Hopeless Romantic Read online

  “Bless you, my child,” Teddi said, reaching for the mug with the giant yellow smiley face on it and holding it in both hands to warm up, ignoring the irony of the imprint. Preston’s mug shouted Fabulous! in bright rainbow lettering. She’d given it to him for Christmas last year, and he drank out of it every single day. “What else?”

  Preston sipped his coffee as he scrolled on his tablet. The man was beautiful; Teddi had known him for nearly ten years and not one day had gone by when she hadn’t had that same thought: gorgeous. Right up there with Idris Elba, if her clients were to be believed. From his mahogany skin, which was smooth and blemish free because his skincare routine rivaled that of any woman Teddi had ever met, to his perfect dark hair cut in a fade, to his too-fit-to-be-fact body, he was an amazing specimen of the male figure. Damn gay men. Why are they always so much prettier than me? Teddi grimaced but wiped it back to a pleasant expression of curiosity when Preston looked up at her.

  “I’ve got to meet the caterer with Johnson and then help Meyers with her bridal party dresses. You’ve got three meetings today with potentials.”

  “Three?” Teddi felt her eyebrows rise up toward her hairline in pleasant surprise.

  “Yep. Land ’em, would you?”

  “I will.”

  Preston turned his head her way, a brilliantly white smile cutting across his face. A genuine one, not the artificial one he used when he pretended to agree with a bride’s insistence on a hideous choice of fabric / color / flowers. “That.” He pointed at her. “That’s the Teddi Baker confidence I like to see. I’ve missed it.”

  “Me, too,” Teddi said honestly. Seriously, the last twenty-five months—no, wait—the last three years, really, had just been brutal for her. And even though she still had moments like the lock on the front door, they were just that, moments. They were no longer hours or days or weeks. That was progress, right?

  She sipped her coffee, tasted the deep richness, the sweet creaminess, and allowed herself to smile as she took in the shop before her.

  Wedding planning was something she had sort of fallen into when her mad organizational skills had made her the go-to person to help first a college friend and then a cousin with planning their weddings. Before she knew it, they had told friends and relatives about how much Teddi had eased their minds and their workloads when it came to their nuptials, and all of a sudden, she was getting a dozen calls a month from strangers offering to pay her if she’d help them organize their weddings. She somehow managed to work her regular job at a print company and plan weddings on the side. The best part wasn’t even the money, though that was a definite bonus—it was that she enjoyed it. No, that was a lie. She loved it. She loved spreadsheets and phone contacts and the relationships she’d begun to develop with vendors. Teddi was made to run the show, to be in charge. It’s what she did best. Then one night, after finishing up her umpteenth wedding, she and her girlfriend at the time sat down with her father the CPA, and they hashed out a plan. Teddi would quit her job and open her own business.

  That’s how Hopeless Romantic was born.

  Not many wedding planners had actual storefronts, but Teddi was very successful, had a sterling reputation and five stars on Yelp. In fact, for a while she’d had three storefronts in three different areas…

  Nope. Nope, not going there right now.

  It was a mantra and she used it. A lot. But it worked. Her brain diverted from its path and looked for an alternate direction. In a display of perfect timing, the phone rang, and she snatched it up before Preston even got close.

  “Hopeless Romantic wedding planning, this is Teddi. How can I help you today?”

  Chapter Two

  A little late.

  That was going on her tombstone, Leah Scott was sure of it. Beloved daughter, wonderful sister, always a little late. Her tardiness used to drive her family and friends kind of crazy, but at some point, they’d mostly gotten used to it.

  I’m going in. Get here!

  She could almost hear the panic in her little sister Kelly’s voice as she read the text and checked her watch. The appointment was for four o’clock and it was barely four fifteen. She pulled her Lexus into a parking spot three doors down and across the street from Hopeless Romantic, the wedding planning place that Kelly had talked nonstop about for longer than Leah could even remember. She’d been so thrilled to get an appointment with Theodora Baker, the owner, the woman Kelly called the “brilliant mind behind the fantastic designs all over Pinterest.” She’d gone on and on about the colors and the hanging muslin and the tablescapes and the unique flower arrangements, all of them coming from the incredibly creative mind of Ms. Baker. Leah had spent the past too many months nodding and smiling and working hard to keep her eyes from glazing over as her sister went on. And on. And on. Interestingly, she’d said at one point, Ms. Baker used to have three locations across the city, but two had closed within the last two years or so and now there was only the one Kelly had been stalking. She’d been following Ms. Baker’s work for nearly three years, since the moment she realized Dylan was The One and she would marry him. Leah had been instructed to periodically check Kelly’s own Pinterest board, which was an enormous array of designs and dresses and locations and food, all the things she wanted for her own wedding. Which would take place in exactly eleven months, one week, and three days.

  Not that Leah was counting.

  Except of course, she was. Because while Kelly’s intensity around her wedding slowly grew in strength—and annoyance, if she was being honest—it didn’t matter. Kelly could be as intense as she wanted and Leah wouldn’t mind at all. No, she couldn’t be happier. Her baby sister had found the love of her life, and that was the most beautiful thing in the world. She’d look at all the Pinterest boards and flower varieties and tablecloths Kelly wanted her to. This was a big deal—a huge deal—and Leah was thrilled to be a part of it all.

  Where are you?! Another text.

  “I’m not even that late,” she muttered as she grabbed her purse, got out of her car, and took in the place. The storefront was neat and classy, with Hopeless Romantic Wedding Planning scrolled in elegant gold lettering on the glass over the top of an absolutely breathtaking window display. Well, that Baker woman was certainly showing why she was the most expensive planner so far.

  With a shrug, she crossed the street and pushed through the door.

  “There she is.” Kelly’s voice hit Leah just before the lovely smell of—was it lilacs?—did. Her gaze followed the sound to her left where Kelly sat with a brunette who had such an instant effect on Leah, she couldn’t move. My God… Her heart began to gallop. Any and all moisture left her mouth until her tongue stuck to its roof. She blinked way too much. And she just stood there as if her feet had grown roots. Stared.

  Put together was probably how most people would describe Ms. Baker, at least that’s what Leah thought. Elegant. Classy, maybe in her early forties, and a little intimidating because of the combination. Her features were very dark—dark hair that fell a little past her shoulders and looked like she’d used a wide curling iron on it; the darkest brown eyes Leah had ever seen, accented by liner and mascara that only increased their intensity; super tan skin. She wore a simple black skirt that ended just above her knees and a creamy ivory lightweight sweater with a low neckline and three small gold buttons decorating the front.

  She did things to Leah. On a physical level. Weird things. Weirdly sexy things. What in the world was going on with her?

  “Teddi Baker, meet my eternally late sister, Leah Scott.”

  Kelly’s words unstuck her somehow, thank the good Lord above. Leah tried to shake off the strange feeling that had rendered her paralyzed. Move your feet, Leah. Stop acting like a weirdo. Hand outstretched, she put on her best professional face and crossed to the table. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

  “It’s great to meet you,” said the woman through full pink lips that shined with a hint of gloss, and her grip was firm, her hand soft
and warm. Teddi held on a little longer than necessary, with her hand as well as with her eye contact, and Leah was totally okay with both.

  What is happening?

  A loudly cleared throat. Leah’s gaze shifted to Kelly, whose eyes were slightly wider than usual, and she used them to gesture to a chair. Leah sat.

  For the next half hour, the three of them talked weddings. Colors, designs, venues, food, music. Leah was no stranger to what went into planning a wedding, but she’d never been smack dab in the middle of it like she was with Kelly. It was daunting, yes, but she’d never seen her little sister so happy, her hazel eyes constantly bright, her radiant smile part of everyday life now, and if helping Kelly pay for the wedding of her dreams was going to keep her that way, Leah was all for it. Their parents had little money. Well, their mother had little money. Their father had some but was by no means wealthy, and Kelly didn’t have a ton of interest in asking for his help. He’s never been there for us. Why would I expect him to start now? was her very valid reasoning.

  Bright. Excited. A little fidgety in her chair. All being displayed by Kelly as they talked. Yeah, this was the planner for her. Leah could feel it. They’d seen three others, none of whom had impressed Leah a whole lot, though Kelly liked one of them quite a bit, but Hopeless Romantic was going to be the one.

  “So,” Teddi said as she wrapped up her pitch and slid a pale pink folder toward Kelly. Teddi smiled, and Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the dimples. Leah swallowed hard. “Why don’t you take this information home, look it over. Talk with your sister.” Teddi’s gaze shifted her way, and her eyes were the darkest Leah had ever seen. She was pretty sure she could get lost in them. “Check out the gallery on our website—see what we’ve done. It’s a great way to pick up ideas. Then give me a call or shoot me a text and let me know what you think.”

  None of that will be necessary. Leah almost said it out loud but was able to stifle it under a grin. Kelly was practically vibrating in her seat, and Leah stood, hoping Kelly would follow so she could stop wiggling around like a five-year-old on too much sugar. She did, bouncing up as if the chair had ejected her.

  “I will.” Smile wide, energy high, Kelly held out a hand and shook Teddi’s. “Thank you so much. I’ll definitely be in touch.”

  Teddi let go of Kelly’s hand and turned to Leah. “I hope to see you again soon.” Teddi was a couple inches taller than her, and those dark eyes captured hers, held them, as Leah put her hand in Teddi’s and didn’t want to let go.

  “Same,” was the only word Leah could manage to push out.

  Kelly held herself in check until they were out of the shop, across the street, and standing next to her car. Once there, she squealed in delighted excitement, hands fisted as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

  “Well, you managed to last seventeen seconds out the door,” Leah teased.

  “Oh my God, I love her so much.”

  “Not news,” Leah said with a grin.

  “I want to hire her.” This time, Kelly was tentative and uncertain. “I know she’s more than the others…”

  Leah swore she could see dollar signs floating above Kelly’s head. Yeah, this was going to cost her. But she didn’t care. Kelly deserved it. “Doesn’t matter. You’re worth it.”

  Another squeal of delight and Kelly was in Leah’s arms, hugging her like she used to when they were kids. It didn’t happen often now. After all, Kelly was a grown woman of thirty-one and Leah was disturbingly close to forty. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t remember being eleven and carrying three-year-old Kelly around, teaching her, protecting her. She was tiny then and she was tiny now—only five one. Granted, Leah was not tall by any means, but at five three and a half, she was still the Big Sister in every way. She closed her eyes and held tightly, waiting until Kelly let go first.

  “Thank you so much. I’m going to go through this and do some more online searching. I’ve already been through their whole gallery, but I didn’t want to say so and look like a crazy stalker of some kind.”

  “You let me know when you’ve set up the next appointment, and I’ll be here.”

  “I bet you will,” Kelly said, her voice laced with a teasing tone.

  Leah raised her eyebrows in question.

  “Mm-hmm. Don’t play dumb with me. I saw the way you were looking at her.”

  Leah clenched her teeth and made a face. “Not so subtle after all, huh?”

  “Please. I know you better than anybody.”

  “True.” Leah opened the car door for Kelly to slide into the driver’s seat.

  “Not that I can blame you. That woman is hot.”

  Leah felt her eyes go wide. “Oh my God, right?”

  “Maybe she plays on your team.”

  “Her? A woman who plans weddings for straight girls? I don’t think so.” But she’d certainly felt something from Teddi. Some kind of signal? Pheromones? Leah was by no means an expert in the ways of women dating women, but she knew when a woman might be into her. And Teddi Baker had sure given off that vibe.

  Kelly hit her hip with a playful smack. “She does gay weddings, too, pessimist.”

  “Yeah?” That was new information. Leah let it roll around in her head and find a comfy spot.

  “Yes.” Kelly buckled her seat belt. “Go, before you get run over standing there with my door open.” She made a shooing motion. “I’ll text you later.”

  Leah shut the car door, and moved around the car up onto the sidewalk, watched Kelly pull into traffic and drive away. Hands shoved into the pockets of her black wool coat, she stood there for a moment, her head a jumble of emotions. Love and happiness for her sister. Financial logic regarding the expenses to come. Arousal around Ms. Teddi Baker…Yeah, that was the biggest one.

  She cast a glance across the street toward Hopeless Romantic, and her breath hitched as she saw Teddi standing in the window. The second their eyes met, Teddi looked down at the table in the window display and fixed one of the place settings, adjusted a few things, then hurried out of sight.

  Leah grinned, then lowered her head against the chilly breeze that had picked up, and headed up the street to her car.

  * * *

  “Teddi Baker? Hmm.” Tilly Scarsdale scrunched up her nose and furrowed her brow as she looked into her phone and at Leah. Her thinking face. “It sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t place her.”

  It was late. Not late late, but after midnight and later than Leah should be up. She made it a rule to try to get at least six hours of sleep each night if she could, but tonight? Wired. Utterly, completely wide awake. Like she’d had an espresso or five before giving up on the rom-com she was watching and heading to her bedroom.

  “Yeah, she didn’t ring a bell for me either. I mean, it’s not like I know every lesbian in the city, and I don’t even know if she’s gay. But she was definitely feeling it, so I thought maybe she plays on your team.” Leah lifted the glass of Cabernet she’d carried down the hall to the bedroom with her, and took a sip, felt the wine’s warmth as it hit her system.

  “I don’t know all the bi or genderfluid women in the city either. Sadly.”

  “Yeah.”

  “But I can ask around. Who knows? Maybe I’ll meet that certain someone.” Tilly said the last two words in a dreamy, breathy voice.

  Leah squinted at the screen of her phone and feigned suspicion. “Are you trying to get out of our pact, missy?”

  Tilly let out an exaggerated gasp of horror. “How dare you?”

  “I’m just saying, I’m going to be forty not long after Kelly’s wedding. Almost a year from now. And then we’ll both be forty, and you promised that if we were both unpartnered by the time we hit forty, we’d get married. Don’t you dare back out now.”

  “I would never.” Tilly went off screen but kept talking, and Leah could picture her very tall, very androgynous form changing into her pajamas. “We still have a whole year to find our persons, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Do
n’t give up, babe. She’s out there.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Leah sipped again, reached out to pet Lizzie, who was rolled into a feline ball next to her, purring as loud as Leah’s vibrator. She stroked the soft tiger-striped gray fur once, went a little too close to the off-limits underbelly area, and got a claw swipe for her trouble. “Ow, Lizzie, be nice to your mommy.”

  “That cat is evil,” Tilly said, returning to the screen in a blue-and-white-striped pajama top that buttoned down the front. “Only too happy to bite the hand that feeds her.”

  “She is not evil. She’s just particular and is in charge of her own life. Huh, honey?” She made kissy sounds toward her cat, who paid her zero attention. “That’s why I named her Elizabeth Bennet.”

  “She’s the devil. And that’s why I renamed her Lizzie Borden. She’s gonna kill you in your sleep one of these nights.”

  “Pssh.” Leah waved her off, turned her focus back to the FaceTime call. “I love your Mike Brady pj’s, by the way. Are there matching pants?”

  “Is that a real question? Of course there are.” Tilly moved her phone so Leah could see the striped bottoms. “You’re just jealous.”

  “I totally am.” Which was a lie because Leah couldn’t imagine sleeping in so many clothes. An old Coca-Cola T-shirt and bikinis made up her sleeping attire, and only because it was chilly in the house tonight. Chances were, they’d end up on the floor before morning. She’d get annoyed and feel tangled and trapped and strip them off in the wee hours. It happened more often than not.

  They chatted for another ten minutes about cases they were each working on before signing off with a promise to text the next day.

  Leah plugged her phone into its charger and set it on the nightstand. Tilly was her touchstone, helped ground her when she felt like she was floating off into the ether. And she’d definitely felt that today, though it had taken her by complete surprise. Next to nothing. That’s what she knew about Teddi Baker. But damn if that woman hadn’t run through her brain, messing things up, disorganizing the organization she depended on. She really needed to focus on important things.