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It seemed his grumpiness was isolated to her. Lisa turned her back on him and paid attention to the glass counter filled with gorgeous chocolates again. “Sage, that’s what I came to tell you. I want some chocolates for the shop today. We’re having some special guests. Polly Parker and Ruby Cole are coming to see if they can find bridesmaid dresses this morning.”
Sage wrinkled her nose. “I recognize those names. Who are they?”
“They’re friends of Nancylynn Pruitt’s. Do you know she’s coming back to get married here in a few weeks?” Lisa’s eyes widened as she just remembered something. “She wants to use local businesses. I’ll tell her to come in here. You could make her wedding favors.”
Sage smiled widely and looked thoughtful. “Do you think she would want something like that?”
“Why not, doesn’t everyone love your chocolates?”
Sage shrugged modestly. “I hope so. I could make her individual chocolates covered in foil to match her bridesmaid dresses. Does she have a theme for her wedding? I could make her molds – you know, cowboy hats, intertwined hearts, or just a great big Hollywood sign.”
She picked up a handful of leaflets and handed them over to Lisa. “Can you leave them in the shop so she can see them? If she’s interested she can come and chat with me.”
Lisa grinned. “Once she’s tasted the chocolates I’ll have in store for her today I bet she’s over in a shot.” She almost pressed her nose against the glass. She didn’t care it was only nine am. She’d been awake since five. It was never too early for chocolate.
Sage pulled out a basket and lined it with some tissue paper. “Do you just want a variety?”
Lisa nodded and started pointing through the glass. “Some of the orange ginger truffles – you know they’re my favorites. And the chocolate mint melts.” She moved further along the counter as Sage picked up her tongs and started putting chocolates in the basket. “Some heart-shaped raspberry creams, the fig and pistachio chocolates and the spicy mango too. Oh, and some coconut truffles.”
“Are you sure that basket’s big enough?” Adam’s deep voice had a hint of laughter about it. Maybe he wasn’t such a grump after all.
Lisa swung around towards him. To be fair, he looked tired. He’d probably been up most of the night. “I’m just trying to make my new guests feel welcome. What girl, or guy,” she added, “doesn’t like chocolate?” She waved her hand towards the counter. “Go on then. What’s your poison? But I’m warning you, if it’s the orange ginger truffles we’ll be out there duelling at dawn.”
The edges of his tired lips hinted at a smile. “You’re safe, I’m here for four bars of the single origin cinnamon and hazelnut chocolate bars. Can’t see past them.”
Sage tapped a few she had sitting on the counter behind her. “And I keep them specially for Adam.” She nodded towards Lisa and laughed. “He gets cranky if they’re sold out.”
“Cranky?” said Lisa as she couldn’t help but grin. “Oh no, Sage. Not Dr. Brady. He’d never be cranky.” She raised her eyebrows at him as Sage rang up her chocolates on the cash register.
Sage smiled back at Adam and lifted her hand. “It’s two against one. Don’t even go there. Are you playing poker with Dawson and the guys tonight?”
He gave a nod. “Unless I’m called back on duty, tonight is free. I’m looking forward to it.”
She turned to Lisa. “What about you, are you going to Grey’s tonight?”
Talk about a setup. Lisa felt color rush to her cheeks. At some point she would kill Sage for this. She liked to try and play matchmaker for others. Lisa felt as if she had a sign above her head. Single and desperate.
She picked up her chocolates from the counter and handed over her cash just as Adam put his cash on the counter at the same time. Their fingers almost brushed together. “I’m meeting Magdalena later. We might have a few drinks at Grey’s.” She could see Adam watching her out of the corner of her eye. Was he smiling? Did he sense Sage’s setup too? She started to pray that the ground would just open up and swallow her now.
She did her best to completely ignore Adam Brady. His hair was sticking up in all directions and he’d dark circles under his eyes. The guy looked as if he just wanted to grab his chocolate and head straight to bed.
Instead, he gave a little smirk, leaned over and grabbed one of the chocolates Sage had just placed in a wicker basket for her and popped it in his mouth.
“Hey!” she yelled as he tucked his chocolate bars into his pocket and disappeared quickly out into the street, laughing the whole way.
*
Everything was perfect. Everything was just as it should be.
She’d pulled a rail through from the back stockroom and sat it in the middle of the store, filling it with every variety of bridesmaid dress that she had. As the rail was on wheels it was easy to manoeuvre and meant that Ruby and Polly would be able to sit comfortably on the pink velvet-covered chairs and view all the styles.
The chocolates were on a small table between both chairs, along with some slim glasses which she planned to fill with sparkling wine or water if required.
Lisa glanced at her watch. The pizza ovens next door would fire up soon, so she lit a candle to let the aroma of summer flowers fill her store. Perfect. She rubbed her hands together as her stomach turned over and over. Now, she just needed her potential customers.
So, she waited. And waited. And waited…
*
It was after 2:00 pm before the wedding party finally arrived. Nancylynn looked harassed to death. Paparazzi pictures always showed her as immaculately groomed with not a hair out of place. Today, her dyed-blonde locks were pulled back in a ponytail and her eyes a little red. Lisa hadn’t seen Nancylynn in years – apart from the TV. Nancylynn had been six years below her at school, so their paths hadn’t crossed often.
“Lisa, I’m so sorry we’re late,” she gushed as she hurried into the shop, crossing the small space and enveloping Lisa in a bear hug.
Lisa was surprised. They’d always known each other to say hello to, but never been friends. Her professional persona slipped easily into place. Nancylynn was a bride. It was her job to make sure everything went perfectly for her, and from the strain on her unlined botoxed face, it was obvious she needed some support.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Nancylynn. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I’ll do everything I can to make things easy on you.”
Nancylynn blinked. “It’s just Nancy now,” she murmured, glancing over her shoulder as her bridesmaids trooped in behind her. “I prefer just Nancy.”
Lisa smiled. “No problem, Nancy it is.” One bridesmaid was chewing gum and the other on her phone. Neither of them paid the slightest bit of attention to Lisa or the bride-to-be. Being this up close to Nancy was illuminating. There was no getting away from the fact she was a gorgeous girl, with perfect skin and clear blue eyes. But the dyed blonde hair was just a little harsh. Nancy Parsons had been more attractive with her naturally colored auburn hair. In Hollywood it made her stand out from the crowd of cardboard cut-out blondes. Today? Not so much.
Nancy walked over towards the rail of hanging bridesmaid dresses and took a deep breath. “We’ve been to seventeen stores. I swear, we’re not leaving here today until they’ve agreed on a dress.”
Lisa glanced towards the bridesmaids. They were still totally ignoring her. She cleared her throat to no effect. Something sparked in her brain and she walked over to her white wicker glass-topped counter and lifted the bottle of Prosecco. “Would anyone like a drink before we start?”
It seemed those were the magic words. Nancy snapped to attention. “Sorry, yes. Lisa, this is Ruby Cole and Polly Parker, my bridesmaids.” Lisa held out her hand towards both of them. They pract
ically had ‘hard work’ stamped on both of their foreheads.
But it was weird. Up close and personal they looked so similar. Lisa guessed that Hollywood’s plastic surgeons all worked to the same ideals. In another few years Nancylynn would probably be identical to the other two.
Ruby’s eyes never left the bottle the whole time Lisa popped the cork and poured the pale sparkling liquid into glasses. She almost snatched the glass from Lisa’s hand.
Lisa never even blinked, just waved her arms towards the pink covered velvet vintage chairs. “Have a seat, ladies. I have some refreshments for you.” She turned to Nancy. “Nancy, do you remember Sage Carrigan from high school? She’s opened a chocolatiers in Marietta. I thought you might like to try some of her creations.”
Something flickered across Nancy’s face. Of course. Hollywood. Every calorie was a prisoner. Polly didn’t seem to have any such thoughts. She plopped down in a chair and stuffed two in her mouth at once. “Great. Now, what you got for us?”
Lisa waited a few moments for Nancy and Ruby to sit down. She turned to her dazzling array of dresses. “Let’s start with color. What’s your preference?”
She could tell in an instant the range of shades that both women should be wearing. With their Hollywood tans, perfect teeth and bright blonde shoulder length hair, the taupe colors would look best on them. It would complement their hair and skin tone. Pale was definitely best.
“I want red,” said Polly. “I want people to notice me.”
Because of course, you wouldn’t want them to look at the bride. Lisa tried to push her thoughts aside.
“I was thinking electric blue, with lots of sparkle,” said Ruby.
Lisa bit her lip. “What about something like this?” She lifted a pale shimmering green dress with crystals on the bodice from the rail and held the dress out with her other hand. “What do you think, Nancy?”
Over the past few years she’d learned that in a lot of cases, what the bride wanted overruled everything else. Even if it was the wrong color and style for the bridesmaids. In some cases, Lisa even suspected the bride wanted to make sure her bridesmaids didn’t outshine her.
