“Only eight.”
“Well, it was nine, but two of them were married so I counted them as a single unit. However, that was only one out of the many successful jobs you’ve done, and there is a very reasonable third option of simply taking a hiatus and relaunching when people’s memories have faded.”
That was possible, but… “That seems like simply postponing the inevitable. What if people never forget?”
“People always forget. Why do you think sixty percent of my wedding clients are repeat customers? Three minutes are up. Think about it and remember Rule Two.” Ruth hung up to return to her paper goldfish.
Valerie poured some rosé, then stared at her laptop and wonderedif an Ad Astra message had come through in the twenty minutes since she’d last checked. She should look again, just in case.No.She jumped up and shoved the thought aside with a violent gesture that splashed wine on her feet. She would empty the closet for the subletter instead. Action was always a good way to stop herself from ruminating and might provide the clarity she needed.
She was poking a pile of clothes with her wine-sodden toe and debating whether she should pour another glass when a text came from her mother. Valerie had sent her a note in the morning about going to the Mariposas, feeling as if someone should know where she was in case Nico failed in bodyguard duty. Her mother’s subsequent response was twenty photos of almost identical white gowns.
She called a moment later. “Val, did you get my text?”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Erica’s wedding is ages away, but she’s so excited! We were online dress shopping today. I need to be there for her since her mother can’t be depended on for that kind of thing.”
“I saw.” Valerie waited for questions about her cottage trip but it was futile. Erica came first and Justin second, and had since her mother’s remarriage, as if her mother wanted to forget Valerie along with the memories of her failed first relationship. It was strange how Valerie kept hoping that would change.
Although she knew better, she couldn’t help but ask, “Did you see that I’m going away?”
“I did. What about Aurora?”
Valerie stared at the wall. “I had a setback.”
“So, you’re giving up as usual.” Her mother sighed. “I was hoping this would be the thing you finally saw through.”
“Yes,” said Valerie, through the sudden ache. What hurt was that this time she hadn’t quit because she didn’t have time or something new came along. She’dtried. “You were right. It was a wild idea.”
“Well, you were never the steady one. Remember when you decided you were going to be an opera singer?”
“I was five.”
“No, older than that. You give up too easily, Valerie, always looking for something new, like when you broke up with that nice Jake. Anyway, tell me which dress you prefer.”
At least her mother was asking her opinion about something, so Valerie roused herself to flip through the images. “The fifth one is nice.”
“I like number ten. Of course, she’ll look lovely in anything. White is her color, like me.”
“Did she talk to any of the planners I suggested?”
“Oh. I completely forgot. Erica’s going with someone a friend recommended.”
Valerie didn’t bother to comment. She should have known.
“Have a good time away,” her mother said. “Did you tell your father?”
“I did.” Her stepmother had replied to the group text she’d sent her father’s family with a thumbs-up emoji andhave fun!before the conversation moved on to the twins’ own summer plans.
“It’ll be nice for you. Erica is too busy preparing for her wedding to take time off. You need to commit to things like she does, Val. I’ll see you when you get back.”
She was in the middle of pouring a generous second glass when a text came from Alexis.We’re all at Lamplight and I just remembered you live close. Come by. I have an idea.
Valerie put the phone down. She didn’t need a pity invite where she was an afterthought to the party, and she didn’t want to hear Alexis’s idea. Plus she had packing to do before she left in two days. Nico had sent over his list, and it was as thorough and well organized as she’d anticipated. He’d probably have a heart attack if he saw the chaos erupting from her closet. The majority of Valerie’splanning ability had been shunted to her work, with little left over for her personal life.
She kicked the pile of clothes, then guzzled the wine as she pulled on her shoes and grabbed her purse. Ten minutes later, she pushed open the door to Lamplight and relaxed. There was something comforting about being with people whose only goal was to have a good time and eat their body weight in loaded feta waffle fries. Valerie went out to the patio and found Alexis and the others gathered around a table filled with glasses.
“Hey,” she said, giving a general wave. She felt better out of the apartment and surrounded by people she knew.
