Maid of Dishonor Read Free Page A

him. No fanfare, no fuss, no
debauched fun or inappropriate frolics had been either planned or discussed. So
after speaking to Tuck, Reese had decreed the three of them should handle that
part of the programme without telling Cassie. Because Cassie would go into a
geek-induced coma if they made too much fuss, they had opted to celebrate in
understated style—inviting the minimalist guest list that would be witnessing
the wedding at City Hall to a great meal at a great restaurant right after the
event.
    Hence the decision to meet at this ungodly hour of the morning
in Gina’s favourite diner near Grand Central Station and debate possible venues,
before booking one.
    But Reese being Reese had seen a way to turn what should have
been a polite and straightforward affair, with her as the official gooseberry,
into a peace-keeping mission of UN proportions.
    Gina and Marnie had remained civil to each other, meeting again
for the first time a little over a month ago, during the fiasco that was Reese’s
Wedding-That-Wasn’t to Dylan Brookes—the original Mr Too Perfect. That should
have been enough, Gina thought resentfully. They had spoken to each other, they
had even joked with each other in a strained way. No insults had been hurled, no
punches thrown, no eyes gouged out, which in Gina’s mind was a result. But
clearly, that hadn’t been good enough for Reese, who was now a fully loved-up
member of the sweetness-and-light club. Reese wanted all the dirty laundry
properly aired and then washed clean—so the four of them could go back to being
the carefree college roomies who’d hit it off instantly at Hillbrook
College.
    But to Gina’s way of thinking, that simply wasn’t ever going to
happen. You couldn’t go back and undo the mistakes you made. You simply had to
learn to live with them. And she didn’t think that Marnie would ever forgive
her. Because she hadn’t yet forgiven herself.
    Not only that, but kissing and making up with Marnie would
involve talking about a man Gina had promised herself she wouldn’t even think
about again, because she’d thought about him far too often in the intervening
years. Namely, Marnie’s big brother, Carter Price. The man she’d had one wild
night with just weeks before his wedding day. A wild night the consequences of
which had not only nearly destroyed her but, from what Reese had told her, had
managed to screw up his life rather comprehensively too.
    Gina’s newly manicured nails tapped out a tattoo on the side of
her smartphone as she glanced at the ornate clock on the diner’s far wall—and
the urge to quickly text Marnie and make her excuses increased. She still had
ten minutes to do a runner before Marnie arrived—because for the first time in
recordable history she was actually early.
    Sighing, she locked her phone and slung it back in her bag. Ten
years ago she would have gone with the urge—and run out on Marnie and the
unpleasant conversation that loomed large in her foreseeable future. Because
when she was nineteen, doing whatever took her fancy and then running away from
the fallout had been her speciality. She smoothed damp palms over the vintage
dress she’d picked up in a thrift store in Brooklyn a week ago. How inconvenient
that she wasn’t that reckless, irresponsible tart any more.
    â€˜Can I get you something, miss?’
    Gina pasted a smile on her face at the helpful enquiry from the
college kid who was waiting tables.
    â€˜Something hot and strong would be good,’ she said, checking
him out from force of habit.
    His fresh face flushed a dull red. ‘Umm... What did you have in
mind, miss?’
    â€˜Coffee,’ she said, taking pity on him as the flush went from
pink to vermillion. ‘And this morning I’m going to need it neat.’
    He nodded. ‘Coming right up.’
    She watched him stroll off and smiled.
    While she might not be in the market