“She called me tonight to warn me about her father trashing me in front of Estevez. I already knew about it, but it was nice of her.”
Cassie’s head peeped up. “That Carrington is such a jerk.”
“That seems to be the consensus.” I thought of Zach Murdoch. “Cass, you need to trust me. I know it’s crazy to ask that with me having been engaged to Lenor only two months ago… but you have to believe me when I say it’s over with her.”
She nodded but it was a half-nod. I didn’t push because I knew words wouldn’t prove anything to her. Only actions. That meant time.
I only hoped time was on our side.
CHAPTER 15
Cassie ~ Three months later
We’d received the approval for adoption today.
Today.
It’d been just under four months since that first meeting with Sawyer Curtis in Kansas City. It wasn’t long but it’d felt like a freakin’ lifetime to me. Apparently the Sorensons had decided to move to Oregon. Their move had helped to speed up our procedure.
I didn’t want to think of the Lorettis. I didn’t want to think of anything going wrong. Not now. Not when I was so close to have our son with me. Not when Josh and I were finally settling down and sharing the same life.
I’d never sauntered to work before. The Joker-smile I’d plastered all over my face on the subway ride and the over-friendly ‘hi’ I threw to my co-workers—co-workers I didn’t really know—were all signs I wasn’t all there.
Not that I’m impolite, but work was just that… work. Today, I was a happy camper, but also a late one. I’d found a job in a coffee shop in Georgetown; a ten-minute walk from our apartment, next to the school where we were planning to send Lucas. I wasn’t yet legally Lucas’s mom but the home study, the training sessions, and the interviews with the caseworker had helped me get my head around what our daily life with a five-year-old would be like.
“Hey, Cassie!” It was Sonya, my boss. Not from the coffee shop where I only worked part time, but from my second job with a catering company. Tonight we were catering for a party at the Four Seasons.
“Sorry, I’m late.” I pulled my hair into a pony-tail and checked myself in the mirror.
“No, you’re not. So chill out. You stayed late last time anyway.”
I turned toward her. “Sonya, do you mind if I leave on time today? You know I don’t normally mind, but tonight…”
Her eyebrows wriggled and the corner of her mouth twisted upward. “Anything special planned with that sexy senator of yours?”
Sonya hadn’t made any secret of her crush on Josh. He’d picked me up from work once and she’d fallen head over heels for him. If only she knew that Josh and I hadn’t yet consummated our marriage. There’d been a lot of dancing around, but nothing sealing the deal. Until tonight. Tonight, I wanted a full-on celebration and to throw our self-control through the window.
“Josh isn’t a senator. He works for one,” I said, not for the first time.
“With that ice-white smile of his, he’ll be one soon. Trust me. I’ve been moving in this crowd long enough to know the ones who have the spark.”
I checked myself one last time in the mirror and put on a quick touch of lip gloss, rubbing my lips together to spread it out evenly. “I don’t know if it’s a blessing or not.”
Sonya placed herself behind me and stared at me in the mirror. “A blessing. Soon, you’ll stop working and waiting tables. You’ll be the one being waited on.”
I spun around and Sonya startled. “I’ll never stop working. My gran taught me to take care of myself and the ones I love. There’s nothing wrong with being a waitress anyway.”
Another wriggle of Sonya’s eyebrow. “We’ll talk about it in a couple of years when you ask me to top up your Champagne while playing with the string of pearls your husband—the sexy senator—bought you for your wedding anniversary.”
The thought of owning a pearl necklace gave me the giggles. Except I never giggled, as a rule.
The next hour flew by as the crowd grew thicker and thicker. I’d never served canapés with a lighter heart. Sweet Second kept playing inside my head. I was on a high. It was almost like being back on stage again.
Then I saw Josh. The first thing that crossed my mind was that Sonya was right. He had the brightest smile I’d ever seen. The second thing was that he wasn’t smiling at me but at a blond in a power suit. My gaze zoomed in on her and on the pearls that hung around her neck. There were also the skyscrapers she was standing on. I didn’t know much about fashion, but those shoes screamed some fancy designer. They had to cost more than I made in a week. Or a month.
“Cassandra!”
I zoomed out from the attractive couple my husband made with another girl and noticed Bradley next to them. Mechanically, I joined where they stood, holding my tray in front of me like a shield.
“Hi Bradley.” I thrust the tray at him and he had no choice but to pick up a tempura prawn.
The blond was now staring at me with a what-the-fuck expression spread over her haughty face. I shoved the tray under her nose and she shook her head—because she probably never ate anything except low-carbs—then my gaze moved on to Josh.
“Josh.”
“Cassie.”
“Tempura prawns?”
“No, thanks.”
“You know her?” Smirky Blonde asked.
Her? My fingers gripped the edge of the tray more tightly.
Josh answered without a pause. “Yes, I know Cassie very well. She’s my wife.” He pulled me gently toward him. I was stiff like a frozen stick.
Snarky Blonde almost spat her Champagne out over her designer suit.
“Cassie, this is Megan Alistair, a friend from Georgetown.”
Lovely Megan here wasn’t just a friend. Correction, hadn’t always been a friend. My antennae were tuned to detect the had-sex-with-Josh vibe, and this girl was scoring full marks.
“You’re married? To her?”
Slap me! I was about to have a full-throttle go at Bitchy Megan when Josh cut in.
“I am very lucky to be married to her. Since we’re discussing my family life, you should also know that we’re adopting a little boy whose name is Lucas. Hopefully he’ll be with us by Christmas.”
I heard Bradley choke on his wine.
Josh pulled me against him and I felt all awkward and dumb with the stupid tray in my hands. Megan’s gaze snaked along my body and the plain, shapeless uniform I was wearing.
She spelled out the next words. “Joshua MacBride is married to a waitress.” And then she giggled; a Cruella DeVil laugh, all cutting and nasty. At least, to my wounded ears.
“Shut up, Megan, or—”
“Don’t.” I waved my hand at Josh. I didn’t want a scene. There was no point. “Please, don’t.”
I threw all my energy and pride into keeping my head high and my voice from breaking. “Excuse me. I have to get back to work.”
Except I couldn’t keep serving those damn prawns. I almost dropped the tray at the corner of a serving table and darted out of the elegant room full of people who belonged to a world I didn’t understand and maybe never would.
I rushed through the entrance hall of the Four Seasons and stormed into the driveway just outside the hotel. The stuffy doorman sent a grumpy look my way. The uniform I wore made it clear I wasn’t part of the clientele. Outside it was late November and freezing. The cold slapped me in the face.