Not Quite Sheer Happiness Read online

  I stare at the small black box that Ace has in his hand. When I open it, I gasp. I don’t remember the last time I saw a ring so exquisite. I should have known because Ace never does anything small. This evening is proof of that. I practically jump out of my chair.

  “Yes! Of course, I will marry you,” I exclaim. I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him passionately. When he pulls back, he slides the ring on my finger. I’m engaged, and finally, after years of planning weddings, I get to plan my own.

  Chapter 4

  I can’t sleep. It’s six o’clock on a Sunday morning and thankfully I don’t have any events today. I should be sleeping, but how can I when I can’t stop staring at my engagement ring? After Ace proposed, I couldn’t stop talking and asking him questions. It turns out that Abby was in on the whole thing. She even borrowed a ring from me and gave it to Ace so he could take it to the jeweler. He’s been planning this night for months, making all the arrangements and menus ahead of time. I wanted to call everyone I knew and plaster it all over social media but Ace told me that he just wanted to enjoy the rest of our evening together. We sat curled up in a warm blanket as the moonlight cast a light over the water. We kissed and talked about the future. I never thought in a million years that I would ever be this lucky to find a man like him.

  Ace dropped me off a little after one o’clock. On the way home, he told me that he has to fly to New York early this morning to take care of some issues with one of his clients but that he will be back in a few days and we can start making plans. He didn’t want to ruin the evening so that’s why he didn’t tell me sooner. Now I have the rest of my weekend all to myself. I have so many people to call and so many lists to make.

  I look around my cute little apartment. I will miss this place, but Ace lives in a gorgeous condo and I’m sure I will move in with him unless we find a new place to live. Madison’s in-laws gave them a house after they got married. I never realized how many things there are to think about. I don’t know where to start. It’s my job to handle all the details leading up to the big day, but I’ve never had to worry about what happens afterward. It’s seven thirty and I know Abby’s awake . . . I have to call someone. When I pick up my phone, I’m greeted with a message from Ace.

  Good morning. Flight leaves in 20. I love you.

  I can’t stop smiling, and I respond.

  Hurry home. I love you.

  He actually called my dad, not that I’m surprised. Ace would do things the proper way. My parents met him once when they were visiting. After they retired a few years ago, they traveled around the country in an RV. Right now, they are living near one of my brothers and his wife who are in grad school at Princeton. I’m actually impressed that everyone kept the engagement such a secret from me. I hold up my left hand again to admire my ring. I’m engaged to Ace Eckelund. I’m going to be Mrs. Ace Eckelund. I have to call Madison.

  *~*~*

  “You know it’s Sunday morning, right?” Madison says, sounding irritated. I guess I woke her up, but I figured it would be okay considering it’s later in Kansas than it is here in California.

  “What time is it there?” I ask. She doesn’t answer; she may have fallen back to sleep.

  “Madie?”

  “Hmmm . . .”

  “Madie, you have to wake up. I have to tell you something.” I’m practically yelling into the phone.

  “Okay.”

  “Are you up for another wedding?” I ask.

  I have to ask because poor Madison has had her share of weddings and everything that goes into them, the good and the bad. Her wedding was one of the first events I planned on my own. As I said, we hit a few snags but they weren’t because of me; regardless, everything turned out okay in the end.

  “Sure.” Ugh . . . she’s killing me right now. “Whose wedding are we going to?” she mumbles.

  I laugh loudly. “Mine.”

  The phone is silent again. I can’t believe my best friend keeps falling asleep when I’m trying to give her the biggest news of my life.

  “Okay, Madie, if you can hear me, I’m hanging up. I will talk to you later.”

  “Wait. Did you just say your wedding?” she asks loudly. I knew that would wake her up.

  “Yes. I did.”

  “Okay, I’m awake. Start from the beginning because I missed something.”

  I give her all the details of my night. It takes a while as she keeps interrupting me with questions every few seconds. She gasps when I tell her about the car and the boat; I can tell that she’s impressed. Her husband, Cole, was very creative with his proposal, but Ace wins for most romantic (at least in my opinion).

  “I’m so happy for you, and seriously, it’s about damn time you two got engaged. We’ve been waiting for this for years.”

  I laugh. It’s true, though; it took me a long time to commit after my last relationship ended. I’m just so thankful that Ace was patient with me.

  “And after that proposal, I can only imagine the wedding you’re going to have,” she says thoughtfully. “Do you need a wedding planner recommendation?” she asks with a giggle.

  “I think I’m good on that, thanks.”

  As soon as I get off the phone with Madie, the phone starts ringing and doesn’t stop. Abby, my parents, and my brothers all call to congratulate me. Before I know it, the day is almost over and I’m getting ready for my busy week. I may need to consider hiring another person now that I have another event to add to our calendar. Mine!

  When I open my email, I find another three messages from Lisa. Seriously, who is this woman and what have we gotten ourselves into?

  *~*~*

  My glorious relaxing weekend quickly fades into a distant memory as I begin another busy week. At least I have stopped staring at my engagement ring. I don’t want to be one of those women who strategically places her hand so people can see her ring, but it seems to be going in that direction. Like when I went to Starbucks and then a stop at Trader Joe’s to pick up lunch, at least I’m catching myself doing it.

  From the time I leave home until the time I get to the office, my inbox is full again. I admit there are some days that I think I may be in over my head with Sheer Happiness. There is so much that goes into having your own company that I never thought of. I spend most of my morning busily finalizing contracts and details of my next few events. Thankfully, Nicole is back, so we have another set of hands. Craig doesn’t even know about my engagement yet. He tends to disappear during the weekends we don’t have any events, not that I blame him. I’m ready to kill him when he shows up with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts he says are to welcome Nicole back, but I know the real reason is to torture me.

  “Really?” I say, pointing at the box. He shrugs his shoulders innocently.

  “Anyway, did you see the emails I forwarded to you?” I ask, changing the subject. “Your new friend Lisa is out of control, and since you brought her in, I would appreciate some help with her.”

  He ignores me as he asks Nicole about her vacation. Sometimes he can be so insensitive. Clearly, he forgot she went to a funeral; she wasn’t exactly lying on a beach in the Caribbean. He hums to himself as he heads to the bathroom.

  I’m busy making some copies when Nicole starts screaming. She startles me and I jump about five feet into the air.

  “What the hell?” Craig screams as he runs out of the bathroom.

  “Hello . . . Sienna? Did you forget to tell us something?” she yells. All of sudden I realize she’s pointing to my ring.

  “What?” Craig asks wide-eyed.

  I smile innocently.

  “This,” Nicole says, grabbing my left hand and shoving it in Craig’s face.

  All at once everyone screams, including me. And then we all dance around hugging.

  “Hot damn, that’s a huge rock,” Craig exclaims. “I can’t believe that you didn’t call me.”

  I give him a look. “Seriously, Mr. don’t call me if we aren’t working. Like you would’ve answered anyway.”r />
  He nods his head. “Okay, you have a point.”

  “So, when’s the big day?” Nicole asks excitedly. “Obviously, we’re planning it, right? How did he propose?” They both start firing questions and I hold up my hands.

  “Of course, we’re planning it,” I say as I sit down on the couch in the waiting area. “We haven’t decided on a date yet. Ace is in New York until Wednesday, so we’re going to discuss everything when he gets back.”

  I give them the rundown of Ace’s proposal and they intently listen. I become giddy as I relive the evening. I doubt I will ever get tired of telling the story.

  “Un-freaking-believable,” Craig says. He suddenly gets up, runs to his office, and quickly returns. “I know you won’t eat a donut but I think we should celebrate with these.” He holds out his hand to show a box of ice-cream sandwiches. I laugh.

  “No way,” I say, holding up my hands. “I’m going to be on the search for a wedding gown soon so there’s no way in hell I’m eating any of your devil treats. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do and so do you.”

  I practically dance back to my office, but I can hear Craig and Nicole still talking about my wedding. I happily get back to work. I love this feeling.

  All is peaceful until Craig barges into my office. “Lisa Simmson is coming by this afternoon to go over a few details. I told her that you said she had to lay off the obsessive emails.”

  I give him a horrified look. “No, you didn’t.”

  He laughs hysterically. “No, I didn’t but you have to admit that would be so funny if I did.”

  I roll my eyes. “Okay, but you need to keep her on track. I don’t have all day to sit there and listen to her complaining. We need to make sure we don’t miss a single detail. I think it’s safe to say that if we do something wrong she will find it, so best behavior today.”

  “Like you have to tell me?” he replies. “I’m always on my best behavior, even with high maintenance bitc . . .”

  “Ahem. Language,” I interrupt.

  We’ve had a few instances where Craig was complaining about a client and they overheard, so I try to keep him on task. Regardless, I’m really curious to meet Lisa, as annoying as her emails are she definitely is on top of her game and I know she takes her job very seriously. I can respect that.

  “Anyway, our next event is the anniversary party, so regardless of what Lisa has to say about her event, the anniversary party comes first.”

  He gives me a thumbs-up as he leaves my office.

  My intention was to do some work, but when Ace starts texting me, I can’t help but drop everything. I can already see this being a problem. I can’t let my own wedding plans get in the way of my clients. Although, I can’t wait for him to come back so we can set our date.

  *~*~*

  “This party has to be impeccable, and I mean every detail,” Lisa Simmson says as she takes a sip of her coffee. “I’ve heard great things about Sheer Happiness Events, and believe me, I do my research. I expect that you will live up to your reputation.”

  I sent Nicole to run some errands, so it’s just Craig and me meeting with Lisa. So far everything seems fine, she’s just very detail-oriented, which I can appreciate since I am, too. And she is also absolutely gorgeous, and I mean flawless. I’m sure she was a Victoria’s Secret model at one time, and if she wasn’t, she missed her opportunity.

  Craig starts telling her about some of our high-profile events and I zone out for a few seconds. Ace and I need to pick a venue. Maybe we should do a destination wedding.

  “Don’t you agree, Sienna?” Craig asks. What is he talking about?

  “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” I ask.

  He rolls his eyes. “Please excuse her, Lisa. She’s more distracted than usual after her exciting weekend.”

  “No, I’m fine,” I say defensively. “I was just remembering something I have to do.”

  Craig shakes his head and ignores me. “Don’t listen to her. She just got engaged on Saturday night. So, she’s still preoccupied with Prince Charming.”

  Lisa’s attention is drawn to my left hand and her eyes open widely. “Wow, that’s quite a ring. You go, girl.”

  I thank her and shift awkwardly in my chair. I don’t need Craig giving our clients the idea that I’m easily distracted, especially with my personal life. At least Lisa’s event is sooner rather than later.

  “So, when is your wedding?” Lisa asks curiously.

  “Oh, we haven’t set a date just yet. Not for a while I’m sure.”

  She nods. “Well, I’m sure it will be fantastic considering you know a great planner.”

  I blush a little and Craig winks at me. “And money isn’t exactly an issue since her man is loaded. That guy is making it rain across the globe,” Craig exclaims. “Not to mention he is incredibly good-looking.”

  I give him a dirty look. This conversation is not appropriate to discuss with a new client or with any client. Lisa raises her eyebrows at me and I suddenly feel like I need to change the subject. Craig must sense my discomfort.

  “Sienna, don’t be shy. You hit the jackpot with Ace.”

  I’m getting increasingly uncomfortable by the second. “Anyway, we’re looking forward to working with your firm,” I say awkwardly. “Can you think of any other details we haven’t discussed?” I try my best to get our meeting back on track, but I can tell that my love life has taken over.

  “Did you say Ace?” Lisa asks. “That’s too funny. I dated a guy named Ace years ago.”

  I can see Craig’s interest is piqued by this coincidence. He’s crazy because the chances of them being the same are pretty slim being that Ace isn’t even from the United States.

  “That is funny. Such an uncommon name,” Craig says with a wicked gleam in his eye. He’s so annoying. Why is it that I haven’t fired him yet?

  “Yes, very uncommon.” She agrees. “The guy I dated wasn’t American, though. He was actually Australian and the most gorgeous man I’ve ever met. I still regret the way things ended.”

  Both Craig and I are silent. There’s no way she’s talking about my Ace, right? My heart sinks into my stomach.

  “He was from Australia?” I ask nonchalantly.

  She nods her head. “Yes, I met him when I was visiting Europe one summer. He was there with his soccer team.”

  I think I’m going to pass out. Ace and my ex-boyfriend, Luke, had a falling-out over the same girl when they were traveling with their soccer team. She chose Ace (of course) over Luke and they dated for a while. The way Ace describes it she was the one girl who broke his heart.

  “Anyway, that was a long time ago.” She looks at her phone. “Oh, I’ve got to get back to the office. Thank you for meeting with me, and I think we will work very well together. If everything goes as I expect it will, we may have a great partnership moving forward.”

  I force a smile. “Yes. Absolutely.”

  I don’t move from my seat. I know I don’t need to worry about it, Ace and I are engaged. That relationship was a very long time ago.

  “You okay?” Craig asks after he walks Lisa to the door.

  “Yeah, totally fine,” I lie. He can totally see through me, but no matter what, I have no reason to be concerned. I’m certainly not going to let it rain on my parade.

  “She’s not as bad as I thought. I can totally respect her work ethic; she wants her event to be perfect. We will do what we always do and make it perfect.”

  I get up and start to organize the table.

  “Sienna, you don’t have anything to worry about,” Craig says.

  “I know,” I reply defensively. Ugh, I really thought I was passed all this insecure crap. It took me so long to admit to myself that I could fall in love again. Ace was so patient and he never gave up on me. I guess there is always this tiny part of me that worries that I will lose him.

  Thankfully, Nicole has great timing. She gets back just in time, so I don’t have to talk about this anymore with
Craig. I escape to my office and stay there for the rest of the afternoon.

  Chapter 5

  “So you’re telling me that the girl that came between Luke and Ace is now your client? What the hell?”

  I had to call Madison right after work to explain my latest drama. I really have to wonder how I continue to get myself into these situations. It’s not that I asked for this, but Craig is a damn drama magnet, so if not this, then I’m sure it would’ve been something else.

  “Yep,” I reply. “Can you believe it? Oh, and the woman is stunning. I’m talking Victoria’s Secret caliber.”

  “Really?” She pauses. “You aren’t worried about this, are you? Because that would be ridiculous.”

  I can always count on Madison to be honest, she’s not as crass as Craig but you always know where you stand after talking to her.

  “No,” I say. “I just can’t believe that this happened. I mean, really, what are the chances? The thing that bothers me is that she was the one who got away. He told me she broke his heart.”

  She doesn’t say anything at first. “I get what you’re saying, but Ace is beyond in love with you. Who cares if his model ex-girlfriend comes around? He loves you now; everyone has a past and you can’t change that.

  She’s right.

  She changes the subject. “Speaking of Ace. Any more wedding details yet?”

  I tell her that we plan to start discussing the details when he returns from New York, but I do have a few ideas of my own. I’m already starting to feel so much better by talking to her. Our conversation shifts to my wedding and my worries about Lisa seem to disappear. That’s ancient history, and it needs to stay that way.

  “A destination would be amazing,” she exclaims. “Cole and I plan on renewing our vows in Hawaii. Where are you thinking?”

  *~*~*

  I wake up still in my clothes. After getting off the phone with Madie, I lay down on the couch and fell asleep. I glance at my phone to see two missed calls from Ace. I’m trying to decide if I should tell him about meeting Lisa. It’s not that I have to tell him, but I don’t want to feel like I’m keeping anything from him.