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“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything. That’s what I’m here for.”
“I knew I could count on you.” Tula smiled at her before moving to the rack of wedding gowns. Luckily, they were all traditional white. Hopefully, there would be something there that would appeal to the bride. “After all, you are a miracle worker. You found the Seabreeze Wedding Chapel and were able to book it on short notice. But don’t you think this place needs some work?” Tula glanced around, and her nose crinkled up in disdain.
The truth was that the Seabreeze Wedding Chapel wasn’t new to her. She’d been planning weddings there for more than a year. Some had been on the beach below the chapel but most had been inside the chapel. But she didn’t publicize it, because she didn’t want other wedding planners to home in on her spot.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure it looks fabulous.” A bunch of flowers and candles would hide any blemishes. She hoped.
The worried lines on Tula’s face smoothed. “I’m so glad your name came up when we were talking wedding planners. You’re making my life so much easier.”
This was Clara’s long-awaited opening. “You never did say how you heard of my services.”
“Actually, it was my fiancé who suggested you. I don’t know the details, but he said the Perky Pink Wedding Company has an excellent reputation, that you’re a stickler for details, and you’d provide a high level of discretion. I personally liked your business name. Even if purple is a cooler color.”
“Thank you. Glad you like the name. I wanted something unique—something that would stand out in people’s memories.”
“It’s memorable, all right.” Tula inspected a pair of white heels and with a crinkle of her nose, promptly rejected them as well. “The name suits you. You know with your pink car and your pink clothes.”
Clara glanced down at her white blouse and pink slacks. Besides it being a memorable name, pink was her favorite color. There was something so cheery about it.
But back to her original question about who recommended her service to an A-list actress, Clara was still no closer to finding the answer. Whoever it was, she was eternally grateful to them. Nine years ago, she’d been let go from her position as an assistant to Washington DC’s most illustrious and sought-after wedding planner. Her mentor had said she’d taught her everything she could and it was time for Clara to spread her wings.
The news couldn’t have come at a worse time. It had been the week of Clara’s own wedding. A familiar sense of loss and sadness swept over her. As quickly as the memories came to her, she shoved them to the back of her mind, refusing to dwell on what would never be.
She needed to stay focused on her work. Once this star-studded wedding took place, the agreed upon contract stated she would be allowed to use both the bride’s and groom’s names as prior clients on her website. But for this wedding to be successful, it had to be kept off the media’s radar.
“None of these are going to work.” Tula scanned the gowns without even bothering to remove any of them from the rack.
Clara rushed over and selected her favorite, hoping Tula would change her mind. “I found this gown and thought you might like it. Initially, I picked it out because of the way the hemline rises in the front, showing off the bride’s shoes. I thought it’d be perfect with the pink heels, but it’d work with whatever shoes you select.”
“It’s not bad.” Tula moved closer to examine the gown. “Wait. Is that a price tag? Is this off-the-rack?”
Clara hesitantly nodded. “We don’t have much time—”
“But I can’t be seen in a run-of-the-mill dress—a dress anyone can afford. Can you imagine the headlines? The tabloids would have a field day.”
Clara couldn’t believe anyone would call the dress run-of-the-mill. It was absolutely stunning. She’d been so sure that Tula would love it, too. And she had, until she’d realized it was off-the-rack. If only Clara hadn’t been in such a rush and had remembered to remove the price tag.
“With the wedding in just a few weeks, we don’t have the time for an original gown to be made.” Clara glanced over at Liza, who nodded in agreement.
“It can’t be just any dress,” Tula said firmly. “It has to be special.”
Talk about a tall order. It couldn’t be off-the-rack, but there wasn’t time to design a gown. What did that leave?
A thought popped into Clara’s mind. “What if we took an off-the-rack gown and modified it, making it an original of sorts? Would that work?”
Both Tula and Liza paused as though to consider the idea. And then in unison, they nodded. Now they just had to find the right gown to modify. That shouldn’t be too hard. She hoped.
Clara made a note on her tablet. “Now let me pull up some shoes for you to pick from.”
Tula shook her head. “I don’t have time. I have to get back to LA. You know what I want. Pull together some other dresses. Preferably with a short hemline.”
Clara held out the tablet to Tula. “But what about the shoes?”
Instead of looking at the snapshot of gorgeous heels, Tula gave Clara a once-over, taking in Clara’s conservative outfit. “I think you’ll have a better chance of picking out something traditional than I will.”
Clara refused to react to the backhanded compliment.Stay focused. She’s a client. A very important client.
Summoning her professional voice, Clara said, “How about I put together a few photos of potential shoes and email them to you?”
