Chocolate for Two (31 page)

Andie looked at McKenna. “Her dress weighs like a hundred pounds. Did she tell you that?”

McKenna laughed. “Only a hundred?”

“Weak,” Nick said to me. “You could handle more.”

I laughed and took a sip of my champagne. “I admit it’s going to be a bit over-the-top for my taste, but it will be beautiful, and it’s going to make Jake’s mom really happy, which makes
me
happy. Plus it will be so fun to have all my friends together in one place.” I knew Davey and Lindsay were coming, and Shane and Kristina too, and of course Tasha and Beth. Even Paige and Gary were planning to fly down from Nashville. And despite his crazy schedule, Scotty had said that he and Tad wouldn’t miss it. They all knew that Jake and I would already be legally married, but they didn’t care.

Quickly realizing my omission, I put my hand on McKenna’s arm. “All my friends except for
you
, of course. We’ll miss you dearly.”

She put her hand over mine. “I’m so happy you decided to do it this way. It would have crushed me to miss seeing you and Jake
get married. I’m just sorry Hunter couldn’t make it, but someone had to stay home to watch Elizabeth.”

I nodded. “Compromise, not sacrifice, right?”

Andie rolled her eyes. “You’d better be careful with all these life lessons you’re spouting out, Mrs. Bride. Pretty soon you’re going to start sounding like an after-school special.”

“Do they even have those anymore?” Jake asked.

McKenna shook her head. “I doubt it. Kids today spend their free time uploading cell phone videos of
themselves
, not watching movies about other kids.”

We all laughed, and Jake took my hand in his. “Did you get your passport renewed?”

McKenna looked at me. “Passport?”

I nodded. “Paris. Just for a few days for business. And Jake’s coming along, so we’re calling it our practice honeymoon.”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “Is that what
we’re
calling it?”

I grinned at him. “I just made that up, so…I guess…yes,
we
are. We’re
married
now, you know.”

He put his arm around me and squeezed. “Yes,
we
are. And it’s about time.”

McKenna put her hand on my arm. “So what’s going on in Paris?”

“Yeah, since when do you go to Europe for work?” Andie said. “Is it some special thing for NBC?”

I glanced briefly at Jake, then shook my head. “It’s not for
Honey on Your Mind
, actually. It’s for Waverly’s Honey Shop.”

McKenna’s eyes got big. “Really? Are you going international?”

I swallowed. “Sort of. You know Blush and Company?”

“The cosmetics company? Of course,” she said.

“Never heard of it,” Nick said with a shrug.

Andie looked at him. “They’re enormous. Waverly’s old boss works there now.”

I nodded. “Yes, um, well, I’m sort of…selling Waverly’s Honey Shop to them.”

“
What!
” Andie said.

“You’re selling it?” McKenna said.

“When?” Andie said.

“Why?” McKenna said.

I cleared my throat. “Well, as you know, Andie’s cousin Paige is moving to Nashville.”

“But I thought you’d found a replacement for her,” Andie said. “Isn’t that what you said?”

I nodded. “I did find one, and I did say that. But my new boss at
Love, Wendy
wants me to start doing more segments each week, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I just couldn’t do both anymore if I wanted to do both well. It’s too much stress. I realized I was letting my jobs run me, and if I wanted to be happy, it was time to make a choice.”

“You’re really giving up the Honey Shop? After all that work?” McKenna looked disappointed, which hurt me to see.

I held up my index finger. “Well, that’s where the
sort of
comes in.”

“Say what?” Andie said.

I smiled. “What I mean is,
yes
, I sold it, but I didn’t give it up entirely. As part of the contract, Blush is going to keep the Waverly’s Honey Shop brand name, and I’m going to act as a creative consultant.”

Jake nudged me. “Tell them about Dave and the interns.”

“Is that a new band?” Nick asked.

I smirked at him. “Maybe. I guess we’ll see, because I’ll be working with all of them.”

“Say what?” Andie said again.

I smiled. “Waverly’s Honey Shop is going to be housed within a line of products that Davey oversees, so technically I’ll be working for him again.
And
I got him to bring my interns, Tasha and Beth, on board as part of the deal.”

“Keeping the band together. I like it,” Nick said.

I nodded. “I’m pretty excited about the arrangement. I know it sounds glamorous to run your own company, but I’ve thought a lot about it, and for
me
, this is the best solution. I really enjoy working at
Love, Wendy
, and while I’m extremely proud of Waverly’s Honey Shop, in my heart I’m just not a businessperson…I’m a
people
person. Trying to be both is exhausting, and it doesn’t make me very good at either.”

“And the replacement you found for Paige just wasn’t your type of people?” McKenna asked.

I pointed at her. “Bingo. It just didn’t feel right to do whatever it took to keep the company up and running on my own, which is what society says I should do. To me, being
happy
is what’s important, and working with Davey again will be a pleasure, not an obligation or step backward.”

“You and your newfound rejection of societal pressures,” Andie said. “Isn’t that what you said after you lost your engagement ring?”

I shrugged. “Apparently I have become a poster child for unconventional lifestyle choices.”

“So what does all this have to do with Paris?” Nick asked.

“Blush and Company is based there, so I guess this is what you’d call…an orientation,” I said.

Nick raised his eyebrows. “You mean a boondoggle?”

I shook my head. “No.”

Jake laughed. “That’s what I’m calling it.”

I laughed too. “It’s not a boondoggle! Well, okay, maybe it is a little bit, but I really do need to learn some things while I’m over there, so why not enjoy the sights while I’m in town, right?”

Nick coughed. “Boondoggle.”

Andie playfully tapped the back of his head. “Save it for someone who cares. You know my whole trip to New York has been a boondoggle.”

“And thank God it’s coming to a close.” He put his arm around her. “Not to get too sappy, little one, but you have been
missed
. Now, who wants some more champagne?”

We all raised our empty glasses, and with my free hand I silently reached for Jake’s.

“Did someone order cake?”

The sound of my dad’s voice made us all turn our heads. He was standing behind us, holding a pink box from the Prolific Oven, my favorite bakery in the entire world. Jake’s parents were next to him. Ava looked a little uncomfortable, but Walt was smiling.

As soon as I saw the box, I turned and gaped at McKenna. “Is that what I think it is?”
A double chocolate?

She nodded. “You bet it is.”

I felt a lump form in my throat. “You brought that all the way from California?” I squeaked the words out.

She nodded again. “You bet I did.”

I tried not to cry. “This is officially the best day of my life,” I squeaked.

Jake laughed and leaned over to kiss me. “It took the
cake
to make it official? I will try not to take offense at that.”

I glanced up at his dad, who winked at me.

“Speaking of making it official, that reminds me!” Nick set his glass down and started to unbutton his shirt.

“Oh God, I’m not sure I want to see this.” I pretended to shield my eyes.

“Come on now, where’s the love? I had this one custom designed.” He opened his dress shirt to reveal a light-blue T-shirt underneath:

I OFFICIATED THE AMAZING WEDDING OF MR. AND MRS. WAVERLY BRYSON, AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS STUPID T-SHIRT.

After a group dinner at the Boathouse, topped off by wedding cake and coffee, Jake and I walked over to the Plaza, where he’d surprised me by booking a room. When we checked in, I was flooded with memories of the only time I’d stayed there before, the weekend I’d participated in that singles auction.

Two years later, here we were again.

On our wedding night.

I think I’m the one who won that weekend.

Jake had dropped off an overnight bag before the wedding. A few minutes after the bellman brought it up, the doorbell rang again.

“Will you get that?” Jake asked.

“Sure.” I walked over to the door and opened it.

A different bellman was standing there. This one was holding a small plate covered by the hallmark silver lid of room service.

“Mrs. McIntyre?” he asked with a smile.

Mrs. McIntyre
?

I looked over at Jake. “Is your mom coming over?”

“I think he means you, Waverly.”

“Oh yes, of course…oops.”

I took the covered plate from the bellman, then shut the door and walked across the room to set it down on the table. When I removed the lid, I gasped.

It was a plate of chocolates.

From Lauren’s Chocolate.

Just enough for two.

I looked at Jake. “Who sent this?”

He held his palms up.

I slowly pointed at him.

“Was it…you?”

He smiled. “Maybe.”

“You ordered us a plate of chocolate on our wedding night?”

He scratched his eyebrow. “I know you like it more than cake, so I thought it would be fun to share some with you tonight, sort of a private wedding celebration.”

I squinted at him. “Do I talk in my sleep?”

He laughed and shook his head. “I know you better than you think I do.”

“And you still love me?”

“Forever.”

“Even though my last name is still Bryson?”

He nodded slowly. “
Forever
.”

I picked up a piece of chocolate, then walked over and handed it to him. “Thanks for becoming my husband, Jake McIntyre.”

He took the chocolate and set it down, then wrapped his arms around me. “Thanks for
wanting
me to be your husband, Waverly Bryson.”

I leaned against him and whispered into his chest. “I love you more than you could ever know.”

“I love you even more than that,” he whispered back.

Late the next morning Jake and I took a cab back to Brooklyn, our first official trip across the bridge as a married couple. He dropped me off at my apartment, then went home to Cobble Hill to pack. He’d already given notice on his place and was finally moving in.

Once inside, I removed my coat, then took off my dress and tossed it into the hamper. After a long hot shower, I pulled on some jeans and a shirt and dug my suitcase out of the hall closet.

I was on my way to the bedroom to begin packing when I stopped, set the suitcase down, and looked at the plain platinum band on my left hand. I kissed it, then gently removed it and carried it over to the bookcase. I pulled down my mom’s wooden box and opened it, then carefully set the wedding ring alongside the photographs of my parents. The plan was for me and Jake to store both our rings here until the second wedding in Florida.

I was nearly done packing when I realized that I’d mistakenly tossed my dress from this morning into the hamper—a
dry clean only
dress that had no business being there. I opened the lid and fished out the dress. I was about to close it when I noticed something flickering at the bottom.

No way.

I got down on one knee, reached my arm as far as I could into the hamper, and slowly ran my fingers across the wicker grooves.

And then I felt it.

Wedged tightly between two strands, safe and secure, was my engagement ring.

Since the last Waverly Bryson novel (
Honey on Your Mind
) came out, I’ve been overwhelmed by the fan mail I’ve received from all over the world. Despite my chosen profession, I can’t seem to find words to adequately express how much I appreciate each and every message. Hearing from readers is my favorite part of being an author, and I sincerely hope you fans out there enjoyed this book as much as (and ideally more than) the others in the series. As I always say, if you enjoy my novels, the best thing you can do to help me keep writing them is to tell your friends!

Speaking of friends, soon after beginning
Chocolate for Two,
I once again turned to the people in my own life for inspiration. Not surprisingly, they didn’t disappoint. This time around I owe a great deal of thanks to: Nicole Allen, Steph Bernabe, Kim Bishop, Jennifer (Brusha) Bressie, Lauren Lyons Cole, Andrea Dershin, Rosie Gonzales Ibrahim FitzGerald, Deron (DJ) Haley, Mike Krieger, Iris Lancaster, Alison Marquiss, Kara Mele, Monica Murnane Morey, Brett Sharkey, Michele Murnane Sharkey, and Ithti Toy Ulit. Super fan Megan DiPasquale also sent me a fantastic dating story that was so off the charts I had to include it. Thank you, Megan, for giving me permission to do so.

On the editing side, I can’t say enough about Christina Henry de Tessan, whose uncanny ability to look at the big picture is something that awes me each time I have the pleasure of working with her. I also want to thank my amazing mother (Flo
Murnane, a.k.a., Mommy Dearest) for her impressive proofreading skills, as well as my dad, Mike, a.k.a., Pa, for just being there. And I’d be lost without Alberto Ferrer, who wasn’t afraid to give me some tough feedback that led to two significant changes at the eleventh hour. His honesty makes me proud to be his friend.

I also want to give a special shout-out to Garett Vassel. I hope it isn’t apparent to anyone reading this book, but I’ve never been to south Florida and relied on him to help me paint a realistic picture of what upper-crust life there is like. I’m forever grateful for the patience he demonstrated in convincing me, a California girl whose parents once drove a VW bus, that ritzy Southern women of a certain generation really are named after small animals and snack foods.

And to Alex Carr, Jessica Poore, Sarah Tomashek, Vicky Griffith, and company at Amazon Publishing: I don’t think you’ll ever understand how grateful I am to you for believing in me. Thank you thank you thank you for making my dreams come true.