up.
“Nora? Beth Chase. What can I help you with?” She made sure to smile even when speaking on the phone, just in case the adage about hearing a smile was true.
“Can you shrink my niece?” Nora responded without missing a beat.
Beth chuckled. “Growth spurt since the dress fitting?”
“She’s like a magic bean sprout. Grew five inches overnight! I called the bridal shop but there’s no time to get another dress made. We can still get her in the damn dress, but it barely reaches her knees now and all the other dresses are tea length. I mean, that’s why we ordered this dress in the first place and …”
“I understand.” Beth cut her off before she could get too worked up. “We’ll figure something out. Don’t worry.” She tapped a few keys and pulled up her notes.
“That’s easier said than done.”
“Three days out everything feels like a crisis. Just remember that four days from now you’ll be laying on the beach next your very handsome and devoted husband.”
“I still haven’t packed. That’s bad, right? I should be packed by now.”
“Relax. Throw a couple of sundresses and a bikini in a bag.”
Nora giggled. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I’ll call up the dress shop. They can’t make a whole new dress, but they can add some fabric to the hem.”
“Won’t that look obvious?”
“Yes, so we won’t try to match the white. We’ll have them match the pink from the belt on your dress. It’ll look like it was meant to be there.”
“That … that could work. Right? That’s doable.”
“Definitely. Can your sister bring the flower girl to the shop this afternoon?”
“I’ll call her right now.”
“Why don’t you leave that to me? You go pack for your honeymoon and try to relax.”
Beth explained her plan to the seamstress, got a promise from the bride’s sister that the kid would be in the shop twenty minutes after she got out of school that afternoon, and the mini-crisis was averted.
“Why are you here?” Tony frowned at her from just inside the doorway
“It’s my office.” She pointed. “See. It says so right on the door. Beth Chase: Wedding Planner.”
“I have everything under control. Really.”
“I know you do. I just wanted to check in, make sure everything is all set for Saturday.”
Tony blushed. “Why? Did she say something?”
“Why would she say something?”
“For the record, she said I was cute. I wouldn’t have done it if she hadn’t.”
Beth’s stomach dropped. “Done what?”
“Kissed her.”
“You kissed the bride!?”
“What? No. Claire.”
“The Claire who works here? That Claire?”
He nodded and dropped into the chair in front of her desk.
“That’s … wow.” Claire, their newest junior planner, was sweet and adorable. Tony could do a lot worse.
“Yeah, but now it’s all weird.” He shrugged.
“Right. Are you two going to be able to work the wedding together this Saturday?”
“We will. I promise I won’t let you down. And Claire is … she’s really professional.” He grinned dreamily.
Beth stared at him for another moment. “All right. Why don’t you go have a talk with Claire now and let me finish up a few things here?”
He paled, but stood up. “Are you sure you don’t need my help with anything?”
“Go away, Tony.”
“Fine.” He pouted, but left.
Beth scanned her email, sorting it into the appropriate files. She frowned when she reached one with Colin Pratt as the subject line. Her stomach churned as she clicked on it.
To Whom It May Concern:
Mr. Pratt has rented a lovely flat from me for the past three years. He has been a model tenant throughout this period. All monies owed are paid well in advance, and the neighbors have had only positive things to say about him. I must, however, caution that he should never be allowed to assist the electrician again. I am confident though that he learned this lesson well enough the last
“Nora? Beth Chase. What can I help you with?” She made sure to smile even when speaking on the phone, just in case the adage about hearing a smile was true.
“Can you shrink my niece?” Nora responded without missing a beat.
Beth chuckled. “Growth spurt since the dress fitting?”
“She’s like a magic bean sprout. Grew five inches overnight! I called the bridal shop but there’s no time to get another dress made. We can still get her in the damn dress, but it barely reaches her knees now and all the other dresses are tea length. I mean, that’s why we ordered this dress in the first place and …”
“I understand.” Beth cut her off before she could get too worked up. “We’ll figure something out. Don’t worry.” She tapped a few keys and pulled up her notes.
“That’s easier said than done.”
“Three days out everything feels like a crisis. Just remember that four days from now you’ll be laying on the beach next your very handsome and devoted husband.”
“I still haven’t packed. That’s bad, right? I should be packed by now.”
“Relax. Throw a couple of sundresses and a bikini in a bag.”
Nora giggled. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I’ll call up the dress shop. They can’t make a whole new dress, but they can add some fabric to the hem.”
“Won’t that look obvious?”
“Yes, so we won’t try to match the white. We’ll have them match the pink from the belt on your dress. It’ll look like it was meant to be there.”
“That … that could work. Right? That’s doable.”
“Definitely. Can your sister bring the flower girl to the shop this afternoon?”
“I’ll call her right now.”
“Why don’t you leave that to me? You go pack for your honeymoon and try to relax.”
Beth explained her plan to the seamstress, got a promise from the bride’s sister that the kid would be in the shop twenty minutes after she got out of school that afternoon, and the mini-crisis was averted.
“Why are you here?” Tony frowned at her from just inside the doorway
“It’s my office.” She pointed. “See. It says so right on the door. Beth Chase: Wedding Planner.”
“I have everything under control. Really.”
“I know you do. I just wanted to check in, make sure everything is all set for Saturday.”
Tony blushed. “Why? Did she say something?”
“Why would she say something?”
“For the record, she said I was cute. I wouldn’t have done it if she hadn’t.”
Beth’s stomach dropped. “Done what?”
“Kissed her.”
“You kissed the bride!?”
“What? No. Claire.”
“The Claire who works here? That Claire?”
He nodded and dropped into the chair in front of her desk.
“That’s … wow.” Claire, their newest junior planner, was sweet and adorable. Tony could do a lot worse.
“Yeah, but now it’s all weird.” He shrugged.
“Right. Are you two going to be able to work the wedding together this Saturday?”
“We will. I promise I won’t let you down. And Claire is … she’s really professional.” He grinned dreamily.
Beth stared at him for another moment. “All right. Why don’t you go have a talk with Claire now and let me finish up a few things here?”
He paled, but stood up. “Are you sure you don’t need my help with anything?”
“Go away, Tony.”
“Fine.” He pouted, but left.
Beth scanned her email, sorting it into the appropriate files. She frowned when she reached one with Colin Pratt as the subject line. Her stomach churned as she clicked on it.
To Whom It May Concern:
Mr. Pratt has rented a lovely flat from me for the past three years. He has been a model tenant throughout this period. All monies owed are paid well in advance, and the neighbors have had only positive things to say about him. I must, however, caution that he should never be allowed to assist the electrician again. I am confident though that he learned this lesson well enough the last
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