Chapter 48
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
To Do:
- Don’t panic
- Do what you were born to do
“So how do we tell her that ‘all other duties as assigned’ might sometimes involve busting a serial killer ring?” Mindy flipped down the mirror in the car and adjusted her lipstick.
“I think that’s more of an after-she-passes-the-probationary-period kind of revelation,” Claire said, rifling through her purse. She pulled out her interview binder. “I really hope this is the one. She’s our last option since Megan took another job and Jenna dropped everything to be in a Pledge commercial.”
Mindy shook her head. “If it’s meant to be, it will be.”
“You’re very zen for someone who has a life-altering deadline this week,” Claire said.
“Well, I did just come back from a mini sexcation,” Mindy said, flipping the mirror shut and opening her car door.
“Right. Please remember our rafters can only take so much.” Claire shook her head and climbed out. She opened the door to the coffee shop and was about to approach the counter when someone in the corner caught her eye.
Heather Clearwater, the Pennsylvania-girl-turned-LA-hospitality-manager, waved at them from the corner table. Three coffees and an assortment of pastries sat in front of her.
“Holy shit, she beat us here,” Claire muttered to Mindy as she waved back. They walked over together.
Heather stood and offered her hand. “You must be Claire and Mindy. It’s so nice to meet you in person.” She was dressed in a silk blouse and ascot with a pencil skirt, and her red hair was slicked back into a bun. Her teeth were a dazzling white, and Claire would have stolen the shoes off her feet if she thought they would fit. There was something familiar about her, but Claire couldn’t quite place it.
“Love your shoes,” Claire said, settling into a chair.
“Thank you! I took a guess and went with iced coffees.” Heather gestured to the cups on the table. “I’m happy to get you something else though.”
“Iced coffee is great.” Mindy pulled her tablet out and set it up. “Thanks.”
Claire smiled. Punctual, professional, and went out of her way to get refreshments. Could this be their person? The vise grip around her throat loosened by an inch.
“So, if you’re ready, we’ll start by telling you a little bit about what we do,” she said.
Heather took a sip of her coffee and folded her hands together on the table. She leaned forward and nodded. She gave Claire her undivided attention, occasionally interjecting a “wow” or “amazing” as Claire explained the business. She maintained eye contact, but not in a creepy way.
“Mindy can show you a couple examples of what we’ve done in the past.”
Mindy swiveled her tablet around, ready to hit play on one of the videos Luke had filmed for them.
“Oh, you don’t have to if you’d rather save the time. I’ve watched every single one of your proposal videos. And your interviews. Marnie’s actually my aunt.”
“Marnie’s your aunt?” No wonder Heather looked familiar. Claire sat back in her chair. Marnie, from the local Pennsylvania talk show Marnie in the Morning , had featured Claire as a guest twice. “It’s a small world.”
Heather laughed. How had she applied her lipstick so perfectly? There wasn’t a single smudge. “It really is,” she said. “But like I said, I’m very familiar with your work. The patriotic proposal you did with Tyler and Ericka was my favorite.” She clutched one hand to her heart. “Well, that one and the one for your best friend, of course.”
Claire beamed. Heather had actually done her research.
“Well, thank you.” Claire shredded a napkin in her lap. This was going too well. There must be a catch. “We do it because we love it, and because we believe in true love. It’s kind of nonnegotiable if you want to work with us,” she added with a smile.
“So I guess we can move on to the questions, then,” Mindy said. Claire passed her a piece of paper. “What made you apply for the job?”
“Oh, here,” Heather said. She leaned down to pull two laminated sheets of paper from her purse and slid them across the table. They were resumes, expertly formatted and concise. She pulled out a small binder next and sat it on the table.
“Honestly, ever since you started making the proposal videos, I couldn’t stop watching them. What you do is so beautiful,” Heather said, leaning in. “In the hotel business, we get a little taste of making dreams come true—pulling off the perfect corporate event or wedding reception, sometimes hosting dignitaries from different countries. But nothing we do is quite like this.” She gestured to the still on the screen, where a tearful Cassie hugged Steve in his tuxedo wetsuit.
Claire nodded. Mindy nudged her under the table.
“What’s your idea of a perfect proposal?” Claire asked, scribbling a few notes under the previous question.
“Well, if you’re talking about a proposal for someone else, it depends entirely on their interests, personality, and their love story. I think everything should be as unique to the couple as possible. Some people don’t want a giant public display, for example.”
Claire nodded and made a note on her question sheet. They grilled Heather over the course of the next forty minutes. In every category that mattered, she had a great response. She even had her own ideas for proposals, neatly tabbed in a binder and organized by interest.
“Sidebar?” Mindy asked Claire after their last question.
“We’ll be right back,” Claire said.
They walked to the other side of the coffee shop and stood in the window.
“So we’d be crazy not to hire her, right?” Claire asked.
“She’s amazing,” Mindy agreed. “She was even okay with the salary and no health benefits. But I feel like we have to play it at least a little cool.”
Claire nodded. “What if we ask her to shadow us for Brad’s proposal? See how she reacts under pressure? And then make a formal offer.”
“I love it. Let’s do this.” The two girls turned around as one unit.
For the first time in weeks, there was a tiny glimmer of hope. Maybe her California dream wasn’t dead. Was Happily Ever Afters really about to be a bicoastal business?
“Heather,” Claire said calmly, folding her hands on the table. “We were wondering if you’d be interested in shadowing us for a proposal we’re doing on Saturday. It’s the biggest, splashiest one we’ve ever done, and it would be a great chance for you to get a real feel for it and make sure it’s something you’re serious about.”
Heather nodded enthusiastically. “I’d love to. I do want to be straightforward with you, though.”
Shit . There was the other shoe hurtling out of the sky. What now?
“I had an interview with another event planning company, and they said I should expect an offer by the end of the week. And please don’t get me wrong, I’m very interested in working for Happily Ever Afters. I just wanted to be honest with you and let you know that you’re not the only company I’m waiting to hear from.”
Claire’s happy bubble popped like someone had sprinted full force at her with a needle.
“We understand. Thank you for being up front with us. If anything changes for you before Friday, please let us know.” Mindy handed her a business card. “Otherwise we’ll email you to meet up for the proposal.”
They shook hands, and Heather left the coffee shop.
“Do you think she was bluffing?” Mindy wondered out loud.
Claire shook her head. “Of course she’s in demand. Look at her.” She pointed out the window.
Heather was helping an elderly woman cross the street next to the coffee shop. “She’s perfect,” Claire added.
“Damn it, you’re right. Should we have just made the offer?”
Claire shrugged. “If it’s meant to be, it will be. I have a feeling we’ll win her over. Planning proposals has to be way more interesting work than whatever other event planning company she’s working with.”
“I hope you’re right. We should get going. We have about eight hundred hours of work to do before Saturday.”