Chapter Twenty-Four
Teague
I stopped working at the coffee shop when I got back from Oregon, but I go in every morning to pick up drinks for the office. If the plan I’ve got in my head for a new position doesn’t pass muster with Gabrielle, I hope I can get my job back while I figure out my next step.
After talking with Madison yesterday before she got on a plane to take her honeymoon with her best friend, an idea crashed into me that won’t go away. I shared it with Harper, and she thought it perfect. I called home and talked to my dad about it. He said if Gabrielle didn’t like my proposal, then another wedding planner would.
He didn’t offer unsolicited advice or money to do it on my own. He offered encouragement, which is the best gift ever.
The only downside to my plan is if I continue to work with Gabrielle, I may see Mateo from time to time. I know eventually that won’t hurt so much, but right now it’s hard to imagine when even the tiniest thought of him causes a steady thrum of warmth and want under my skin.
I have no regrets about our time together. He brought me out of my shell and taught me to be more carefree, more confident in my own skin, and to go for what I want. When I told him I loved having sex with him, it was my safe way of saying I loved him. And I knew that moment would change everything, because he saw the truth written all over my face. I tried not to fall for him, but he made it impossible.
So, all day yesterday I weighed the benefits of sharing my idea with Gabrielle with running into Mateo, and despite having the boss from hell most days, she’s a hell of a boss, too, and I’ve learned a lot from her.
Plus, I’m not a quitter. And I didn’t deserve to be fired.
I shake my head to clear it, square my shoulders. It’s now or never. “Good morning,” I say as I stride into Gabrielle’s office. I put her coffee down on her desk and take my usual seat across from her. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
She barely looks at me. “What are you doing here? I fired you.”
“I know, but I thought you deserved to be the first to hear my business proposition.”
“Deserved?” she says dismissively.
“Yes.” I press my hands into my lap and straighten my back.
Despite my firing, she lifts her coffee like she’ll listen to what I have to say, albeit when she’s good and ready. And that’s when I notice that her thick black hair is pulled into an untidy bun, not a sleek ponytail. Her eyebrows are gathered in a stronger pinch than usual. The fire in her eyes isn’t blazing as brightly.
She’s had a rough go of it. Being Mrs. Hastings’s best friend, Madison’s godmother, and the wedding coordinator, all at the same time, has taken its toll.
For the first time there are chinks in her armor.
“Miss Watters, have I ever, at any time, led you to believe you could speak freely to me?”
Apparently, she can be unpleasant no matter what.
“No, not really. But—”
She puts her hand up to get me to stop talking.
“Then what makes you think I’ll listen now?”
Wow. What happened to the woman who made me a last-minute airline reservation to visit my dad? “You’re a savvy businesswoman, and I think you’ll be very interested in what I have to say.”
She waits a beat before leaning back into her chair and saying, “Fine. Since you’re here, go ahead.”
I clear my throat and will myself to maintain eye contact. I’ve got this. “I’d like to be your honeymoon planner and put honeymoon packages together for your brides.”
“Isn’t that what a travel agent does?”
“This would be different. I’d like to travel to all the destinations we recommend. I’ll scout hotels and restaurants, find the best activities and the most romantic spots. Then I’ll write up a report, so to speak, with details and pictures where we sell the whole idea and take care of all the reservations in advance. The trips will have our stamp of approval, and we’ll be able to stand by them because I will have personally been to every place we recommend.”
“You want me to pay you to go on vacations?”
“I want you to invest in me to bring you more business. Who’s to say only your brides will use this service? Once word gets out, any bride and groom can hire me as their honeymoon coordinator, and I’ll work one-on-one with them.” I scoot to the edge of my chair and press up taller. “Most couples plan their honeymoons to somewhere they’ve never been, and often through a travel agent who hasn’t been there, either. That’s like, I don’t know, ordering some superexpensive meal because the waiter says it’s delicious even though he hasn’t personally tried it. Only you can’t send back a honeymoon if you don’t like it.”
Gabrielle leans forward with her arms on the desk. I’ve got her interest.
“There are favorite spots for honeymoons and I can go to those, but what if I also visited less obvious places? Out of the way, less crowded destinations. Or I designed theme trips. I want to put together a whole book of travel ideas in all different price ranges. Plus, by visiting the places we recommend, I’ll develop relationships with the people there and share our brand around the world. Marketed the right way, this could be really big.”
“You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”
“Yes. Honestly, this would be a dream job, combining my desire to be a travel writer with my love of helping brides make lasting memories. I’d like to create a romantic narrative that focuses on each destination, and with that, I’d like permission to pitch the stories to publications. If they’re published, that’s another avenue for getting the word out about your company.”
Gabrielle runs the back of her hand under her chin and down her neck.
“Oh!” I bounce in my seat. “And with the digital age we’re in, I could do this for a couple anywhere. I can video when I’m on location and share those with clients via Snapchat and Instagram. I can even”—this just comes to me—“take requests from couples and travel somewhere for them to see if it’s everything they dreamed it would be. We would charge for that of course, but with your clientele, I don’t think it will be a problem. We could call it concierge honeymoon planning or something like that.”
She studies me carefully, and I have no idea what she’s thinking. She’s an expert at blanking her emotions. “I like it,” she finally says.
“Really?”
“Can you write me a business plan this week?”
“Yes.”
“Find me a new assistant better than you?”
“Yes.”
She raises her eyebrows. I’m firing off the yeses too quickly and missed the veiled compliment in that question.
“I mean no, but I’ll find you someone good.”
“Very well. Show me what you’ve got next Monday morning, and we’ll go from there.”
“Thank you. I won’t disappoint you.” I stand and hurry to go to my desk before she changes her mind. I take this as an unfiring.
“Teague?”
I look over my shoulder. It’s the first time she’s called me by my first name.
“You haven’t yet.”
I’d smile at her, but she’s already moved her attention to something on her desk. The rest of the day goes by in a haze. I leave work at the rare hour of five o’clock and go home. I’m anxious to get started on a business plan Gabrielle won’t be able to say no to.
Harper is giving a swim lesson, so I wave and hurry around the pool. She beams up at me while keeping an eye on her student. I texted her earlier, and she’s super excited for me. She says BBG would be an even bigger bitch to not run with my idea.
My.
Idea.
I feel like my wings are finally in motion.