There are very few things I've done in my 31 years on earth that I truly regret. I make decisions and stand by them, say things with no intention of apologizing later, and have yet to mourn a single acquaintance I've sliced out of my life with surgical precision. But saying yes to Chase Camden and his round, chocolate-brown puppy-dog eyes? That's going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

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

He beams at me, surprising me with the ticket at nine a.m. on a Monday morning. My jaw hangs slack, while my brain screams at me to drink the latte in my hand before responding.

"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 and 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 fiancée is a nightmare to work with. Which is shocking really that he 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 ogle the hot woman from Quiznos who 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 at Havicore has joked that I'm Chase's work wife. We collaborate on all major accounts, spend long design hours together in the conference room shoveling takeout side by side, and clink pint glasses at Pip's after finishing a tedious project.

I know he lies about his mushroom allergy just so the team won't order them on pizza. I know he broke his wrist in ninth grade after falling out of his girlfriend's window when her father found them half-naked in her room in the middle of the night. I know he weirdly treasures the Mont Blanc pen his father gave him when he became CEO because he thinks it's proof his father is finally proud of him. And I know Ainslee Weiss is not wife material.

I sigh, dropping my head back as I 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 out of my mind before my nine-thirty meeting. A light knock on my door snaps me out of my thoughts, and I look up to see Eloise, my best work friend, in a neon pink blazer, lingering on the threshold. She's my number two on any project I'm assigned to and my confidant. Eloise is always rocking the latest trends, pulling off fashion-forward pieces you don't often see 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, muted-color wardrobe.

"I heard I am riding coach solo," she whines and then takes a step into my office. She flips her long shiny blonde hair behind her shoulder and then says, "At least you get free alcohol in first class. That should help take the sting out of sitting next to Ainslee for three hours."

"I think I'll take a Xanax and pass out instead," I murmur and she drops into the blue velvet chair that sits across from me. When Chase wanted to make the office more modern, we tapped Eloise to head the design. 

"Are you bringing a date?" She asks and I sadly shake my head no. I tried to think of anyone I could bring to this thing, but no one I thought of would be willing to book a last-minute flight to Mexico or not wander off with one of the bridesmaids.

"Are you?"

She shakes her head. "I was kind of thinking you were my date. I considered asking Tate, but I figured a destination wedding would put too much pressure on our blossoming romance. Plus, if I'm helping run it, I don't want to leave a guy stranded." She gathers her hands near her heart, and I want to roll my eyes. Eloise approaches every date like she's meeting her future husband. She's optimistic to a fault, walking around with hearts in her eyes, hoping Cupid will finally take aim. She's stunning, hilarious, generous, and genuine. With the number of dates she goes on, I have no idea why no guy has put a ring on it yet.

"Yeah, I don't think I'd ask a guy to travel with me after dating for a week either," I agree, and she shrugs. "I'm only going because I stupidly agreed to help plan this thing. If Chase needs a quick exit, I'll have the getaway car ready." Eloise flashes her signature devious grin- the one she does when she knows hot office gossip- and slightly squints her large blue eyes.

"You really won't admit there's a spark? That Chase Camden is truly just a co-worker? Even now?" She smirks, and I see why so many guys swipe right on her.

Everyone at Havicore thinks there's a will-they-won't-they vibe between Chase and me, and I always laugh it off. The truth is, I've never told a soul here that my heart melts for Chase Camden. I've been dreaming of the day he opens his eyes and realizes that the perfect woman for him has been sitting across the hall this whole time. I've watched women come and go from his life over the years, and I thought Ainslee was just another rando he'd leave on read. But instead, the gangly, mousey blonde with the melodic laugh is the one who captured his heart. And I have no idea how she did it. The first time I met her and saw the way he looked at her, I knew my pining days were over. There was absolutely no way I stood a chance.

"Chase Camden launched my career and is a dear, dear friend to me. But that is all. I don't really go for the broad, perfectly tousled hair type anyway."

"Or the six-figure type with a family home in Martha's Vineyard," she adds with a gleam in her eye. I laugh (not as melodic as Ainslee does) and slide a file over to Eloise.

"I'm more of the rugged, plaid-wearing type," I joke and then eagerly change the subject. "This is your latest. All the specs are in there and the client wants a vision board by Friday."

"Who is the client?"

"Another charity. Some gala in Cherry Creek."

"Oh yay, charity ladies. Never demanding at all."

"We work tirelessly to help create the best event experiences for our clients," I joke, sounding exactly like the woman in our promotional videos and Eloise flashes me the bird. I roll my eyes as she slides the file from my fingers and I watch her stride away to head back to the bullpen where the rest of the event coordinators reside.

My eyes wander to the framed photo on my desk of our company's leaders at Denver's Comic Con we helped coordinate last year and linger on Chase's arm around my shoulders. He's geeked out in some Star Wars costume he was shocked I didn't know of and my maroon Gryffindor tie sits askew next to his hand. My head is slightly tilted toward him and I always wanted a cropped version of the photo to hide somewhere at my house.

My heart raced the day he grabbed my hand excitedly, tugging me toward some artist signing comic books. I thought maybe something would happen later at the hotel bar with the way he was standing so close. I could smell the whiskey on his lips, and I remember the way he tugged me closer by my stupid tie. He was telling me about some guest celebrity who would be there on day two, and how he'd gotten us tickets to go.

Right when I was about to tell him how excited I was to spend the weekend with him outside the office, a leggy blonde in a sexy Princess Leia costume bumped into him, spilling the rest of his Jack and Coke all over me. They started talking about Star Wars and my Hogwarts school uniform top became see-through. It became apparent that I was part of the wrong fandom. I asked him to wait for me while I ran upstairs to change, but when I came back down to the busy bar, both Leia and Chase were gone.

The next morning, he told me he'd given the extra celebrity ticket to Leia since she was a massive fan. I stood in the lobby, wearing a cheap Wonder Woman shirt I'd grabbed at Target and my heart sank. That was when I knew Chase would never see me as an option. There would always be someone prettier, more charming, or more interesting to grab his attention. I accepted it and decided it was best for me and my career to just pine from afar.

Now, I stare at that photo and wonder if Leia had never bumped into us, would I have had the courage to spill my guts that night? I sigh, raise my coffee, and flip the photo frame so Chase isn't staring at me anymore. I hope I can focus on work long enough to make it through the day without crying.