Hollywood Hills & Him | A Joe Jonas Fanfiction Sequel

c h a p t e r 4 .

It should come as no surprise that the moment Winter accepted the gracious opportunity to plan the wedding of Nick and Priyanka that her life was altered in the most significant way. Not only did the job prove to be particularly lucrative but it was also rich in networking and word of mouth marketing which helped garner a few thousand followers on her social media in addition to amassing an inbox full of more event requests than her calendar could possibly handle. Though Winter had never confirmed her speculated position to the public, she learned with haste that Hollywood secrets don't stay secrets for long. She was too sensible to wonder for any extended amount of time, but nevertheless, her inquiring mind often drifted to the thought that Joe may already be aware of her involvement with his younger brother's wedding and, in the rare moments she suspected that he knew, she wondered his reaction. Did his breath hitch when Nick uttered her name? Did he clench his jaw and flare his nostrils in annoyance? Or maybe his he showed no reaction, symbolizing that he no longer cared? Winter realized with great dismay that she could lose herself to these spiraling concepts and once more, berated herself for her lingering fondness to the handsome celebrity. At the end of each day, she would conclude that Joe was blissfully unaware and she would sleep peacefully until her waking brain would stir those dormant thoughts again. It was a vicious cycle. Perhaps this was why Ophelia had opposed her accepting the job so vehemently. Her friend, though she never pried or admitted to it, was likely aware of that situations of the heart were tricky and personal and that no matter how much she warned against it, nothing would change Winter's emotional investment.

The few weeks following her initial hiring were teeming with meetings, scheduling, and copious amounts of information. Winter found that Nick was quite agreeable and less pretentious than she had originally suspected. Over the course of those few weeks, she got familiar with both Nick and Priyanka; the attraction between the couple was unparallelled and love exuded from them with every interaction. They had little direction in mind for the ceremony and gave Winter the creative freedom to design the ceremony and reception to her expertise with their desired color scheme. It was evident they trusted her vision and were motivated not by the societal or superficial reasons for a wedding, but driven by their pure shared love with the end result of a happy life together through marriage. All in all, Winter was thrilled. She couldn't have dreamed of a more perfect couple to work with for her first wedding planning gig. It was almost too good to be true. Throughout those weeks, there were no run-ins or sightings or even mentions of Joe. Things were grand.

Time passed with no remorse and before she knew it, her first event of the wedding season was upon her - the bridal tea. Tea parties, as juvenile as they sounded, were a staple in the life of the posh upper class and so a social event centralized around it was expected. Of all the events, this was the one in which anxiety was prevalent for Winter. Not only had she never planned a tea party for wealthy socialites, but she had never attended such an event either. She had devoted hours to research and felt like an expert (as much as one could without experience), yet confidence evaded her. She was certain she would feel more comfortable in her own skill once she was actually in the space - mind over matter. On the brightside, the guest list was smaller than she had anticipated for a celebrity which meant less people to impress and more time to devote to ensuring the happiness of each person in attendance.

"I can do this. I've totally got this."

Winter focused on her reflection in the mirror, repeating the mantra under her breath in a half-hearted attempt to calm her nerves. Nausea, in correlation with her anxiety, made it difficult to believe that she was anywhere close to 'totally got this' and closer to the lines of 'hanging in there and trying her best but totally in over her head.' Despite her internal monologue of self deprecation, she had to admit that her reflection showed that she looked the part, if anything. Ophelia had been delighted to design and create a one-of-a-kind look for Winter's LA celebrity event planner debut that would turn the heads of all guests without overpowering the bride - the cardinal sin for weddings and such related festivities. The outfit - a high-waisted, wide-legged khaki pant with an off the shoulder blush pink blouse, accessorized with a thick belt and an excess of jewelry - was flattering and fit her like a dream, hugging her natural curves and elongating her legs. Stylish, yet professional. Bold, yet classy.