Temptation on Ocean Drive - Jennifer Probst Page 0,24
no way we can pull off a rainbow wedding here.”
“Agreed. We need to stick to one theme and pull it all together.”
“Well, the Grinch is out. How about Horton? He seems like a nice sort.”
Bella raised a brow. “Think broader.”
“You said to narrow the field.”
“Not by sticking with elephants. It needs to be something everyone can support,” she whispered, tapping her lip faster. “A lesson wrapped up in fun, but for an adult. Then we layer it through.”
“Alcoholic beverages in bright colors?” he suggested. “Neon blue? Bright yellow? We can have signature cocktails that look fun to drink.”
“Definitely. But what’s the lesson?”
He blinked. “Don’t drink unfun things?”
Her glower was adorable, and he’d realized in the past few hours he enjoyed baiting her a bit. She was zen most of the time, but when he scratched the surface, she had a bit of a bite. Probably the mother within her, which forced her to be a disciplinarian. She had steel underneath.
And he found it sexy as hell.
Suddenly, she froze, cranking her head around to gaze at him with a fierce intent. “The Lorax.”
He flipped through the images on the iPad screen and quickly zoomed in on the book cover. “Yeah, I remember this. Save the trees, right?”
A radiant glow beamed from her face. “Recycling. Saving the environment. Truffula trees!”
“Truffles, like chocolate?”
“No.” She excitedly tapped on the keyboard and began pulling pics from a folder. She slid over a mock-up print of fluffy vibrant-colored flowers with long stalks. They looked like cotton candy stuck at the end of a stick. “These are Truffula trees. We can find flowers that resemble them and use a nature theme throughout the entire reception. Adele wants to celebrate the world of Dr. Seuss, so let’s step into the one he created in The Lorax. It can be both whimsical and elegant. I think this will work, Gabe.”
He went to the stack of hardcover books she’d brought over from Zoe’s bookshelf and took out The Lorax. As he thumbed through the pages, he got her vision, and it was like a zap of lightning finally reignited his tired brain cells. The possibilities suddenly seemed reasonable and plentiful. “It’s brilliant,” he finally said, slamming his fist on the table with victory. “I see exactly where you’re going with this. Do you think we can get Maria to do the cake?”
Maria was the master baker of the Cape and their first choice for all weddings, which meant she was double-booked most of the time. Fortunately, the woman adored a good challenge, and a Dr. Seuss cake would be the one to make her consider. Especially with a sky-high budget. “We’ll go and beg today if we can grab an appointment. Did you talk to Pierce about doing the photography?”
“Yeah, unfortunately he has another job booked. We’ll have to find someone else.”
“We’re starting with a blank slate here, so let’s go through the vendors we want to work with. We can transport the cake and flowers, but we’ll need a caterer close to the venue. What’s her bridesmaid-dress colors?”
He practically beamed with excitement. “There are none! It’s just her and the groom.”
Her excited grin hit him in his solar plexus. He loved sharing the thrill of planning a wedding with her. For the past few years, she’d refused to work with him, always insisting she didn’t need the extra help or preferring Taylor or Avery to step in. Being able to get to know her on this level was a gift. “Oh, thank God. I was terrified we’d need to deal with neon colors and patterns.”
He clicked on an image and expanded to full screen. “Here’s the layout of the bookstore. We’re dealing with a lot of mahogany wood, shelving, and columns, but if we brought in the tree element, we could accent the natural decor rather than trying to mask it.”
“Yes, we can focus on the books as a main element instead of an afterthought.”
He nodded. “Birch would work. It’s light enough for contrast, has interesting texture and form, plus, it pairs beautifully with white lights.”
Her face scrunched a little in thought. Some strands of white-blonde hair escaped her topknot and lay against her cheeks. “We use all recycled materials—from the place settings to the favors. Set it all against the natural beauty of the environment with—”
“Color for pop,” he finished. “I think we finally have our theme.”
“Let’s get on the phone with our vendors and start mocking up designs,” she said.