The bridal boutique smelled like roses and candle wax. I followed Maddie and mum inside, half expecting someone to offer me a flute of overpriced Prosecco and a reason to care.
"Welcome, ladies!" sang a woman in a sleek black jumpsuit, clipboard tucked tightly to her chest. Mel the wedding planner. Or as I like to call her a Pinterest whore in heels. We were here for dress tasting. Vineyard themed wedding and all that jazz.
"Yeah, that's just me wandering around in a vineyard, tasting grapes, drinking wine in a backyard, and raking in the dough," | muttered under my breath as I took my seat.
Maddie turned around, grinning. "heard that."
"You were meant to."
The dress fitting began. One gown after the other. Chiffon, silk, beading, more silk. Maddie tried on five dresses until the sixth dress. It was a fitted satin piece, something silk that highlights the line of her waist and the shape of her hips. Maddie stepped out of the fitting room and the image of the dress and her light blonde hair was so vivid. She turned around to reveal the dress, looking like a fragile rose petal, layers curling like a soft whisper.
Who let you walk out looking like a vogue approved bride? I added recovering quickly
"Holy grail," I muttered, not even pretending to be sarcastic.
Maddie cackled. "And that's how I captured Ryle."
"She's not lying," mum added, smoothing a hand over Maddie's waist. "That wonder personality of hers did most of the work though." This was really happening. My baby sister was getting married. And she was going to wear the kind of dress that made women cry and men reconsider their life choices.
Mel clapped. "Now the maid of honor gets her turn!"
My eyes widened. "I didn't sign up for this.
"You did," Maddie said, grinning like a devil. "You just didn't read the fine print."
Mel shoved a dress into my hands. "Flannel won't save you now."
I slipped into the dressing room and rolled my eyes. "Swiveled right into a trap." The dress clung to my waist, flowed like cream over my hips, and left my back bare to the base of my spine. My brunette curls were pinned lightly at the nape of my neck.
"Damn," Maddie breathed. "You're dangerous in that dress."
After what felt like a minute, maybe even longer she spoke voice low, she said calmly "You still think about him, don't you?" That's when my exasperation takes over and she looks at me, her expression open and warm as always. "I'm not mad" I say quietly.
"You loved him too. He was like a brother to you."
"He still asks about you" Maddie nods, brushing an imaginary speck from her skirt
"That's rich coming from someone who vanished like a magician mid trick." I smile reminiscently.
"I just want you to be okay." Maddie reaches for my hand and squeezes my fingers.
"So have you talked to the bakery yet? Please tell me they're still doing that almond raspberry flavor. "I've been dreaming about it." I say facing her head on.
"You always did know how to deflect with dramatic flair." Maddie grins, her eyes misty
"Dramatic?" I scoff playfully. "Darling, I'm a journalist in New York, that's called brand consistency."
I'm sprawled across my bed, cocooned in the softest throw blanket I could find at a downtown flea market, half watching an old Nora Ephron movie and half dozing. The air smells faintly of lavender from the candle I lit earlier, and the hum of the ceiling fan makes the room feel like a lullaby.I missed this room. There's something about being back in my space the familiar mess, the stack of unread magazines on the dresser, the chipped mug I never throw out that makes me feel like I can breathe again. No wedding checklists or polite small talk. No accidental run-ins with ghosts from my past. A soft ping from my MacBook, I stretch lazily, my limbs dragging across the sheets.I reach for my glasses on the nightstand, perch them on the bridge of my nose, and slide the laptop toward me with one hand. The screen lights up, and I squint at the email icon glowing on the top right.
One new message
Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2022
From: [email protected]
To: Claire. [email protected]
Subject: Still waiting on that "Yes"
I smirked before I scroll down to the other part of the message.
Dear Claire,
Dinner. Friday. That sushi place you love, or we can pretend to be civilized and get French. Either way, say yes. You owe me a drink and a story.
P.S. Still not over that blazer you wore at the gala. Absolute war crime. Call me.
Aiden Thorne was one of the biggest names in the industry, a hotshot network executive with an infuriatingly sharp tongue and the jawline of a man sculpted by divine mischief. He was tall, magnetic in that effortless, expensive kind of way. A smart ass with a smart mouth. But underneath the bravado, he was a gentleman.I shake my head, biting back a grin. The last time we had seen each other, it was a rooftop press event. He had cornered me at the bar, smug and devastating in navy, and asked me on record if I ever took nights off from being intimidating. I wore a red dress that was flattering in all the right ways. The shimmer threaded into the fabric caught the lights with every step I took, giving me a fine glow. My lips were painted red. The dangling pair of gold earrings skimmed my bare shoulders. Cassie's blazer hung slightly oversized on me. A muted gray masculine cut, shoulder padded, powerfully structured. I had taken it from her desk two nights before. Cassie, my work best friend turned sister, the one who always had snacks, advice, and sarcasm in equal measure. She couldn't make it to the gala. Her mother had just passed after a long, brutal battle with cancer. I texted her before I left the house ."Wearing your blazer like armor.
Promise to return it unsweaty". Love you. She replied with a heart emoji and a middle finger. Classic Cass.
Aiden noticed the blazer before he even said hello.
"Nice touch," he said, eyes crinkling with amusement as he leaned against the bar. "Did you come here to report the news or seduce it?"
"It's vintage Cassie," I replied, lifting my champagne glass. "She couldn't be here, so I decided to channel her spirit."
"I approve," he said, eyes scanning the fit, lingering a bit too long at the collarbone. "Take me seriously but also buy me dinner."
I laughed, the sound unfiltered and warm.
"Exactly the vibe I was going for."
He leaned in a little, dropping his voice like a secret. "You look incredible, Claire"
In acquiescence, I respond to Aiden's email by dialing his number on my phone
"Hey" he answers before I even speak,his deep baritone voice gives me chills.
"You could've just called me, you silly rabbit." I smirk. " It would have just been easier, plus, I didn't want to overhear your flirtatious voice in my inbox." I'm literally listening to that flirtatious voice right now, maybe it's safe to say that i miss that flirtatious voice.
He chuckles. "Flirtatious? You wound me."
"Don't test me," I tease, my heart fluttering at the ease of it all.
"Dinner Friday, Sushi or French? "But unless you're teleporting me back from Maple by Friday, that dinner's gonna have to wait." I roll my eyes, though he can't see me. "Forgot I'm stuck in bridal boot camp."
"I haven't," he says gently. "I still think it's unfair I got left behind.But someone had to finish the presentation for
Monday,remember?" Most executives left presentations to their teams, but not Aiden. He insisted on pitching the big ideas himself, said it kept him sharp. I respected that the most about him and It also gave me even more chances to see him in action.
"Yeah" I sigh. "Heroic sacrifice."
"You love it." he murmurs. A soft chuckle puffs up from my throat.
"Great. You're going to be insufferable at the next team meeting."
"I'm already insufferable. Ask Marcus."
"Marcus thinks everyone's insufferable."I say laughing
"Except you," he says lightly. "You, he tolerates. Which is basically love in Marcus speak." I hum, pretending not to like that more than I probably should.
Marcus is quiet, dry humored, and emotionally precise. He speaks in clipped sentences, often watching people more than engaging, and when he does speak, it's usually a one liner that cuts to the heart of things or maybe exposes the absurdity in a situation. He always sits at the back of meetings, arms crossed, eyebrows permanently skeptical. People say he's aloof. Maybe cold. But it's not about pride he just doesn't have the patience for people who perform more than they think. He finds most people exhausting.
"So," "How's Maple? Still all satin and tulle and passive aggressive to do lists?"He says, voice a little lower
"All of the above. Plus my mum who thinks I need a new haircut to "manifest fresh love energy". I grin
"Should I be worried you're coming back with bangs?" He chuckles
"God, no. I'm not that unhinged."
"That's a relief." "I miss you around the office."
" I miss being around," I admit.
" I should let you get back to sleep but first you have to make up for lunch."he says, cutting into my quiet contemplation.
"Yeah. Right" I promise I murmur. "It's late, I should go."
"Can't wait to hear your voice without the screens in between.
"Night, Claire."
"Good night, Aiden."
I click end on the call and slump down in bed. I press my phone to my chest and exhale. Still holding the phone, I lie back on my bed and stare at the ceiling, listening to the old fan hum and creak above me. It's late, and the house is quiet except for a few muffled laughs downstairs, probably from my sister and Mom going over wedding playlists for the fiftieth time. I've been going out with Aiden even though Cassie felt like it was a wrench in her plan to get me back with Ethan who she's only heard of. She really got her hopes up when I texted her that he was technically going to be around for the wedding, she's being a good sport about it.
I was wrapping up a segment on voter reform, half sweaty from the studio lights and low key panicking because the teleprompter had glitched mid sentence. I had improvised like hell, and when the final credits rolled, I practically bolted off set, muttering under my breath about switching careers to dog walking.
"Claire Monroe right?" he said, his voice smooth I nodded, still catching my breath.
"I'm Aiden. Executive producer. As of this morning."
"Oh," I said, heart still pounding. "Welcome to Skyline."
"Saw the segment. Impressive recovery. Most anchors would have frozen. "He smirked.
"Thanks. I like to keep viewers on their toes." I gave a small laugh.
"I like anchors who don't fall apart. He said, eyes scanning me just long enough for me to feel it. There have been smirks in meetings, the occasional compliment disguised as criticism, a hand on my back once when we squeezed past each other in a narrow hallway.
After one of our meetings, he walks up to me
"I've been thinking about this for a while," he said, voice lower than usual.
"And I know it's probably the worst idea l've had since taking this job but would you have dinner with me?"
"Like a work dinner?" I blink confused
"No. Not work. Just you and me. If you're up for it." He looked almost uncomfortable saying it.
"I've tried to be professional," he admitted, looking down briefly. "But I would hate myself if I never asked.
I went with sea green. The dress hugged my waist and had a neckline revealing an interesting amount of cleavage and enough to make me second guess it in the mirror.Lipstick, earrings, a spritz of something citrusy. Aiden chose a quiet place tucked between a florist and a bookstore, all warm lights and dark wood, Cozy,understated and thoughtful. We were seated near the window, a small table with a flickering candle between us.
"So, I have to admit," he starts off timidly, fingers fidgeting near the edge of the napkin.
"Gosh, I can't believe I'm opening with this, but I was so nervous to ask you out." The confession makes him blush.
"Really?" I ask, lifting a brow. "You find me... intimidating?" I waggle my eyebrows, teasing.
He laughs, shaking his head quickly. "No, it wasn't that," he says. "I mean not that you aren't intimidating." He trails off,clearly trying to curate his next sentence carefully, like it might detonate in his hands.
I lean in, resting my elbows on the table.
"Please. I am all ears."
Right then, the server appears, placing two tall glasses of ice water between us with a delicate clink.
"It's just... you have this way of walking into a room like you already know the ending. Like you've already written the script and we're all just trying to catch up."
"You practiced that line, didn't you?" I tease.
"A little". He grins sheepishly. "Okay, maybe a lot. I just didn't want to mess this up. I've been wanting to ask you out for a while, but I figured you'd say no."
"Why?" I lift my eyes to meet his
" I was new. I was technically your boss. I didn't want to be that guy."
"The new guy who what flirts with a girl in the break room?" I asked raising my eyebrows
"Exactly. I've worked too hard to build trust around here. I wasn't about to mess that up just because I couldn't stop looking at you during morning briefings. He replied with a small smile.
"This whole thing," he added, voice just above a whisper, " | notice a lot more than you think. And I really like you, Claire."
The words sat there for a beat untouched.I reached for my water, and realized my hand was shaking slightly, and I set it down again.
"Wow," I said, blinking once. "Aiden It's just that I don't trust what I like right now."
He held my gaze for a long moment, then nodded once slowly.
"Okay," he said softly. "That's fair."
The silence stretched again, but it wasn't heavy this time. It had changed.
"So this is... going okay then?"He chuckles, relaxing.
"Perfect." | reply smiling
We both laugh, and the tension that's been hanging in the air finally begins to dissolve. A few beats pass, the conversation shifting easily to books we hated in college and favorite films we never admitted out loud. We both laugh, and the tension that's been hanging in the air finally begins to dissolve. A few beats pass, the conversation shifting easily to books we hated in college and favorite films we never admitted out loud.
"So just to be clear," he says, tapping his water glass lightly, "this is a friendly date?"
"Define friendly." I tilt my head
"No pressure. I kind of noticed you freaked a little when I told you I liked you. You take the lead, I follow". "There is no pressure at all". He says
"Okay."
"To friendly dates and intimidating women."
He lifts his glass like toast.
"And to men who finally ask, even if it takes them six months " I clink mine softly against his glass.
A message lights up my phone and I'm brought back to reality.
Cassie:
Still in San Diego. Still grieving.
Cassie:
If you're staring into space thinking about
Tragic Ex-Boyfriend #1, blink twice and chug some water. Claire. You're at a wedding. Try not to mentally RSVP to heartbreak. Also, your sister's screaming about boutonnieres. Run.
Claire:
Rude. Accurate. But rude. Fine, I was spiraling a little. Also, stop knowing my life better than I do from across the country. It's witchy and I hate it. Also... how do you always know what Maddie's losing it over? Love you. Come back soon. It's not the same without you.
A second later, the three dots appear. Then vanish. Then appear again.
Cassie:
Witchcraft. Love you more. Kisses. Now go fix the damn flowers. XX
I toss my phone gently on the pillow beside me and pull the sheets up to my chin. And the last image I see before dozing off is the half drunk glass of rose on the nightstand, catching the moonlight, soft, quiet, and unfinished.