Cold Feet

CHRISTINE

I’m angry. I failed with Steve and his band.

I take a few deep breaths and begin to relax. Getting a wedding planner’s band is just one part of their business. There are many other parts to go after. However, I push the thought of other parts of the business aside as I think about the concept of the ‘wedding whisperer’ that Steve let slip to me.

I know there’s something important in it. It hovers just beyond my mental grasp like a carrot on a stick for the time being. I have to admit it’s a genius idea and I should be thinking of doing it myself. But there’s something else about it that I think is much more important than simply copying the idea.

I grab the brochure that I took from Viola’s booth and study it. There’s not a word in the brochure about a wedding whisperer. Nothing that even alludes to it as a service.

I check her website again. Nothing. Nowhere. The testimonials say nothing about it. How can she keep it secret? Surely the clients should be impressed with the added value?

Why would clients keep it secret? It’s not possible. Unless…

Unless what? I know it’s there but I just can’t grasp it. Frustrated, I finally try to push it away and focus on other work I have to do.

My assistant enters my office and I decide to bounce the idea off her.

“Lacy?”

“Yes?”

An idea to possibly improve our service and differentiate

she sits down opposite

“A wedding whisperer.”

Lacy asks not understanding what I’m talking

employ to encourage the bride or groom to put their last-minute fears of

would you want

a lot of money on a wedding. Money they lose if the bride or groom decides to stand the

have a negative objection it’s her.

That’s

‘Trouble? From who?”

using the shortened version of my name.

do you say it’s

on her knee. In turn, she rests her chin on her hand as she always does when she’s about to make a very important point. “What happens if

not sure I follow you,