Page 148 of Bridesmaid for Hire
I watch him go from casual to business mode in a second as he starts talking about his idea. I like it. I like seeing him invigorated, filled with passion for something other than my body—not that I’m complaining. “With Cane Enterprises entering the San Francisco market, the Hoppers want to find a way to capitalize on some of the buildings and office spaces that have been vacant for the last few years. The Canes have started converting old office buildings into affordable housing for low-income families. So, I was trying to think of a way to utilize the space like them, changing it into something different but that the economy would still need.”
“That’s smart.” I lean my chin on my hand as I listen to him.
“So, I came up with the idea of modernizing some of these empty storefronts and using them as multipurpose spaces.”
“What do you mean, exactly?” I ask.
“Well, we’d first renovate so that the spaces are very neutral. In my proposal, we’d create light spaces and moody spaces. The light spaces would be bright and cheery and could be used for anything like offices for companies who work remotely but need to meet on occasion, photoshoot space, or retail areas for pop-up shops. And the moody spacescould be geared toward influencer and marketing uses. This way we’re moving with the trends, and we’re utilizing and refreshing some of these main storefronts in well-known neighborhoods. It’s helping the economy and bringing new life to buildings that might not have a use anymore.”
“I love this, Brody.” He smiles proudly. “It’s such a brilliant idea and has so many possibilities. Would you have furniture and party rentals available?”
“That would be the plan—the spaces would be set up a certain way, but then rentals would be available in the back as well as any backdrops for photoshoots, and so on.”
“It’s brilliant. Reminds me of what I want to add to my storefront.”
“You want a storefront?” he asks.
“It’s my dream to have one. A place where brides can come in, sit down, feel comfortable, and have every aspect of their big day laid out. I want it to be a one-stop shop. That way they’re not moving all around San Francisco to plan their weddings. They can just come to me, and I’ll show them flower choices, invites, cakes—everything. I have vendors who already deliver to me, and I know more would join in once I have the storefront. And then I’d want a space in the back, or in a loft area where we would hold pocket weddings.”
“What’s a pocket wedding?”
I smile. “I’m glad you asked. A pocket wedding would be like eloping but staying in your city. So, you know how some people go to the courthouse to get married? And sometimes the courthouses are less than appealing, especially when you have to wait around with other people who are looking for a permit or something along those lines? It doesn’t have the wedding feel. But with a pocket wedding, we could customize their ‘courthouse’ wedding within a little pocket of our storefront. Like a mini ceremony that we’d decorate for them and make special.”
“Wow,” he says leaning back. “That’s a great idea, Maggie.”
“Thanks.”
“So, would a marriage officiant come to you? Is that how it would work?”
“Yes. I know many who’ve expressed interest in my idea. One said she often has these weird spaces in her day. Like a wedding in the morning and then not one until nighttime. My venue could offer the perfect in-between booking for her.”
“Lunchtime nuptials. It has a good ring to it. Pardon the pun.” I laugh. He’s such a goof. But I do like the sound of that too.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’s in the plans for this year. I was hoping to be able to afford my storefront, but I got an email from my accountant while we’ve been here saying that I won’t be able to make it happen this year. That was the day we were invited to the Hopper games and one of the reasons I was in a bad mood.”
“You should have told me,” he says, his face growing sincere. It’s so crazy to think that in just a couple of days, I went from harboring a secret crush while outwardly hating this man, to reveling in the comfort he offers from just a look.
I shake my head. “No, there was no way I was going to show you that I failed. And I don’t know, I think I was holding out hope too, you know? Like maybe if I can prove myself to the Hoppers, they’d want to work with me. Maybe sign some sort of deal where I work with them on their weddings. Far-fetched, I know, but if I could have an ‘in’ with the Hoppers, that’s one way to grow the business and gets me closer to that storefront, you know?”
“Yeah,” he says, his teeth smoothing over his lips. His eyes cast downward at his hands. From the shift in his demeanor, I can tell there’s something on his mind. Something possibly plaguing him.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Shit,” he mumbles while he drags his hand over his face.
“What?” I ask.
He looks around. “I need to tell you something, but I don’t want to tell you here.”
“Okay,” I answer, worried. “Do you want to go back to the bungalow?”
He nods. “Yeah.”
So, we flag down our waitress and sign off on the check, putting it toward our room, which I know Reginald will be paying for. And then he takes my hand and walks us to our golf cart. He helps me in and then he gets in himself before driving off down the wooden bridge. It doesn’t take long to get back to our bungalow and the moment we enter, I take my shoes off and turn to him, my nerves buzzing. “What’s going on?”
He brings me out to the deck where he sits us both down on one of the lounge chairs. He turns toward me with an almost sick look in his eyes.
“I didn’t even think about this until just now,” he says, his hand shaking in his lap.
