C25 Chapter 25

VIOLA

Amber is over the moon when she opens the door and sees me.

“OMG! I can’t believe it’s you! I’m so glad you found a job back here! I wish I’d made it out of that town years ago! Every day here is like a breath of fresh air!”

She steps back and lets me in.

A handsome man is standing at the entrance to the hallway. “This is Dane,” Amber says. “He is my boyfriend.”

I shake hands with Dane appraising him surreptitiously as I do so. He’s gorgeous. Tall, well-built, handsome, and he has a firm handshake. Some girls have all the luck, I think. I try to think back to when last I was with someone or got lucky. It’s been too long. It’s been so long that I decided to add ‘almost got lucky’ to the equation and I realize the last time was with Rick at the wedding that ended my business.

You must have cobwebs down there, girl, I think to myself. I know I can’t stay here long or I’ll be climbing the walls soon with a gorgeous man like Dane hanging around. I blush and feel guilty about the thoughts Dane has stirred in me.

You tart, I think. Get yourself together!

Amber leads me down the passage to the room she has prepared for me. It’s small but it’s perfect. I’ll start hunting for a place tomorrow after I’ve met with Lara.

I drop my things in the room and return to Amber and Dane in the living room. They tell me how they met.

“I met Dane on his last day at our company. He came for his exit interview with my boss and we got chatting. He asked me out and here we are. It’s like a miracle. Our company has a policy against dating fellow employees so it’s great that Dane is no longer working there.”

“What are you doing now?” I ask Dane.

“I’ve moved into computing. I co-founded a business with some friends and we’re doing well. We’ve hit the ground running. Having this beautiful woman at my side inspires and motivates me no end,” he says hugging Amber.

They look so in love. I’m envious and I wish I had someone like Dane. I can only hope that I’ll find someone now that I’m back in LA. My thoughts drift to Rick but I push them aside. It’s been a long time, I stopped answering his calls and messages and I’m quite sure he’s moved on.

Besides, I tell myself, if Rick is the only person you can think of as relationship material, you’re in serious trouble. Nothing ever happened between you other than him relieving you of your panties. He’s not into the long term and he doesn’t believe in love. Set your sights higher.

I spend the rest of the afternoon with Amber and Dane who’ve taken the day off in anticipation of my arrival. When they go down to the pool I decline to join them. I don’t want to see Dane half-naked and be lusting after my friend’s man when I’m horny as hell.

The next day I’m up early. Amber gives me a key to their apartment and I let myself out after they’ve left for the office. I get to Lara’s office by nine.

Lara welcomes me and gives me a big hug as if we’ve been friends for a long time. It feels good to be welcomed so openly and almost immediately I am at ease.

We don’t talk about the past and Lara explains to me what it is she wants to achieve.

“We want to be the go-to elopement service for couples who want to elope. Probably the only service as well. Not all couples who elope do so on the spur of the moment, but some couples just decide it’s what they prefer and plan it. So, we want to provide a service for them and we also want to be the last-minute elopement service for those couples with the money to spend who decide spontaneously that they want to elope.”

I nod. “Okay. That should be simple enough. We need a network though.”

“Exactly,” Lara smiles. “See, I knew there was a reason why I wanted you.”

I blush. “Thanks.”

Lara waves a hand dismissively. “We need to build a network of limo suppliers, private jet providers, wedding locations, discreet but nice, jewelry suppliers, dress and suit suppliers, anything and everything that a wedding has, ready to go at a moment's notice. The thing to keep in mind is clients are paying for the service. If they can’t afford it, they’re not our clients.”

“Easy enough,” I reply.

“How long do you think it could take you to set up the network?”

“Thirty days or less,” I reply.

“Really? That fast?” Lara asks surprised.

I smile, “Well, I’m guessing that I’m underpromising at thirty days.”

“That’s the attitude I like,” Lara smiles. It’s a genuine smile and I warm to her immediately. I believe we’ll get along just fine. With the business out of the way, I move on to more personal matters.

“I need to ask if I could get an advance on my salary. I need to pay a deposit for a place to stay and I just don’t have enough savings.”

“I’ll be happy to give you an advance. I’d like to make a suggestion though, if I may?”

“Sure,” I reply.

“We have an apartment that we usually rent out. It’s empty at the moment because we decided we want to renovate it before we rent it out again. Why don’t you stay there for a month and then you can move out when you get your salary and you can pay a deposit?”

“Really?” I ask amazed. Lara is so kind. “That would be so kind of you,” I exclaim.

Again she waves her hand. “I’m glad to help you. I was disappointed with what happened to you. Honestly. I think you deserve a second chance. All of us wondered why we hadn’t thought of the wedding whisperer idea before. It was brilliant. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. I’m only too happy to help you get back in the game.”

“Thank you so much, Lara. You have no idea how much this all means to me,” I say. I suddenly feel emotions stirring inside me and I look down as I feel tears well up in my eyes. I don’t want Lara to see my tears. She is so kind. I never imagined I would have an angel like her come into my life. She is doing everything to make my life easy. She is a gift.

“Is everything okay?” Lara asks. She rounds her desk and leans against it in front of me. I look up and I can’t help the tears. “What is it? Is everything okay?” Lara asks with genuine concern.

I nod. It’s all I can do. I know if I even try to speak I’ll start sobbing. But I do anyway. Huge sobs. Lara takes my hand and pulls me up out of the chair. She folds me in her arms and hugs me.

“There, there, everything’s okay,” she says kindly. I hug her back and suppress my crying as quickly as possible. Then I step back from her.

“I can’t thank you enough,” I say through my tears. “God I hardly know you and you believe in me so much. You’re so kind and helpful and I hardly know you, I mean, I’ve always known you, known about you but we were never close. You hardly know me and you’re so good to me…”

I start sobbing again and she hugs me again. “I want to help you. Helping you makes me happy. I’m glad that we have this opportunity. It’s made just for you.”

I nod again as I manage to stop my sobs and blabbering. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. I won’t let you down.”

“I do not doubt that,” Lara smiles kindly. She hands me a tissue and I blow my nose. She hands me some more I dry my tears and clean up the mess that my makeup is.

We talk a while longer and she hands me the keys to the apartment and writes the address for me. “It’s livable. You can move right in. It’s not the most modern which is why we want to renovate it but there’s nothing wrong with it.”

I thank Lara again and tell her I’ll start the next day. She tells me not to bother coming into the office. She’ll send someone by with a laptop and mobile and get me set up to work from home. I greet her and leave. I cry in the cab back to Amber’s place and think how blessed I am.

I call Amber when I get home and I tell her the good news. She suggests we have dinner at her place and then they’ll drive me over to Lara’s apartment that evening.