The Engagement Game (Engaged to a Billionaire) (15 page)

*          *          *

It was the first time I'd been escorted around Union Square with a body guard.
 
A sidewalk was blocked off so we could shop and flashing bulbs made it hard to think.
 
Rex hands me a pair of sunglasses so my eyes can relax from the constant paparazzi pictures.
 
I hold tight to Rex's arm and follow him into Burberry.
 
The store is empty apart from a beaming manager and gleaming white.

"Right over there love," Rex instructs.
 
I'm immediately nudged into a dressing room full of outfits.
 
All had been chosen for me.
 
Dark colors.
 
Form fitting.
 
Sleek.
 
Not really my style.
 
When it came to a gorgeous dress I was drawn to color.
 
"Go ahead."
 
Rex is sitting on the other side.
 
I hear a woman bringing him coffee.

"Sure," I agree.
 
"But I would like to take a look at some things myself."
 
I unbutton my blouse and begin trying to stuff my hips into these tiny sizes.

"No time for that I'm afraid," he responds.
 
"Don't worry though.
 
All those were picked by a professional stylist.
 
They're the absolute best the store can offer, darling."
 
I stare at myself in the mirror, sucking in my stomach and literally squeezing myself into the first dress on the rack.
 
It was black with a goldish belt that was supposed to tie around my waist.
 
I finally get the thing on and adjust the hem.

"Uh-"

"Let me see," Rex responds.
 
He gets up and opens the dressing room door before I have the chance to argue.
 
He nods.

"Very nice.
 
Try on the next one."
 
It was becoming more and more clear that
Rex
was doing the choosing here.

"Eh," I spin around.
 
"I'm not sure i like it."

"Really?"
 
His eyes do a once-over.
 
He grins, shutting the dressing room door behind him and letting his gaze slip down to my bare legs.
 
"Because
I
think it looks lovely."
 
I let him kiss me with a yearning look on his face.
 
His hands feel the luscious curve of my hips and slips under the hem.

"Do you," I smile, letting his fingers caress my pulsing skin.

"Now," he whispers.
 
"Try the rest on so we can go somewhere new."
 
He winks, leaving me alone again to change into other look-alikes.
 
I hear my cell phone buzz.
 
I have a new text message.
 
It's from Holly.
 
I stare at her name, sure that the message would be something about London.
 
The studio must have told her that I'd called.
 
I touch my screen.
 
Hi.
 
We need to talk.

Talk about what?
 
About how she flew across the world without telling me?
 
It was too late for that.
 
Rex had chosen his girl.
 
He chose
me
.

What about?
I text back.

You know what about.
 
Her reply comes immediately.

I can't.
 
And that was the truth.
 
I wasn't going to step aside and I wasn't about to cut down on the little time I had to spend with Rex before the announcement.
 
There was no way she could ruin this for me now.
 
Oh wait . . . there was
one
way.

Please, Kat.
 
Her keenness made me nervous.
 
She wouldn't.
 
We'd played this
her
way and I still won.
 

I know about London.
 
I push send.
 
My heart pounds, and not just because Rex was hovering on the other side of the door while I undressed.

We still need to talk,
she writes back.
 
I put down my phone, ignoring her.
 
Things were about to change drastically for me.
 
I wasn't going to let Holly mess with my head or make me feel guilty anymore.
 
I'd done it.
 
I'd finally done it!
 
I'd met a guy that hit all the check points and now we were on our way to announcing our engagement.
 
A little voice in my head makes me wince.
 
And when Rex finds out about you and Holly?
 
That wouldn't happen for a while.
 
I'd make sure of that.

Chapter Eleven

I was on cloud nine, walking into Jenna's bridal shower in my new Burberry dress and matching heels.
 
A designer Marc Jacobs bag hanging over my shoulder and new Gucci shades to hide my eyes from paps.
 
Leah's eyes go wide as I sit on the couch in the hotel lobby and cross my legs.

"Kat," she says stunned.
 
"You . . ."

"I know," I reply.
 
"I look a million times better."

"Actually."
 
Leah shakes her head.
 
"I was going to say . . ."
 
I stare at her.
 
"Nevermind.
 
You're right.
 
You look great."
 
I smile as Jenna and her other bridesmaids join us.
 
A waiter hands everyone a champagne glass.

"To Jenna," Leah toasts.
 
She drinks and stands up as the server escorts us to our party room.
 
"See," Leah whispers.
 
"Told you she would get over it."
 
Jenna smiles and practically bounces down the hall.
 
They were back on good speaking terms.

"Impressive," I mutter.
 
Leah nods, pleased with herself.
 
We follow the girls to a room decorated with bundled roses and a rectangular table full of beautifully wrapped presents.
 
All from Keith's side of the family.

"Oh my gosh!"
 
Jenna can barely pull herself away.
 
She immediately picks up a box labeled
Tiffany & Co.
 
"You guys!"

"Thank your fiancé," Leah mumbles, sitting at a table.
 
The place settings are labeled and I move around the room looking for my name.

"Right here," a familiar voice calls.
 
I see Holly's slim face and curled blond locks.
 
She's wearing a red dress and has a worried look on her face.
 
The sight of her makes my stomach feel sour.
 
I still couldn't swallow her betrayal.
 
I smile trying not to seem too smug but the tables had turned.
 
Now
she
was playing victim?
 
After all the things she'd said to me at The Four Seasons.
 
How she'd embarrassed me in front of my future mother in law.

"Hmmm."

"Listen Kat," she mutters.
 
She looks even skinnier than usual.
 
"I need to talk to you."
 
I ignore her as Jenna stands to thank everyone.
 
"Kat."

"Now
isn't
the time," I say through my teeth.
 
I tug at the diamond around my neck.
 
It wasn't an engagement ring but it was enough to get the message across.

"Who wants more bubbly?"
 
Jenna practically jumps up and down.
 
"Holly?"

"No," she says, looking annoyed.
 
"Kat, we need to talk right now."
 
Jenna stops talking as the entire room looks at us, including Keith's mom and grandma.
 
I try to look poised as Holly's raises her voice.
 
I blush.

"Holly-"

"I'm sick of this, Kat!" she yells, jumping up.
 
Jenna steps aside looking bewildered.
 
I feel my fiery cheeks.
 
Attention.
 
That's all Holly cared about was freakin' attention.

"Fine," I respond.
 
"You want to do this
now
?
 
Let's do this now.
 
I know what you did, Holly!
 
I know you went to London!"

"I
had
to."

"No you didn't!"
 
I ignore Leah's light tug on my arm.
 
"That's just it!
 
I played your stupid game Holly and guess what?
 
You
lost!
 
Lost, okay!
 
Why can't you just be happy for me?"

"That outfit," she laughs.
 
"The necklace.
 
You think that proves anything?"

"We're getting engaged," I blurt out.
 
Holly looks startled by the news.
 
The hurt in her eyes is immediately gratifying and then it stings.
 
Her eyes go watery as she studies me up and down.

"You're lying," she says quietly and on the verge of tears.
 
The room is silent.

"I don't lie," I smugly respond.
 
I give her
the look.
 
The one she'd taught me in high school.
 
It was the look that said I'm better than you.
 
I'm smarter than you.
 
I'm the one on top.
 
It was cruel but it was my first reaction after what had happened between us.
 
She'd lied about everything.
 
The moment Rex came up, our relationship had changed.
 
Or maybe it was the truth finally coming to light.

"He loves
me,
" she continues.
 
The words pierce me like an arrow through the skin.
 
The look on her face pours salt in my open wound.
 
She
was
telling the truth.
 
I could see it on her face.

"But he's marrying me," I retaliate.

"What is going on?" I hear Jenna whisper.

"It's over between you Kat."
 
Holly grabs her purse and stumbles halfway to the door.

"Really?"
 
I can't let it go.
 
Her jealousy is eating away at me.
 
What does she want me to say?
 
Okay, you win?
 
"You came all the way here to threaten me?"

"Kat!"
 
The tears finally break through and the pain on her face is unbearable to watch.
 
"I'm pregnant."
 
My jaw drops.
 
I gulp, feeling sick to my stomach.
 
After everything Rex and I had talked about - the night we'd spent together.
 
She
couldn't
be pregnant.

"Don't lie to me-"

"I'm not lying!"
 
She storms out, clutching her stomach.
 
The room starts to spin and my mind dwells on Rex.
 
His face.
 
His words.
 
His promises.
 
I feel like I might faint.

"Sis," Leah steadies me.
 
"You okay?"
 
I nod, feeling the urge to rip off my diamond necklace and stomp on it.

"Well," Jenna stands up again.
 
She looks at the dismayed faces around the room.
 
"Those are the Artino girls for you."
 
She laughs uncomfortably.
 
"Who wants tea and cake?"

*          *         *

"She's chalk full of it, girl."
 
I sat with Sadie in the cafeteria.
 
I had to talk to someone.
 
My engagement dinner was approaching fast and I still hadn't told my parents.
 
I could barely face Rex and Holly hadn't contacted me since the bridal shower.
 
It was classic Kat.
 
Just when things started going my way, it all started to fall apart.
 
Was my fiancé cheating?
 
Was my best friend lying?

"Crap," I mutter.
 
"I need to visit Earl today before I forget again."

"I bet she's lying," Sadie goes on.
 
"Can't you like look up her file?"

"Sadie."
 
I stare at the clock, wishing time would slow down.
 
I was running short of it.

"What?"
 
She takes a sip of coffee and smoothes her braided, red hair.
 
"You said it first.
 
Give her a test or something."

"That would require stealing her urine," I roll my eyes.
 
"We're not
that
close."

"No sicko," she answers.
 
"Offer her a drink or something."

"I told you, she didn't drink any champagne at the shower."

"No I mean have someone else offer her a drink," Sadie responds.
 
"She's not going to drink right in front of you.
 
You have to keep it on the DL."

"Nothing's going to work."
 
I rub my forehead, feeling my head get warmer.
 
"I'm going to be sick.
 
I'm not even pregnant and I'm nauseous just thinking about all this."
 
Sadie pats my back.
 
"I'm such a wreck."

"Are you kidding?
 
You're living a real life soap opera."
 
She takes another sip of her coffee.
 
"Rick doesn't let me watch
One Life to Live
anymore.
 
He says it's because there's no room on our DVR but then he records like fifty episodes of
Sports Center
and-"

"Sadie," I interrupt.
 
My head was splitting from all the noise.
 
And on top of that, all the inner turmoil made it so I couldn't think straight.
 
I had to read Milly Rile's file five times before realizing all I had to do today was collect a blood sample.
 
I was out of it.

"Sorry."
 
She takes a deep breath for me and rubs my back.
 
"Go visit Earl before your shift is over.
 
I'll come up with a covert op."

"Right," I reply, standing up and wandering through the halls.
 
All I could think about was what to say to Rex.
 
How was I even supposed to approach him?
 
And what if he called off the engagement?

"Are you looking for Earl Hayes?"
 
I hadn't even noticed the weird stares and the vacant room in front of me.

"Yeah?"

The nurse shook her head.
 
"He passed away early this morning."
 
A sudden jolt seemed to restart my heart and all feeling left in my body.
 
I jerked my head around looking for a familiar face.
 
Looking for Jack.

"Was anyone here?"

"A younger gentleman," the nurse responds.

"Is he here?"

"No, sorry."

I'm left with a gaping hole that just gets bigger and bigger.
 
I need a Valium, anything to make this easy to process.
 
I jog through the halls and find myself searching the entire floor for Jack.
 
He was gone.
 
Earl was gone and Jack had no reason to wander the halls or sit in the hospital cafeteria.
 
I check my phone.
 
No call from him.
 
It wasn't like him to stay away.