Brooke continued. “When I graduate next spring, I will have more debt than Mom and Dad did when they bought their first house. But ya know what? That doesn’t matter—it’s only money. What matters is that I saw my dream and I went for it. I will never have to look back on my life and wonder, What if? Some things are worth laying it all on the line for.”
MaKayla nodded, soaking in her sister’s words.
“Do you want to own your own company?”
“Yes.”
Brooke sighed in resignation. “Then go get it. If that means marrying this guy and attending board meetings for a year, do it.”
MaKayla gathered her papers and purse and headed for the door. “I guess I’m getting married.”
“Hey, MaKayla?” Brooke called after her.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t forget to call me after the wedding.” Brooke winked.
MaKayla rolled her eyes. “I won’t.”
Chapter 6
Monday afternoon, MaKayla arrived at the office of BMB quite out of breath. She’d had one of those mornings where her clients all decided to panic. She, of course, had everything under control, but confident reassurance for the prom queen nearly cost her a bumper as she tried to talk and drive, something she wasn’t very good at.
Once in the building, she barely caught the elevator before the doors shut and practically fell out when they opened on her floor. The receptionist ushered her into Harrison’s office, where she set her signature next to Gabe’s on over a dozen sheets of paper. She examined Gabe’s signature, all blocky with a final swoop at the end. She added this piece of the puzzle to the picture she was building in her head: that swoop was the eccentric side of him that balanced out the corporate image.
As she was leaving, Trish caught her arm and pulled her aside, letting out a hushed squeal. “He got the suit.”
MaKayla’s heart thumped. Anytime she made her first presentation to a client, she got butterflies. She was good at reading people, excelled at it. However, all she’d had was a picture to go off of, and making a decision as personal as clothing had been a risk—a calculated one, but a risk nonetheless. “Did he try it on?” She grabbed Trish’s hand, feeling more like the prom queen and less like a business wife.
“Not here. Pamela gave it to him when he signed the papers.”
“Oh.” MaKayla felt her heart sag. She’d hoped he would be at least a little curious.
“Anyway, did you still need his address for the flowers?”
MaKayla pressed her hand to her heart. In all the rush of prom and meeting with her sister, she’d almost forgotten to have the florist send the boutonniere to Gabe. “Yes, thank you for reminding me.”
“I’ll text it to you as soon as I get back to my office.”
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I’ll see you Wednesday.”
As she exited the elevator, MaKayla’s phone beeped with the info, and she hurried to send Gabe’s address to the florist as she walked to her car. She settled behind the steering wheel, pausing when she realized she had Gabe’s address. It was the first real personal tidbit of information she’d gained on her fiancé. Tapping her finger on the side of the phone, she contemplated doing a driveby. Just to check out where she would be living. That wouldn’t be high school at all . MaKayla shook herself. There was a difference between stalking a crush and previewing her new home.
Her phone beeped again, and she sighed. The text came from her replacement, Tera, wondering who they used for ice sculptures. Apparently she was easily replaceable, as her boss had hired a college grad in less than two days. Tara was competent and quick: her ability to pick up on things fast which would make MaKayla’s transition out that much easier. However, she lacked the attention to detail that MaKayla applied to the position. She ached a little to know she was leaving some of her best clients in Tara’s hands. She could only hope that after a year, they’d