Bossy Pants. “Who exactly am I going to tell this story to?”
“Your grandmother.”
Alex gave her head an emphatic, single shake. “I will not share this with her or anyone else.” She turned to Peggy. “So you run the vampire branch of the business.”
“It’s not just vampires. We offer services to all supernaturals.”
All supernaturals? Alex’s heart sped up. “Like Sydney? What is she?”
Peggy nodded slightly at Devin, who responded, “She’s a selkie. On land she has the body of a woman, but in the ocean she turns into a seal.”
Alex gazed up into his moss-green eyes. “So I’m not going crazy?”
“Far from it.”
“Thank God,” Alex sighed. “Do we know why Sydney bolted from her wedding?”
“That’s why I asked Devin to come here,” Peggy said. “He’s going to help us figure out what’s going on.”
“What do you mean?”
Peggy fiddled with her glasses. “There have been several unexplained mishaps at recent weddings. I think someone is trying to sabotage your grandmother’s business.”
“Why am I just hearing about this?” Alex demanded.
“Your grandmother isn’t convinced anything out of the ordinary is going on. She doesn’t want to scare away clients. But after Sydney’s runaway bride routine, we can’t keep it a secret anymore.”
“So who’d be trying to sabotage Bennett Bridal?”
Peggy hesitated briefly. “PWE has moved their headquarters to the West Coast.” Peggy clasped Alex’s hand and spoke to Devin. “Philips Wedding Experience is Lorinda’s main competitor.”
“Is Steve still working for them?” Alex bit her lip. Would she never escape him?
“Yes.” Peggy squeezed her hand tighter. “He’s a Vice President now.”
“Of course he is.”
“Who’s Steve?” Devin asked.
Alex looked up at him. “The man who left me at the altar.”
* * *
What was her story? Devin tried his best to read the beautiful woman in front of him. Alex was pale, but she hitched up her chin and her defiant expression dared him to comment on the bomb she’d just dropped. Instead he asked, “Why do you think PWE is sabotaging Bennett Bridal?”
Alex got to her feet. “Because they’ve done it before.”
Devin would have asked another question, but Peggy gave him an almost imperceptible shake of her head, so he waited patiently for Alex to continue. Instead she paced, the room silent with the exception of her flip-flops smacking loudly against the soles of her feet.
After another minute or so of staccato pacing, she faced him. “Now that I look back on it, I can see how young and stupid I was.”
Peggy interrupted her. “You couldn’t have known, Alex.”
She grimaced. “I’m not too sure I agree with you, Peg. Steve Phillips swept me off my feet. He was young, good-looking, charismatic, and I thought I had found a kindred spirit. We had both been raised in the bridal business, and were expected to take over the helms of our respective companies someday.”
Devin prompted, “What did your parents think?”
“My parents were both killed in an accident when I was five. My grandparents raised me. Grandmother was outraged. She didn’t want me anywhere near Steve or PWE. Their company had primarily been an East Coast threat, and then opened a branch on the West Coast and immediately began infringing on our business.”
“But you kept seeing him?”
“You bet. I got suckered into the whole Romeo and Juliet theme. Opposing families, forbidden love, and the rest of that ridiculousness. When Steve proposed and I accepted, my grandmother finally bit the bullet and decided to make the most of it.”
“How?” Devin prompted, but he already had an idea.
“She orchestrated the wedding of the century, of course. But it didn’t go as planned. He didn’t show up at the church.”
Devin schooled his face into a neutral expression. He had already figured out she wouldn’t want any pity from him. “How do his cold feet equate to sabotage?”
“The joke was on me in the end. PWE stole a huge client from us the same week as my wedding. Grandmother thinks it was planned from the beginning. She said he never loved me, and was working with his father to discredit our business. I mean, why would you want to work with a bridal consultant company whose heir apparent had been abandoned at the altar?”
“But your company is still in business.”
Alex smiled half-heartedly. “Yes. Here’s the ironic part. PWE’s plan backfired. When the story got out that I’d been jilted, I got the pity vote. Brides flocked to us in droves to show some twisted form of solidarity. Or at least they flocked to the company. But they made it very clear they didn’t want me to be a part of their wedding. Bad luck and all that. But Bennett Bridal became even more successful.” She hesitated. “Grandmother thought it would be best if I took a break from the business for a while.”
At the cost of your feelings, Devin thought, but didn’t say. He had the ridiculous urge to wrap his arms around her. Instead, he clenched his fists. He imagined finding good ol’ Steve and beating the snot out of him. “So you left the business.”
Her eyes sparked. “It was best for all involved.”
Peggy gave Alex a sideways hug. “It’s been two years, Alex. You don’t have to stay away forever.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
Devin turned to Peggy. “So you think there’s merit to checking out PWE?”
“It’s as good a place as any to start.”
Devin nodded. “I’m going to pay a visit to their office tomorrow.”
“I’m going with you,” Alex announced.
He shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Either you let me go with you, or I’ll go by myself.” She challenged him with that slightly raised chin again. “It’s your choice.”
He stared into her caramel eyes. He would need to go with her to run interference. His future depended on keeping this case from blowing up, and, based on the look in Alex’s face, letting her confront her ex alone was not the best way to accomplish that.
Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: A wedding can cause a bride and groom to reflect on prior relationships, sometimes with a bit of melancholy, and sometimes with disdain.
Chapter 6
What was she doing? Panic twisted its way up her spinal column and skittered along her nerve endings like manic ants. Alex smoothed her hand over her black pants and checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Was that sweat on her forehead? She brushed her hair off her face. She looked fine. There wasn’t anyone to impress. Certainly not Steve. But was it so wrong to want to appear confident and pulled together when she came face-to-face with him again?
It was time to get on with her life and prove to her grandmother that she was a valuable asset to Bennett Bridal. She squared her shoulders. She could do this. What was the saying from that childhood story?
I think I can, I think I can.
A knock at her apartment door brought her positive thinking to a halt. Devin. She opened the door and saw he left the suit at home today, wearing brown dress pants and a tan button-down shirt. How could someone be so ridiculously attractive and incredibly overbearing at the same time? However, now was not the time to ponder Mr. Cole. She only had room for one neurosis in her life.
She reached for her small purse on the hall table and he raised his eyebrows at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Her brain synapses stuttered to a stop. She stood gaping at him until something in her brain allowed her
to back up a step to let him in.
He skirted around her into the apartment. “I thought it would make sense for us to talk strategy before we go to PWE.”
Strategy, right. But she was drawing a blank.
A small meow sounded close to her feet. Cat looked up at the two of them.
“And who is this?”
“Cat.”
Devin grinned. “I know what a cat is, Alex.”
“No, her name is Cat.”
His eyes danced. “You named your cat, Cat?”
She huffed. “It’s not her permanent name. But she hasn’t liked the names I’ve suggested so far.”
“How do you know she doesn’t like them?”
“It’s the look she gives me.”
He covered his mouth but a chuckle still erupted. “Kind of like the look you’re giving me right now. Well, she’s a gorgeous cat.” He reached down, but Cat turned tail and darted under the couch.
“She’s a rescue kitty, and I don’t know her full history, but she isn’t too keen on men.” Smart cat.
He glanced around her apartment and then walked over to the pictures arranged on her bookcase. He reached for a frame and then stopped himself, turning his mossy-green gaze on her. “May I?”
She nodded.
He picked up the frame and studied it. “Is this you and your parents?”
Alex walked over next to him, gazing down at the picture, although there was no need. She had memorized it over the years, from her mother’s laughing face and brown hair that matched her own, to her father’s moustache and twinkling eyes. Even her own yellow jumper with sunflowers on it was permanently etched in her mind from years of staring at this picture.
“Yes. I don’t remember them very well.”
He returned the picture to the bookcase and moved on to the next frame.
“And who’s this?”
Alex relaxed. “Gramps. He and my grandmother raised me after my parents were killed.”
Devin’s gaze seemed to penetrate her thoughts, as if trying to learn all of her secrets. “You two were close.”
“Very.” Gramps had meant everything to her, the voice of reason when she felt like the world was closing in on her, or she was butting heads with Grandmother. But he was gone, too. An all-too-common theme in her life.
“He hasn’t been gone long.”
She blinked back tears. “Three years. Plenty of time to get past the grieving stage.”
He shook his head, his gaze changing from questioning to what she suspected might be…compassion?
“Don’t let anyone tell you when it’s time to stop grieving. Only you can know that.”
She cleared her throat and went over to adjust things on the coffee table, across the room from Devin. What had she been thinking, having him pick her up here? She should have met him at Bennett Bridal.
Instead, in a few short sentences, he had peeled away her façade and left her feeling like an exposed nerve. Her always-present panic swirled, barely hidden underneath the surface of her sanity, threatening to erupt.
“So, what is your strategy for PWE?” Alex blurted, hoping to change the subject.
He turned to face her. “What do you think it should be?”
“I think we should confront Steve.”
“Other than being a horse’s ass, what exactly are we going to confront him with?”
A surprised laugh bubbled out of her. “You don’t even know him.”
“I know what he did to you.”
He had a point. “Then what do you think we should discuss?”
“I think we should keep this to a simple fact-finding mission. I’m going to ask him about their business and hint at some of the trouble we’ve been having.”
“Should we risk that?”
He shrugged. “If they’re as cutthroat as you and Peggy say, they’re already capitalizing on your grandmother’s misfortune, whether or not they had anything to do with it.”
“Okay. Sounds like a plan.” She picked up her keys again and moved toward the door, but he didn’t follow her.
“Is there something else we need to cover?”
He hesitated for a moment, which made her heart skip a beat. If Mr. Overconfident was hesitating, this couldn’t be good.
“I just want to make sure that you’re going to be okay seeing this guy again.”
Before she could spout any protests, he held up his hands. “I don’t mean to insult you. If you don’t want to see him again, I totally understand. But if you do come in, remember to stay calm and not let this guy get to you, okay?”
“Thank you. I do have to be a part of this, both for me, and for my grandmother.”
The words sounded right when she said them, even if they made her quake. But wasn’t this what Dr. Jennings had been telling her to do all along? Face her fears?
* * *
The red numbers on the elevator panel ticked past at a snail’s pace. Devin hadn’t said much on the ride over to the PWE offices. She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. Maybe he was allowing her to gather her thoughts, or maybe he was wondering what he would do if she lost it with Steve. Either way, the lack of conversation was bordering on awkward.
Finally, the elevator arrived on the twentieth floor and the doors slid open. She gawked down the hallway. Where Bennett Bridal was sophisticated and understated, PWE was over the are-you-kidding-me top. The predominant theme was frill, and while they walked down the hall, Alex imagined she was swimming inside a Pepto-Bismol bottle. Pink, pink, and more pink attacked her senses. And if that wasn’t bad enough, pink and white lilies saturated the air with a sickly sweet scent. She glanced at Devin, who was staring at the area like it was road kill.
When they reached the reception area, the young woman behind the desk greeted them with a saccharine smile which grated on Alex’s nerves.
“Welcome to Phillips Wedding Experience, where all your wedding dreams come true. How may I help you?”
Devin gave her a perfunctory smile. “We’re here to see Steve Phillips.”
Her acrylic nails clicked on the keyboard. With a perplexed expression, she turned to look at him. “I’m sorry, but I don’t show any appointments scheduled for Mr. Phillips this morning. What is your name, please?”
Alex answered, “Tell him Alex Bennett is here to see him.”
“Mr. Phillips doesn’t normally accept unscheduled appointments. Give me a moment and I’ll check for you.” She tottered out of the room on platform shoes that had to be licensed as instruments of torture. After a minute, she walked back in, the wattage of her smile now considerably lower. “Mr. Phillips will be right out to see you.”
Alex’s stomach tightened, and she nodded, tapping her wrist behind her back. Devin moved a step closer. For some reason, the action comforted her.
The door to the left of the reception desk opened and Steve sauntered through. He was stockier, his lanky build filled out now that he was in his early thirties. His blond hair was shorter than years ago, and had way too much product in it. His eyes were a washed-out blue. They didn’t have the same spark she remembered, either. Had she been looking at him through rose-colored glasses while they were engaged?
He held out his hand. “Alex, it’s good to see you.”
She hesitated and then shook his hand. “Steve.”
“I must say, I’m surprised by the visit. What can I do for you?”
Devin said, “We would like a few minutes of your time.”
Steve’s eyes raked over Devin. “And you are?”
“Devin Cole. May we speak to you in private, please?”
“Of course.” Steve directed them back through the door, and they entered into an office decorated in browns and blues.
Alex glanced around. “Glad to see the pink stops in the lobby.”
Steve’s eyes narrowed on her. “We have a large clientele who responds to that décor.”
“The ones without taste?” Alex bit her lip. Where had that come from? Displ
aced aggression? Tourette Syndrome?
Devin chuckled. “Alex, that wicked tongue of yours is going to get you into trouble.” He reached up and ran his thumb lightly over her lower lip, and she gulped, heat rushing to her cheeks. His eyes soaked her up like a sponge, and she gasped. What the hell was he up to?
Steve scowled at their interchange. He apparently didn’t like to see Devin touching her, or maybe he didn’t like her reaction to Devin touching her. In that glorious moment Devin’s actions made sense. He was pretending to be her lover. It was petty, and childish, and she wished she had thought of it. She would definitely have to thank him later.
“Why are you here, Alex?”
“I’m sure you’ve read about the Sydney Thompson wedding?”
“Yes. The whole thing is tragic.” He directed them to guest chairs before he sat down behind his desk. “I didn’t think you were in the business anymore, Alex.”
She flinched. “I’m helping my grandmother.”
“If you’re here to discuss the clients who’ve recently left Bennett Bridal and come to us, I can assure you we did not entice them away. As you know, this is a fickle business. They voiced concerns about Bennett Bridal’s ability to reliably provide them with the wedding of their dreams, so PWE agreed to step in.”
“Of course you did,” Alex retorted, with an extra coating of sugar.
“You can’t blame brides for wanting to have a perfect wedding experience. Sydney might have killed herself because of her unhappiness over the wedding arrangements.”
Alex managed to remain seated and speak in a level voice. “You don’t honestly believe that she killed herself over color schemes and seating charts, do you?”
He sat up straighter. “It doesn’t matter what I believe. Brides are a superstitious bunch, and right now Bennett Bridal is a bad bet.”
Devin leaned forward. “And PWE is taking full advantage of it.”
“We’re not going to turn paying customers away.” He stood. “Bennett Bridal’s problems are an internal matter that have nothing to do with us.”
