The hand of a tall, pretty brunette woman came into view and interrupted Ani’s dangerous musings. She was not the main designer, Ani knew from research, but that was fine. She doubted Jeannie, the woman who had started it all, would be taking unknown clients personally at this point in her career. Ani wondered if she’d ever get close to that type of success. A household name in wedding planning. Sought after. Exclusive. She highly doubted it.
“Ani, and these are my clients, Grace and Kami.”
The two of them did make a pretty picture, she had to admit. And they looked like they belonged here. Ani felt a littleout of place and wondered if Madison could tell she was wearing discount rack shoes and a cheap belt. This place, smelling of fragrant florals, also smelled of money. A clearDo Not Entersign for anyone who had to wonder if this place was in their budget.
She needed to steel herself and begin her pitch. And for some reason, Raffi’s words floated into her head. “You were amazing in there. You came in like some deity who smoothed over the whole situation. You knew exactly how to placate him.” The awe in his voice. Like she did something he never would have been able to pull off, not in a million years.
“Grace and Kami are envisioning a neoclassical design for their wedding florals. Invoking classical antiquity. Lush arrangements with an abundance of white and cream flowers, roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and”—she did not swallow, she did not choke, when she said the next word—“ranunculus, complemented with olive branches and laurel leaves. We’re talking urns overflowing with florals, delicate garlands filling the space. The venue is a new winery. I’ll show you some images in a moment so you can get an idea.”
Kami’s eyes lit up. “Oh my God yes, yes, yes, that is exactly it! I would just die if all that came to life.”
Grace smirked. “Please don’t, though, Mimi. Because I’m pretty sure this team”—she motioned at Ani and Madison—“is going to pull it off and I don’t want to invoke the ‘ ’til death do us part’ too soon.”
Kami giggled and kissed Grace’s cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ve got the strongest lifeline my tatik has ever seen.”
Tatik. Kami’s sweet and stern grandmother. Ani missed her, although she supposed she’d see her at the wedding.
Then Grace stood up straight and dug into her bag, pulling out her phone. Her eyes got large when she read the name on the screen. “Got to take this, one sec.”
Grace stepped outside. Without her, Kami came close to Ani. Too close. Ani did not like it.
Madison was talking about her vision, about gold accents, while Kami gasped. At one point, Kami touched Ani’s forearm, caught her eye, and smiled like they had a secret together. She said, “I can’t believe we’re doing this. I’m so thankful you’re here helping us.”
“I—of course.”
How Ani wanted to tell her so, so many other words. To please back away, not touch her like they were still lovers, not bring her head so close to whisper like that. Because all it did was bring back memories of when she and Kami were together.
They had been good, they really had, or so Ani had thought. She and Kami met at a wedding Ani was planning. Ani was so busy running around she hadn’t noticed Kami until it was time for the bouquet toss, and Kami had risen from it victorious, holding her flowers in the air like a trophy. Ani had admired her liveliness, and her beauty, obviously, andthenKami locked eyes with her, walked straight over to Ani, and asked her to dance. Ani had taken it as some kind of sign. She was the one. And they were destined to be together.
Ani loved the way Kami was always thinking of absolutely wild things to do together. Like on an ordinary Tuesday night, she’d call up Ani and declare that they were going to go nude bathing at Baker Beach. What? It was allowed, she’d say. And not only that, she would get Ani away from her work planning and boring life at home, get her up and actually do the thing.Once they got so drunk at a party in the financial district they ditched it, stumbled to a skyscraper next door with an outdoor courtyard, and, because it was night and the place was abandoned of its daytime workers, proceeded to have sex right there, out in the open. Kami felt like armor. She was so sure of herself, of getting away withanything, that Ani had enjoyed being protected by it. Rules didn’t apply to Kami, and when Ani was with her, rules didn’t apply to Ani, either.
But now, this overly familiar Kami was grating on her, but since Kami was her client and the only thing stopping Ani from folding her business and moving back in with her parents, she allowed it.
At this thought, she heard a man’s voice. “Ani? Kami?”
She spun around. It was Raffi. It was Raffi?
Standing there in Tilde, looking like Prince Ali in a tailored gray suit, complete with a new set of shiny Gucci shoes.
She couldn’t keep the shock out of her voice. “What are you doing here?”
Kami spotted him now. “Raffi! Oh my God, did you know we were coming?”
Raffi shook himself and responded curtly. “No, I did not.”
Wow, he really did not care for Kami. He had never, not once, spoken to Ani like that. Even when she’d spilled an entire extra-large matcha latte on him.
He looked at Ani. “I’m here to talk flowers for a VIP event I’m holding,” he said, his tone lighter.
Now Madison perked up. “Oh, you’re working with Andrea. I’ll go get her.”
But before she went to do that, Madison took a good slow look at Raffi, up and down, and Ani felt a great green monstergrow in her.Stay the hell away, Madison. Followed by shock at how possessive she felt. That was not expected. At all.
Luckily, it seemed Raffi had not noticed Madison’s assessment, or if he had, he was choosing to ignore it. He looked, instead, at the flower displays before them, just as Kami was doing beside them.
She hadn’t seen Raffi since the night of his wine-tasting party. Wearing that extremely short T-shirt. His hand on her chest. His apology outside, so sincere. Then his flirtation, his words she had thought of for two nights since, over and over, imagining the scene that would take place afterward, had she kissed him instead of leaving.
Ani took a deep breath. “Nice surprise,” she said.
