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Chapter 2
Jenna
When I meet Laura and Stacey in the dining room an hour later, Stacey looks frazzled.
“I’m just saying we should have gone with imports,” Laura’s saying. “How are we supposed to know if the quality here is up to standard?”
I sit down and glance around. Everything about the hotel has a warm, exotic feel to it. The carpet is thick beneath my feet and the dining chairs and tables are dark wood, polished until I can almost see myself in them.
“Mom, having flowers imported now is going to be crazy. I can’t do the last-minute thing, and it’s going to take days for them to get it here.”
“But we’ll know for sure what we get,” Laura says. "I don't want something local if it means we have to sacrifice quality, sweetheart. This isn't just any old wedding."
“Anything I can help with?” I ask, sitting down at their table. A pitcher with an exotic-looking cocktail waits in the center of the table and I pour myself a glass. When I sip it, it’s tart, with a healthy dose of alcohol. This might be just what Stacey needs. I pour her a glass and she takes it from me, taking a sip, too.
“Mom wants to fire what’s-her-name and get someone else to do the flowers. Something not local.” Stacey’s face is pinched.
“What’s the problem with Kaipo’s flowers?” I ask carefully, referring to the local florist we’ve all been in contact with. I asked her to send me photos of what she can do for us since she doesn't have a website we can access and it looked good.
“I just don’t know if she can handle the load,” Laura says with a sniff. “It’s a lot of flowers, and we need to make a good impression. I don’t want to sit without flowers on the day because her local little flower stall couldn’t handle anything more than one or two bouquets for tourists and their lovers. Do you really trust those photos?"
I shake my head. “Let me handle Kaipo, okay? I’ll talk to her, and I’ll make sure the flowers are taken care of. You don’t have to worry, Laura. You already have enough on your plate.”
“Are you sure?” Stacey’s mom asks.
I nod confidently. “I’ve got this covered.” Stacey looks relieved. “I don’t want either of you worrying about any of the logistics. You need to focus on the guests.” I put my hand on Laura’s arm with a smile before looking at my friend. “And Stace…you need to stop stressing about this. It’s going to be just fine.”
Stacey lets out a breath and gulps down at least half her drink. She’s wound up tightly. I can understand it—Laura is serious about the Jackson family image, and this isn’t just any event.
As the wedding planner, it’s my job to make sure everything runs smoothly, but as the Maid of honor, it’s my job to make sure the bride keeps smiling. Most of the plans are already in place. I've been on the phone with the decorators, florists, and the hotel for months. Now that we've come this far, it's just a matter of putting it all together.
“Shall we have something to eat?” Laura asks, waving at a server. “What do you want, ladies? My treat.”
Stacey rolls her eyes. “It’s going on the hotel tab.”
“And who do you think pays for that?” Laura asks.
Stacey opens her mouth to clap back, but I lift up the menu and loudly interrupt. “They have great options on here. I can’t wait until they see the menu for the wedding itself."
The server arrives and Laura orders a platter for us to share.
“How is work, honey?” Laura asks me when the server leaves with our order, moving away from wedding talk, and I’m glad about the topic change.
“It’s going great. I’m so busy, I barely get a chance to breathe.”
“Jenna is starting her own company soon,” Stacey says.
"As soon as the wedding is over," I add so that Laura knows I've been giving her event my full attention.
“Really?” Laura looks thrilled. “That’s such a good idea! Working for someone else your whole life keeps you in the position of the little guy. I’m so glad you’re branching out. Are you going to do weddings?”
“Oh, no. I don’t arrange weddings; this is an exception. I arrange general events. Business conferences, product launches, things like that."
“I think you should add weddings to your repertoire. You’ll have a wonderful reference from me, and you know how much that will help you.” Laura looks pleased with herself for thinking of it.
I didn’t think about arranging weddings. But Laura is right—if I have the Jackson wedding as my first portfolio piece, people are bound to sit up and take notice.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Stacey agrees. “You’re so good at keeping everyone calm, too.”
