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Unless my van broke down and I called Jake for a tow. My entire body heated, and my heart beat faster as Jake’s image popped into my head. He was exactly the kind of guy I went for. Hard edges, toned muscles, and a growly voice. But something told me there was more to him than met the eye.
“That includes anyone we work with—vendors, suppliers, competitors.”
Vendors? Would that include the mechanic fixing my delivery van? I supposed Gia would argue it would. If I hooked up with him—and boy, did my body want to—it could complicate things.
I glanced around the room at the partners who were present when the rules were conceived—Abby, the photographer, and Sophie, the baker. Then I scanned the new ones—Everly, the invitation designer, and Harper, Gia’s best friend and organizational guru. Everyone was listening intently. Sophie and Abby were already in relationships. I didn’t know anything about Harper’s situation, while Everly looked a little uneasy. I wondered if her friendship with Harrison was something more or if she wanted it to be.
Wanting to diffuse the seriousness of the conversation, I interjected, “I think we’re all adults and can make good decisions.”
“Speaking of which, what’s the status of your delivery van?” Gia closed the drawer on her desk where she’d taped rules months ago.
I couldn’t even breathe a sigh of relief as the focus moved from the rules to me. I shifted on the wooden chair we’d brought into Gia’s office for the meeting. “It’s in the garage.”
We were a partnership, creating wedding packages to make the bride and grooms’ lives easier, but at the end of the day, Gia was our boss. The mastermind behind Happily Ever Afters. She was the one who approached us with the idea of partnering our respective businesses with her wedding planning services. She marketed to prospective couples and closed the difficult deals. If she decided our arrangement wasn’t profitable, my business wouldn’t survive.
I competed with online subscription florists that delivered arrays of bouquets to someone’s door in neat and tidy boxed. Those services, unlike me, could also offer a variety of flowers shipped from other countries at a much lower cost.
“What’s your plan?” Gia stood and moved around the desk to sit on the edge. “I think we can agree you need a reliable refrigerated van to transport your flowers.”
“I’m waiting to hear back from the mechanic.” I didn’t say his name out loud because when I thought of him, my entire body tingled with awareness. I remembered how he stalked toward me on the side of the road, his muscles flexing under his worn jeans. My body had felt like a live wire readying itself for battle or something else entirely. As soon as he opened his mouth, it was very clear he was irritated with the situation, my van, and me.
“Can it be fixed?” Gia asked.
Gia was nothing if not practical. If something wasn’t working, fix it. If we needed a new wedding planner, hire one. There were logical steps anyone could take to grow their business. Much to Gia and my parents’ frustration, I was ruled by feelings.
“I think so,” I said, infusing the optimism I was known for into my voice.
Sophie straightened on the couch, where she sat next to Abby. “I’m researching the possibility of purchasing a refrigerated van for the cakes. Do you think we should pool our resources and share one?”
My cheeks flushed. I couldn’t afford half of a new van even if I were interested. “I don’t know that it would work. We both have scheduled deliveries to make.”
Sophie nodded solemnly. “That’s true. My deliveries will increase once I have a van. I’ll be able to take in more customers, maybe even hire a driver to handle them.”
Envy tickled my neck. It shouldn’t bother me that Sophie was confident in the success of her business. But then, her bakery had been in business longer than my flower shop.
When my grandmother died, I quit my boring office job and used my small inheritance to open my dream shop, Petals. I’d always dreamed of owning a store. And Grandma’s note, which she’d left with her will, told me to do just that.
When I first opened, I thought husbands would stop by on their way home from work to choose a bouquet for their wives. Mothers-in-law would stop by during the day for the perfect arrangement for their new grandchild’s mother. The fact was I got little foot traffic because people could buy whatever they wanted with a click of a button on their cell phones.
I’d gotten my dream, but would it work, or would I need to close it down, sell grandma’s house, and move back into my parents’ home? Panic pressed on my chest, making it difficult to breathe.
“I think we can all agree that you need a reliable delivery van,” Gia said reasonably.
I smiled, but it felt brittle. “Jake was confident that he could fix Berta.”
Abby raised a disbelieving brow at me. She’d been present when Jake towed Berta, and she knew he wasn’t pleased with the prospect of reviving my baby.
“Jake knows how important she is to me.” A tingle ran down my spine when his name traveled over my lips. The fact was Jake didn’t understand my attachment to Berta, but he would. I’d make him understand. A fire grew in my chest. I needed to talk to him, but Gia didn’t need to know that.
I was determined to get Berta back on the road, and that was the only thing that mattered.
Gia dipped her chin. “If she’s not serving your business, you need to think about replacing her.”
My heart skipped a beat at her words. She was an amazing businesswoman because she didn’t have the pesky emotional attachments that others did, or maybe she’d never lost anyone. She had a big family who seemingly loved and cared for each other. She couldn’t understand how devastating the loss of my grandmother was. But then, I hadn’t confided in these new friends about it.
Abby reached over to pay my hand. “You don’t want to be stuck on the side of the road again, do you? It’s not safe.”
Jake might not be there next time. There was comfort as he took charge of that situation. When was the last time anyone worried about me or my safety? My parents were more concerned about my perceived failures.
