Honey on Your Mind

by Maria Murnane

  Maybe I do have something special, I thought.

  Thankfully, Marge broke the silence. “What’s it like working with Wendy Davenport? Is she as beautiful in real life? We think she’s just wonderful.”

  I took a sip of my drink and nodded. I knew that if I said anything I was really thinking I’d completely burst their bubble and sound like a bitch, so I decided to change the subject. “She’s great. So what brings you ladies to Chicago?”

  “Oh, we’re here for the big scrapbooking convention,” Marge said.

  “The big scrapbooking convention?”

  Evelyn nodded. “You don’t know it?”

  I shook my head. Huh?

  “No way. For real? But it’s such a big show,” Marge said. She looked incredulous.

  I took another sip of my wine. “What is scrapbooking? Is that like putting together a photo album?”

  They looked at each other as though I’d asked them who the president was.

  Marge patted my arm and smiled. “My dear, comparing a scrapbook to a photo album is like comparing pastrami hash to corned beef hash. Can you imagine?”

  Huh?

  I feigned understanding because it was clear we were never going to be in the same book, much less on the same page. “Oh wow, I had no idea. I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

  Evelyn laughed. “No offense taken, my dear. We wouldn’t expect you New Yorkers to have the same hobbies that we do in the Midwest. You’re all so fancy.”

  Me? A New Yorker? Am I a New Yorker now?

  I started thinking about how much my life had changed—and all in a matter of weeks. New career, new city, new life.

  It had all happened so fast.

  “Waverly?”

  I blinked. “I’m sorry, what did you say?

  Evelyn smiled. “So what about you? What brings you to Chicago?”

  “Oh, I’m here for a meeting tomorrow morning with a buyer for a line of products tied into Honey on Your Mind.” As soon as I said the words, I realized how late it was getting. If I was going to be sharp for the meeting, I really needed to get to bed.

  Marge’s eyes opened wide. “You have a line of products tied into Honey on Your Mind?”

  I nodded. “It’s called Waverly’s Honey Shop. It’s just online right now, but I’m working on expanding into regular stores. The meeting tomorrow is with Jordan Brooke.”

  Evelyn clapped her hands together. “Jordan Brooke? I love that store! I shop there all the time. I want to buy something from Waverly’s Honey Shop.”

  “Me too,” Marge said. “Our friends back in Chippewa Falls are going to be so jealous we met you. Do you have a card?”

  I fished around in my purse and handed them each a card. Then I gestured toward the elevators. “I hate to drink and run, but I need my beauty rest if I’m going to be fresh for that meeting tomorrow morning. Would you mind if I said good night?” Beauty rest? Did I really just say that?

  “Only if you take a picture with us first!” Marge pulled out a camera from her enormous purse, and I proceeded to pose for a few pictures.

  For their scrapbooks, of course. Not their photo albums.

  They hugged me good-bye and wished me well.

  Then I hit the hay, Midwestern-style.

  • • •

  Lobby at eight meant wake-up call at seven, which came much too early for me, even with the time difference in my favor. I bolted upright and grabbed the receiver to stop the piercing ringing.

  “Thanks,” I said groggily to the automated voice, not sure why I was talking to a recording.

  I hung up the phone and collapsed back on the pillow, wishing I hadn’t had that extra glass of wine. It had been fun to meet real “fans” in Evelyn and Marge, but I needed to be sharp for the meeting, and I was feeling quite dull at the moment.

  A steaming hot shower and two cups of coffee later, I felt much better as the elevator doors opened to the lobby. I exited and looked around for Paige. She was sitting in a plush chair near the bar area, scrolling through her phone.

  “Hi, Paige, did you sleep OK?”

  She shrugged as I approached, still looking at her phone. “Not great. Listen, I have some bad news.”

  “Uh oh, I don’t like the sound of that.”

  She tossed her phone in her purse. “The buyer just canceled on us.”

  “What? Are you joking?”

  “Not joking. Something came up, and she had to fly to Indianapolis last night.”

  I sat down in a chair next to her. “Last night? And they just told you now?”

  She nodded. “Her assistant just e-mailed me.”

  “So we came all the way here for nothing?”

  “Not necessarily. The buyer’s scheduled to return this afternoon, so they’re asking to move the meeting to four o’clock.”

  “Four o’clock?”

  “Yep.”

  Frick.

  Jake was flying into New York at seven.

  Paige looked hopefully at me. “Can you stay? If we get on the seven o’clock flight, we’ll be back in New York a little after ten.”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  She smiled. “It’s your company, but if I were you, I’d stay.”

  I knew she was right. But still, ugh.

  I nodded. “OK, let’s do it.”

  • • •

  Several hours later, we were in a cab on the way to the meeting when Paige’s phone rang. As she fished it out of her purse, I gazed out the window and admired the beauty of the crisp fall Chicago afternoon. The leaves were changing colors and swirling in the air all around us.

  “Hello? Oh, hi, Amber, we’re on our way to your office right now. What’s up?”

  Pause.

  “Oh no, really?”

  I snapped my neck around. Oh no, what?

  Paige nodded. “I see.”

  I see what?

  “Uh-huh, I understand.”

  “You understand what?” I whispered to Paige. She swatted me away.

  “Let me check with Waverly.” Paige covered the phone with her hand and looked at me. “The buyer isn’t getting back from Indianapolis until late tonight now. She wants to meet us for brunch tomorrow.”

  “And her assistant is just telling us this now?”

  Paige whispered, “I get the feeling she’s not about to be promoted anytime soon,” and pointed to the phone. “So what do you want to do? I know this is screwing up your weekend with Jake. I’m so sorry.”

  I slouched in my seat. “I can’t believe this.” Jake was having dinner with Shane and Kristina in Manhattan, but he was expecting to meet me at my apartment at eleven. I already felt terrible for making him wait a few hours.

  “I know, and I’m really sorry, Waverly, but unfortunately this is how the business works. We’re selling a product, which means we’re at the mercy of the buyers, and they know it.”

  I sighed. “OK, fine.”

  “Fine?”

  I nodded.

  “You sure?”

  I nodded again. “Yeah, it’s OK. Let’s meet her tomorrow. I have a ton more work e-mails to deal with today anyway.” Maybe I could even take a nap before dinner. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d taken a nap.

  She smiled and squeezed my knee as she put the phone back to her ear. “Amber, are you still there? OK yes, brunch tomorrow will work.”

  I leaned toward the cab driver as Paige coordinated our plans for the next day with Amber. “Can you take us back to the hotel, please?”

  • • •

  “This is like Groundhog Day.” I took a sip of my wine and set it on the bar. Paige and I were back at the crowded hotel a couple hours later, having a drink, and trying to stay positive.

  She laughed. “At least the hotel didn’t give away our rooms. It would not be fun wandering around Chicago looking for a place to stay on a Friday night. Can you imagine if we ended up at a scary Motel 6 in the middle of nowhere?”

  I pointed at her and nodded. “True.
I wonder if those scrapbooking ladies will find me again.”

  “You mean your fans?”

  I laughed. “I admit it was a bit surreal, but they were super nice, despite the fact that they don’t seem to realize it’s not the eighties anymore.”

  “Yeah, it must be a trip to have total strangers recognize you like that.”

  “It was. It was like they felt they really knew me, even though they’d never even met me. It was strange. Can you imagine how real celebrities must feel?”

  She sipped her drink. “It seems like a lot of people are watching Love, Wendy, so you’re probably going to have to get used to it.”

  “I don’t know if I could ever get used to it, to be honest.”

  “So things are cool with Jake?” I’d noticed that Paige asked me about him quite a bit, which always made me feel a little bad for her. It was obvious she really wanted to be in a relationship, so I didn’t want to talk too much about how great mine was.

  “Yeah, but I feel awful that he’s in New York right now and I’m still here. He knows it’s not my fault, but I could tell he was disappointed.” At least I’d been able to reach him with my latest change in plans before he boarded his flight. “He’s going to stay with friends tonight, and he and I will meet up tomorrow for dinner. It’s not ideal, but at least I’ll still get to see him.”

  “He sounds like a good one, Waverly.”

  I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, he’s great.”

  “I think I’m done with trying to find the right guy for me. Dating is just too painful.” She took another sip of her drink and sighed.

  I put my hand on her shoulder. “Hey now, don’t think that way. You sound exactly like me, before I met Jake.”

  “I do?”

  “Just ask your cousin. Remember those crazy dating stories I told you when we first met?”

  She nodded.

  “Those are just a few of like…a billion. I was convinced I’d be alone forever. So trust me, there are good guys out there. If I could find one, anyone can.”

  She sighed again. “I’m just sick of it, you know? Every time I get my hopes up, I’m inevitably disappointed, or I get hurt, or both. Here I am in my midthirties, and I’m still dealing with awkward first dates. I just never thought I’d still be alone at this age.”

  I looked at her and remembered how many times I’d said something similar, if not those exact words, to Andie and McKenna. With so many people in the world, why was finding just one to love who will love you back so hard?

  Suddenly I wanted to talk to Jake. I also felt like giving Paige a hug but decided otherwise. I didn’t want her to think I felt sorry for her or that there was anything wrong with being single, or with her not wanting to be single. She was smart and kind and funny. She would find someone who deserved her eventually, wouldn’t she?

  I wished I knew for sure.

  I stood up from the barstool. “I’ll be right back, OK?”

  She nodded, and I walked to a quiet part of the lobby. I pulled out my phone and called Jake’s number. It went straight to voice mail.

  “Hey, Jake, uh, I know you’re still on the plane, but I just wanted to say…I love you. I…I love you lots. Uh, OK, I guess that’s it. Oh, this is Waverly. Bye.”

  I hung up and cringed slightly, wondering if I’d ever get any better at leaving voice mails.

  When I got back to the bar, Paige was chatting with a tall man with sandy brown hair and broad shoulders.

  “Hi,” I said as I approached.

  The man turned around, and I was struck by how attractive he was. He was rugged and chiseled and looked like an Abercrombie & Fitch model, or, rather, like the father of an Abercrombie & Fitch model, most of whom looked about sixteen.

  “Well hello there, I’m Gary.” He held out his hand for a firm shake. “I’m in town from Nashville.”

  “I’m Waverly. It’s nice to meet you.”

  I quickly peeked at the ring finger on his left hand, which was bare. Then I looked at Paige, who had seen me do it and smiled knowingly as she handed me a full glass of wine. “Gary just ordered us another round. Wasn’t that nice of him?”

  I took the glass and smiled back. “Thank you, yes, that was very nice of you.”

  Gary held his glass up to ours for a toast. “Here’s to new friends in new places.”

  We clinked our glasses against his. “So what brings you to Chicago?” I asked.

  “Business meetings. I’m in sales, nothing too exciting. I was just telling Paige that I’d love to take her to dinner tonight, but she said she couldn’t leave her friend. So what do you say? There’s a world-class steak house just a couple doors down from the hotel, and I’d be honored to treat you both.” He spoke with a Southern drawl that was slight enough to be charming yet not distracting. He reminded me of Blake Shelton.

  I stole a quick glance at Paige, who nodded quickly. Then I regained eye contact with Gary. “Um, sure, why not? We don’t have any pressing plans tonight, do we, Paige?”

  “I don’t think so.” She said the words casually, but there was a spark in her eye I’d never seen.

  Gary tapped his palm on the bar. “Well then, it’s settled. Tonight Nashville is taking New York out on the town in Chicago.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Paige said.

  I sensed I had a long night ahead.

  • • •

  By the time dessert came, I was a little buzzed and a lot exhausted. I took a bite of flourless chocolate cake and wished I were up in my room. I felt like we’d been at the restaurant for hours, but Paige was clearly having a ball. Gary was super charming, not to mention super attractive, so I was determined to hang in there and be a good wingman for as long as she needed me.

  Until then.

  Gary held up his wine glass. “So, are you ladies up for a drink back at the hotel? Maybe some dancing?”

  I looked up from my plate and tried not to laugh. “Did you just say dancing?” There was no way I was going dancing.

  Paige nodded. “A drink back at the hotel sounds like fun. Count me in. As for the dancing, we’ll have to see.”

  “Atta girl.” Gary said to her, and then looked at me. “What about you, Waverly, are you in for another round at the hotel?”

  I shook my head. “Thanks, but I’m beat. I think I’m going to head up to my room and crash.”

  “Are you sure? It’s still so early.” Paige gave me a look feigning disappointment, but I knew she didn’t care. And why would she? Gary was, well, hot. I had a boyfriend I loved dearly, but Gary was still hot.

  It was definitely time to cut the wingman loose.

  I yawned and thought about all the e-mails I still needed to deal with in the morning for Honey on Your Mind. “I know it’s early, but I’m exhausted and have a lot of work to do. If I want to make a decent impression at brunch tomorrow, I need to go to bed.”

  Paige laughed. “Andie told me you need your fourteen hours of sleep.”

  I nodded. “That girl knows me well.”

  Gary paid the bill, and the three of us walked back to the hotel. I said good-bye in the lobby and proceeded to follow my own instructions: I went upstairs and crashed.

  • • •

  I slept like a corpse, and by the time I met Paige in the lobby at ten thirty, I’d already showered, scanned the paper, answered a bunch of reader e-mails, and spoken to Jake on the phone. I was quite proud of myself for being so productive on a Saturday.

  Paige, on the other hand, didn’t look so perky when she arrived.

  “Ouch, you don’t look so good.”

  She nodded. “I’ll take that. I slept two hours.”

  “Two hours! Are you serious?”

  “Shhh, not so loud.” She took off her sunglasses and sat down in a chair next to me.

  I lowered my voice. “What happened?”

  She smiled.

  “Well?”

  “We ended up having a couple of more drinks at the bar, and then we went dancing at some club
downtown, and then…” her voice trailed off.

  “And then what?”

  She smiled again.

  “You hooked up with him?”

  She nodded. “Nothing too serious, though. He was a complete gentleman.”

  “Nice! He’s super dreamy.”

  She kept nodding. “Isn’t he?”

  “Is he still here?”

  She shook her head. “He left early this morning for the airport. But, he’s coming to New York next week for work, so we’re going to meet up then.”

  “That’s great, Paige. He seems like a nice guy. I love his Southern manners.” I was so excited for her. If anyone needed a nice guy with manners, it was Paige.

  She put her sunglasses back on. “I do too. Maybe that’s been my problem all along. I’ve been casting my rod for New York men, when apparently I should have gone fishing in the South all along. They’re like a different species, you know?”

  Jake was from Florida. I knew.

  We gathered our things and headed out for our brunch, which I half-expected would be canceled en route.

  • • •

  Finally, the meeting happened.

  From our seats at the table, Paige and I watched a woman enter the restaurant and approach us.

  She was fifteen minutes late.

  Rebecca Clark was a senior buyer at Jordan Brooke. From what Paige had told me about her, she was powerful, had great instincts, and was highly regarded within the industry.

  In other words, she was a big shot.

  She also wasn’t anything like I expected.

  Disheveled and out of breath, she rushed to the table and sat down.

  “Ladies, I’m so sorry to be late, and I’m so sorry for being so hard to pin down. I hate when people cancel on me, and I can’t apologize enough for doing it to you twice. And in the same day! Goodness me.” She shook each of our hands, then immediately reached for a croissant and began to butter it. “It’s just so unprofessional, and I’m mortified. Just mortified. And as for my tardiness this morning, let’s just say my kids are going to get an earful when I get back to the house. Again, I apologize.” She took a bite of croissant and sighed. I tried not to laugh.

  This is the senior buyer who had me so nervous?

  “Don’t worry, we completely understand,” Paige said. “These things happen.”