Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“These will go with everything you’ve chosen,” Nina said.
Finally, we visited a jewelry store. We were ushered in and taken up an elevator to an area that was apparently only available to the very rich. I was dazzled by the glass cases full of fabulous jewelry. Nina, with my total approval, picked an exquisite emerald necklace to go with the dress, and some other smaller, but equally stunning pieces to go with the rest of the clothes.
It was already nearly midnight when we came out of the store. We carried nothing with us as everything we had chosen would be sent directly to Rex as he would be responsible for them.
I thanked Nina and she hugged me and wished me luck. Then she asked if I needed a lift home, but I refused. I was not actually very far from my apartment. A walk would do me good as I felt slightly disorientated and light-headed. Everything that was happening to me seemed too unreal to be true.
Cinderellaish…
Too good to be true.
Almost like a dream. In a dream a cow can morph into a cake, then become a tree. I thought about Rex. What would he morph into? It was all so strange. A man who had access to private planes, the services of women like Nina and her specialized collection of people.
Who was he?
I remembered asking him about himself and the way he had so smoothly deflected the question. It was true that what he was had nothing to do with me or what I had hired him to do, but it was still rather bizarre that he would reveal nothing about himself.
And anyway, why would a man who looked like him be willing to help a total stranger in this way? Very strange, but in the end, who he was had nothing to do with me. I hired him for a fair price, he accepted, and that was that.
I wandered down the street to an all-night café and ordered myself a piece of apple pie and a glass of cold milk. I drank thirstily. After all the alcohol I consumed last night, I was still feeling dehydrated. When the pie arrived, I forked it into my mouth and chewed without interest. The picture over the counter had made it look luscious and tempting, but in fact, it was not very good. The only other customer left and I became the lone person in the café.
What if Rex bailed out on me? I would have to pretend to be sick or something. There was no way in hell I was attending that wedding alone.
Just thinking about it made me shudder.
An old fifties song came on. I should be feeling lonely and sad, but I didn’t. Tiffany had stolen my man and my entire family was pretending she was the victim, but it didn’t cut as it did before. No, they could all carry on with their coffee meetings and little Sunday gatherings and pretend to be better than me in their small pond.
I had a different life now. I was making my own way in the big bad city and nothing and no one was going to change that.
Four days later, I checked Pogo into a nice dog hotel, where I was pleased to note how fearlessly he went on to meet and greet the other four-legged guests. After that all I had to do was wait for the SUV Rex had hired for me to arrive.
Finn, the driver, was a lovely man, but other than chatter about the weather, there was no new information to be had about Rex.
As we made our journey to the airport, it dawned on me that the day I’d dreaded and loathed was finally here, but to my surprise, going back home to Bison Ridge wasn’t as terrifying as I’d imagined it would be.
Maybe it was my new hairstyle or the lovely French manicure, but I felt confident I could face Steven and Tiffany without showing any negative emotions.
The SUV drove right up to the plane. While Finn opened the trunk to get my suitcase, I was directed up a short flight of steps into the plane. A pretty flight attendant ushered me in with a cheerful smile.
“Welcome aboard, Miss Garrett. Mr. Hunter is already aboard. If you’d like to follow me, I’ll take you to him.”
“Thanks,” I said looking around me in amazement.
I tried to keep my jaw from dropping to the floor as I stepped into the cabin. Everything looked so clean, new, and expensive. Even the atmosphere reeked of wealth and luxury.
The leather seats were cream finished with fine wood grain paneling, and matched the thick carpet. I had never imagined a day when I would travel like this. Obviously, this was a one off, so don’t get too used to it, I reminded myself sternly.