“You should go home. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told her, already distracted with ideas popping up in my head.
“Promise you’ll leave soon?”
“Sure.” I smiled at her narrowed eyes.
She left our office, and I read through all the information we had. The bride, Colby, was low maintenance and didn’t care about the details of the wedding. Chloe and Sydney were wives of other players on the Utah Fury and in charge of planning. The guest list was the team plus some family members.
All I saw was a list of referrals.
If I did this right and made a perfect impression, who knew where it could lead. The possibilities were endless. After working at the resort as an intern every summer while in college and taking over as lead wedding planner for the last three years, I was ready for the next step. Living in a resort on the beach in Cancun had been a dream come true for a while. Now it felt like I was stuck in a time warp, repeating the same event over and over again.
Destination weddings were generally pretty easy. The couple usually cared more about the location than the details. Sure, they wanted the ceremony on the sand, a cake, and dancing, but it was rare for them to get too specific beyond that.
I was ready for a challenge. I wanted to make a name for myself in the industry.
My goal was to build my business to the point where I could pick and choose who to work with. No more bridezillas or couples that counted every last penny. I wanted to make fantasies come true. I wanted to be sought after. I wanted brides to want to work with me as much as they wanted their dream dress.
Some people thought weddings were overpriced and a waste of time and money. I thought they were the most important celebrations in a person’s life. The one day they got to stand in front of the people they cared about most and declare their love. That deserved a ceremony and reception and flowers and music and personalized napkins.
In the moment, weddings were stressful and chaotic and unpredictable, but at the end of the night, when the happy bride and groom walked away together, there was nothing better. Their dreams had come true. They were married to their person. They got their happily ever after, and I was a part of that.
I had the best job in the world. I just wanted it on a bigger scale, and this wedding could be exactly what I needed to get there.
3
Jake
The humidity was the first thing I noticed as I stepped out of the plane. The air was thick and heavy in Cancun, so different from the dry heat in Salt Lake.
“This is going to be epic. Do you know if Colby has any single friends that are coming?” Mikey talked almost the entire flight about how amazing this week would be and how being single at a wedding was the best thing in the entire world. Women breathed in the romance and searched out men. According to him.
He and Lance planned to spend every spare second alternating between the pool bar and the beach. That was where the women would be. Again, according to Mikey. He was a self-proclaimed expert in how resort relationships worked.
“Remember the game plan. We check-in, change, and get to the pool within thirty minutes. I don’t want to be late to the scene and miss anything.” Mikey checked with both of us to agree.
“Right,” Lance said while shooting me an exasperated look.
“Yeah,” I agreed just to get Mikey to calm down for a few seconds.
Lance and Mikey were good friends more by default than from sharing any common interests. The three of us had been on the team together for four years, and as perpetual bachelors, they’d gravitated toward each other. They were the ones who gave the guys a hard time when one of them decided to settle down. Monogamy was not in their vocabulary, and they were far too busy enjoying the perks of being a professional athlete to slow down enough to see their shallow existence.
They were both decent enough guys and great players. I just didn’t share their mindset. It was hard going to clubs and meeting women when my mom lived with me and I was her primary caretaker. Not that their lifestyle appealed to me in the slightest.
“Over here!” Reese Murray called to everyone and waved us to the line of waiting SUVs. “Pile in.”
I picked up my duffle bag from the pile of luggage waiting for us and headed to find a seat. Mikey and Lance walked ahead of me, choosing the second car so I faded back to the third. Even if the drive was short, I could use a break.
“Are you excited?” Emma touched the back of my arm.
“Yeah.” I really was. I just hoped I didn’t have to spend every waking second with those two. “I can’t wait to get to the beach.”
She grinned. “Me too. This is the first vacation we’ve had since Jackson was born, and I already miss him.”
I didn’t realize until she boarded the plane that her son wasn’t coming. I was so used to seeing her with him I never considered them leaving him behind. “That must be hard.”
“It is, but I think it will be good for me and Olli. Plus, my parents are so excited to have him all to themselves.”
I laughed as I opened the passenger door and held it for her. “I bet.”
“Thanks.” She winked and climbed in. I got in behind her as Olli, Chloe, Reese, Nikolai, and Elena slid in from the other side.
“Everyone got in a car?” Reese asked Chloe.
She nodded. “I made sure. We’re ready to go.”
The driver followed the convoy, and I felt like a politician or celebrity traveling in the back of a black SUV.
“Thanks for arranging everything, you guys. Sorry I didn’t help.” I directed my comment to Chloe.
“Don’t worry about that. We’re just glad you’re here.” She leaned forward and squeezed my shoulder.
“Yeah, it will be fun to see you outside of the arena,” Olli added.
“Babe,” Emma snapped, but Olli shrugged.
“What? It’s true. I’m not happy about why, but I am excited to see him more,” he argued.
“It’s fine,” I told both of them. “I get it, and I feel the same way. My mom wanted me to move on quickly and get out more. She would be very happy that I’m here with you guys.”
Olli sat back and shot a smug look at his wife.
“Can I make one request?” I asked.
“Of course,” Chloe answered from behind me.
“Can we come up with a signal or something when I need a break from Mikey and Lance? I don’t want to intrude on any couple time, but I don’t think I can keep up with them for a full week.”
Reese chuckled. “Yeah, man. I understand that.”
“Do you want to go with tugging on your ear? That’s a classic. Or maybe the code word is pineapple,” Elena teased.
“Either one works for me.” I smiled over my shoulder at her.
“Why not tell them no?” Nikolai asked.
“They won’t listen to no,” Reese answered for me. “I doubt those two will sleep this entire time.”
Nikolai huffed. “Fools.”
“I don’t think I want to know what they have planned,” Elena admitted. “I like them, but from a distance.”
Emma laughed. “Don’t worry, their prey are the naive college girls that they can impress by saying they’re in the NHL.”