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Cold Feet
Francois Keyser
She's a wedding planner in love with love. She loves seeing couples get married and commit to each other and longs for her own romantic wedding day someday.
He's a divorce lawyer who doesn't believe in love. He sees couples as opportunities to make money with prenups before their weddings and as potential repeat business when and if they divorce.
Their initial meeting goes from attraction to dislike of one another at a wedding that turns into an unbelievable disaster for her.
When they meet again in the future will they be able to put the past behind them and find love together, or will some opposites never be attracted to each other?
VIOLA
I’m in love with love and I love couples who are in love. They are my bread and butter after all but that’s not why I love them.
There’s something so magical to see a couple choose to go into the future together, to face life’s challenges together, and rise above it all to come out on the other side stronger and more in love than ever before.
I love it so much that I became a wedding planner. Watching couples young and old committing their lives to each other is something that’s just so special. No couple is the same. There’s something different about all of them that makes each one special.
I never get tired of seeing couples stare lovingly into each other’s eyes as they plan, prepare and execute their wedding ceremony pledging their undying love to one another for the rest of their lives.
I haven’t got there yet myself but watching other couples keeps my dream of finding Mr. Right alive. But life doesn’t always see things the way we dream of them turning out. It sure didn’t see it my way when he crossed my path.
RICK
I don’t believe in love.
If it really exists why are there so many broken relationships and people in the world? Not that I care… about the broken relationships I mean. After all, they are my bread and butter. And those events called weddings are my hunting ground. After all, people lay the foundation for the demise of their marriage before they’re even married. Prenups and all sorts of agreements are designed to protect their wealth and their assets and force others to stay with them even when they don’t want to anymore. Weddings give couples the right to punish each other when they don’t want to be together anymore for whatever reason.
So, when anyone tells you that it starts with a wedding they’re wrong. It starts with a lawyer. And if it ends… well, it ends with a lawyer too. Funny that.
Often the people that I work for before their wedding, come knocking on my door a few years down the line. Repeat business. So, love is great and it is for me but just not for me if you get what I mean.
When I met the wedding planner she was incensed at the thought that we might collaborate. Other planners have no issue with it. Why she should have, I don’t get it. Normally I would just walk away but the universe seems to have other plans…
First published by Tektime 2021
Copyright © 2021 by Francois Keyser
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission
from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or
distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents
portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance
to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Francois Keyser asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this
work.
First edition
Cover art by Kseniia Lopyreva
FRANCOIS KEYSER
Cold Feet
VIOLA
The Los Angeles Wedding Exhibition. The largest and most important annual wedding exhibition in Los Angeles. Anyone who is anyone in the industry is there and anyone who wants to be someone in the industry should be there.
It’s the first year I’ve been able to rent a booth. My initial doubts about whether I can justify the cost and whether I’ll recover the investment from a brand awareness and income perspective remain to be seen. So far, it would appear that renting a booth was the right thing to do.
I have had plenty of customers register with me for follow-up appointments and even a few confirmed bookings on the spot. All told, I’m on top of the world.
Then I see her. My role model in the industry. Christine Jackson. She is the number one in the industry. I have admired her from afar for so long. While we are competitors, I hold her in the highest regard. There’s room enough for both of us and then some in the industry. I’ve never met her though but today, at last, I see her in the flesh.
She is as beautiful as the photos I have seen of her. Her long, straight blonde hair is perfect and seems to be magically held in place. Her voice is welcoming and soothing and her emerald green eyes sparkle. She wears a smart suit that accentuates her figure in all the right places. It has the effect of creating a professional image as opposed to a sexy one, depending on who she’s talking to. I’m sure men want to talk to her for the reason that she is so sexy while their wives talk to her because she looks so professional and confident. It’s a no-brainer for a husband and wife to agree on using her for their children’s wedding or for a couple to agree to use her for their wedding even if they have different reasons for being convinced to use her.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to stereotype, and not everyone will fall for the trick but there is a reason why dressing sexy is one of the oldest tricks in the book to getting attention. It works.
Mentally, I take a page out of her book as I study myself surreptitiously in the mirror of the booth opposite mine. I might not be dressed as sexy as Christine but I’m not doing badly at all businesswise. So maybe I don’t need to dress like her and I just need to keep doing what I’m doing.
I’m surprised by a voice behind me.
“Are you Viola?”
I turn around hastily blushing at having been caught studying myself in the mirror. It’s Christine and I blush even more just because it’s her. I recover quickly and nod.
“Yes. I am. You are Christine Jackson.” I offer my hand but she ignores it.
“Everyone knows me,” she smiles.
“You have no idea. I’ve been a fan of yours ever since I started in the industry. You’re my role model.”
“Really?” Christine’s eyes flash as she takes in my remark. “I’m happy to hear that. I had no idea that someone like you was just a follower.”
I’m fawning over Christine like a school girl when her first crush notices her for the first time. Before I can say anything more my assistant, Jessica catches my attention. I look at her and she holds up her mobile phone and indicates that someone wants to talk to me.
“Um… excuse me for a moment,” I say. I cross to Jessica who takes me by the arm and turns away from Christine.
“Who’s on the phone?”
“No-one,” she whispers. “but take my advice. Pretend there’s someone on the phone and walk away right now. Come back when she’s gone.”
I look at her quizzically but her expression tells me she’s in charge and furious. I take the phone and press it to my ear. I start a fake conversation with no-one and walk away.
Jessica steps up to Christine.
“I’m so sorry. Viola had to take that call. Another booking.”
Christine nods and smiles. She extends her hand, “No problem. And you are?”
Jessica ignores Christine’s hand just as Christine ignored mine. “Jessica. Can I help you?”
“You are,” Christine smiles as she picks up one of our brochures. “I just came to see your booth to make sure I’m not making any amateur mistakes.”
“Well then I guess you can see that you have a lot of fixing to do,” Jessica retorts coldly.
Christine’s eyes harden and she casts one last glance around my booth. Despite Jessica’s loyalty to me, Christine presses on, “If ever you want to work with a true professional, call me. I’ll pay more. Besides, I don’t think your boss is going to be in business much longer.”
“Why is that?” Jessica asks.
“Just a hunch,” Christine says. “My offer stands as long as this joke is in business. When it’s not in business anymore, my offer will be gone. Get out while you’re ahead.”
“I am ahead,” Jessica responds. “We are ahead of you. Now, why don’t you go and be men’s fantasy at your booth before I have to call the cleaners.”
Christine’s face flushes with anger. She opens her mouth then closes it again before walking briskly away.
I watch Jessica and Christine from afar but can’t hear what is said. After Christine leaves, I return to the booth.
“What was that about?” I ask Jessica.
“Jesus, girl! You were fawning all over that tart!” She mimics me, “You’re my role model. She’s probably telling the guests at her booth that she’s your role model. She even offered me a job and said that you won’t be in business much longer.”
“What?” I ask astounded.
“Yeah, so much for your role model,” Jessica says.
“Let me go over there and give her a piece of my mind…”
Jessica stops me. “Leave it, Vi. There’s no need to make this any worse. She’s just jealous because we’re better than her and she knows it. Take the high road and let it go. There’s more than enough room for both of us in this game.”
I sigh. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thanks, Jessica.” I enter the booth and sit down. Inside I am still fuming. I had nothing but respect for Christine but with what Jessica just told me, I have lost all respect for her. I’m hurt too and finally take a walk to calm myself down.
The rest of the exhibition passes without further contact between Christine and myself. The clients we have gained from being present have made the exhibition well worth it and help me to forget about the disappointment of what happened with Christine.
CHRISTINE
I’ve been a wedding planner for a long time. I’m the best in the game and I’m not about to let a young upstart challenge for my crown. There’s one person who I come up against more and more and it’s her. Viola. I’ve lost a lot of business to her. I’m still doing great numbers and growing but I could grow so much faster if she wasn’t fishing in my pond.
Who the hell does she think she is? I know this business inside out. There isn’t that much to it when you’re an expert. It’s easy to pinpoint the weak points in any wedding planner’s business. Hell, they’re the same weak spots as mine and that makes it even easier to take her down. Her assistant didn’t want to take my offer but that’s okay. It’s just one point of attack.
When I’m finished, they’ll both be crawling to me.
I look at the brochure I took from their booth and start to formulate my plan of attack. I boot up my laptop and am soon on Viola’s website looking for the information I need. I can’t find what I’m looking for so I try another angle. I go to the gallery and testimonials.
Bingo! I make notes of the information I am looking for and then close the site.
I pick up the phone and dial Viola’s office number.
The phone is answered promptly.
“Hi, this is Mrs. Anderson.”
“Yes, Mrs. Anderson. How can I help you? This is Jessica.”
The assistant. “We’re having a party soon for Mr. Anderson’s office and he asked me about the band that we had at the wedding. I thought I’d give you a call and find out if I could contact them to see if they’re available. Would it be possible to give me their number?”
“Sure, Mrs. Anderson. I’d be only too happy to. Hold on while I get the details.”
I wait a few moments and then Jessica comes on the line again. “Here you go, Mrs. Anderson.”
She gives me the contact name and number for Steve from the band called ‘Plastered’. I thank her and hang up.
I smile and mentally congratulate myself. It’s that easy.
When Steve answers the phone I arrange to meet him to discuss hiring the band for a party.
Steve is already waiting when I enter the coffee shop. He recognizes me from the clothes I told him I’d be wearing and waves to me. I cross to the booth and slide in opposite him. I feel his eyes appraise me as I sit down. I’ve worn a short skirt and a tight, white cotton blouse that accentuates my breasts. It’s unbuttoned just far enough to reveal a glimpse of my bra which is visible through the soft material of the blouse anyway. I shake Steve’s hand.
“How can I help you?” Steve asks.
“I have a confession, Steve,” I reply conspiratorially.
“What’s that?” Steve asks, intrigued.
“Well, when I said I need a band for a party, I wasn’t being totally honest. I’d like your band to play for all my parties unless my clients insist otherwise.”
“All your parties?” Steve frowns. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m a wedding planner, just like Viola who you work with regularly.”
Steve nods as the penny drops. “Well, you know we go back a long way. I mean I’d be happy to support you when you have a wedding if we don’t have a wedding booked with Viola.”
I smile and shake my head. “I thought you’d say that Steve but I have to say I’m looking for a reversal of that proposed arrangement. You play all my weddings and fit her in where you can. I’ll pay you one and a half times what she pays you per wedding.”
Steve looks at me and says nothing. I can tell his mind is working overtime and I can tell where it’s headed so I cut it off.
“This is a one-time deal. Right here, right now. There’s no going to Viola and bargaining with her. I’m not into horse-trading.”
