His eyes lit up. “Yes! Finally! Now I finally feel like we’re in sync. You got me to eat cake and I’m getting you to the gym! What could be better than this?”
“Eating some French pastries in bed and then working off those calories while naked?”
Brody swung her up in his arms and strode back into the hotel. “I love the way you think!”
Don’t miss the rest of the Meet me at the altar series!!
The Engagement Embargo
With this Cake
You May Kiss the Groomsman
* * *
https://www.chasing-romance.com/meet-me-at-the-altar-series
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Prologue
“Good morning and thank you for calling Enchanted Bridal! This is Hailey, how may I help you?”
Cammie Parker smiled at the sound of her former boss’s voice. “Hey, Hailey, it’s Cammie! How are you?”
“Oh, my goodness! This is a pleasant surprise! I’m doing well, how about you?”
It was funny how much she needed to hear a familiar voice right now. “Things are going well,” she said. “I’m calling because I have a favor-slash-opportunity to talk to you about.”
“I’m intrigued,” Hailey said in that serene way she had.
“You know when I left Enchanted, I wasn’t sure where I was going to land, right?”
“Well, I knew you were moving back to the mountains to be closer to your family, after…um…”
“Yes,” Cammie said, quickly cutting her off. “And I did, and I recently started working at a local resort here in Emerald Grove.”
“That’s wonderful! Is it a rustic kind of lodge?”
Cammie couldn’t help but laugh softly. “When I was growing up, it was a lot more rustic than it is now. It recently went through a fantastic renovation and they are rebranding and looking for ways to draw some attention to themselves.”
“O-kay…”
“Anyway, I got a job working with their events coordinator and I pitched an idea that she loved, but…it mostly hinges on you and the outcome of this conversation.”
“Now I’m really intrigued.”
Doing her best to not sound nervous, Cammie let out a long breath and silently prayed that Hailey and the girls at Enchanted Bridal would be open to what she was about to propose.
“I suggested that we hold a bridal expo here at the resort,” she stated, and before Hailey could comment, she went on. “The plan is to have it be similar to the ones you would host–both at the new facility and the ones you participated in all over North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Our event space isn’t nearly as large as some of the ones you’re used to, but I thought it could still work. Apparently weddings are something we’re seriously targeting here at Emerald Grove and I figured if I could get you and maybe the girls from Meet Me at the Altar to come too, then I can reach out to local vendors for the rest.”
And with another long breath, she waited for Hailey’s response.
And waited.
And waited.
“Um…Hailey…?”
“Sorry, I was just thinking it all through in my head a bit. When are you planning on this?”
“I know it might be a little short notice, but…eight weeks,” she said hesitantly.
“Hmm…not impossible,” Hailey replied thoughtfully. “And considering you’re talking a scaled-down version of what we normally do, I don’t foresee any problems.”
“Plus, it’s really just the fashion show! I’m going to handle everything else. I swear!”
“Cammie, it’s okay. Really. I don’t think we’ll have an issue. If anything…”
“Since I was so familiar with the fashion show schedule after working with you for so long, I knew there wouldn’t be any conflict. But if it’s too short of notice, I can work with that. Nothing is finalized yet.”
“I need you to do me a favor first,” Hailey said solemnly.
“Anything.”
“Breathe. I can hear it in your voice that you’re nervous.”
“Maybe a little…”
“Second, is there anything else you would like help with? I know you worked a lot of the shows with us, but you weren’t involved with a lot of the planning because we had it all down to a science.”
While that was true, Cammie had watched everything that had gone on around her and paid attention to every detail. On top of that, she had done a lot of research on her own before pitching the idea of the expo to her new boss.
“I appreciate the offer, Hailey, but I think I’ve got almost everything worked out.” Then she let out a small laugh. “But you should probably expect a couple of calls from me between now and then.”
“Anything you need, I’m here to help.”
“Thank you,” she said as relief washed over her. “So far I’ve only pitched the idea. Once I have more of the details finalized, I’m going to present it again and then hit the ground running.”
“I’m sure your boss will love it. Email me the details and what you’d like from us, and I’ve got the date on my calendar. You said eight weeks so that would be…the weekend of the seventeenth, right?”
“Exactly. It will be an all-day event, so you’ll definitely want to come in the day before. I’ll set up a block of rooms for you and the models and get that information over to you too.”
“Perfect.” She paused. “And you’re also reaching out to the girls at Meet Me at the Altar?”
“Definitely. I know I don’t know the girls there personally, but I know their reputation. Plus, I remember you praising them.”
“Oh, they’re wonderful! I only wish we had met them before they set up their offices. I would have loved to have them here with us.”
“You have so many amazing businesses in the complex with you already,” Cammie said with a smile. “And who knows? Maybe somewhere down the line, you’ll join forces and have some sort of mega complex!”
Hailey groaned. “I don’t know if I could stand any more construction!”
They both laughed before Cammie spoke again. “I know you’re all several hours from here, but I felt like you’re both the absolute best at what you do and I can personally–or somewhat personally–vouch for you. The last thing I want is to bring in vendors who don’t know what they’re doing. Maybe next year I’ll have more time to interview and research, but as long as you don’t mind the drive…”
“We’re used to it. And if Josie, Skye, and Leanna aren’t convinced it’s worth the travel, I’ll give them a call. You know how persuasive I can be.”
That made her laugh because there was no one more persuasive than Hailey James-Pierce.
Well, except maybe her mother.
Judith James was the woman who started Enchanted Bridal so many years ago, but it was Hailey and her three business partners who turned it into the premiere bridal business in the southeast.