Wedding Planner 💙

Chapter 2

Scott watched Chris enter the house, soaking wet, shivering. "What the fuck happened to you?"

Chris stopped, glaring at Scott, "Joey pushed me into the harbor."

Scott tried to stifle a laugh, "Joey as in.."

"Yes. That Joey. My Joey. Yes I know I deserved it. Leave me alone!" He stomped up the stairs to his room as he heard Scott laughing behind him in the living room. He stripped his clothes off in the bathroom, stepping into the shower, sighing as the warm water hit him. He rested his hands on the side of the shower, letting the water run over him as he looked down at the floor, unable to get the look of Joey standing in front of him, a look of betrayal on her face. He had managed to avoid her for 5 years and Melissa goes and hires her as the wedding planner. He knew this was some sort of karmic justice for him being a coward.

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"I can't believe him!!" Josephine let herself into her brother Henry's house. She plopped onto the couch, only to get up a few seconds later to pace as Henry came into the living room.

"Can't believe who?" He threw the kitchen towel he was using to dry his hands over his shoulder as he leaned on the doorframe. He watched his sister pacing in front of the tv, mumbling to herself. "Josephine!"

She stopped, looking at Henry, "Chris! He...I..." She groaned, feeling her chest tighten as she sat on the couch.

Henry sighed, sitting across from her on the coffee table as she bent over, putting her head between her knees. He rubbed her back, "calm down love."

Finally after a few minutes, she sat back up with Henry watching her. "He's getting married Henry."

"Oh no." He groaned, moving to sit next to her on the couch as she began to cry. He wrapped his arms around her as they sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds were her sobs. "What happened Joey?"

She sighed, "his bride.. his child bride.. She hired me to plan the wedding. I didn't know it was for him. He came and found me at the harbor this morning."

Henry groaned, "what happened?"

"I pushed him into the harbor."

Henry laughed, falling back onto the couch as Josephine laughed at him.

She shrugged, "he deserved it."

He laughed, "he did. He deserves far worse. Felt kinda good though, right?"

She grinned, wiping her face on her shirt, "it did."

"Are you going to plan the wedding?"

"I don't know." She rested her head back on the couch. "I haven't decided yet."

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Josephine looked up from her desk in her office when she heard a small knock on the door. She looked up to see Melissa carrying a vase of pink peonies. She groaned, rubbing her forehead in her hand before standing up.

Melissa awkwardly held the flowers out to her, "I came to ask you to still please plan the wedding." When she saw that Josephine wasn't going to take the flowers, she set them on the edge of her desk, "Chris picked them out."

"I know he did." She sighed, shaking her head, "I don't think I can. I'm sorry. It's not a good idea." She sat back at her desk, seeing Melissa still standing there, "I'll give you back the retainer. It's no big deal."

Melissa sat in the chair across from Josephine, "I don't know what happened, and I probably don't want to. But I do know that you're the best at what you do. Everyone on the east coast knows Josephine Whitaker and covets your attention to detail in planning their events. Please. I don't know what I'm doing. I need your help."

Josephine sighed, pointing to the flowers, "I appreciate the flattery and my favorite flowers, but I don't think I can."

"Are you still in love with him?"

Josephine laughed out loud, stopping abruptly when she saw that Melissa wasn't joking, "oh. You're a sweet girl. But you have no idea about anything."

Melissa shrugged, "probably not. But I'm sure with whatever happened that I can get you more money than what you'd normally be paid."

"What did Chris tell you?"

"He said it was ultimately your decision what you wanted to do but that I was allowed to offer whatever you wanted in order to keep you."

Josephine scoffed, leaning back in her chair. "I meant what did he tell you about me. About our past."

She shrugged again, "nothing. And I don't want to know. All I need to know is if you're in love with him."

Josephine sighed, watching the girl. "Fine. Triple my normal fee. I interact with Chris as little as possible. And.." She stood up from her chair as Melissa did the same, "I am definitely not in love with him."

Melissa smiled, "okay then. Thank you so much."

Josephine nodded, "yeah. Get out please." She watched Melissa leave, "wait!" She grabbed the flowers, meeting Melissa in the hallway, "give these back to Chris. No more flowers."

Melissa nodded, "okay."

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Chris watched Melissa enter the kitchen with the peonies. "Why are you bringing back the flowers?"

Melissa sat them on the counter, "she said no flowers. And you are paying her triple her normal fee. And she wants to interact with you as little as possible."

Chris sighed, but nodded, "okay. Reasonable. Thank you." He saw Melissa nod and leave the room as he leaned on the counter, looking at the peonies. He groaned, pulling them from the vase, shoving them into the trash before walking away.