Page 15 of Happily Never After

“’Kay. So, the horses,” Mindy prompted again.

“Yes. They will then have a horseback ride through the hills of Los Angeles, culminating in their arrival at the base of the Hollywood sign at sunset where Brad will propose, surrounded by their friends and family and a lovely catered dinner. The props company we contacted sent confirmation that the letters are finished. They are each fifty feet tall, solar-powered and self-lit, not to mention insanely expensive. They will be dropping them in front of the existing Hollywood letters by helicopter on the evening of the proposal.”

Mindy let out a low whistle. “This is insane.”

“I know, right?” Claire whispered. Brad’s proposal was already quadruple the cost of any they’d done before.

“So basically,” Mindy said slowly, “the number of things that could go wrong is exponential.”

“Exactly.”

“Got it. Starting a new document for contingency plans.” Mindy tapped on her tablet, then looked up. “What about backup transportation? You know, in case the limo breaks down or there’s traffic gridlock?”

Claire pressed her lips together. If that happened, she would murder someone. “I reached out to a private helicopter tour company. I’m still waiting on the quote, though I don’t think Brad will care what it is.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t suggest a helicopter himself.”

“Same. Don’t mention it to him. We’re going to need a hell of a vacation after this. I wonder how long of a flight it is from LAX to Maui.”

Mindy flipped the cover on her tablet shut. “You haven’t taken a single vacation since we started the company.”

“I know.”

Aside from a few long weekend trips, Claire hadn’t really taken any time off in a very long time. She had a million excuses—business was booming, her clients needed her. But really it was the stillness that she couldn’t tolerate. As her new therapist had so helpfully pointed out, she had always thrown herself into work to avoid what was going on in her personal life.

She worked long hours in the early days of Happily Ever Afters to ignore the fact that her relationship with her fiancé was crumbling. She plowed through Nicole’s proposal with singular determination after Jason cheated on her at her awards ceremony. Even focusing on Barney’s proposal helped her forget that she had had to cancel her wedding.

Brad was annoying, but he certainly did a great job of distracting her from the trauma of the past year. As long as she kept moving, the ghosts of her past left her alone. But in the stillness, she was vulnerable. Nightmares and intrusive thoughts reminded her she was never truly safe. ESA was still out there, and now they were targeting her sister.

“Don’t you have an appointment?” Mindy asked, glancing at the large, rustic-styled clock on the wall.

“I don’t think—oh. Therapy.” Claire deflated. Speak of the devil. “I guess I better get going. Come, Rosie.”

She had conceded to therapy after developing a dangerous sleepwalking habit that culminated in her driving five miles while unconscious and spray-painting the side of a fraternity house full of homicidal misogynists. Sawyer, Mindy’s boyfriend, had offered the services of his mother, Dr. Bernice Goulding. The sleepwalking hadn’t entirely gone away, but at least it hadn’t gotten worse.

“Mindfulness, girl,” Mindy teased as Claire walked down the long aisle full of proposal props they stored, shuffling around a replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Claire groaned.

CHAPTER FIVE

To Do:

- Fine tune presentation for bank meeting

- Impact statement!!

- Take donations to shelter

“How doyou feel when you finish a proposal?” Dr. Goulding leaned back in her armchair and took a sip of herbal tea. A bright pink blouse popped against her ebony skin.

Her Ivy League doctorate hung on the wall, and it was just the slightest bit crooked. There was a level on the multi-tool in Claire’s purse, but something told her Dr. Goulding wouldn’t appreciate the gesture.

Claire plastered a smile on her face. “Happy, of course. I love bringing people together. That’s why I made it my life’s work.”

Why was she sinking so much time into therapy? She could have been working on Brad’s proposal this whole time. An hour wasted.

“And when everything is packed up, the couple’s gone, and your work is finished, how do you feel then?”

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