Her phone buzzes in her purse, and she peeks inside and then sets it to the side.
“Do you need to get that?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “It’s just my boss.”
“Some sort of wedding emergency?” I guess.
“Yeah, she booked one while I was here, and now, she’s freaking out.”
“That must be a good feeling,” I muse.
“How’s that?”
“It sounds like they can’t manage without you. You must be the bridezilla whisperer.”
“I guess. It’s partly my fault. I’m happiest when I have a lot to do. I don’t do well with idle time. And I hate the termbridezilla,” she says.
“Why is that?”
“There’s honestly nothing worse than an indecisive bride. It’s your job to gently nudge her in the right direction while simultaneously keeping her mother and bridesmaids happy. One who knows what she wants for her big day, that it will be everything she’s always dreamed of, isn’t some kind of monster; she’s a blessing. The grooms are a bigger headache.”
“Really? The grooms? I’d never have guessed that.”
“Do you have any idea how many grooms hit on their wedding planner? I swear, J.Lo screwed us all when she made that stupid movie. It gave every sleazeball husband-to-be the wrong idea.”
I laugh.
“We all know how great all of her marriages have turned out.”
“Exactly. I’d rather not deal with the men at all. Nobody cares about the groom; they all come to see the bride. Except for maybe his mother.”
“That’s harsh.”
“It’s true. That’s why they all wear the same tuxedo. No one remembers what he wears. I had one insist on parachuting into the ceremony once. It was a disaster and added four times the stress on me. Nobody should upstage the bride.”
“You don’t tell the grooms that they don’t matter, do you?” I ask.
“Of course not. I’m a professional. I’d never let my personal beliefs affect my work.”
“If it’s so stressful, what do you love about it?”
“For me, it’s about creating that moment. The one where the doors open, the bride appears on her father’s arm and the groom is awestruck as he sees her for the first time.”
“Sounds like you’re a romantic.”
“Only when it comes to my job. Personally, not so much.”
Her phone buzzes again just as the server shows up with our cocktails.
“Are you sure you don’t want to get that?” I ask.
“I’m positive. I’ve been working my ass off for that company, pulling all-nighters and never taking a vacation. Striving for a promotion to senior coordinator for over two years now. I’ve had four wedding features in bridal magazines this year and two covers. Doing ninety percent of the work and never getting the credit. Mara takes all the credit.”
“Is Mara your boss?”
“Yep.”
“That sucks.”