Okay, mixed reviews on Edward, I get it! And I love it!
For those that asked and hadn't read the sneak peek I wrote for TLS, this will loosely be based on The Wedding Planner. No, it won't be exactly the same. I love that movie, and I plan weddings as a job, so I wanted to write my own wedding planner fic. There will be differences, but I understand that Edward in a relationship to start with is a hard limit so I get that you have to flounce. For those sticking with me, I think you've been waiting for this part…
Thank you to Iris, MidnightCougar, and Sparklymeg for making this pretty.
Chapter 4
I wake minutes before my alarm the following morning. Instead of getting up, I flop back onto my bed, my thoughts filled with hard bodies, dark shadows, and almost kisses.
After Edward left me on the dance floor, both Jess and Alice ran straight over to ask for all the details. Who was he? Did we kiss? Was I seeing him again? Both of them had been shocked when I told them he'd left abruptly. They were both so sure he was interested after the way he'd chased me, almost begging for one dance. Jess had just shrugged her shoulders, calling him a loser, and walked off.
"He may be pretty, but he sounds like a douche. You don't need a man like that," Alice had added.
I shake my head, getting rid of all the memories from last night. That man affected me more than I want to admit, and he had the ability to sweep me off my feet, making me fall hard and fast.
Something I don't need now.
While I agreed with Jess at the time, in the light of the morning and without the added confidence from the alcohol, the sting is still there, and I'm reminded why I'm staying clear of men.
No distractions.
Just work.
ooOoo
Leaving my memories of tall strangers behind, I do what I do best and throw myself into work. By the time Wednesday comes around, I'm ready for my appointment with Mr. Turner. I make my way downtown in plenty of time to get me there early. I would always rather wait for a client than have them wait for me.
I enter the impressive office with twenty minutes to spare and give my name at reception, where I'm directed to Mr. Turner's office on the fifteenth floor. I'm met by a tall blonde, who I assume is his personal assistant, and she takes my coat and guides me to the waiting area.
"Mr. Turner is finishing a conference call. Would you like anything while you wait?"
I request a water and pull out my tablet, so it's ready for the appointment.
As I wait, I scan the reception and enjoy a little bit of people watching. Mr. Turner's assistant's a machine as she handles her computer, the two phones on her desk, and the trail of people that pass through the office. A number of men, all dressed impeccably, approach the desk with files, adding to her paperwork, but I'm not sure she even notices.
After a while, the door to Mr. Turner's office opens and empties in a flurry of activity. He sees me waiting and walks straight over.
"Miss Swan? I apologize if you've had to wait a while. I'd hoped the call would've finished a lot sooner." Wearing a black suit and white shirt, he's dressed similarly to the other men I've seen in the building, but he carries himself differently. There's no denying he's the boss.
I stand and shake his hand. "I was early," I explain.
He nods and glances at his watch. "I've been stuck in meetings all day. Would you be offended if we took our meeting to a coffee shop?"
ooOoo
We take a quick walk to a small coffee shop around the block from Mr. Turner's office.
"Why don't we start with you telling me about your daughter and her fiancé? What sort of wedding are they looking for?"
He laughs. "He doesn't have much say in this, I'm afraid. Tanya's taking over, which I'm sure is a common occurrence."
I nod and smile. "It's definitely a rare thing to find an involved groom. They often note when to turn up and what tux to wear, and let their brides enjoy the spotlight."
He leans back in his chair and laughs. "Yep. That sounds like our Tanya. She's always enjoyed the spotlight, and he's happy to let her shine."
"They sound like a good couple."
"They are. Very well matched."
He says nothing about how they met, how they got together, or anything about them, which I find strange. It may be because I'm meeting with the parent instead of the couple, but I'm used to hearing all kinds of stories about the couple at the first appointment. Being "well matched" isn't something I'm used to hearing about a newly-engaged couple.
"So," I prompt. "The wedding?"
"We'd like this summer, if possible. However, I understand that only leaves us a few months at best, so we're willing to look at next summer, if necessary." He pulls out his Blackberry, and I wait as he scrolls through it. "A first note of the guest list has numbers of approximately five hundred, but with work associates changing all the time, this may change."
I nod and take my own notes, already thinking of possible venues. There isn't anywhere that may have space this summer.
"Do they have anywhere specific in mind as to venues?"
"They're open to suggestions and will go on recommendations. With such a vast guest list, I'm sure you can understand the type of venue we're looking for."
I nod. Posh, elite, screams of money.
"We have a number of places in mind already. My assistant can email you the list this afternoon. If you think any of them are unsuitable, scrap them."
"Okay. I have dates, numbers, and ideas for venues. What about decor? Theme? That kind of thing."
"Now, that you'll have to discuss with Tanya and her mom. Today's meeting was a customary introduction. I'm paying for this, so I wanted to be sure it was a good business deal, if you will. They'll meet with you following this appointment and discuss all the finer details with you."
"Okay. That sort of thing comes with the final details once we have the venue secured."
I put my tablet aside and pick up my coffee. "So, you'd like me on board? We haven't discussed my fees, yet."
Mr. Turner leans forward in his seat. "Money isn't an issue, Miss Swan. You've come highly recommended, and I want a professional working on my daughter's wedding. She's great, but she's not the most organized. If I leave this up to her, the day will be a disaster. She deserves the best, and I believe you're the best in your industry."
He glances at his watch again and frowns. "I know I said on the phone last week I could miss my 5:00 appointment, but I'm afraid I do need to get back to the office. Unless you have any questions, are you okay with me emailing the information to you before the end of the day?"
"Sure, sure. You have my details?"
"Yes. My assistant does."
I stand with him, and we shake hands. "You won't regret this, Mr. Turner."
"Call me John."
ooOoo
Jessica's practically vibrating when I return to the office. "So? Do we have it?"
Her grin is infectious, and I reply with my own. "Pending a meeting to secure a venue, it's a done deal."
"Oh, my God!" She runs around my desk, almost landing on my lap as she hugs me. "We have Tanya Turner's wedding. Oh, my God. You did it, Bella. Congratulations!"
I hug her back and allow myself a moment to bask in the fact I've secured what's going to be the wedding of the year.
When Jess lets go of me and returns to her chair, I pull out my tablet, showing her the notes I took at the appointment.
"This summer? Are they friggin' serious? They think we can plan a wedding of that stature in less than a year?"
I pull my laptop closer to me and open my emails. There's already one from Mr. Turner's assistant as promised.
"Yes, it's going to be a slight problem."
"Slight…" She scoffs.
"We've done it before, though," I remind her.
"Yes, Bella, but nothing this huge. You know that a year minimum would be good."
"Look. Scroll down." I wait until she does. "They're willing to wait until next summer if we can nail the venue."
"Therein lies the issue," she murmurs. "We're gonna need to scout some pretty impressive venues, most of which have at least an eighteen-month wait list."
"I know," I say, opening the attachment I've been sent. "I'm actually hoping to catch a hotel that hasn't made it onto many lists just yet."
She glances up at me. "You have a plan."
I nod. "I have a plan."
ooOoo
The Godfrey Hotel is a new boutique hotel in the city. The rooftop bar and lounge are perfect for a cocktail reception, with its views of the Chicago skyline as the perfect backdrop. The retractable roof means the venue's suitable in any weather. Inside, the venue's modern and chic, with its indoor bar area, leather seats, fire pit, and sliding glass wall. The ballroom, where the ceremony and evening reception will take place, continues with the theme of floor-to-ceiling windows, using the city's skyline as the backdrop.
My mind's already going into overdrive with theme ideas for this wedding.
The only thing the Turners may find lacking is the status of the hotel. As it's only been open less than a year, it doesn't quite have the five-star reputation they're looking for. While there's a buzz about it and a few larger events scheduled to take place there later this year, but it'll be a leap of faith on their part.
"Jess?" I buzz through to her desk. "Can you arrange an appointment with the Turners, please?"
She stands in the office door. "Sure. Do you need me to come along to this one?"
I nod. "Yeah. And if possible, I think the bride and groom should be at this one, as well. Hopefully we're gonna get them to confirm their venue, and as involved as Daddy is, I'm sure his daughter will have a say in it."
"Sure. Whole family meeting coming up."
I sit back in my chair and smile, happy with the work I've managed to do this morning. If everything goes smoothly, then the wedding of the year's going to be a piece of cake.
ooOoo
The Wine Baris an upscale bar downtown and the place Mr. Turner suggested we meet. He sounded both eager and impressed we were able to call him so quickly with results.
I arrive first and am directed to a reserved table at the back of the bar. Being a weeknight, it's quiet and jazz music plays low in the background. I relax in my chair, thankful the place doesn't seem to live up to the stuck-up reputation it has.
"Do you think they'll be happy?" Jess taps her foot nervously while looking around the room.
I take a sip of my water and put my hand on her knee. "Calm down, please. And yes, I think they will be. There's no reason they should doubt The Godfrey. It may be new, but it's a great venue. And they'd be one of the first couples getting married there, which is something they'd have above others."
She grins. "There's a reason why you do this job."
I smile. "I like to think so."
We're only kept waiting a short time before Mr. Turner arrives with his wife and daughter, who I recognize from the newspapers. Both are gorgeous women: tall, slim, and blonde, with big blue eyes and dazzling smiles.
Mr. Turner guides them to our table, and both Jess and I stand as they approach. Tanya's grin widens when she sees us. "Isabella?"
"Just Bella, please."
"Thank you so much for meeting with us. I can't wait to see what you have."
"Me, too."
Mr. Turner, who once again reminds me to call him John, introduces me to Tanya and his wife, Heidi, as a waitress makes a beeline to take our order. Mr. Turner shocks me by ordering a bottle of champagne.
"To celebrate," he says.
I catch Jess's eye and can't help but smile at the fact we've seemed to have already secured the wedding.
"Would you like to go through things now, or should we wait for the groom?"
Tanya scowls and shakes her head. "Apparently, there are more important things going on tonight. He's working late, but he said he may be able to meet us later.
"Tanya, we discussed this. It's an important business deal—"
"I know, Daddy. But why tonight? Couldn't you have—"
"Enough, Tanya." John cuts her off. "You can't push him to follow in my footsteps and then whine about long hours. Sometimes things come up; late nights are to be expected. He'll be here if he can."
An awkward silence follows before John asks us to show them what we have. I take a deep breath and show them the information on The Godfrey. I run through the dates they have for both this summer and next, along with my ideas for the day, while Jess goes through photos that have been sent to us.
"Unfortunately, I can't show you any photos from recent weddings."
John and Heidi both glance at each other before sitting back as Tanya continues to look through the photos with Jessica.
"You're worried," I state.
They both nod, but it's Heidi who speaks. "You can see why, I'm sure."
"I can, but please don't worry. This hotel's more than able to cope with a wedding of this stature. I've worked with a number of the staff before at different venues, and I wouldn't even consider them if I didn't trust them. They have the experience to make this a beautiful day."
I pointedly look to Tanya, because at the end of the day, she's the one I need to convince. Daddy's just the paycheck. "Plus, I think booking a venue like The Godfrey gives you a step up on others, as you'll be one of the first weddings at the hotel. It'll be something special and unique to your wedding."
Tanya's eyes brighten at that, and I bite back a smile.
"Daddy, I like that idea. Nobody'll have what we have. We'll be the first."
John's gaze softens as he looks at her. "You don't want to look at the other venues? Isabella has a few other options for this year. There are venues that have been doing this for years and have the reputation to back it up. What about a cruiseship? That'd be fantastic."
She scoffs. "No, the wind would make my hair frizzy. I don't want to look windswept on my wedding day."
John turns back to me. "I'd like to see it before we confirm."
"Of course." I nod. "Is there a particular date you're keen on? I can provisionally book you, if you're happy with what you see, it's just a matter of signing and paying the deposit. After that, we can meet up and start planning the finer details."
The three of them look back over the notes. Both Heidi and John look to Tanya, leaving the decision with her.
"I think the June date is too early to plan, so the second date in August is probably better. I want to leave enough time to make sure I can get the dress I want, too." She looks up to me. "What do you think?"
"I agree. It certainly takes some of the pressure off."
She nods. "Do it."
As Tanya smiles, both her parents burst into matching grins, and it's clear they're just trying to do right by her.
All talk between the Turners turns to the wedding while Jess and I finalize the notes discussed. I use the time to send an email to my contact at the hotel and request a showround appointment as soon as possible.
I'm just beginning to pack my things when Tanya jumps up from her chair.
"You made it! And you're just in time. Come and meet Bella, our wedding planner. I think she's found our venue."
"Sounds perfect."
At the sound of the voice, my eyes shoot up to the man with his arms wrapped around Tanya. Jess gasps next to me, but I barely hear it.
Instead, I'm thrown back to O'Neills, and the jazz music is replaced by Kings of Leon.
I know that voice.
It's the voice that asked me to dance and almost seduced me on the dance floor.
I barely hear Tanya as she introduces me to her fiancé, Edward.
All I can see are his bright green eyes as they flash in horror when he finally recognizes me.
ooOoo
I hope you enjoyed – see you next Sunday!
Fic Rec: The Shift by RachelFish - The start of Bella's senior year finds her at a new school missing old friends. Grades and graduation are her only priorities...until she meets Mase.
