Work Wife

First Class

There are very few things I have done in my 31 years on earth that I ended up truly regretting. I make a decision and proudly stand by it, I say some things with no intention of apologizing later and I have not mourned one acquaintance that I have sliced from my life with accurate precision. However, saying yes to Chase Camden and his round, chocolate-brown puppy dog eyes was going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

The problem is that I can never say no to him. That's how I came to be the Event Director of Havicore Events, co-owner of a Costco membership I never use, and wedding planner of his whirlwind Mexican fiesta-themed wedding. When Chase Camden and his left dimple asks me to do something, no matter how exhausted, confused, or inexperienced I am at it, I say yes. And even if my eager-to-please attitude has gotten me design awards and three promotions in two years, it has now gotten me a first-class ticket to Cabo, seated next to his bride-to-be so we can hash out all of the details of their fifty-person, all-inclusive resort wedding.

He's beaming as he surprises me with the ticket at nine a.m. on a Monday morning and my jaw is slightly slack while my brain wishes it had already consumed the latte sitting in my other hand.

"You didn't have to buy my ticket, Chase. I was planning on just snagging a Southwest deal with Eloise."

Chase flashes me that dimple that makes my knees go weak as he places his large palm on my shoulder.

"You're planning this wedding for free and dealing with Ainslee. The least I could do is buy your airfare." He laughs as he shakes his head, knowing full well his fiancé is a nightmare to work with. Which is shocking that he really knows anything about her seeing as they've only been dating for three months.

"Just happy I can help. Still so crazy to me that you're getting married! Seems like it was just yesterday that I was your wing-woman at Pip's." I laugh as I squeeze a breathy laugh out. Probably because it was just yesterday that I watched him oogle the hot woman from Quiznos that dropped off the catering for our work luncheon.

"I know, Stel. Trust me, I'm still coming around to the idea of being someone's husband myself." He laughs his loud bark of a laugh that he usually saves for his clients. "But when you know, you know." He pats my shoulder again and I feel his warmth leave as he removes his hand and strides out of my office. I slump against my computer chair, with my heart in my lap as I wish that he'd know I was the one that should be wearing the 2-karat stunner, and off-white boho dress in Mexico.

For three years everyone here at Havicore has joked that I am Chase's work wife. We collaborate on all major accounts together, spend long design hours in the conference room shoveling take-out side by side and clinking pint glasses at Pip's after the completion of a tedious project.

I know he lies about his mushroom allergy just so the team never orders them on pizza. I know he broke his wrist in the ninth grade after falling out of his girlfriend's window when her father found them half-naked in her room in the middle night. I know he weirdly covets the Mont Blanc pen his father gave him when he became C.E.O because he thinks it's proof his father is finally proud of him and I know that Ainslee Weiss is not wife material.

I sigh as I drop my head back and toss the first-class ticket printout onto my desk. I raise my now lukewarm latte to my lips and try to push the wedding from hell from my mind before my nine-thirty meeting. A light rapping on my door causes me to flick my head forward and I see Eloise, my best work friend, donning a neon pink blazer lingering on the threshold. She is my number two on any project I am assigned to and my confidant. She is always rocking the latest trends and manages to pull off some fashion-forward pieces that you don't see often here in Denver. I envy her effortless style and bubbly attitude. Eloise is the definition of cool and she often struggles with my basic, business casual in muted colors style.