All Chapters of Cold Feet: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10
43 Chapters
Viola
The Los Angeles Wedding Exhibition. The largest and most important annual wedding exhibition in Los Angeles. Anyone who is anyone in the industry is there and anyone who wants to be someone in the industry should be there.It’s the first year I’ve been able to rent a booth. My initial doubts about whether I can justify the cost and whether I’ll recover the investment from a brand awareness and income perspective remain to be seen. So far, it would appear that renting a booth was the right thing to do.I have had plenty of customers register with me for follow-up appointments and even a few confirmed bookings on the spot. All told, I’m on top of the world.Then I see her. My role model in the industry. Christine Jackson. She is the number one in the industry. I have admired her from afar for so long. While we are competitors, I hold her in the highest regard. There’s room enough for both of us and then some in the industry. I’v
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Christine
I’ve been a wedding planner for a long time. I’m the best in the game and I’m not about to let a young upstart challenge for my crown. There’s one person who I come up against more and more and it’s her. Viola. I’ve lost a lot of business to her. I’m still doing great numbers and growing but I could grow so much faster if she wasn’t fishing in my pond.Who the hell does she think she is? I know this business inside out. There isn’t that much to it when you’re an expert. It’s easy to pinpoint the weak points in any wedding planner’s business. Hell, they’re the same weak spots as mine and that makes it even easier to take her down. Her assistant didn’t want to take my offer but that’s okay. It’s just one point of attack.When I’m finished, they’ll both be crawling to me.I look at the brochure I took from their booth and start to formulate my plan o
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Viola
“Steve, this is really difficult. I can’t just increase the band’s fee. You know this wedding was booked months ago. I calculated the fee based on what I was paying you then. Whoever is offering you this, obviously has the budget to pay what they’re offering.”“I’ve spoken to the band,” Steve replies. “They want extra pay.”“Look, let’s talk about extra pay for the wedding after this one and all future weddings. Just not this one. I’ve cut my profit a lot already just to get this wedding. It’s important to me. Having this wedding is good for my resume.”“Well, it’s not good for our pockets,” Steve replies firmly.“Steve, c’mon. Where is this coming from? We’ve always been able to negotiate. Why the big push now?”“I only have a few hours and then the offer’s off the table.”“Well, can I a
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Christine
I’m angry. I failed with Steve and his band.I take a few deep breaths and begin to relax. Getting a wedding planner’s band is just one part of their business. There are many other parts to go after. However, I push the thought of other parts of the business aside as I think about the concept of the ‘wedding whisperer’ that Steve let slip to me.I know there’s something important in it. It hovers just beyond my mental grasp like a carrot on a stick for the time being. I have to admit it’s a genius idea and I should be thinking of doing it myself. But there’s something else about it that I think is much more important than simply copying the idea.I grab the brochure that I took from Viola’s booth and study it. There’s not a word in the brochure about a wedding whisperer. Nothing that even alludes to it as a service.I check her website again. Nothing. Nowhere. The testimonials say nothing about it. How
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Viola
Cold feet.No, I don’t mean cold feet as in the kind you get from being out in the cold or swimming in water that’s too cold or simply not dressing warm enough.I mean the other kind of cold feet.The worst kind.The kind that some women, and to a lesser extent, some men get just before their wedding. Yes, that kind.My biggest pet hate. Why? Because in my line of work, they can ruin everything.What is my line of work?I’m a wedding planner. Any wedding planner hates and fears cold feet. They can derail everything. The whole day. Ruin you financially and possibly your reputation too.I’ve been in this game a long time though and I’ve learned the hard way. When you’ve had enough cancellations because of cold feet you become hard. It becomes a matter of survival as well as doing what you love.I now insist on non-refundable deposits from clients. They sign a contract when they hire me a
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Viola
I’ve never had this situation before. Ashley tells me that the bride has no proof. She’s not even sure who the groom might be cheating with if he is cheating.I calm Ashley enough that she stops crying and I try to make her feel better. I remind her of what a great job she has done for me every time I have needed her and that everything has been fine. I try to assure her that everything will be fine today too. I suggest that she rather goes home and does not attend the reception but she insists that she will.I am tempted to pull the groom to one side before the reception and tell him what I’ve been told and tell him to keep his dick in his pants at least for today figuratively speaking. But it’s no business of mine. If the bride is wrong and I bring this up, I could be sued, and so could Ashley. I would probably lose my whole reputation and my business, never mind the fact that I would have to refund the money I have been paid for this wedding.
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Viola
He offers his arm and I link my arm through his. We wander away from the party into the gardens. There is still some time before the reception begins. I’m sure whatever he wishes to discuss will be over by then.“It’s a lovely evening,” he says sounding as if he is observing something working exactly the way it should.“I think it’s perfect,” I reply.“Nearly perfect.” His remark tells me that he thinks something is missing.“And what would make it perfect if I may ask?” I say looking up at him as we walk towards the beach.“Getting to know you better,” he replies confidently.I blush, thankful that it is night and there is little light for him to see how red my face is. My skin is a golden brown but despite its color, I’m sure he could see me blushing if there was enough light. Despite the cool breeze, I feel warmer than expected and I know it’s Rick&r
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Viola
I get back to the table and sit down beside Ashley after the new bar limit has been confirmed. She looks at me and smiles.“You were gone a while,” she smiles knowingly waiting for me to spill the beans.“I had to sort out the bar limit,” I reply blushing. “I wasn’t with him all the time.”“Could have fooled me,” Ashley says. Bursting with curiosity, she asks, “What did he want?”“To get together after the wedding,” I smile.“Really?” Ashley asks surprised. “He doesn’t take it slow does he?”I blush again as I think of just how slow we didn’t take it. I shake my head not trusting my voice to answer as I avoid Ashley’s gaze.“You tart!” she whispers. “You didn’t!”“Didn’t what?” I ask feigning ignorance but still not looking at her.&ldquo
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Rick
I sit down at my table again. My chat with Viola didn’t go the way I had hoped. I know I’ve blown what we started outside in the garden. I am disappointed. She has had an effect on me like no other woman and I still can’t stop looking at her.She’s one of the best at what she does. I’m one of the best at what I do too.I know if we collaborated it would be great. With her reputation in her industry, Viola attracts top-tier clients because of her reputation. My kind of clients. The wealthier they are, the bigger the divorce settlements are. Makes sense doesn’t it?That aside, they can also pay for the best legal advice before they get married if we collaborate. This is what Viola failed to recognize. My commissions are good and she stands to make good money simply from a referral. Why should she even care what happens later down the road? If anything, she’s likely to get at least one repeat client if the couple divorces a
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Viola
I can’t believe him. He gave his business card to Trish’s mother? How insensitive can you be? I want to explode right there and then but I think there’s more than enough drama already and this is not about me and my opinion. I crush the urge to go after Rick and tell him just how cold-hearted, selfish, and opportunistic I think he is.I step up to Trish who is still being held by her father. I put my arm on her back.“I am so sorry, Trish,” I say.She nods but does not look at me. I can’t tell if she even knows who I am right then but it’s not important now.The bathroom door opens behind me and Eric and the bridesmaid, Cherise steps out. They blush immediately when they see the people that are still standing there and then they look at Trish and her parents.Trish’s father tenses and he tries to get Trish to release him but her mother steps in.“No George,” she sa
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