I know what you did. You’re fired.
Zoe stared down at the words she’d typed to text Natalie. There’d be more to come eventually, but she needed time to wrap her head around it, to deal with the hurt so that she could act semi-professional when she finally did confront her. She was still in shock.
At the moment, she wasn’t sure what else to say that could encompass the betrayal she felt, the anger for all the lies and deceit over the last few weeks—maybe even longer. She now understood why Natalie had been extra skittish recently. It was guilt.
Clutching her phone, she hit send with a flourish. But really, the firing was just a formality. The only one rejected was Zoe.
The bride and groom in her booth leered at her with their plastic expressions of marital joy. They were mocking her, turning their perfect noses up at her failure.
Annoyed, she ripped the tiara and veil off the bride’s wig and tossed it in a box, but they remained indifferent to her feelings. Now they were just trying to piss her off.
The happy couple watched as Zoe began dismantling her booth, one carefully, lovingly, thoughtfully chosen decoration at a time. The last of Zoe’s leftover pamphlets and business cards made a weighty and demoralizing thump as she threw them into the box, along with her groom’s top hat.
She looked around her booth, disappointed at how the weekend had gone. She’d had such high hopes. This had been her chance to really break out, to use some of the momentum from planning Piper and Aiden’s high-profile wedding and let it take her business to a whole new level. One where she could be choosier about which events she took on, maybe charge a bit more so she could work smarter, not harder.
The expo had been her chance to ensure a down payment and steady income for the next year of mortgage payments. Maybe her mother might have even laid off the whole husband business and canceled her date with Taichi Kimura. And Zoe had blown it.
Security had allowed her to return only once the expo closed for the day. She supposed it was a blessing that mostly everyone had gone home by the time she returned. It meant fewer people to witness her walk of shame—although she didn’t feel like she did anything to feel ashamed about.
Okay, so she did smash pink champagne cake in Chelsea’s face. But, well, that was just satisfying, and totally worth having to pay for the cake—even if it was three-hundred dollars.
Zoe gripped the bride’s head and ripped it clean off the body. It pulled out of the socket with a satisfying pop. She tossed it over her shoulder and it landed in a box.
“Whoa. Is that any way to treat a lady?”
Zoe jumped to find Levi watching her from the other side of the table, his mouth full of cake. He placed a second piece on the table and slid the plate toward her. The pink icing glared up at her judgmentally.
“Can you believe they were just going to throw this away?” He shoveled another bite into his mouth. “It’s delicious.”
She gaped at it. “You’re eating the cake I threw at Chelsea?”
“No. That would be disgusting,” he said. “I’m eating the part that wasn’t thrown.”
Zoe couldn’t help but laugh, which she supposed was probably his goal. “Oh well, I can’t have my cake this weekend, but it turns out I can still eat it.”
She picked it up and dug in. It was actually pretty good. She needed a little pick-me-up after the day she’d had, as ironic as the choice in dessert was.
They ate in silence for a while before he asked. “So what was that all about earlier? Why does that woman hate you so much?”
“Usually it’s just a little industry rivalry,” Zoe said. “I think it all began when one of her customers was tired of her poor service and asked me to plan their wedding instead. Ever since then, Chelsea’s hated me. She tries to bad-mouth me to people in the business.”
“And today?”
“That was definitely something else.”
It suddenly occurred to her that maybe Levi didn’t know what to think about her run-in with Chelsea that morning. She’d been escorted out before she’d had the chance to talk to him. Maybe he thought she was as crazy as, well, exactly how she looked that morning. Heck, maybe she was a little crazy.
“I didn’t ruin her display. You know that, right?” She didn’t know why it was so important that he knew. Once she packed up and left the expo, she’d never see him again. But for some reason she couldn’t walk away wondering if he believed that.
He gave her a look over his pink mound of sweet icing. “If I thought that, I wouldn’t be here eating cake with you.”
“No. I guess not.” She smiled, happy to have one person on her side.
His expression grew serious, and she thought he was just enjoying his cake, but then he said, “You said that Chelsea’s booth was originally supposed to be yours, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Your company’s name would have been on the original expo map layout.”
Her fork froze halfway to her mouth. “You think that the vandal might have thought it was my booth they were trashing, not Chelsea’s?” Zoe grew quiet as she considered it. “Well, if the lights were off in the ballroom, they wouldn’t have wanted to turn one on in case they were caught.”
“And it would tie in with the damage to your vehicle.” He gestured with his fork.
“So maybe the van wasn’t a one-time thing.” She gnawed on her lip. “Maybe someone is targeting me. Great. That makes me feel so much better.” She took another comforting bite.
“Well, it’s not a great theory, but it might help you get closer to figuring out who it is.”
Zoe smiled her thanks. “You’re right. The last thing I want is for anything else to happen. Any information I can give the police, the better.”
All afternoon, Zoe had been running scenarios through her head, reviewing everything that had happened over the last couple of days. Heck, maybe even since Juliet’s wedding. After learning of Natalie’s betrayal, she instantly wanted to point a finger at her for everything that had gone awry. The very thought of her assistant had her reaching for her Fuzzy Friend. Then she remembered it was a pile of beans at the bottom of her purse.
But as much as Zoe wanted to blame Natalie and get some kind of vindication for the betrayal, she couldn’t see the timid thing with a crowbar in her hands exacting violence on her van. Or for that matter, knowing where to find the brake lines to sever them.
At the end of the day, Natalie didn’t exactly strike her as the cold-blooded killer type. Shoving a metaphorical knife into Zoe’s back, however, was a different thing. She seemed to have no problem doing that. Besides, if Levi’s theory was right and the same person was behind all of it, it couldn’t be Natalie because she knew perfectly well where Zoe’s booth was.
“Thanks for earlier, by the way. I’m glad you stopped me from doing anything stupid.”
He waved away her appreciation. “You were understandably upset.”
“No kidding. Chelsea can be antagonistic to say the least.”
“Are you sure that’s all it was?” he asked. “It couldn’t have had anything to do with the fact that she’s marrying your ex?”
The way he was looking at her made the cake in her mouth turn thick. Usually so cheesy and silly, he was staring in a way that cut right through her. Past the mask she put on every morning, deep down to where she hid everything she didn’t want people to see.
“Oh that?” She swallowed hard. “It’s ancient history. It was years ago. I’m over it.”
“It didn’t seem that way to me.”
She pulled a face, like that was ridiculous, but her mask felt a little stiff. “It’s not that I’m jealous, or anything. Chelsea just hit a sore spot.”
Levi took another bite of cake, regarding her silently as he chewed. “If you say so.”
Zoe rolled her eyes. She didn’t know why she wanted to explain herself to him. It’s not like it mattered once they finished their cake and parted ways, but still, something in his look compelled her to. “Sean left me standing at the altar.”
He whistled. “That might leave a sore spot. Maybe more like a gangrenous festering wound.”
“Ew.” She wrinkled her nose. “No. It’s healed by now. It’s just not something you forget, you know? It stays with you. The questions. The doubts. I guess when Chelsea told me they were engaged, it caught me off guard.” She shook her head as the news seemed to hit her for the tenth time that day. “God, Chelsea of all people. You can’t help but make comparisons. He didn’t want to marry me, but he wants to marry her? Her? What does that say about me?”
“It says you’re too good for him,” Levi said.
“Thanks.” Zoe wasn’t meaning to fish for a compliment, but there it was. And it felt good.
Of course, Piper and Addison had said that very same thing a thousand times over, in a hundred different ways. But they were her friends, it was right at the top of the friendship contract that they were supposed to say those kinds of things.
Levi didn’t know her. He didn’t owe her anything, but for some reason, coming from a guy—the same species as Sean—it felt less of a contractual obligation and more true. It’s not like she’d ever really gotten a guy’s perspective on it since then. In fact, she’d barely given guys much thought at all.
“For what it’s worth,” he said. “I would have been standing on the other end of that aisle.”
A voice drifted toward them from around the corner, and Zoe couldn’t mistake the owner of that high-pitched voice. Holly Hart.
“Crap.”
Levi pulled a face, maybe a little pouty. “Okay, well I might not be what you’re looking for. But, you know, I’m not exactly the bottom of the barrel. I have a lot of things going for me and…”
He continued to mope, but Zoe didn’t have time to correct him. She was already searching around for an escape route. The last thing she wanted to do was endure another onslaught of questions about Piper’s wedding. But her booth was backed up against the wall. There was no way out.
With the footsteps approaching and Holly’s voice growing louder, Zoe dove for the only thing large enough to hide her—the headless bride. Hoisting up layers of semi-transparent fabric, she peeked beneath it.
Levi was still talking. “… I mean, I’ve been told I have a certain old-school gentleman quality to me, but—”
“No, no. You’re great. Shhh.” Zoe lunged for him and pressed a hand to his mouth. “I mean, ‘crap,’ Holly Hart is coming this way,” she hissed.
“The Holly Hart?” Levi said a little too loud.
Clearly eager for his fifteen minutes of fame, he craned his neck to see down the aisle. But he never got a good look because Zoe grabbed his hand and yanked him down to the floor.
Lifting the dress’s hemline, she shoved him under the billowing tulle and scurried in after him. The wide skirts created a tent beneath the white fabric, the mannequin’s legs its center post.
“Why are we—” Levi began.
Zoe held a finger to her lips as the voices became clear, and Levi trailed off. Even through the multiple layers of tulle, Zoe could make out two figures passing in front of her stall. One was definitely Holly because she wouldn’t shut up.
Zoe crossed her fingers, hoping they would move on, but they came to a stop right in front of their hiding spot. If she could see them, if they looked hard enough, they’d probably see Zoe and Levi.
“… so get over it,” Holly spat.
“But you were supposed to interview me, not her. This wasn’t some crap episode of Everybody Loves Zoe.”
Zoe’s fist clenched as she recognized Chelsea’s nasally voice.
“She ruined my booth and you acted like she was some kind of star. The focus should have been on me, not the person who was responsible for the damage.”
“What can I say, sweetheart?” Holly said. “No one cares about your little stand with a few broken candlesticks.”
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for this weekend?” Chelsea asked. “How hard I’ve worked? This is the biggest promotional opportunity for wedding planners, and Zoe not only managed to ruin my chances of getting my business noticed, but then she overshadows me in the media?”
Holly clicked her tongue and spun to face her impatiently. “Who are you? You’re a nobody.” She gave her a once-over with her sharp gaze. “My job is to give the public what they want. And since I’ve been doing my segment, Holly Hart’s Hounds, it’s clear that the public wants Zoe Plum and her friends. Piper Summers is about to marry San Francisco’s most eligible bachelor. That’s what the viewers want to know about. Not you.”
A high-pitched grumble started up, like a mini motorcycle idling. It was hard to see through the dress, but Zoe assumed Jasmine was cradled in Holly’s arms.
There was a heavy thump like Chelsea stomped her foot. “This is bullshit. I’ve been targeted.”
But Holly wasn’t paying attention; her gaze was scraping over Zoe’s both.
Clearly she’d been on a stakeout ever since the expo closed in order to corner Zoe again. It was as though she could sense Zoe’s presence, could smell her nearby. Even hidden beneath the dress, Zoe shrunk in on herself like that would help hide her beneath the sheer tulle.
“A crime has been committed,” Chelsea continued. “It’s your public duty to tell the truth. This is an injustice.”
After a moment that seemed to drag on forever, Holly finally huffed and turned away from their hiding spot. “I’ll tell you what’s an injustice,” she said. “That dress.”
Zoe rolled her eyes.
Chelsea banged on the table. “Pay attention to me, damn it!”
“Then do something worthy of attention.”
“But…”
Holly reached into her purse and drew out something white. “Here’s my card. Give me a call if you have any real news to report.” She handed it over. Casting a last glance over Zoe’s dismantled display, she turned and left.
Chelsea dipped her head to read the card. “Hey! This is a coupon for the Dog and Bone.” Tossing it aside, she stomped after the reporter.
Zoe waited a few moments until she was sure the coast was clear. Lifting up the wedding gown’s heavy skirts, she crawled out and held them up for Levi.
He popped up to his feet and wiped his brow. “It sure gets hot in there.”
“Try wearing it for a whole day.” Not wanting to risk Holly coming back, Zoe began stacking up boxes to take out to her van, ready to put the weekend behind her. When Levi grabbed the box of brochures, she said, “You don’t have to help. I’ll be fine.”
“I know, but I have to burn off the cake calories somehow. Unless you have some other way to help me burn them off.” He gave her a suggestive eyebrow waggle.
“You bet I do,” she said, her gaze scraping over his tall, fit body. Then she stacked another box on top of his already heavy one. “There.”
He grunted under the new weight. “Yup, that’ll do it.”
As they rounded the corner, she discovered the security guard hadn’t gone very far. He’d been waiting around the corner for her to finish up. He followed them to the lobby and hit the elevator buttons for them.
“So what are you still doing here?” she asked Levi. “The doors closed almost an hour ago.”
He tilted his head noncommittally. “Hanging out.”
“Because you have nothing better to do on a Saturday night?”
“What better way than spending it with you?” He grinned at her over the boxes, but she couldn’t tell if he was being serious or evasive.
When the elevator dinged and they got in, she selected the parking level the van was on. They rode down in silence except for Levi tapping out a beat on the box.
When they came to a stop, they all stepped out. The security guard waited there for them to return for the rest of Zoe’s things, watching them struggle with the heavy boxes all the way to her van.
After her long day, Zoe decided to get straight to the point with Levi. “You know you’re barking up the wrong tree, right?”
“What could you possibly be talking about?”
Zoe sighed. Apparently he wasn’t going to make it easy. “I’m not sure if you waited here for me or because you want to get hired for my friend’s wedding, but neither one is going to happen.”
He grunted as he shifted his hold on the boxes. “Damn. You mean I’m out twenty bucks for nothing?”
As they approached her rental van, she unlocked it. “What do you mean?”
“I paid the guy who originally had my booth to swap with me.”
Zoe nearly dropped her box. “I knew it! I knew it couldn’t have been a coincidence.” The confession annoyed her, but at the same time it had her setting the box down so she could clutch her stomach since it was aching with laughter.
“Where was your original booth?” she asked when her giggles died down.
“Center aisle.”
Zoe’s head whipped toward him. He’d given up a prime location just to be next to her?
Levi’s expression was unapologetic. “Oh well, I tried.” But something told her he wasn’t giving up that easily. “So, you want to get some dinner? My treat.”
“I’m not going on a date with you,” she said, but with a hint of an amused smile. She supposed those were the hints that were making him question if she really wanted him to stop pursuing her. She bit her lip to hide it.
“It’s not a date. I figure we should probably get to know each other better,” he said, way too casually. “We could talk business. We’ll be working together, after all.”
“Right.” She laughed. “What makes you think I’d do business with you?”
“Because your big-shot client says you will.”
Zoe’s smiled faded. She gave him a questioning look. “Piper wouldn’t…”
“She just called me.” He waved his phone as though it was hard evidence. “Apparently she liked my demo CD.”
Zoe dug her phone out of her purse again, ready to call Piper, but a message popped up on her screen at that very moment, as though reading her mind.
Hey! Aiden and I listened to Levi’s demo CD. We think Levi’s band would be fun and much more ‘us’ rather than a DJ. I’ve already let him know. Talk later. Lots of love!
But Zoe wasn’t feeling much love at the moment. Except from maybe Levi who was beaming at her.
“Looks like you and I will be spending a lot of time together.”
And by the way he said it, she wondered if her vibrators would ever work again.