Not Quite Over You
Page 58
He opened the tablet he was holding. “My wedding is small. Only fifty guests. The cocktails are premade and chilling in the two-gallon containers. The only other choices are beer and wine. Even I can open a wine or beer bottle. I have two people helping me because I’m new. I’m to get there at five and leave at eight, although I suspect the party will go on without me. The bride and groom are bringing their own water and soda. It’s all good. You need to breathe.”
“I’m breathing.” Maybe a little too fast and shallow, but she was breathing.
“Okay,” she said, glancing at her watch. “I have to go set up.” Her wedding was early. A three o’clock ceremony with a reception going from three-thirty until whenever, although her services had only been requested until seven. The bride and groom had a limited budget and wanted a big blowout party. They were having both the ceremony and the reception outside in the park. The families had gotten together to make the food themselves. The bar was easy. Beer and margaritas. Silver had all the blenders in her trailer, along with two hundred margarita glasses, a couple of dozen cases of beer and two crates of limes.
“Then we’re good,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “Okay, I’m heading out to set up.” She looked at Georgiana and Drew. “Call me if you need anything.”
They exchanged a look, then both nodded.
“We’ll be fine,” Georgiana promised her. “Go have fun.”
Fun when there was so much to worry about? Not that she was going to tell them that.
Silver drove to the edge of the park. Vehicles weren’t allowed past a certain point. She and the bride and groom had discussed the best place to position the trailer. She carefully backed the trailer into its spot, then rotated the solar panels to catch the sun’s energy. Once that was done, she began her setup.
At two, the rest of her staff showed up. By the time the wedding started, they were ready for three hundred guests to descend. As the groom kissed his bride and everyone applauded, Silver began popping the tops off bottles of beer. The margaritas—both frozen and on the rocks—were in glasses and on trays ready to be offered to guests. Water and soda bottles sat in galvanized tubs filled with ice.
There was the usual twenty-minute crush while everyone got their first drink. Silver was pleased that her guess on how many would go for margaritas versus beer had been dead-on. By four they were down to a steady stream of customers. That would continue until they were ready to shut things down.
The reception was a boisterous, happy affair with lots of dancing and laughter. No one threw anything or started screaming. Even the kids were well behaved.
Right on time, Silver and her crew started cleaning up. They loaded empty bottles into crates and put them in the back of the truck. Silver would drive them and all the others over to the recycling center Monday morning. The tables were wiped down and stored, along with the trays, blenders and dirty glasses. At seven-thirty, she pulled out of the park and headed back to Wynn’s place to stow her trailer.
She hadn’t heard from Drew, which wasn’t surprising. There wasn’t great cell reception up at Honeymoon Falls. She debated waiting for him, then decided to go check on Georgiana. Her wedding was about the same size as the one Silver had staffed, but it was more fancy.
She walked in to find the party in full swing. Everyone looked more happy than stressed, which was good. The Alice in Wonderland theme played out in red, black and white. All the food was labeled Eat Me. There were decorative rabbits everywhere, along with huge playing cards. The tableware was all oversize or undersized, which must have made dinner interesting.
Silver walked over to the trailer.
“How’s it going?” she asked Georgiana.
“It’s been good. We’re doing fine—people are drinking the usual amount. No one’s thrown up.”
“Always a plus.”
Georgiana smiled. “The bride’s father refused to walk her down the aisle. Apparently he hates the groom. He and the bride’s mother had a massive fight in front of everyone, but it’s fine now. One of the groom’s cousins has irritable bowel syndrome and insisted one of the bathrooms be hers alone. That didn’t make Renee happy. They settled the problem by giving her the bathroom in the bride’s room.” Georgiana shrugged. “You know, the usual. I have it handled.”
“I can see that.”
Silver excused herself and walked around. As Georgiana had said, the wedding was going well. Before she got back to the trailer, Drew joined her.
“Checking things out?” he asked.
She stared at him. “You’re back. How did it go? Everything okay? Is the trailer okay? What did you think?”
He grinned. “This worry thing is so interesting. The wedding was fine. Forty people who hiked up to the falls rather than drive. It was very outdoorsy and nice and we left when they decided to go skinny-dipping. The trailer is back in its happy home.”
Silver took a deep breath, her first in hours. “Thank you. So we did it.”
“We did.” He put his arm around her. “Now what do you say we leave these people to their very odd reception and let Georgiana do her job? I have a bottle of red wine waiting at my place, along with a very nice cheese and meat plate I ordered. We’ll eat, we’ll drink, we’ll talk and later there will be sex.”
She laughed. “You do know how to entice a girl.”
“Not just any girl,” he told her.
If only that were true, she thought wistfully.
They told Georgiana they were leaving. Drew said he’d gotten a ride with one of his helpers so they went to Silver’s truck and headed for his place.
It only took a few minutes to open the wine and set out the cheese plate. Silver grabbed plates and crackers and they carried everything to the table in the corner. It was only after they sat down that she realized she was exhausted.
“That was a long day,” she said. “Good, but long.”
He poured them each a glass of wine. “I agree. But it was way too much. We’re going to have to hire someone for each of the trailers. You can’t manage everything going on and run an event. Not every weekend.”
She’d been thinking the same thing herself. “I know. I hate to give up control, but you’re right. I can be a backup person in an emergency, but otherwise, I need to be handling the logistics and booking events.”
She tried to sound upbeat as she spoke, but it was difficult.
“What?” Drew asked.
“Everything is changing so fast,” she admitted. “I’m happy about the expansion and this is what I want, but now suddenly I’m stepping away from the day-to-day operations to be in management. It’s going to be an adjustment.”
“We could hire a general manager and you could still handle one of the trailers.”
“That doesn’t make sense. I know the business better than anyone. If I have any big management questions, you can answer them.”
He touched his chest. “You’re saying you trust me and my expertise?”
He was joking—she heard that in the tone of his voice and saw it in the smile lurking at the corners of his mouth. But she didn’t see the humor in the question, probably because her faith in him was a whole lot less about his career and a whole lot more about who he was—and the fact that she loved him.
She’d been doing her best to avoid that truth, but it wouldn’t stay hidden forever. She loved Drew. She didn’t know what that meant or if it changed anything, but it was now a part of her.
“I’m breathing.” Maybe a little too fast and shallow, but she was breathing.
“Okay,” she said, glancing at her watch. “I have to go set up.” Her wedding was early. A three o’clock ceremony with a reception going from three-thirty until whenever, although her services had only been requested until seven. The bride and groom had a limited budget and wanted a big blowout party. They were having both the ceremony and the reception outside in the park. The families had gotten together to make the food themselves. The bar was easy. Beer and margaritas. Silver had all the blenders in her trailer, along with two hundred margarita glasses, a couple of dozen cases of beer and two crates of limes.
“Then we’re good,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “Okay, I’m heading out to set up.” She looked at Georgiana and Drew. “Call me if you need anything.”
They exchanged a look, then both nodded.
“We’ll be fine,” Georgiana promised her. “Go have fun.”
Fun when there was so much to worry about? Not that she was going to tell them that.
Silver drove to the edge of the park. Vehicles weren’t allowed past a certain point. She and the bride and groom had discussed the best place to position the trailer. She carefully backed the trailer into its spot, then rotated the solar panels to catch the sun’s energy. Once that was done, she began her setup.
At two, the rest of her staff showed up. By the time the wedding started, they were ready for three hundred guests to descend. As the groom kissed his bride and everyone applauded, Silver began popping the tops off bottles of beer. The margaritas—both frozen and on the rocks—were in glasses and on trays ready to be offered to guests. Water and soda bottles sat in galvanized tubs filled with ice.
There was the usual twenty-minute crush while everyone got their first drink. Silver was pleased that her guess on how many would go for margaritas versus beer had been dead-on. By four they were down to a steady stream of customers. That would continue until they were ready to shut things down.
The reception was a boisterous, happy affair with lots of dancing and laughter. No one threw anything or started screaming. Even the kids were well behaved.
Right on time, Silver and her crew started cleaning up. They loaded empty bottles into crates and put them in the back of the truck. Silver would drive them and all the others over to the recycling center Monday morning. The tables were wiped down and stored, along with the trays, blenders and dirty glasses. At seven-thirty, she pulled out of the park and headed back to Wynn’s place to stow her trailer.
She hadn’t heard from Drew, which wasn’t surprising. There wasn’t great cell reception up at Honeymoon Falls. She debated waiting for him, then decided to go check on Georgiana. Her wedding was about the same size as the one Silver had staffed, but it was more fancy.
She walked in to find the party in full swing. Everyone looked more happy than stressed, which was good. The Alice in Wonderland theme played out in red, black and white. All the food was labeled Eat Me. There were decorative rabbits everywhere, along with huge playing cards. The tableware was all oversize or undersized, which must have made dinner interesting.
Silver walked over to the trailer.
“How’s it going?” she asked Georgiana.
“It’s been good. We’re doing fine—people are drinking the usual amount. No one’s thrown up.”
“Always a plus.”
Georgiana smiled. “The bride’s father refused to walk her down the aisle. Apparently he hates the groom. He and the bride’s mother had a massive fight in front of everyone, but it’s fine now. One of the groom’s cousins has irritable bowel syndrome and insisted one of the bathrooms be hers alone. That didn’t make Renee happy. They settled the problem by giving her the bathroom in the bride’s room.” Georgiana shrugged. “You know, the usual. I have it handled.”
“I can see that.”
Silver excused herself and walked around. As Georgiana had said, the wedding was going well. Before she got back to the trailer, Drew joined her.
“Checking things out?” he asked.
She stared at him. “You’re back. How did it go? Everything okay? Is the trailer okay? What did you think?”
He grinned. “This worry thing is so interesting. The wedding was fine. Forty people who hiked up to the falls rather than drive. It was very outdoorsy and nice and we left when they decided to go skinny-dipping. The trailer is back in its happy home.”
Silver took a deep breath, her first in hours. “Thank you. So we did it.”
“We did.” He put his arm around her. “Now what do you say we leave these people to their very odd reception and let Georgiana do her job? I have a bottle of red wine waiting at my place, along with a very nice cheese and meat plate I ordered. We’ll eat, we’ll drink, we’ll talk and later there will be sex.”
She laughed. “You do know how to entice a girl.”
“Not just any girl,” he told her.
If only that were true, she thought wistfully.
They told Georgiana they were leaving. Drew said he’d gotten a ride with one of his helpers so they went to Silver’s truck and headed for his place.
It only took a few minutes to open the wine and set out the cheese plate. Silver grabbed plates and crackers and they carried everything to the table in the corner. It was only after they sat down that she realized she was exhausted.
“That was a long day,” she said. “Good, but long.”
He poured them each a glass of wine. “I agree. But it was way too much. We’re going to have to hire someone for each of the trailers. You can’t manage everything going on and run an event. Not every weekend.”
She’d been thinking the same thing herself. “I know. I hate to give up control, but you’re right. I can be a backup person in an emergency, but otherwise, I need to be handling the logistics and booking events.”
She tried to sound upbeat as she spoke, but it was difficult.
“What?” Drew asked.
“Everything is changing so fast,” she admitted. “I’m happy about the expansion and this is what I want, but now suddenly I’m stepping away from the day-to-day operations to be in management. It’s going to be an adjustment.”
“We could hire a general manager and you could still handle one of the trailers.”
“That doesn’t make sense. I know the business better than anyone. If I have any big management questions, you can answer them.”
He touched his chest. “You’re saying you trust me and my expertise?”
He was joking—she heard that in the tone of his voice and saw it in the smile lurking at the corners of his mouth. But she didn’t see the humor in the question, probably because her faith in him was a whole lot less about his career and a whole lot more about who he was—and the fact that she loved him.
She’d been doing her best to avoid that truth, but it wouldn’t stay hidden forever. She loved Drew. She didn’t know what that meant or if it changed anything, but it was now a part of her.
