Chapter 25
Juliette was ready to meet with Rodrigo and Charity.
She’d planned and prepared all week. She’d gone over exactly what she was going to say during the tour of the beach house—everything from pictures and portraits to flower arrangements and dressing rooms. Her list of bullet points was flawless.
Nothing could take her by surprise. Until her phone rang, and the screen lit up with Gabrielle’s smiling face.
“Hey Gabi.”
“Hi Jules!” Her sister’s voice burst with excitement on the other end of the line. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“I found you a job!”
All of the air pulled from Juliette’s lungs. “You what?”
“A job, Juliette.” Gabrielle laughed, then continued as a horn sounded in the background. “I found you one. Here, in Cali.”
She couldn’t quite understand the words she was hearing. “You found me a job in California?”
“Yes!” Gabrielle squeaked. “I know it sounds crazy, but Jeremiah and I met this woman at one of those galas where they like to honor local military members. We got to talking, and come to find out, she’s the CEO of ColorSpace.”
Juliette gasped and clutched one hand over her chest. “ColorSpace?”
She couldn’t believe it. ColorSpace was a premier interior design company based out of San Diego.
It was owned by Hannah Weaver, the queen of colorways.
Her design aesthetic was incomparable. Her sense of style was off the charts.
She booked out months in advance for consultations and led the way in terms of women-owned businesses.
She was exactly the sort of woman Juliette had always strived to become.
“You met Hannah Weaver?” Juliette asked. Her pulse jumped and she tried not to faint.
“That’s her name! She was incredibly kind.
Anyway, I was chatting with her and mentioned you, then showed her some of your work.
” Gabrielle sucked in a breath, the words spilling from her faster than Juliette could keep up.
“She mentioned she’d been looking to hire another designer and she absolutely loves your style.
She asked how soon you could come out here for an interview! ”
Juliette’s mind was spinning, her thoughts being pulled in every direction. It was like being on a Tilt-A-Whirl at the fair except she couldn’t get off. Dizziness swept through her, making her lightheaded. This was it, the moment she’d been waiting for—the chance of a lifetime. And yet…
And yet Brock was here.
And Vivianne, Adrienne, and Anne-Sophie were here.
And the beach house was here.
“Gabi, this is amazing, and I’m so grateful.” Juliette chewed on her bottom lip, pulling the stack of papers for her meeting with Rodrigo and Charity out of a pretty lavender binder. “But I can’t afford to live in Southern California.”
“You wouldn’t have to,” Gabi said quickly. “You could stay with me and Jeremiah, at least until you get on your feet. We’d have the best time with you out here.”
She didn’t doubt it. But California wasn’t Mystic Cove. And she’d just told Brock she was ready to stay, that she was ready to make an effort in their relationship, that she wanted to try again.
“I don’t know, Gabi. It’s a huge change.” And despite wanting something like this to happen to her for so long, it suddenly sounded terrifying.
“Hannah doesn’t need an answer now, but she will soon. Take a day or two, maybe.” There was a waver of doubt in Gabrielle’s voice. “Just promise me you’ll at least think about it?”
“Of course. Yes.” Juliette sucked in a breath. “I absolutely promise. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“Good. I’m heading in for another shift, so I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay. Love you, Gabi. And thank you.”
“You’re always welcome, and love you more.”
Her sister’s line clicked off, and Juliette stood in the beach house, dumbfounded.
Gabrielle had just flipped her entire world upside down, but she had no time to collect her feelings on the matter or even catch her breath because she could already hear voices outside.
Rodrigo, Charity, and Anne-Sophie had arrived.
Juliette was prepared for every question Rodrigo and Charity had for her.
She was even able to field the ones from Rodrigo’s future mother-in-law.
She showed them how the bedrooms would be set up and which ones would connect.
She walked them through the ceremony if it was held outdoors on the beach, and how it would look on the main level of the house in case of inclement weather.
Not a single detail was overlooked, not one concern wasn’t met with a backup plan.
Anne-Sophie was there to help her bring her vision to life, and together they walked the couple through the bridal suite, plus the adjoining rooms for bridesmaids, and then through the separate quarters for the groom and groomsmen downstairs.
She had color boards on display, where she gave them examples of how the walls would look once they were painted, and to set the vibe for the overall flow of the house.
Gigi constructed sample floral arrangements, and all the framed photographs waiting to be hung belonged to Adrienne.
All in all, the meeting was going rather smoothly.
It didn’t matter if Brock was late. She hadn’t really expected him to show up after the bonfire, anyway. She knew he was busy, that his mind was preoccupied with other things, not only her. Yaya was more important.
But she was grateful she wasn’t alone. Having Anne-Sophie there helped make it slightly less awkward.
Granted, she and Rodrigo talked beforehand, but his new fiancée was smart, good-natured, and incredibly kind.
All the things Juliette was not expecting.
All of which was compounded by the fact that she was startlingly beautiful.
Oh, Juliette had seen pictures of Charity before, but in real life the woman was breathtaking.
Straight platinum-blonde hair hung to her waist. She was wispy and thin but walked with the grace of a goddess.
Her eyes were wide, her lips were frosted with shimmery pink gloss, and her skin looked as though she’d just stepped off a hot Miami beach.
She was painfully intimidating, but Juliette continued to smile, doing her part to sell the beach house as a wedding venue.
“So, Charity.” Juliette led them to the kitchen, which, once complete, would be large enough for an entire staff. “As you can see, we will have plenty of space for any catering organizations you might choose, though in the future we plan on bringing in a team to work the weddings.”
“I think it’s splendid.” Charity tossed her waterfall of satin hair over one shoulder. “It has everything I want. Everything and more.”
Juliette’s confidence soared. “I’m so glad to hear it.”
“Charity, darling.” The bride’s mother sidled forward and snapped pictures of everything on her cell phone. “We should plan a trip to come back down and check the progress after you get back from New York.”
“Yes. That’s a wonderful idea.” Charity looked at Juliette for confirmation. “Would that be alright with you?”
“Of course.” Juliette made a note of their intent in her planner. “Are you going to New York on a trip?”
“Oh no, I’ve lived there for the past three years.”
Juliette’s heart sank, tumbling into the empty pit of her chest. Rodrigo shuffled his feet, appearing mildly interested in the floor.
Three years. Charity had lived in New York for three whole years.
All those business trips, all those extra meetings in the city hadn’t been for work at all.
Rodrigo had gone to see Charity instead.
The proof was in the Tiffany solitaire glinting off her ring finger.
Juliette forced a smile so tight that her jaw started to ache. “I see. As in, New York City?” She struggled to keep her voice casual.
Rodrigo cleared his throat, and he at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed. His hands were tucked into his pockets like a disciplined schoolboy, and his gaze was more than apologetic.
“Yes.” Charity handed her a business card embossed with her name and personal contact information. “I’ve been working on starting my own clothing line. Nothing couture, more streetwear. Casual. I’m actually looking for influencers and models to represent my brand, if you know anyone?”
“My sister, Vivianne, has quite a large following on social media.” Juliette accepted the business card and tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans, grateful when Anne-Sophie gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sure she’d love to work with you.”
“Oh, that’s perfect!” Charity’s face lit up with excitement. “I’d love for her to contact me.”
“Juliette, I must say…” Rodrigo’s future mother-in-law glanced around the beach house. “I am quite impressed. You’re exceptionally knowledgeable.”
“I agree.” Charity was practically glowing, and her eyes glittered, filled with all the imaginings and magic of planning a wedding. “What you’re doing here, it’s seriously fantastic.”
“Very entrepreneurial,” Rodrigo mused, and Anne-Sophie cut him down with a death-like glare.
An hour or so later, they went over some basic paperwork, settled on a date, and then the contract was signed, finalizing everything Juliette, Brock, and Anders had been working toward.
It was actually happening. The beach house was going to become a wedding venue, and their very first bride would be Charity Rhodes, one of the most popular and well-connected socialites on the East Coast.
“I’m going to tell everyone I know about this place.” She tossed her silky straight hair over one shoulder again and winked at Juliette. “But not until after I’m married here first, of course.”
“Of course.” Juliette beamed her brightest smile. “We’re looking forward to it.”
They said goodbye, and Juliette was secretly grateful when Rodrigo walked out the door first. If he had lingered, the tension would have been suffocating.
Anne-Sophie threw her arms around her. “You did amazing, Jules. You handled him like a pro.”