“Sure,” Keslee said. It wasn’t like she had any great plans for tonight anyway.
When Keslee got back from lunch, the event invitation was on her desk. She read over the information. Nothing too unique—a reception with refreshments, a brief presentation by the sales team, and then a tour of the building and grounds. Keslee had been to a few of these events before, and, while they were a little dry, they weren’t too painful.
At five o’clock, Keslee shut off her computer and left the office, taking the invitation with her. She knew the general area where the new event center was located, but she still entered the address in her GPS in case she got lost.
The event center was beautiful. Keslee instantly thought of a few brides who would be eager to book it for weddings next summer. The long driveway, framed with mature trees, had an English feel she knew they would love. Keslee followed the line of cars up to the building’s front entrance where a valet took her keys and drove away.
Keslee smoothed her hands over her brown pencil skirt, glad she hadn’t worn slacks to work today. The building’s exterior had an elegant, regal feel, with dramatic archways and romantic pillars. She handed the invitation to the doorman and walked inside.
Keslee looked around, taking in the grand entryway with a critical eye. The twenty-foot ceiling made it feel grand and expensive, a plus for many of her clients. She saw the curved staircase and knew it would be a favorite spot for bouquet tosses.
A waiter appeared, offering Keslee a glass of champagne and an hors d’oeuvre. Keslee thanked him and wandered into the grand ballroom, mentally making notes as she went. Impressive chandeliers. Romantic lighting. A large dance floor with room for a band.
“Keslee?”
Keslee turned around and nearly dropped her glass of champagne. Bryce. In a black suit and blue shirt.
The shirt was the exact shade as the one he’d worn for their date last Friday.
Keslee’s cheeks burned with a blush. So much for never seeing him again.
“What are you doing here?” Keslee asked.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Bryce motioned to the building. “I’m head of the sales and marketing department here. I’m assuming you’re an event planner.”
“Wedding planner.” Keslee cleared her throat. “The building is eleful.” And I sound like an idiot. Seriously, was what she’d done so horrific that this was karma’s payback? “It’s elegant and beautiful.”
Bryce looked around. “The marble floors were imported from Turkey and the chandeliers are one of a kind, custom made.” He stopped. “Sorry, sales pitch … it’s habit. I started working here a month ago. My boss from the charity I worked for in Uganda is related to the owner of this place.”
“Oh.” That was an unfortunate coincidence. Why did he have to work here? The place where so many of her brides would be dying to start their happily ever-afters? At least he’s in sales, she reminded herself. It’s not like he’s the event coordinator. With a little luck, she would be able to avoid him. Or he’d find a new job.
Bryce looked around uneasily, unwilling to meet Keslee’s eyes. “I’m really sorry about Friday. I don’t think I handled it all that well.”
Keslee held up a hand. She hadn’t thought she could feel more awkward about their date, but having Bryce apologize for it reduced her to the size of an ant. “We both apologized a thousand times on Friday. I feel like such an idiot for lying. I swear I’m not usually like that. Let’s … Let’s forget it ever happened and start over.” Like maybe forget you used to have a crush on Jadyn. Because Bryce in that suit? Her cheeks flushed and she looked away. Attractive didn’t begin to cover it.
Maybe she wasn’t over him after all.
“Starting over. I like the sound of that.”
“Me, too.” Keslee held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Keslee. I have an identical twin sister, but she passed away two years ago.”
“Bryce,” he said, accepting her handshake. His fingers were warm, his grip firm without being painful. Bryce grinned, and her insides crumbled at the dimple that appeared in his right cheek.
Keslee was back in tenth grade with melting insides all over again.
Stop it, she commanded. What the heck was happening? Friday had been a complete disaster. Ten minutes ago, she would’ve been happy never to see Bryce again. But the second he’d shown up, butterflies had spread their wings in her stomach and she’d become a giggling sophomore hoping he’d notice her.
He liked Jadyn, not me. And now we’re working together. Sort of. Besides, she and Jadyn had The Pact. She couldn’t date him, even if she wanted to.
And she most definitely didn’t want to.
Who was she kidding? She wanted to. So. Much.
“Well.” Bryce cleared his throat. “I’d better go get ready. I’m giving the sales presentation.”
“Of course.” Keslee laughed. “You’re the sales guy. It makes sense you’re making the presentation.”
The uncomfortable grin returned. “Uh, yeah.”
And now she didn’t need to worry about dating him, because there was no way he was ever going to ask her out again. She was being such a spaz. Jadyn had always known how to tone down that side of Keslee.
“See you around,” Bryce said. He gave a small wave and walked away.
“Later, dude.” Dude? Keslee threw back the rest of her champagne. This wasn’t a football game. As if their last encounter hadn’t been humiliating enough. If this wasn’t a work event, she’d be tracking down a waiter and demanding another glass. Life seemed determined to keep complicating things.
CHAPTER FIVE
When Keslee came in to work on Tuesday morning, Candice was waiting for her.
“How was the reception?” Candice asked.
Awkward. Turns out the guy I fake dated works there. We ran into each other and had an incredibly uncomfortable conversation about how it’s okay I pretended to be my dead sister.
“The reception went great,” Keslee said. “They had a very professional presentation and the building is beautiful. I think a lot of our clients will be interested in booking the venue.”
Candice beamed. “Excellent. I’ve called for a staff meeting at three. Can you put together a presentation on Magnolia Gardens? I want all the other wedding planners to get an overview of what this venue has to offer so we can start showcasing it to clients.”
Keslee should’ve known Candice would want a report. Why hadn’t Keslee paid more attention to Bryce’s words during the presentation last night instead of remembering how his lips used to move against the mouthpiece of his trombone? “I’ll have the presentation ready to go,” Keslee told Candice. Surely Magnolia Garden’s website had the information she needed. There was no way she was calling Bryce to ask for a repeat presentation.
For once, the universe was on Keslee’s side. Magnolia Gardens had an excellent website, and it helped her remember enough of the presentation to put together a decent slide show for the staff meeting. At least she wouldn’t embarrass herself at work. And she didn’t need to call Bryce.
She kind of wished she needed to call him. Almost.
At ten thirty, Keslee had an appointment with one of her newest brides. They were in the beginning stages of planning, but she already had a pretty good feel for Ivie’s likes and dislikes.
When Ivie entered the office, she beamed, sinking into a chair across from Keslee’s desk. “We’ve decided on a date,” she said.
Keslee looked up from her computer. “I know. February twentieth.” She pointed to her computer monitor. “It’s right here in your file.”
“We’re changing it,” Ivie said. “The new date is August twelfth. I’ve always wanted a summer wedding.”
Keslee nodded, clicking on the file to update it. Ivie wasn’t the first client to change the date. Besides, after working with Ivie for a few months, Keslee could tell the girl was flighty. “The weather should be beautiful in August,” Keslee said. “That gives us fifteen months to plan, whic
h is plenty of time to make sure everything is perfect. And now we can do an outdoor venue if you want.”
“No.” Ivie shook her head, sending her blonde curls bobbing. “We want to get married August twelfth of this year.”
Keslee’s hand froze on the mouse. “That’s in three months.”
Ivie nodded. “Zak received new orders from the Army. They’re transferring him to Germany in September. All our family, all our friends are here. We want to get married before we move.”
Keslee fiddled with her hair, leaning back in her chair. Three months. That would certainly be a challenge. “Okay. This limits our options quite a bit, but we can make it work.”
“You can do anything. I trust you.”
Keslee hoped the trust wasn’t misplaced. She smiled, hoping she looked reassuring and not panicked. “With only three months, we’ll have to work fast. The first thing we need to do is secure a venue. I know you’ve expressed preference for Rose Cottage, but I can pretty much guarantee they won’t have any availability this close to August. They’re usually booked a year out.”
“I like Rose Cottage, but Zak isn’t a fan. If we have to change venues, we’ll change. We were driving downtown last week and that new place on 53rd looks ready to open. Zak absolutely loves the outside of that building, and so do I. It’s kind of got a European flair, which is perfect now.”
Keslee’s hand stilled. “You’re talking about Magnolia Gardens.”
“Is that what it’s called?” Ivie gave a dramatic sigh. “I love that name. It would sound so elegant on the invitations. Have you been inside?”
“Yes. I was there last night, in fact. I think you’d like it.” Keslee couldn’t decide whether that was a good or bad thing. Did she want to see Bryce again? Their last two encounters had been beyond uncomfortable, but she still felt all fluttery when he was around. “They’re opening next month.”
Ivie clapped her hands. “Great! They shouldn’t be booked, right? Not if they’re just opening.”
“New places are always really popular and fill up fast.” Keslee sighed at Ivie’s hopeful expression. “I’ll call and find out.”
Keslee looked up the information for Magnolia Gardens and called the front office. Bryce had said last night that they were already nearly booked for summer. Maybe they wouldn’t have an opening on August twelfth.
“Magnolia Gardens.” The voice was deep, gruff, and unexpectedly masculine. And very Bryce-like. No, it’s gotta be someone else. Surely the head of sales had better things to do than answer phones.
“Uh, hi. This is Keslee Waters from The Frosted Bride. I have a client who is interested in booking your venue.”
“Keslee?”
There was no mistaking his voice now. Keslee’s heart galloped in her chest. She hoped Ivie couldn’t see her blush. “Hi, Bryce. I didn’t expect you to answer the phone.”
“Our scheduling coordinator doesn’t start until next week so I’m filling in. What day is your bride looking at?”
Right. Ivie. The wedding. “August twelfth. I know it’s soon, but we’ve had some extenuating circumstances arise and we’re moving up the wedding.”
“August twelfth is available,” Bryce said. “The Iris room is booked, but the Lily and Gardenia rooms are still open.”
Ivie’s expression was eager. Keslee gave her a thumb’s up. I’m talking to Bryce! It felt fantastic and awful all at once, like mixing chocolate and freshly squeezed lemonade.
It’s neither awful nor fantastic. This is about Ivie, not you. “Great. Can we schedule a time to come by and do a tour?”
“Of course,” Bryce said. “Name a date and time, and we can make it work.”
Keslee put a hand over the mouthpiece. “They still have two rooms available on August twelfth. When do you want to go look?”
“Can we go tomorrow?” Ivie asked. “I’m off work at two.”
Keslee uncovered the mouth piece. “How about tomorrow afternoon?”
“I can do four o’clock,” Bryce said.
“Four o’clock it is,” Keslee said. Ivie clapped her hands together.
“I’ve penciled you in,” Bryce said. “I look forward to seeing you again, Keslee.” His voice was deep and sexy.
Keslee shivered. “We’ll see you soon,” she agreed, and hung up the phone.
Ivie let out a squeal and jumped out of her chair, rushing to hug Keslee. “Thank you!”
Keslee smiled weakly. I look forward to seeing you again. Had Bryce meant that in the general sense, or in the I’m-secretly-in-love-with-you-and-will-be-eagerly-awaiting-your-arrival sense? She really hoped the latter. But after their last two disastrous encounters, could he really be excited to see her again?
I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
CHAPTER SIX
Keslee had never dreaded a client meeting so much. With an entire night to obsess over seeing Bryce, she’d convinced herself she would once again come out of the encounter looking like a fool. She’d trip and fall, or stumble over her words, or bring up that awful date. She drove slowly toward Magnolia Gardens, doing her best to stretch out the time it would take to get there. Naturally, because she wanted to be delayed, she hit every green light and encountered no traffic whatsoever.
Why did she still care about Bryce’s opinion, anyway? Sure, he had spent his Saturdays in high school playing the trombone at a retirement center. Yes, he’d been on the honor roll. He’d taken a girl with special needs to the winter formal because he knew she had a crush on him. He’d been a very sexy Doctor Who one year for Halloween.
But that was high school. She wasn’t sixteen anymore. For all she knew, now he could be a complete jerk.
Except he wasn’t. Not even close. Because a jerk wouldn’t have been nearly as nice about the lying-about-her-dead-sister thing.
Keslee’s stomach wriggled and squirmed with anxiety, while simultaneously her traitorous mind anticipated seeing him again. In high school, she’d considered him practically perfect. But the adult version of Bryce was even better.
Despite trying her best to be late, Keslee arrived at Magnolia Gardens ten minutes early. She waited in her car for Ivie and Zak to arrive, her fingers nervously drumming against the steering wheel in time to the music.
We can both be professional. Bryce had proved that with how kind he’d been both at the reception and over the phone. There was no reason they couldn’t put their awkward date behind them and be friendly colleagues. Maybe even friends. Or more than friends.
Stop it, Keslee. They would be friendly colleagues. Nothing more.
Ivie and Zak arrived with three minutes to spare. Keslee greeted them, and they all walked into Magnolia Gardens together.
Ivie sucked in her breath as they entered the front doors. “It’s beautiful.”
“Very nice,” Zak agreed.
That’s when Bryce appeared. He strode down the spiral staircase, looking impeccable in his suit and tie. Briefly, Keslee imagined what he’d look like in a t-shirt and jeans. Yummy. She hadn’t seen him in anything but a suit since reconnecting. He’d even been in one at the grocery store.
“You must be Ivie and Zak,” Bryce said, extending his hand toward both of them.
“The center is absolutely gorgeous,” Ivie said.
Bryce smiled. “Thank you. We’re proud of it. We feature three reception halls, each with their own private dance floor and outside garden space. Even if we have three events running simultaneously, you’ll feel like you’re the only party in the building.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Ivie gushed.
“I’ll be guiding your tour today,” Bryce said. He gave an apologetic smile. “We’re still running at about half-staff, so I’m filling in. Our official grand opening isn’t for another two weeks. Most of the employees start Monday.”
“Thank you for letting us in early,” Zak said. He grabbed Ivie’s hand and squeezed. “We really want to get married before I’m transferred to Germany.”
“My pleasure,” Bry
ce said. Keslee followed at the back of the group, trying to listen to Bryce’s words instead of focusing on how his lips looked while he formed them.
“I’ll give you two a few minutes to discuss things,” Bryce said at the end of the tour. “Keslee, can I have a word with you?”
“Of course,” Keslee said. She glanced at Ivie and Zak, whose heads were close together in conversation, and followed Bryce a discreet distance away.
“Keslee, I feel like a jerk,” Bryce said.
Keslee raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “I was so caught up in my shock over Jadyn’s death that I didn’t even stop to think about how it’s affected you. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose your twin.”
Keslee blinked, her eyes brimming with tears despite her best efforts to stop them. It’s like losing part of your soul. But she was learning how to get by without Jadyn. She missed her, but not with the same breathless intensity she had for the year immediately following her death. “It’s been hard. Jadyn was so vivacious and strong. Everyone loved her.”
“Everyone loved you in high school, too.”
Keslee blushed. “Right.” She had always been Jadyn’s twin and never simply Keslee. “I feel awful about lying to you,” Keslee said.
“You’ve already apologized.”
“Yeah, but I feel like it’s not enough.”
“We agreed to start over. Can we try to be friends?”
“Friends,” she agreed. She bit her lip. Maybe she and Bryce still had a chance.
“If you ever need to talk about Jadyn, I’m here for you. Whatever you need. You have my number. Feel free to use it.”
Did he really want to be friends, or did he only want to talk about Jadyn? Was he using her as a replacement? Maybe Bryce wasn’t such a nice guy after all.
You’re being ridiculous, Keslee. Bryce had paid for her meal after she lied to him. He’d done humanitarian work in Uganda, for heaven’s sake. He was a textbook nice guy.
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