Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
No, I got out here and saw Cori,” I tell him, and he comes closer to me, “and I came over.”
“Well then, let’s go find something to eat,” he says, “and I want to introduce you to a couple of people.” I follow him to the wives’ circle, and I swear I’m ready for it, but one look from the leader and I know this will not end well. “Hey guys,” Evan says, and the woman just looks up, doing a very obvious up and down.
“Oh, look, y’all,” she says with her Southern accent.
“Corey,” Evan says to the guy. “Paige, this is Zara.”
I hold out my hand to Paige first who takes it with a smile on her face. “Nice to meet you.” And then I do the same to Corey.
“We’ve met a time or two before,” Corey says and then looks at his wife. “Honey, do you remember Max Horton and his wife, Allison?”
“From New York, right?” she asks him, and he nods.
“This is Allison’s sister,” he says, and I can see the look of shock come over her. “Karrie is your sister-in-law as well?” she asks, and I smile
“Yes, she’s married to my brother Matthew,” I say.
“I met Karrie and Allison last year when all the wives joined forces for a calendar,” she says. “Wait a second, are you the one Zara’s Closet?” She now has her mouth hanging. “You were the one who got us all that designer stuff?”
“Yes,” I say, “that would be me.”
“I had no idea,” she says, and I’m almost tempted to mumble under my breath, I bet you didn’t. But I don’t for Evan and also for Karrie and Allison’s sake. “So what are you doing in Dallas?” she asks me, and now her blond friend comes back.
“Oh, there you are.” She smiles at Evan. “We meet again.”
I try to hide my eye roll and can hear my mother’s voice in the back of my head. “Be nice, Zara.”
“Taylor.” Paige turns to her friend. “This is Zara Stone from Zara’s Closet.” Her friend opens her mouth in shock. “We were just looking at your stuff the other day,” Paige says.
“I love the look you put together for Jessica Beckett for the Oscars this year,” Taylor says. “And your dress is fabulous.”
“Thank you,” I say and then look over at Evan, who is glaring at the woman now.
“So what are you doing in town?” Taylor asks the same question Paige asked but I didn’t answer.
“I came in to visit this guy,” I say, pointing at Evan with my hand holding the champagne glass while he slips his pinky into mine with our free hands. From the look of shock on both their faces, it takes everything in me not to do a mic drop and then a boom.
“I have to go and do the blackjack table,” Corey says. “Come with me.”
“It was great meeting you, Zara,” Paige says, and Taylor just smiles and nods and walks away with them.
“Well, there goes her hopes and dreams of going home with you tonight,” I say under my breath, and he just laughs while he leans in and kisses my lips. I look around after to see if anyone saw us. “Down low,” I hiss at him as he walks away, and he looks over at me.
“Don’t care,” he says, whispering. “Let’s eat something. I have to do the roulette table in fifteen minutes.” He leads me to the food, and we grab a couple of things, then go and sit at an empty table, but it isn’t empty for long as some of his teammates join us. “Okay, we have to be at the roulette table.”
“Who is we?” I look up at him, and he just smiles.
“Want me to show you again?” He looks around. “I think I see a couple of people.”
“Bully,” I say to him, getting up, and he just laughs. “Let’s go win some money.”
“I get to go home with you tonight,” he says, smiling as we walk side by side through the crowd of people. “I’ve already won,” he says, and he winks at me. It’s at this moment I realize I’m in way over my head. This crazy thing is starting to snowball, and I’m afraid I won’t survive the end of it.
Chapter Eighteen
Evan
“Okay, place your bets.” I look at the twenty-five people standing around the roulette table. I look up at Zara who has been the center of attention to everyone who came to the table.
“I’m going to try my luck with number four,” she says, putting two red chips on it. Before we came to the table, she walked to the donation table and dropped five thousand dollars and got the chips for it. No one actually wins any money tonight; whatever chips you cash in at the end of the night will be matched by the owner of the team.