Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 140874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
“What was it this time? Or can’t you tell me?” I was still very cautious where Porteras was concerned. I never wanted to sound like I was pressing for information, but I couldn’t believe that Gabriella would care about Porteras after a year—and since she’d started her monumentally successful new digital magazine.
“As far as I can tell, these were all friendly correspondences. But Rudy issued multiple warnings against fraternization and confidentiality over the past year, and our position on this sort of thing is very clear. To be honest, I’ll be glad when I’m shot of the whole place after Valerie scoops it up this weekend.”
Since Neil had been working out of the New York offices of Elwood & Stern at the time they’d acquired Porteras, he’d stepped in as interim editorial director, a title he’d passed on to Rudy, and which would now be given to Valerie. Well, Valerie wouldn’t be interim. It had been her idea to buy the magazine because she’d wanted to run it herself. After she got entirely moved to New York—and only three blocks from us, sarcastic hooray—Neil would be able to turn his focus back to Auto Watch and the general operations of his company.
“Wait a minute… weekend?” Disappointment curled up behind my ribs, and I sighed, accepting and dispelling it at once.
He grimaced. “I have to fly to London. We’re selling print and distribution rights to Porteras in six more countries. But I’ll be back on Monday. Do you want to come with me?”
“No.” As much as I would miss him, I wasn’t getting on another plane again for a while. I still wasn’t fully recovered from our holiday. “I’m trying to get over my homesickness now that we’re back in New York for good. It would be like running into an ex.”
“My fiancée used to date London,” he said with a tired laugh. “That’s a bit disappointing. Emir was going to be in town. He wanted to see us. But I’m sure he’ll understand.”
Before I had to argue with my body to stop throbbing at the mention of hot three-way sex, the frosted glass door to Ashley’s office opened and she stepped out. “Hey, you guys, come on in.”
Ashley—she preferred for us to use her first name—was young, in her early thirties, with shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes that reminded me of a Disney princess’s. When we’d first met with her, Neil had deemed her too young to be a capable counselor. I think he’d been looking for another gruff, middle-aged man like his therapist in London. But I’d asked him to reconsider, and though we’d only had a few sessions,, he’d grown to like the no-nonsense approach that made Ashley such a sought after doctor in Manhattan.
Ashley’s office had the same white walls and gray floor, and the same huge plate glass with a gorgeous view of the park. Black shelves held a few books and her credentials, and a small desk was tucked against one wall. A comfortable stuffed black sofa sat in the middle of the room, across from her own black armchair and small, glass-topped table. She motioned to us to have a seat and picked up her iPad as she sat down and smoothly crossed her flawless legs. She tapped something on the screen and looked up with a pleasant smile. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense. How did the holidays go?”
“Wonderfully,” Neil said, looking to me with a smile he couldn’t contain, no matter how many times we’d told people the news. “We’re getting married.”
It didn’t look like it came as a shock to her. She smiled and nodded. “I’m happy to hear it.”
So, they had talked about this in his one-on-one time. Very sneaky.
“And congratulations,” Ashley went on. “Have you set a date?”
Neil looked to me, hesitating before he spoke. “W-well, not exactly. We’re very distracted right now with my daughter’s wedding, so planning anything is…”
“We probably won’t even want to go to our own wedding, once this one is done.” I was trying to laugh it off, but I saw a tell-tale twitch at the corner of Ashley’s eye.
But she didn’t say anything, yet. “How did meeting the families go? I know there was some concern there.”
“My mom hates him,” I said with a shrug. “It is what it is, I guess. She’s not going to cut me off, so…”
Neil reached for my hand and squeezed it. I knew he perceived himself the cause of a wedge between my mother and me, but I didn’t. Mom had done the wedging, and I’d helped.
“A lot of her dislike was totally avoidable,” I admitted. “Perhaps I did not adequately prepare Mom for meeting Neil—”
“The age difference was an issue. Sophie’s mother was expecting a twenty-five-year-old.” Neil sounded as uncomfortable as he had when it had been happening.