She glanced at the crumbled blue ball gown. She wouldn’t walk away from her company. She might play Cinderella, but at the end of the day, she wasn’t slaving away for an evil stepmother. She was her own boss. And she spent her days delivering joy and birthday wishes. She made sick kids smile and laugh. Her Happy Ever After didn’t require a rescue—not from a prince or a billionaire.
“But that doesn’t mean I don’t want my prince,” she murmured as she stood and headed for her gown. “I want Jared.”
She scooped her dress off the floor and held it to her chest. What kind of warped fairy tale had she stepped into?
Chapter 24
“You were right.” Lucy sank onto the couch and reached for the popcorn. “My Friday night plans went from dinner out to snacks on the couch while watching—” she glanced at the television—“Deadpool for the tenth time.”
“Jared cancelled?” Emma asked.
Lucy nodded.
Her friend held out her glass of white wine. “Take this.”
“He called and said the product launch set for next Wednesday is imploding. They might have to delay, but that would mean changing the plans for the company’s IPO.” Lucy drained the rest of the wine. “He sounded stressed.”
“This is the third week in a row he’s cancelled,” Nicole pointed out from her armchair. She still wore her fairy costume from a summer camp event that afternoon, minus the wings. Her legs hung over one arm, and her head rested against the other.
“I know.” Lucy sank onto the couch and cradled the empty glass to her chest. “I haven’t seen him in person since we had sex on the stairs and he told me he loved me.”
“I’ll get another bottle of wine.” Emma rose from the other end of the couch and headed for the hallway. “And pizza.”
“I’m cutting back on carbs,” Nicole called after her. “Or pretty soon my hips will explode out of my gowns.”
Emma’s face appeared around the entryway. “Fine. You can have salad. But you need something. If we don’t eat, we’ll be a hung over mess at tomorrow’s party. And you know Delaney can spot a hangover a mile away.”
“Like Delaney Mayor isn’t overindulging as we speak,” Nicole grumbled. Then she turned to look at Lucy. “You had sex on our stairs? Weeks ago and you’re just now telling us.”
“I thought the ‘I fucking love you’ comment was more important than the location,” Lucy said.
“I don’t know about that,” Nicole murmured with a glance at the archway that led to the hallway stairs.
Lucy pointed to the television. “You’re missing Ryan Reynolds’ nude scenes.”
Nicole turned back to the screen. Then Emma marched into the room armed with a bottle of wine, two additional glasses, and a pitcher of water.
“Pizza is on its way,” Emma announced. She reclaimed her spot on the couch and began pouring the wine. “Now, tell me why I’m right.”
“When he first started leaving juice, you told me Jared Mitchell was out of my league.” Lucy accepted a full wine glass.
“That was before he went to the trouble of creating a dating profile,” Emma said. “I don’t think Jared flew here, declared his love, and then hopped into bed with a model in New York. Do you?”
“No, I don’t believe he’s cheating on me,” she said slowly. “But what happens when he realizes he can’t fix this situation? I want to make space in my life for a relationship in Florida. But he needs to travel all over the place for work. I’m afraid,” she drew a deep breath, exhaled, and then took a fortifying sip of wine. “I’m afraid that the logical part of his brain will kick in, and he’ll give up.”
“You don’t have much faith in your billionaire,” Nicole said.
“I don’t want to be left behind again,” Lucy murmured.
“Have you considered moving to New York?” Emma asked.
“What?” Nicole swung her legs down and turned her back to Ryan Reynolds. “You can’t move. We need a Cinderella.”
Emma shot the wingless fairy a sharp look. “I wasn’t asking as her business partner, but as her matchmaker.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Lucy said firmly. “I can’t uproot my life for him. I can’t make that leap. Not even for someone
I’ve known my entire life. For a man I love . . . ” She shook her head. The wine in her glass sloshed over the edge. “We haven’t had a real date yet.”