Chapter 16
Alex frowned into the phone as Hannah strode across the lobby toward her office. “Gotta go, Suzy Q. The bitch is back. Let’s meet at Coconuts after work like we discussed last night. Will you remind Hope?”
“Sure. See you later.” Before she hung up, Suzy heard Alex greet Hannah with a tone she guessed was through clenched teeth and giggled. Alex has Hannah and I have Izzy. At least we have each other.
~ ~ ~
She set the phone down, leaned back, and enjoyed the blissful quiet since Ken was at work and Izzy was at school. During the silence, Suzy realized she wanted peace at home and had to smooth things over with her stepdaughter. She reheated her coffee and stared into the brown liquid as her thoughts turned to Jon and Fernando. She secretly feared she’d lose her son to Fernando’s Italian family and they’d move abroad. Maybe that was selfish but he was her only child.
Dismissing that awful possibility, she peered out the kitchen window. The spring trees already had showy, new buds. Spring’s color palette was Suzy’s favorite. The grass was a lush, carpet-like green. Yellow daffodils and pink tulips were bursting with color. Nature had a way of relaxing her. Unlike Alex, early mornings were Suzy’s preferred time of day and when she did her best planning—and thinking.
She padded through the house, opened her wedding calendar, and frowned. It was blank for the next two months. I’ve got to connect with more brides. This is my slowest year yet.
Scrolling through Facebook as if for answers, Suzy had a lightbulb moment. I’m going to set up a Facebook page for my business, Weddings by Suzanne. After several haphazard tries with graphics, she created a pink and black cover banner featuring a white wedding dress graphic, her logo, and website. She outlined the banner border with pink rose petals and chose a stylish, strapless wedding dress for her profile picture. Nearly two hours later, she was satisfied with her page and invited current and past brides, friends, and family members to like her new Facebook business page.
Why haven’t I done this before? I need to step into the twenty-first century. Take a walk on the social media side. She made another half pot of coffee and contemplated how to drum up even more business. Referrals. That’s it. I need referrals. I also need to spotlight my clients’ weddings.
After pouring fresh, hot java into her oversized, pink and black Weddings by Suzanne cup for inspiration, Suzy photographed her bridal logo on her mug and posted it online. Then she offered free coffee mugs to the first ten brides who shared her page. Staring at the screen, she also decided to provide five mugs and a drawing for a fifty-dollar Weddings by Suzanne coupon to brides or grooms who referred five of their friends.
In full marketing mode, Suzy searched her photo files and uploaded several pictures from previous weddings. She added the southwestern-themed wedding with Maria and Scott where the bridesmaids wore brightly colored balloon-hemmed gowns and the groomsmen sported silky matching ties. To show examples of wedding food, she included a photo displaying the luscious Mexican feast featuring Mexican sombreros between colorful, heaping fiesta platters.
Suzy’s eyes glistened as she studied a photo of a bride who arrived in her great grandfather’s Model T, as well as the bride whose German shepherd walked her down the aisle. She added these to her Facebook page, as well as a few more unique wedding photos to feature the variety of clients in her portfolio. She couldn’t wait to add Jon and Fernando’s wedding snapshots to the mix.
No wonder Alex enjoys marketing. This is fun. Suzy stood, stretched, and turned on a soft jazz station as she admired the page. I’ve certainly planned a variety of weddings. She noticed Alex had already liked her new business page. She was the first. Alex may be first online but always last in person. Suzy laughed out loud. A few minutes later, Hope liked her page and so did Jon. She shook her head. Is everyone on Facebook all day, every day?
Staring fixated as if she were admiring a museum piece, Suzy sat in awe as every few minutes, more people followed her page or responded to the photos she had posted. She put her hand to her chest when she noticed a couple of her former brides shared their pictures and tagged friends.
I really, really should have done this years ago.
She drummed her fingers on the table as she studied the screen. Should I feature my own unplanned wedding that happened at my class reunion? Suzy smiled remembering how Alex and Hope had used the red and black school colors, balloons, and table flower decor for the decorations. They had even made a make-shift veil out of linen napkins, and Jon and Fernando had arrived with a grocery store wedding cake in tow.
Her thoughts shifted to her husband. Suzy rarely—okay, occasionally—allowed herself to wonder if she and Ken had dated even for a few months if Izzy would be the problem she is today. If they could have eased into their relationship and blended family, things might have been different with Izzy. But it was too late now. Desperate to make up for lost years, Ken and Suzy went for it at their twentieth reunion, everyone else be damned. Now, she had to deal with the often-uncomfortable family dynamics.
Her dinging computer interrupted her thoughts and her eyes bulged when she spotted three hundred followers on her new wedding page. She also had twenty shares from former clients. All smiles, Suzy couldn’t wait to tell Hope and Alex at Coconuts.