All of that typing for a three word answer.
Jasmin: You are a lifesaver.
Before I can embarrass myself any further, I put my phone on do not disturb and set it on my nightstand. It’s completely unprofessional, but I think the wedding might be more enjoyable now.
Seven
Parker
How in the world does someone make a request like that and silence their phone? My fingers itched to call her the rest of the night. But I doubt she works as close to her office as I do. Plus, I didn’t want to cause her more stress. She had to have been under duress to even ask.
She essentially asked me to be her boyfriend for the wedding. I’m sure there are professional boundaries we are crossing. There has to be. Maybe I should ask my sister about it.
As soon as I have the thought, I erase it from my mind. The last thing I need is for her to get on my ass about ruining this event. Especially when she swore to Pierce, I can do it.
Honestly, I don’t know why she put so much faith in me. I’ve never been the person to rely on in the family. If they want to have a good time, sure I’ve got them. On serious matters, I’m not the person. It’s the whole reason I was the one who went and talked to stores about carrying our wine. Piper is great with the social media aspect, and I’m amazing in person. It made no sense for her to want to move me somewhere else. Unless she’s getting Beau to help on that front, but I don’t see Pierce approving that.
For now, the best thing I can do is put all of it out of my mind and get to work. I still have to finish the seating plan and get ready for this consultation for the baby shower. They want me to do this job, and I’ll do the best I can to make sure it’s a success, even if I’m not confident, I’m the right person for it.
I pull up my current playlist and turn it on before setting my headphones over my head. Grabbing a piece of graph paper, I begin sketching out possible setups. Being able to give Daniela and Jasmin options for the ceremony is my goal for today. The reception can wait until later. Piper already has various arrangements drawn up for that after the events we’ve hosted for holidays.
There’s a knock on the office door before Piper takes a step inside. “Hey, Park, your appointment for the baby shower is here. Do you want me to show them back?”
I glance around the desk at the scattered pages. “I’ll come out to meet with them. Thanks.”
“Sounds good. I’ll straighten up in here while you show them the new space for small gatherings. I don’t think they’ll need much more than that.”
I get up from the desk and hurry to the door. I don’t want to leave them waiting. “You can just put those in a stack. They aren’t in any order.”
Piper moves behind the desk and studies them as she stacks them. “These are good.”
“That’s good.” I sigh in relief. I still have no clue what I’m doing, but it makes me happy that my sister approves. Knowing her, she’ll put her favorite ones on top because she can’t just let things be.
Two women are waiting in the lobby as I slow my steps into the room. One is visibly pregnant, and I’m glad she’s here so I can gauge how comfortable she is with the setting.
“Hi, I’m Parker.” I hold my hand out and shake each of their hands.
“I’m Nicole,” the not pregnant woman says. I don’t miss the way she flutters her lashes at me and flips her hair over her shoulder. She’s clearly flirting, and for whatever reason it has no effect on me. A month ago, I’d already be putting my number in her phone. What is going on with me?
“And I’m Brooklyn.” The soon to be mom introduces herself.
They give me the same vibe I got from the horrible girls in high school. They were the “it” girls and made sure everyone knew they were above others. I’m pretty sure these two are that type, and probably why Piper was so eager for me to meet with them. She never did well with cliques in high school.
“It’s nice to meet you.” I nod toward the side door. “Is your guest count still around twenty?”
“Oh, yes,” Nicole says. “It’s a small gathering of our friends to celebrate the new addition to come.” I glance behind me and see she’s rubbing Brooklyn’s belly. Brooklyn looks annoyed by it, but it’s not my place to say anything.
“Well, I’m not sure if you’ve been here before, but we’ve updated the patio. It’s the perfect spot for small parties. You’ll have two hours before the event time to decorate, and another two after to tear down.”
I open the door and let them walk out in front of me. Nicole gasps as she sees the patio. The string lights are still up from Valentine’s Day, and something we’re keeping out here. It adds to the ambiance of the space.
“This is perfect.” Nicole claps her hands. Brooklynn smiles in agreement. “Can we bring in our own appetizers?”
I don’t want to deal with that logistical nightmare, especially with this woman. She seems like she’s going to be a lot, and I don’t want that extra work added to my plate.
“Absolutely. We’ll, of course, serve the wine. We can open a tab for the group, or each individual. Whatever you decide.”
“This is definitely the spot we want. Right, Brooklyn?” She glances back at her friend who nods in agreement.
