We were growing so fast we had to hire people, and it was my dream come true.
Until I walked in on Dex and found him balls deep in Joshua while Ally sat on his face. The three of them were snorting coke off each other.
They didn’t even notice I had walked in or out. When he came home five hours later, he was shocked to see my bags at the door. I asked him one question before I left: How long? It was the only answer I really wanted to know, and I was shocked when he said it’s been since we all started hanging out together. I mean, it was right under my nose the whole time. I walked out and then came back to pack the rest of my stuff.
It was a bit sticky since the four of us owned a company together. I sold them my shares, and now I’m basically starting over, though not from scratch. Luckily for me, my family works in finance, so I just joined their financial firm. My father was over the moon when I asked him about it. My brother, Timothy, was even happier. He hated Dex, so my returning was a win-win for him. I also left with my portfolio, and most of my clients had agreed to follow me.
As soon as I flew into town, I bought my house. I had already chosen it online, but the minute I stepped in the front door, I knew it was for me. I made sure that the house had a new coat of paint on the walls before moving in, so when I went furniture shopping with my mother and Veronica, my whole house was furnished in a matter of three hours.
Stepping out of the shower, I grab my white plush terry cloth robe and slip it on, then wrap my hair in another towel. I walk toward my walk-in closet and go through my clothes. The dress code is pink and black, so I choose a blush pink skirt with a long-sleeved black wraparound silk top. The sleeves cut all the way down the sides and tie at the wrist in a bow. I walk back to the bathroom to finish getting ready.
My long auburn hair is down to my waist, and I leave it down, curling the ends. My makeup is done dark, making my green eyes pop. The lipstick is nude, and when I slip on the pink skirt, I forget how short it is. I mean, it’s not short enough that my ass hangs out, but it’s definitely not the length that I’d wear to work. I slip on my black bra, and then slide my arms into the wraparound shirt, tying it around my waist into a bow, just like at the wrists. I make sure that I’m secured into the shirt, so no boobs slip out. I grab my YSL heels and walk over to the bed when I hear my phone ringing from the bathroom.
I get it right before it goes to voice mail, and I see it’s Jeanie, the other bridesmaid. “Hello,” I say, and I can hear the music in the background.
“Hey!” she shouts. “Just letting you know we are going to be heading to the restaurant in a couple of minutes.” They had the whole pre-party before the actual party, but I was waiting for a delivery and had to opt out of it. The truth be told, I wasn’t in the mood, and I knew that Stephanie understood.
“Perfect,” I say. “I’m slipping on my shoes right now, so I should be there in about thirty minutes.”
“Sounds good,” she says. “I’ll text you when we get there.” She hangs up, and I slip my foot into my shoe. The strap goes over my toes and then ties around my ankle. Once both shoes are on, I take a final look in the mirror, then grab the matching YSL purse and order an Uber.
I remember to spritz my perfume right before he gets here. Walking out of the house, I feel the warm air on my legs, and the wind is blowing just a bit. I get into the car, saying hello to the driver, and I scroll through Instagram while we make our way downtown.
I see pictures from the pre-party, and I smile when I see that we are all practically dressed the same. Only Stephanie is dressed in white. She has a rose-gold sash around her that says “Bride-to-be.”
I finish applying my lipstick right before the Uber comes to a stop. Opening the door, I thank him. As I walk toward the front door, a black Range Rover parks in valet, and I can see a man walking around the SUV. When my phone beeps in my hands, I glance down at it and then look up to see the door in front of me. I’m reaching out to open the door when a massive hand covers mine, and I look up into the most intense blue eyes I’ve ever seen. His brown hair looks like he just ran his hands through it. “I’m sorry,” he says in his deep voice. His plump lips are surrounded by a beard.