Page 1 of Chase Me

ALWAYS THE WEDDING PLANNER, NEVER THE BRIDE

Agh. Ciara’s feet ached, her back was stiff and the headache she'd staved off with some ibuprofen four hours ago was rapidly creeping back behind her left eyeball. Nothing like the sweet pains of victory.

One more commission like this and she could afford to take that beach vacation she’d been promising Wesley for the past three years.

“Oh Sarah, there you are.” The bride’s mother, who was reason number one, two, three, and forty-three for said headache, waved her over. Mother-of-the-Bridezilla paid the bills, so Ciara pasted on her most helpful smile and greeted the table.

“Hello everyone. Having a nice time?”

Headache mom turned to the couple sitting next to her. “Bill, Thi, this is Sarah, the wedding planner. You simply must book her for your Linh’s wedding. She is the best—always available for her clients. I called her last week at two in the morning when I simply knew that Bethany needed to havethree more wedding cakes at the reception. Sarah never says no.”

Oh, great. That’s what she wanted to be known for. Being the slut of the wedding planner world.

“Well, I like to hear that. We want our baby to have everything she wants for her wedding. No expense spared. Do you have a card, Sarah?”

“It’s Ciara actually, and yes, of course.” She handed Bill, who she could already tell was wrapped around his daughter’s little finger, a card. Bill handed the card to his wife. “Let me write your time and date on the back for you.”

She pulled a pen out of her kit. Always prepared, true to her Girl Scout roots. She scribbled on the back of the card.

“Ciara Mosley-Willingham. Do you own Willingham Weddings, dear?”

Sigh. Not yet. Not ever if her mother had anything to do with it. “That honor goes to my mother, Wilhelmina.”

“Ah, I see. Well, nepotism has its benefits.” The table all chuckled at Bill’s little joke.

Benefits schmenefits. If only they knew.

“I’ve got an appointment that just opened up for two weeks from Monday. Will that work to bring Linh in for a consultation?”

“Two weeks?”

She nodded. “I’m afraid the next available is in August.”

The couple glanced at each other. They were not used to waiting patiently. Most of her clients weren’t.

“That’s almost three months from now.”

Headache mother raised a glass of champagne. “You wanted the best. Better get her while you can.”

Thi raised an eyebrow, trying to intimidate Ciara. Notgonna happen. Ciara gave the mother her award-winning account-getting smile.

Thi gave in. “We’ll be there.”

Bali with Wesley, here she comes. If she could ever get him to ask her out in the first place, and in another three years when her schedule cleared up. Not that her mother would ever allow her to take a vacation, but at least now she had a plan to get that date with the hunk of the office.

Ciara made her rounds, vying for a chance to run into Wes with the good news. News that should be celebrated, with a night on the town, a nice dinner, some satin sheets.

She checked in with the catering staff and found out he was in the kitchen. Wes, in a perfect three-piece suit with the purple pocket square and matching vest, just about took her breath away. How any man this good looking would be interested in her blew her mind.

By interested, she meant he flirted with her constantly at the office but hadn’t ever asked her out. Ciara had made it perfectly clear she was willing and available.

He hinted, she smiled and nodded, and then nothing.

A girl could only wait so long for the man of her day dreams to make a move.

“Hey babe.” He kissed her on the cheeks while holding his cell phone to his ear. “We’ve got a champagne shortage crisis on our hands.”

No need to stress. Cool, calm, and collected. Always. “No problem. I’ll bring in the secret back-up case I keep in my car.”

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