AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I frowned. What the hell were we talking about? “Fit?”
Talia laughed. “Yeah, he's got to be hotter than Christopher by miles. Like maybe we need to hire you a model or an actor.”
I shook my head. “What the hell are you on about?”
She rolled her eyes. “Your date for the wedding of course.”
Oh boy. This was the last thing I needed. Talia in fix it mode. The last time she'd gotten like this, she'd signed me up for all the apps. My life had been pure chaos for a month and a half as she ran my dating life. There were some nights I had two back-to-back. I'd finally had to take things over and shut everything down. And soon after was when Christopher and I had gotten together. Before that he hadn't really paid much attention to me. But I think seeing me dressed and ready to go out on a date practically every night of the week lit a fire under his arse.
Of course, the moment he had me. He’d stopped trying at all. And now I was alone and betrayed.
“Talia, I don't need a date. I'll be fine. Besides, I'm the maid of honor. I'll be so busy I won't even be able to talk to her.”
My best friend leaned across the table. The glow from the candle lit her light brown skin, making it glow. “Bullshit. You know your mother. You're kidding yourself.”
My mother was more than capable of causing a scene. I sighed, a sense of dread closing in on me. She had a point. A year and a half ago. I’d made the error of posting that I was excited about getting my motorcycle license on Instagram. She tracked me down only to berate me about what a bad daughter I was in front of everyone. Thankfully I'd already had my turn and despite several errors and a panic attack beforehand, I had my license in hand. But I’d just made a slew of new friends, and we were all making plans to go grab a pint before she showed up and ruined the moment.
“Okay, you have a point. But honestly, I don't have time to scramble for a date.”
Talia pointed an accusatory finger at me. “First and foremost, you don't have time because you don't make time. But we can get you a date just like that.” She snapped her fingers in front of my face.
“I doubt that.” After today I didn’t believe that for a moment. The humiliation of being publicly dumped and my just-now ex doing the activity I’d just chickened out of.
“Oh ye of little faith.”
Talia's eyes suddenly went wide. “Don't look now, but we have incoming.”
Oh no. I tried to get up, but Talia shook her head and muttered, “Too late.”
Before I could think of a proper way to escape, I felt someone's body heat behind me.
I turned slowly and saw a man who looked vaguely familiar. Average height, average weight, looked like he worked out. Dark hair, very nice camel peacoat. Where did I know him from?
Who was he?
The bloke gave me a warm smile. “Daphne, I'm so glad to run into you. Been a while, hasn't it?”
He knew my name? Why did he know my name? Was he a reporter? It had been years since the vultures had circled, wanting my story. It was nearing the fifteen-year anniversary though, so maybe someone was digging up the past? “I'm so sorry. Have we met?”
Playing dumb could usually buy me a little bit of time. Except in this case, I was dumb. While he looked familiar, I couldn't place him.
Dark olive skin, dark hair, and very intense eyes. It took another moment, then it clicked. Oh yes. I remembered meeting him at Travis’s office when I’d gone to meet him to set up Willow’s birthday.
This guy had lingered a little too long when I'd shaken his hand. His smile was smarmy. “Oh, I think I remember. Travis’s office, right?”
He placed a hand on my back as he nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, you do remember. Massimo. How lucky to run into you.”
I shifted forward to shake off his touch, which was too cloying. “Yes, how are you?”
“I’m great. Do you mind?” He asked, but it wasn’t really an ask because he helped himself to one of the seats at our table.
Talia’s eyes went wide. “The fuck are you doing?”
“You don’t mind, do you, Daphne?” he asked, pinning me with his dark gaze.
I inwardly shrank from his touch. I wished I had some cool retort, but even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to say it. Talia knew this look. It was my deer-in-the-headlights look. But she also knew the reason for it. It had taken me years of therapy to understand that sometimes I’d need a minute to process what was happening after all the years I’d been terrorized.
“I—”
