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)
I grinned back. “Yup.”
“What can I get you?”
“Something with gin in it.”
“Coming right up.”
As I was waiting for my drink two men came in. They were wearing dark suits and looked like businessmen. One of them was talking loudly in a thick foreign accent. He could have been German.
“You know what America’s problem is?” he asked.
Before the other man could reply he continued.
“America’s problem is not Russia, Iran, China, or North Korea. America’s problem is America. There is no outside enemy, my friend. There is only your own leadership that takes you into ruinous wars and has hollowed out your industries by sending them to China.”
The bartender placed my drink in front of me and went to serve the men.
The man was still talking, but I no longer heard anything he was saying. I sat there stunned.
God, that was me. I was America.
There were no outside enemies, only me going on ruinous wars and hollowing out my own fantastic relationship with Rex by continuously obsessing about Tiffany and Steven. The God honest truth was, I didn’t care one tiny bit about Steven so what did it matter if he wanted Tiffany? And as much as I hated to admit it, Nicole was right. Tiffany didn’t steal Steven from me. Nobody can steal away someone that doesn’t want to be stolen. Steven wanted to go with her.
He was wrong for me. He always was.
Why Rex even bothered to listen to me go on and on was beyond me. I must have been such a bore. I decided then, that I no longer wanted to punish Tiffany or Steven. Instead, I wanted to go to this wedding and be the bigger person. I wanted to wish them well with a sincere heart. In fact, I knew exactly how to show that I no longer carried resentment in my heart. I would go to the gift shop and buy something for the baby.
Leaving the drink untouched, I walked out of the bar. As I was crossing the lobby on my way to the giftshop, I saw Mrs. Dearborn hurrying towards me. I was feeling so good, I even felt a sense of familiarity and friendliness towards her.
“Oh hello, my dear,” she gushed.
“Hello, Mrs. Dearborn.”
She looked around. “Where is your charming man?”
“I’m afraid he had a work emergency and had to fly back early.”
“Oh, what a shame.” She dug into her handbag and fished out a small flat package. “I brought a slice of fruit cake for him.”
Suddenly, I was filled with gratitude. Here was another person who knew and liked Rex. She was on our side. I reached down and, narrowly avoiding her large hat, kissed her on both cheeks.
“Oh my!” she exclaimed. “What was that for?”
“Giving you the kiss that Rex would have.”
She beamed with happiness as I took the small package from her. “You will come back soon, won’t you?”
“I hope so,” I said a little sadly.
My time in this hotel had been magical, only I was so twisted up with bitterness, I couldn’t see it.
29
WILLOW
I knocked on the door of Tiffany’s suite and the door opened almost instantly.
“Wow! That suit is lovely, Willow,” MaryBeth, a distant cousin said, with genuine admiration.
“Thanks, MaryBeth. You look lovely too.”
“No, I don’t. I hate my bridesmaid’s dress. It’s so ugly,” she whispered fiercely.
I had to admit it was pretty ugly. Knowing Tiffany, she probably did it deliberately so none of the girls could ever even hope to hold a candle to her in the photographs.
“You look lovely nevertheless,” I insisted. I lifted up the pretty paper bag I was carrying. “Now, where’s the bride? I have a present for her.”
“Come on,” she said and led me to the main bedroom.
Tiffany was standing in front of a full-length mirror and a woman was standing behind her, fitting a veil on her tiara. I went closer and even though we had been lifelong enemies, I couldn’t deny that she looked beautiful. Absolutely, fabulously, wonderfully beautiful.
“You look amazing, truly beautiful,” I complimented softly. I really meant it as well.
She whirled around and met my eyes. Hers were cold and hostile. “What the fuck do you want?” she demanded aggressively.
Wow, she was not playing scared, helpless, poor Tiff today, then. The woman who was helping Tiffany with her veil tried to adjust it, but Tiffany knocked her hand away impatiently.
“Nothing. I actually came to say, I’m sorry. I’ve not been nice or kind to you these last two days. I was angry and hurt that both you and Steven had betrayed me, but I’m not anymore. I can see clearly now that Steven and I were never meant to be together. You and Steven are. He loves you and you love him. You make a wonderful couple. You deserve to be happy so I’ve come to wish you a very happy life together.”