Chapter 14
“All right, boss. Where do you want these?”
Cassie turned at the sound of Drea’s voice.
Just one day could Drea not look effortlessly beautiful?
T-shirt and jeans? Sexy. Cold out and add a leather biker jacket?
Sexier. Rip in the shirt because even your shirt can’t take the heat?
Forget about it. She tried to shake off her inner monologue and glanced down at the plastic-wrapped frames in Drea’s hands. “Is that the painting?”
Drea nodded. “Yes, ma’am. As requested.”
She clutched the clipboard to her chest. “Oh, I can’t wait to see it. You can go ahead and hang it in the original location.”
Drea saluted and headed to the courtyard.
After Cassie spoke with the chair rental people and answered a call from Jody, she joined Drea to see the grand reveal.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, the grandeur of the feature took her breath away. “Oh my god.”
Drea finished securing the last panel to the wall and watched as Cassie approached the painting. “I hope that’s a good ‘oh my god.’”
Cassie pointed at each of the elements, in awe at the level of detail up close. “You got the steamboat and the bridge and, oh my gosh,” she looked at Drea, “is that them?”
Drea nodded with a grin.
She couldn’t believe it. She had seen a little bit of Drea’s artistic talent that night at the office, and of course all of her abilities with graphic design work for different clients, but this was something else.
It reminded her of Van Gogh, and the only word she could come up with was art.
It was true art. Drea had created an elaborate, inviting evening river cruise scene that took her breath away.
The three-story steamboat spanned the left and middle panels, with the warm glow of lights dancing on the blue water below as beautiful purples and blues filled the sky at dusk.
The illuminated bridge spanned the middle and right panels, with the city’s skyline in the background.
But beyond the landscape, Cassie was captivated by the details, right down to the water spraying off the paddle wheel and the two women silhouetted on the bow’s top level. The more she looked, the more she saw.
“Drea, I knew it would be good, but I had no idea it would be this good.” She shook her head in wonder. “They’re going to love this. You captured . . . everything.”
Drea stood up and joined her as they looked at the painting. “I think it came out all right.”
“I wish you did more of this style. I would love to see this perspective for some of our campaigns.”
“I’ve tried. People like what they know.”
She was about to argue her point, but Drea gave her a once-over. “I must say, you look decidedly less colorful today.”
Cassie felt a tingle in her stomach at the weight of Drea’s eyes on her. “Then my goal has been achieved. That paint did not want to go away.”
Drea leaned closer and wiped at a spot by her hairline. The closeness and intimacy of the touch made her lose her train of thought. “There, you had one last hanger-on.”
“Thanks.” God, why did she let herself feel things when they meant nothing to someone like Drea?
She felt like a schoolgirl with a silly crush, and of course the crush was aloof and devastatingly sexy.
And apparently an incredible artist. And a player.
That last point always ended the fantasy abruptly.
Cassie surveyed the clipboard in her hands, trying to get her mind right and prioritize the next tasks to complete.
There was no time to be sidetracked by thoughts of Drea. “Do you need help with the altar?”
“No, I’ve got it. I’m sure you’ve got a ton of other stuff to do.” Drea glanced to the sky. “You think the weather will hold out?”
Cassie clocked the clouds in the distance for what felt like the millionth time. “I sincerely hope so. If not, we’re going to have to scramble.”
“We’ll make it work. Off to the altar.” Drea took half a step and stopped. “I meant off to get the altar.”
Cassie smiled at the seriousness in her voice.
“I know.” She looked at the painting again.
Work like this belonged in the company’s campaigns.
If Drea doubted her own skills, that was fine.
But it didn’t mean Cassie couldn’t advocate for her.
A half-formed idea brought a smile to her face before she turned back to the wedding tasks.
Drea finished placing the centerpiece. She had two more left to carry in when Katherine and Nellie came running over.
“Drea, we can’t thank you enough,” Nellie said. “The painting is epic. It’s not much, but we wanted to give you something to thank you for it.” Katherine held out a white envelope.
Drea put her hands up in the air as if it was a gun. “Absolutely not. That’s my gift to you.”
“It would make us happy if you took it,” Katherine said.
“How about you put it toward your honeymoon instead?” They hesitated. “Go on and get ready; you’ve got a wedding in less than an hour.”
“Well, thank you.” Nellie gave her a hug and they scurried off to get changed.
“That was nice of you.”
She turned at the sound of Cassie’s voice a few feet away. A tingle of joy crept through her body at the sight of Cassie. Something about this wedding made her feel like they were a team, and for once in her life that thought didn’t bother her. “It happens occasionally.”
“I’d say more than occasionally.”
Drea leaned toward her and whispered, “Shh, don’t tell anyone.”
Cassie smiled, but it didn’t fully reach her eyes. She leaned against the table, probably out of exhaustion, but there was something sexy about it too.
“Everything okay?” Drea asked.
“I think so. We’ll find out soon enough.” Cassie looked toward the entryway and Drea followed her eyes to the guests starting to arrive.
“It will be fine,” Drea said. She wanted to reach out and comfort Cassie. To wipe away her stress.
“I’ll be glad when I don’t have to plan any more weddings. But first, I want this to be everything they dreamed of and more.”
The thought of not working on any more weddings together sent a pain through Drea’s chest. There was a connection between her and Cassie that didn’t fully translate to the office dynamic, and the thought of losing that inspired a wave of melancholy that took her by surprise.
She forced a smile, not wanting to show the emotion to Cassie or stress her any further. “I have a feeling it will be.”
Cassie nodded but didn’t seem convinced. “We probably should go change. You need help with anything?”
“I’m grabbing the last centerpieces now and then I’m done.”
“OK.” Cassie raised her eyebrows. “See you on the other side.”
* * *
Cassie eyed the decadent slice of chocolate cake taunting her from Drea’s plate. “Can I try a bite of that?”
Drea slid her plate closer to Cassie. “Go for it.”
“Do you want to try mine? It’s coffee and chocolate.”
“Can’t go wrong with that,” Drea said and loaded a bite onto her fork.
They both tasted their samples as they watched each other, then narrowed their eyes.
“I think I like yours better,” Cassie said.
“Ditto.” Drea slid her plate fully in front of Cassie and grabbed the chicory coffee slice for herself. “Problem solved.”
“I like the way you think,” Cassie said through another bite.
“Excuse me, ladies.” Cassie turned her attention to the gray-haired man in a three-piece suit, but his focus was on Drea. “I was told you’re the one responsible for that painting installation outside.”
“That’s right. What can I help you with?” Drea asked.
“My name’s Byron Ledbetter and I run NOLA Travel and Tours. I was really taken with your painting and style. If you have some time next week, I’d love to chat about creating an installation like that for our lobby, and using it in some marketing pieces as well.”
“Sure, we could chat about it. We actually work for a marketing firm.” Drea gestured between herself and Cassie.
Byron nodded toward Cassie. “Wonderful. Here, take my card, and let’s set something up for all three of us.”
Cassie turned toward Drea after he left. “I totally manifested that for you.”
“You don’t say?”
“I do say.”
Drea held her gaze, and if it had been anyone other than Drea, Cassie would have said they were flirting.
“Well, I owe it all to you then.” Drea said playfully as she took another bite of cake.
Cassie glanced at the centerpiece. She had lost some skin cells to the glue gun making these, but the effect was worth it as they provided an inviting sense of autumn to the reception.
She allowed herself a moment of pride as she scanned the room, taking in the smiling brides, the couples on the dance floor, the upbeat music matching the jovial mood among the guests.
She had done it. The brides were happy, the guests were happy, and she hadn’t let Molly down.
She took in a deep breath and let it out, releasing stress she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying all this time.
“Would you like to dance?”
A woman with a short, styled haircut and a vest open over a white dress shirt and tie smiled down at her.
Cassie hesitated for a moment. It had been a while since a stranger had asked her to dance, but the woman had kind eyes, so she took her hand.
“Sure.” She glanced back at Drea, feeling a small sense of sadness to be pulled away from her and wishing it was Drea leading her to the dance floor, but Drea seemed unaffected as she raised her glass in the air in an unrequited cheer.
The love ballad seemed a mismatch for a first dance with a total stranger, but Cassie danced anyway and learned that the woman’s name was Nicole and she was a friend of Katherine’s.
When the ballad transitioned into a dance beat, Nicole asked if she’d like to continue and since she was enjoying herself, she decided she might as well.
“Sounds like it’s going to pour.”
“What?” Cassie asked.
Nicole leaned closer. “I said it sounds like it’s going to pour.”
As she said the words, Cassie heard the thunder rumbling outside.
She glanced at Drea’s seat, but it was empty.
“Excuse me,” she said as she sprinted to the courtyard to save the painting before the rain came.
She found Drea squatting next to the far right panel, unsecuring the fasteners as quickly as she could.
“What can I do?”
“Take them inside as I get them off.” Drea handed her the right panel. “Here.”
Cassie walked as fast as she could while being careful not to damage the painting and leaned it against the wall in the entryway. Drea had the second panel ready by the time she returned. She felt a couple of cold raindrops hit her head as she rushed it inside. Shit.
“Do you have an umbrella?” she asked the staff member at the front desk.
He handed her one and she sprinted to the courtyard, the raindrops coming down more steadily as she reached Drea.
Cassie held the umbrella over the painting and Drea as she undid the last fastener and they rushed inside together.
“I’ll be right back,” Drea said and ran back to the courtyard.
Cassie dropped the umbrella and scanned the panels, a wave of gratitude filling her when she saw that they hadn’t been damaged.
A clap of thunder shook the building as the sky opened up. Drea was still out there, so Cassie ran out and found her removing the screws from the altar.
“What are you doing?” she shouted.
“I’m almost done. Don’t ruin your dress out here.”
“Drea, it’s just an altar. Leave it here.”
Drea kept trying for another minute, but it wasn’t budging.
Cassie grabbed her hand. “Come on.” She pulled Drea up and they ran inside and fell against the wall. They stared at each other for a moment, chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath, then burst into laughter.
Drea looked up and down at Cassie and frowned. “Your dress.”
She glanced down at the hunter-green off-the-shoulder dress that was decidedly more clingy than when she started the evening. She shrugged. “It’s just a dress.”
Her eyes traveled down Drea’s body, noticing for the first time that her white dress shirt was nearly translucent underneath the form-fitting black jacket, revealing a black bra.
Sexy thoughts raced through her mind before she could shake them and when she raised her eyes to Drea’s, the expression she found there seemed to know it.
She was close enough to touch. The smallest of gestures would close the gap.
Drea held her gaze, her chest still rising and falling as her breathing returned to normal.
Cassie warred with her thoughts: the typical measured, reliable Cassie who warned her to stay away from Drea because it could never mean anything more than a good time, and the wild, unreserved Cassie who left others in her dust and chased her dreams no matter the stakes.
But as she looked into Drea’s eyes, she didn’t see a player, only depths of emotion she would wade through for the rest of her life if given the chance.
A light tremor ran through Drea’s body. On instinct, Cassie raised her hand and moved a wet strand of curls off Drea’s cheek.
“You’re shaking,” she said.
“So are you.”
She hadn’t even noticed. She placed her palm along Drea’s cheek, but couldn’t decipher the expression in those deep blue eyes.
There was a calmness to Drea, but a myriad of emotions seemed to swirl within.
Cassie’s eyes dropped to Drea’s full lips, and all thoughts ceased as she leaned closer, wanting nothing more than to feel Drea’s lips on hers.
All of the things that had held her back were gone.
It was just her and Drea, their lips inches apart as they looked into each other’s eyes.
“Here, ladies. Take these towels. You’re soaked.”
Cassie started at the voice behind her but held on a moment longer, not wanting it to end, whatever it was, unsure if she’d ever experience another moment like it.
Finally, she lowered her hand, blinking back all the emotions racing through her, and turned to the man from the front desk, who handed her and Drea each a fluffy white towel.