A Hot Mess Read Free

He was standing near a table with his arm around a tiny blonde. As she watched, Simon leaned in close to the woman and whispered in her ear. Whatever he said must’ve been funny, because the lady tossed back her head and laughed, which was odd since Simon never cracked jokes.
    The lady’s red fingernails … talons really … hooked around Simon’s tie and pulled him in close.
    Cait sucked in a breath. What in the hell?
    She wanted to look away but couldn’t tear her eyes from the scene.
    Instead of pulling away like she expected him to, Simon smiled at the blonde and lowered his head. A choked cry escaped Cait as he kissed her, a real honest-to-goodness kiss. Not a friendly peck or kiss on the cheek like you would give an old friend.
    Her fiancé, the man she’d eloped to Vegas with, had his tongue halfway down the throat of another woman the day before their wedding.
    A rage unlike any she had ever known overtook Cait. She strode forward, cursing when one of her heels twisted, and headed straight for Simon and the hussy he’d found.
    Her fiancé and the blonde woman continued to kiss, oblivious to the crowd around them. Hell, an earthquake could rock Vegas, and Cait doubted they would even come up for air. She could only hope an abyss would open beneath their immoral feet and swallow them whole.
    “Ahem,” Cait cleared her throat in a loud, dramatic manner.
    She tapped Simon on his shoulder, but he didn’t stir. She tapped harder, and he finally lifted his head. The expression he made when he realized who’d disturbed him was almost comical. If it wasn’t for the fury, she probably would’ve laughed.
    “Caitlyn!” Simon’s face paled beneath his airbrushed tan. “It’s not what it looks like!”
    “Oh, I would say it’s exactly what it looks like.” Cait dismissed Simon with a flip of her hair and turned to his companion. “You may not realize it, but the man you’re playing tonsil hockey with is my fiancé.”
    The blonde girl lifted an overly plucked eyebrow. “Oh, really? He wasn’t acting like your fiancé a few moments ago.”
    Cait’s mouth fell open. “Seriously?”
    She turned back to Simon with a shocked expression. “Do you mean to tell me that this ,” she paused to wave her hand toward the blonde tramp, “is worth losing me ? Do I need to remind you that you proposed to me this morning?”
    Simon’s expression reminded Cait of a floundered fish as his mouth opened and closed several times in quick succession. He looked down at the floor as he spoke. “I’ve been thinking about that, Caitlyn, and I’m not sure I’m ready to get married yet.”
    Cait’s heart leapt into her throat and threatened to cut off her air supply. “Excuse me?”
    Simon held up his hands and gave her a pleading look. “Don’t be mad, Caitlyn, but I’m not sure you’re the one.”
    She drew back as if he’d slapped her. “Not the one? Have you lost your fucking mind, Simon? You’re going to throw away our relationship just because of some slut you met, what, thirty minutes ago?”
    “Mandy is not a slut, Cait.”
    Cait laughed, but it lacked any trace of humor, as she glanced at the overly made-up Mandy whose breasts were about to fall out of her low-cut blouse. “I beg to differ with you.”
    Mandy stepped between them and flapped her hands in a shushing motion. “I think you two should lower your voices. People are staring.”
    Cait leveled a cold stare at Mandy and held up a hand as she asked for clarification. “Excuse me. You don’t want us to make a scene, yet you didn’t seem to mind people staring when you practically had sex with my fiancé in public.”
    “It was just a kiss,” Simon interjected.
    “Just a kiss?” Cait’s gaze swung back to Simon. “You don’t fucking kiss someone else, Simon, when you are engaged to me!”
    “You don’t have to explain yourself.” Mandy turned to Simon and reached for his hand.
    Cait laughed again. “Oh, believe me; he certainly does have