Chapter 57
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
To Do:
- Follow up with Detective S
- Pick up Heather from the airport
“What is the minimum length of time a couple needs to have dated before applying for our services?” Claire rapid-fired the question at Heather over the top of her menu.
An impressive chandelier hung above them. The scent of garlic and cream clung to the air. Couples chatted at the white-linen-covered tables around them. Claudia and Tyrell, their latest West Haven couple, sat a few tables away, staring dreamily into each other’s eyes as they shared a calamari appetizer. Candlelight flickered between them.
“One year,” Heather said.
Claire nodded. Heather had clearly read the employee handbook and guidelines. Claire hadn’t managed to stump her once.
Heather acted like she was trying to catch the overhead light to read her menu and stole a glance at the couple. “Oh good, he’s been so polite to the waiter.”
Claire nodded and lowered her voice. “Her too. They’re honestly adorable. I just want to take them home with me.”
“What do you think they’re talking about?” Heather whispered.
Claire glanced down at the laminated sheet she had tucked in her menu. “She said they hadn’t broached one of the big five—which are?”
“Finances, children, division of household chores, communication styles, love languages.”
Claire held out her hand for a fist bump. “You’ve clearly done your reading.”
“I want to do this right,” Heather said, casting another glance at the couple. “It’s so important.”
Claire nodded. “It’s not just about the proposal, you know. Obviously that’s where we make the splashiest impact. But the reason why we make our applicants talk to each other about the hard stuff is to set them up for a healthy and successful marriage. The proposal and the wedding are just a day. Marriage is for life. Or at least, it’s supposed to be.”
Heather nodded and looked pensively into the distance. “What’s Luke’s love language?”
Claire took a sip from her water glass. “Quality time. I really sucked at meeting his needs over the last few months, which is one of the reasons why I’ve adjusted our company hours and some of our policies. Work was everything to me for a long time. But things have changed.” She smiled.
Heather nodded. “I think that’s amazing, and not only because you’re my boss. Life is about balance and you have to decide where you want to spend your energy.”
“Exactly. Oh, they’re bringing out the entrées. Let’s watch in the least-creepy way possible.”
Claire watched their reflection in the glass-fronted fireplace. Tyrell offered his plate to Claudia before taking a bite. She sawed herself off a piece of steak and squeezed his hand. He lifted it to his lips.
“Oh my god, they’re so cute. Is it possible to have cute aggression for a couple?” Heather’s eyes were misty.
“It is now. Speaking of marriage,” Claire said, adjusting her fork. “Legally I couldn’t ask you before, but is there a special someone in your life?”
Heather wrinkled her nose. “Nope. I’m single as they come.”
“By choice?” Heather was sweet, gentle, and an amazing listener. There was no way she didn’t have a fleet of suitors waiting to woo her.
“I haven’t had a serious boyfriend since college. I thought things would change when I moved to California, but apparently my true love doesn’t hang out at The Last Bookstore or the grilled cheese truck on La Cienega.”
Claire nodded. “For what it’s worth, you are a beautiful and amazing woman and you deserve the best. As such, I will be informally vetting all future love interests to make sure they deserve you. Background check, the works. It’s just one of the services we offer here.”
A very new and overdue service, especially since the last person Mindy had dated before Sawyer had turned out to be a member of ESA.
“Oh, of course,” Heather said with a smile. “Oh shit, she’s coming over here.”
“What?” Claire said sharply. Clients didn’t usually come over to chat during their stalking sessions.
Claudia cast a glance over her shoulder before crouching down next to their table. “Two kids, Claire! He wants two!”
“That’s exactly what you hoped for! That’s amazing. How do you feel?”
“So relieved. That was the last big one. Last week, we talked about joint bank accounts since we’re moving in together anyway, and I already told him I don’t do the ironing. It’s perfect. I love him so much and I just want to marry him and have his babies.” Claudia sighed and looked longingly at the bathroom door.
Claire smiled. “I’m so happy for you. Now go back to your table before he comes out and finds you planning his proposal with the people who have been creepily staring at you all night.”
“Right, right. I’m just so excited. You’ll let me know tonight if you’ll work with us?”
Claire nodded, and Claudia rocketed back off toward her table, nearly knocking over an empty chair on the way. She had the ambling confidence and slightly clumsy joy of a golden retriever. Warmth grew in Claire’s heart. As far as she was concerned, they would sign a contract tonight. All signs pointed to a beautiful marriage for Claudia and Tyrell. But she wasn’t the only one involved in the decision-making process. Happily Ever Afters was bigger than ever, and maybe it was time to loosen the reins a little bit.
“So, Heather.”
Heather’s blue eyes shone back at her. She looked like she was anticipating another quiz question.
Claire rolled her shoulders back and straightened her spine. As difficult as it was going to be, she needed to learn to start giving up control. “I’m going to give this one to you. You get the final seal of approval. Do we work with Claudia and Tyrell, or not?”
Heather blinked. “You want me to decide? Are you sure?”
Claire nodded. Her heart beat faster than normal, and blood whooshed in her ears. “I trust you. What do you think?”
Heather sat back and looked pensive for a moment. She slid a checklist out of a binder in her purse and studied each item. The binder closed with a snap, and she made steady eye contact across the table.
“Let’s do it.”
“Good choice.” Claire smiled. Sure, she had lobbed her a softball. But Heather had good instincts. She would rep the business admirably in LA. And besides, Claire had totally put an absolute veto power in her contract. But still. Baby steps.
They ate a celebratory meal of lasagna and gnocchi. It was a fabulous day to be a proposal planner.
“So,” Claire said as they walked into the parking lot. “I’m going to walk you through sending out the welcome packet and have you run the first brainstorming session.”
“This is all so exciting!” Heather’s eyes sparkled in the dim light. “Thank you so much for bringing me on board. I’m really excited to get to work.”
“Me too,” Claire said. “Let’s swing by the warehouse site to check on the construction, and then I’ll drop you off.”
Claire gave the parking lot a cursory glance before dropping to her knees beside the car and inspecting the tires. ESA was not going to abduct her again.
“Sounds good,” Heather said from the ground on the other side of the car. She had picked up on Claire’s safety habits immediately and integrated them into her own routine. “All clear on this side.”
No trackers, no rusty nails. It must be their lucky night.
They climbed into the car. As Claire backed out of the parking spot, Heather withdrew a binder from her purse. “The sound equipment was finally replaced. It’s in storage at Luke’s. We’re still waiting on all the other electronics, the décor, moving equipment, office furniture. Hmm.”
In addition to learning the ropes as a proposal planner, Heather had also taken over the inventory replacement project.
“It’s not much, but it’s a start,” Claire said as she turned out onto Main Street. Things were looking up. They had a new, competent employee. Their inbox was positively exploding with proposal requests from all over. The top Google search result for Claire Hartley was an article about Brad’s proposal instead of her abduction. Brianna’s premiere was in two days, and the strong message of female empowerment was sure to piss off ESA. Luke’s premiere party was ninety percent planned, and he had even begrudgingly listened to some of the details.
“Forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn,” Heather said softly, startling Claire out of her reflection. She hovered on the edge of her seat like a hummingbird thinking about landing. “But you’re still set on having this dinner tomorrow?”
Claire cracked a smile. Already getting involved in the personal lives of her coworkers. She really did belong here.
Luke and Claire were flying back to LA the next day. A sure-to-be-disastrous family dinner with Jack, Tanya, Brianna, and Charlie awaited them. Charlie and Jack hadn’t shared a dinner table in two decades. Even at Thanksgiving, Charlie had disappeared into the closet in the basement with a plate of turkey and a bottle of wine.
“For the record,” Claire began, “I fully recognize that this is a terrible idea. But my family’s been broken for so long. Especially now that I have Luke, if we have children someday, I want them to know their family—aunts, uncles, grandparents. I want us to be able to get together for the holidays without all the adults screaming at each other. You’ll understand when you meet them someday,” she added, glancing in her rearview mirror as she switched lanes.
Heather nodded and leaned forward, seeming to sense that Claire wasn’t done.
“Charlie’s never forgiven my dad for what he did. It’s going to be very uncomfortable, if she even shows up. But she accepted Bri. I really think we can work through this and at least tolerate each other. Hopefully. And if not, Bri’s premiere will be less fun than the average funeral.”
Heather nodded and settled back in her seat. “And Luke’s family?”
Claire wrinkled her nose. “That’s a project for another year. I tried meddling already. Rachel jumped out into traffic and I threw Luke’s brother out of my apartment after dropping him to the floor like a sack of flour. Separate incidents.”
Heather whistled.
Family stuff was hard. Even at his best, Jack was still the man who abandoned her and missed twenty years of her life. In fact, he had only shown up to question her about the worst thing that ever happened to her. And Tanya, his wife, would forever be the woman who destroyed Alice’s marriage. But Jack had taken a bullet for her, and Tanya had welcomed her, a product of her husband’s previous marriage, with open arms.
The Hartleys were a fractured family, glistening fragments of a stained-glass window that hadn’t been whole in decades. She couldn’t choose her family. She couldn’t fit the pieces back into the places they once held. But maybe she could make something beautiful with the mess.