“I do have one thing I need to ask,” I started. “How do the bride and groom feel about photographers and press?”
“I’ve got an approved list. I’ll send that over to you,” Chloe confirmed.
Good. This wasn’t a surprise to them, and I was relieved they were okay with it. That made my job a lot easier.
“Thanks for all you guys have done.” She sighed. “You’ve made this so easy for us.”
“Of course,” I replied. “It helps when you have the most relaxed bride I’ve ever worked with.”
Chloe laughed. “I’m pretty sure this wedding is more for us than her. We’re a really tight-knit group, and she and her fiancé are moving next month, so this is our last big event together.”
I knew from my research that the groom was being traded to a new team.
“Then we’ll make sure it’s one to remember,” I promised.
She thanked us again before turning and herding the women away.
“Wouldn’t that be nice?” Maggie asked while watching them leave.
“What? Having someone else plan your wedding?” I asked.
“No, having a group of friends like that.”
“Yeah, it would.” They acted more like a mismatched family than just friends or the wives of teammates. I’d never had a group of friends like that, and part of me did envy how smoothly they worked with one another. How they seemed to know what the rest was thinking. It was special, and I hoped they recognized how lucky they were.
Living and working at a resort didn’t allow for that. My closest friend was Maggie, but she was gone during the school year when things slowed down. I was acquaintances with some of the other staff members here, but since I wasn’t really a member of their team or department, I was always an outsider.
I’d been in Mexico for three years, but it never felt like home. It was a stepping stone toward where I wanted to be next, and if this wedding went right, that place could be a whole lot closer than ever before.
“I’ll put the notes I took into the system and let Robbie know about the cake order. Is there anything else you need me to do?” Maggie’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
“No, I appreciate your help. I’m going to make sure everything is set for tonight.”
We had another wedding happening tomorrow, but it was pretty small. The couple was from Washington and not many of their friends and family were able to make the trip. Everything was taken care of, and now that we’d double checked on the caterer, there wasn’t much left to do until the event started, but I didn’t want to go back to my office yet.
I took the long way back, along the beach. Technically, I was my own manager. The only person I answered to was the hotel manager, Mr. Hernandez who was usually too busy at all hours to check in on me. As long as my events went smoothly and no one filed a complaint, he left me alone. That meant on days like today, when I was on top of everything, I could play hooky and change into my bathing suit for a few hours to lay out, but I never let myself. Maybe it was integrity or just fear of getting in trouble, but I didn’t allow myself to take breaks. It was like there was always a dark cloud over me, threatening to cause disaster if I slacked off for even a moment.
My name was all I had. The reputation that I built from the ground up. If anything went wrong with one of my weddings, it was my head on the chopping block. Maggie had nothing to lose. The hotel wouldn’t take a huge hit. Only me. So I had to always be prepared. One step ahead of everything.
The sun, sand, and water could scream my name all day, every day, but I couldn’t heed their call.
I got a day off, some weeks. It just depended on the events. One day, this would all pay off. My sacrifices and dedication would lead to my dreams coming true. I could move wherever I wanted and work with whomever I wanted. Until then, I was stuck living each day on repeat. I shook my head and turned, heading to my office. How could I feel bad about my life when I lived in paradise? How ungrateful could I be?
“Hey, Dani!” I paused and saw Amber, the receptionist from the front office approaching. “I left you a message on your desk, but since I saw you, I can let you Mr. Hernandez wants you to come to his office.”
“Oh. Why didn’t you call or text me?” I studied her for any hints about what he wanted or the mood he was in.
“He didn’t say it was urgent or anything.” She smiled and pointed behind me. “I’m headed to get lunch.”
I side-stepped so she could pass me. “Thanks for letting me know.”
What did he want to talk to me about? I ran through the past few days, but couldn’t think of anything he’d be upset over. Maybe it wasn’t bad news at all.
5
Jake
Brandon, Mikey, Lance, and Colin were the only ones willing to leave the beach to get lunch, so we had the other save our chairs while we trekked past the pools to one of the outdoor restaurants.
“Hey, there’s Sydney and Lucy.” Mikey pointed to the women on the path parallel to us. They were standing with a woman with long, golden hair that fell past her waist. She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and skirt with heels. I didn’t recognize her with her back to us, and I doubted one of the women we came with would be dressed like that.
“Who are they talking to?” Colin asked before changing directions and heading toward them. We all followed, and when we got close, Lucy noticed us.
“Hi guys,” she said, making Sydney and the other woman turn toward us.
“Oh, hi.” Sydney smiled. “Dani, this is my husband, Brandon, and some of the guys here for the wedding. Dani is the wedding planner we’ve been working with for Noah and Colby.”
Brandon greeted her while the rest of us offered waves and smiles. I couldn’t stop staring at the woman, Dani. She was gorgeous with lightly bronzed skin and lush lips I couldn’t tear my eyes from.
“Nice to meet you all.” Her silky voice broke my trance. She scanned each of our faces as if memorizing them. Her eyes locked on mine for a brief moment before she moved on. “None of you are the groom, correct?”
“No way,” Mikey said with a snort.
She narrowed her eyes, but her smile never wavered.
“There isn’t a woman willing to settle down with that one, is what he meant,” Lucy said as she shot Mikey a withering look.
I chuckled, earning the attention of the group. “Sorry,” I cleared my throat. “Noah isn’t with us.”
Dani nodded once. “I look forward to meeting him at some point. If any of you have questions about the wedding, feel free to come find me. My office is in the front near the reception area.”
“Thanks, Dani,” Sydney said, and I watched the wedding planner walk away.
Some tiny part of me wanted to stop her. I had no reason to. I didn’t particularly care about the details of Colby and Noah’s wedding, but I didn’t want to see her go. This feeling was as unfamiliar as being surrounded by the guys somewhere outside of the arena.
Attraction? Was that it? I was attracted to Dani?
It had been a long, long time since I allowed myself the indulgence of seeing a woman as anything other than purely platonic. I didn’t have time to go out to clubs or bars to meet people, let alone date. Not until now.