5
Unable to sleep, a side effect of her medication, Melinda sat in the middle of her bed, spreadsheets strewn about. She’d taken a job as an event coordinator at the suggestion of her therapist, who had felt it was important to face her demons head-on. It had taken her numerous attempts, and lots of coaching, but she was able to return to her home in what many labeled as paradise. She’d nearly given up a thousand times, but something she still couldn’t explain, kept her here. A force much stronger than the demons of her jaded past. Now, she was too busy to think about what happened, as she was nearly drowning in beach weddings and rehearsal dinners, corporate events, and unique proposals. Her therapist had been right; seeing all the love and joy reminded her life was worth living and despite the dark times, the good was always there to chase away the shadows.
The ping of a new message lifted her attention from the dreadful inventory her boss dropped at her feet yesterday to the clock on her computer, which told her if she fell asleep this very second, she would get a generous four hours of sleep. Since Melinda knew that to be impossible, she reached over and clicked on the email, a smile gracing her face as she read who it was from. Never in Melinda’s wildest dreams would she ever have imagined the wonderful whirlwind she would encounter when she booked the Sawyer wedding. Jordan had been the easiest bride to please and her friend, Kennedy Michaels came covered in sweetness and grace. Over the course of a few days, the three of them exchanged more information than she ever had with anyone else and that was saying something for her.
Scanning the message, Melinda made a note to reserve one of the cabanas at the far end of the beach and schedule one of the hotel chefs to personally cater the mini celebration.
Laying back on her pillow, Melinda closed her eyes and pictured the happy couple dancing on the beach as the waves crashed around their feet. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to have a friend like Kennedy, one who cared enough to do something special for her as she was planning for Eleni.
“You’d have to have a man first,” Melinda threw open her eyes, disappointment in herself flooding her chest. “And you know how dangerous those can be.” She added as she slipped her glasses on and dove back into her inventory.