“What kind of flowers do you specialize in?”
Elly paused. “I would say that we are able to morph our style to that of the bride’s, but we are mostly known for our romantic, bohemian, and garden flowers. We are big on texture and things that make women swoon, like a fully blown peony or the tips of a Queen Anne’s lace.”
Gemma wrote more notes. “Good answer.” This was going well, Elly thought, finally. “Tell me about your biggest wedding disaster.”
What? A wedding disaster? Her mind raced. Wait, what was she asking? Did she know? There had only been one. One big one. Elly stumbled over her words, letting out a gush of nervous word vomit. “Um, er … well, it’s a bit complicated. See, this last year I was hired to design my ex-husband’s mistress’s wedding. Crazy, right? So, I had this complete nervous breakdown right before, and I was dating this amazing musician, but he wrote these songs that were about my chest, which as you can see is pretty substantial … anyway, I mean, I almost went crazy before it. I threw my consultation table over and trashed my store, and drank too much wine, and broke the head off the cake topper…. I mean, I’m not sure what you are really asking…. I can totally handle high pressure. Unless I have another ex out there, or I mean, I don’t….” She gave a high-pitched giggle, like a hyena in heat. Disaster. There was no way she was going to get this. She was a kamikaze pilot, going down in flames of her own nervous making. Gemma was looking at her like she was some sort of unhinged wild animal.
“Elly!” Snarky Teenager sashayed out of the back room, looking amazing in her bright-red sundress and jeweled sandals. Gemma and both of the men sat straighter as she approached. “Sorry I’m late. I really apologize. I’m Elly’s assistant manager.” She sat next to Elly and put a hand on her arm. “Please forgive my intrusion, but what were you talking about?”
Gemma stared at Snarky Teenager with glassy eyes. “Are you a model?”
Snarky Teenager gave a laugh. “Oh, goodness, no. I don’t think they would want me.”
Gemma shook her head. “You have a face made for television.” She smiled kindly.
“Well, thank you. How is the interview coming along?”
Gemma cleared her throat. “Well, I just had asked Ms. Jordan here about her worst wedding disaster….”
Snarky Teenager gave a giggle. Gemma and the two men smiled back, entranced with the light radiating from her face. Oh, to be so beautiful…. “Oh, did you tell her about the bride that brought her dog to the wedding, who had a particular fondness for aisle decorations?”
Elly choked out a broken laugh. “Oh, I forgot about that! Yes, Ms. Reynolds, that was absolutely disastrous….” She gave Snarky Teenager a grateful glance. The interview went on. Gemma asked question after question, and with Snarky Teenager’s slight guidance and charming effect on the producers, Elly sailed through them with an easy grace.
Gemma leaned back on the chair and looked at her watch. “Well, unfortunately we are almost through with this interview. I must say, I was unimpressed at first, but I feel more, how do you say, comfortable with this shop being in the running. Of course, we haven’t seen the other two places yet, so I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”
Elly nodded and kept saying “thank you” until Snarky Teenager planted a heel squarely in her calf.
“It’s important to us at BlissBride to have a person who is comfortable in front of the camera, someone that we can show on national television,” Gemma’s gray eyes remained on Snarky Teenager. “Someone who is calm under pressure. I need to know that you are able to captivate an audience.” She eyed Elly warily. “Do you, the owner, feel you are up to that?”