Love at the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea - Jane Linfoot Page 0,21
sinking in how much time I’ll have to spend with the groom, my body’s getting sweatier and my feet are getting colder.
Nic’s clearing his throat. ‘What I do know is, this is the most important day of two people’s lives. There’s absolutely no room for error.’
Last time he saw me in the shop I was pouring out love potions – or more probably spilling them. I’ve got ten seconds to convince him I can up my game from that. ‘Weddings are our business. I promise we’re trained to deliver excellence in high-stakes situations.’ At least that’s given me a few minutes’ leeway to decide if I can actually face this. And big mistake number one is that I didn’t even think about putting my Spanx on. If I’d known this was coming, I’d have trussed myself up to be more impressive and less wobbly.
As Jess narrows her eyes, I can see she’s as aware of Nic’s doubtful expression as I am. ‘And that’s exactly why we’ve chosen Milla for you. Her appreciation of the latest trends is second to none, she knows weddings and suppliers inside-out.’
It would be easier for Jess if she was pulling me out of a bag all fresh and new but Nic Trendell’s already seen a lot more of me than she realises. Begging for kisses in a car park. Prancing around in a mini-jumpsuit and wings. Stuffing my arm up his jumper after I accidentally stabbed him. I can hardly blame him for thinking twice – it’s a big ask for me to move on from that lot and reinvent myself as a shiny professional who commands shedloads of cash.
Nic’s wrinkling his nose. ‘I always employ top-flight personnel for the agency.’
Jess’s jaw is clenched. ‘As we do here.’
Sometimes it pays to get things out into the open rather than trying to hide them. As I turn to Nic, I make my smile extra bright. ‘I know I missed with my arrow, and my pyjama bottoms didn’t go with my top. And I appreciate fewer sequins and longer skirts would be classier on a daily basis …’
He stops to give a shrug. ‘If I’m being brutally honest, I’m worried about much bigger issues here than kittens chasing pompoms.’
So he did see my pants. Damn!
Which means he also saw my legs all the way up to my bottom and possibly beyond. And I know I didn’t stint on the similar view of him. But how can I ever come back from that? And that’s before we even get to the bit where I tried to eat his face off.
‘I fail to see the relevance of sleepwear!’ Jess’s eyebrows are somewhere around her hairline.
I’m almost squeaking. ‘On the upside, I’m really strong on the fun elements, which are the bits the guests will remember and talk about forever.’
Nic pulls in a breath. ‘Okay, let’s take this back to a more professional place. In the day job I employ hard-hitting, practical people, and I’d like to do the same here.’ The way he’s frowning at my feet it seems he’s not impressed by the lack of heels. ‘So how about courses or certificates? Put my mind at rest, Milla, tell me about those.’
My heart plummets because he couldn’t have asked me a worse question. As for my shoes, I knew I should have gone for the super-high ones that really make me look like I can kick ass as well as Phoebe does. If it hadn’t been for four flights of stairs I would have. I’m so totally sunk here that I’m opening and closing my mouth and nothing’s coming out. But Jess is staring at Nic like he’s about two inches tall.
‘With all due respect, Nic, we’re talking brides here, not harbour tugs. In this industry it’s experience, capability, and a huge capacity for hard work that are the keys to success. Paper rarely comes into it.’ Her sniff couldn’t be any more condescending. ‘I’m completely confident that Milla will deliver all the way from the save-the-date cards to the going-home taxis.’
Nic tilts his head. ‘Save the what?’
I jump in to explain to cover for Jess’s eye roll. ‘They’re cards you send to the guests in advance. But first you need a guest list. And with your tight schedule you’ll have to sort the dress and the caterers, like, yesterday.’
‘Okay.’ From Nic’s bemused stare it’s clear he has no idea about any of it. He swallows and as he speaks his voice is low and dry. ‘Getting this