“Hold it for us,” I said, tucking the card into my bag.
“This is the sample,” Patti said. “I can order one in her size.”
“I’ll call with the deposit as soon as I can.”
Patti removed the gown from the rack and nodded. “I’ll write it up and have it ready for you. You won’t regret this.”
“Don’t tell her,” I said, tipping my head in the direction Camilla had gone. “I want it to be a surprise.”
Now Ireallyneeded to get my hands on that boat.
After walking to and from an early dinner along the river and discussing wedding gowns at length, Camilla went to yoga with plans to hit up Robert for money afterward. She thought he might be her hero and buy the dress despite his claim of bankruptcy. Somehow I kept a straight face, knowing Robert would have to show the court where he’d found that kind of money, and giddy that, with a little luck, I could provide her with something he could not.
Aside from parental love, respect, and protection, all things without value to him, because unlike the dress, humanity lacked a price tag.
Sobered by the sun, Alicia and I made phone calls until we tracked down my boat at a yacht club ninety minutes away. Then, we made a road trip.
My day was nearly gone, the time arguably well spent, but mending relationships and making memories didn’t help me fill my backlog of orders for the Invisible Baker or leave time to talk to Lucas. I had a confession to make, and I wanted to accept his offer in person. I also needed to get in touch with both my attorney and the forensic accountant about our next steps, now that I’d found proof of hidden funds.
“Here,” Alicia said, motioning to the clubhouse. A quick stop inside confirmed the boat’s location, and a young woman at the desk encouraged me to become a member. I let her know my husband was already handling that. She agreed to reach out to his company, and Alicia and I tracked down the boat in question in the marina. The vessel was larger than I’d imagined. And large black block letters along the back spelledBig&Fast.
“I’m not touching that boat name,” Alicia said. “It’s too easy.”
I bit back the childish urge to addthat’s what she said, and moved on.
Alicia took photos while I typed up a sales pitch for an ad. Neither of us knew the first thing about boats, especially not a high-end watercraft like the one before us, so I used the internet to locate buzzwords.
“I hope this sounds right,” I said, seated on the dock and kicking my feet over the edge. I had every right to climb aboard, but I left that to Alicia. My stomach coiled at the thought of getting any closer.
“Why don’t you write something likeimagine how big and fast people will think your penis is, if you own this boat?” Alicia suggested.
“These ads charge by the word,” I said. “I better stick to the facts.”
I listedBig&Faston multiple boater sites before we left and had my first offer before bed, which I accepted.
Transferring the boat title and nearly forty thousand dollars digitally was unbelievably simple. I cheered for modern technology as things finalized in a matter of minutes.
I called Southern Charm the next day from my afternoon break and placed the order for Camilla’s wedding dress. Pride swelled in me as I read the banking numbers to Patti and scheduled the delivery. Camilla could set up fittings at her convenience, and typically the dress stayed at the shop, but I wanted her to receive my gift in a big white box with a pink ribbon and a cutesy note. I asked Patti to include a card that read:For my beautiful daughter, You deserve the gown of your dreams on your wedding day.
I imagined the shock and joy on her face when she received the gift, and I couldn’t wait to answer her call after she opened the box.
Lucas didn’t come to the restaurant during my shift, and I worried he was avoiding me. That maybe he’d researched the Invisible Baker a little more and confirmed it was me and I had lied. Or maybe he’d changed his mind about taking me to France and decided to offer the training to someone who’d been in his kitchen longer, like John, who was an incredible chef and much more familiar with French food.
I didn’t know what to think, and I couldn’t ask him, so I pressed the anxiety down and kept moving forward.
After work, I bought a compact sedan from a used car lot in walking distance, and let Alicia know Bill could have his truck back.
I had spent my half of the money from the sale of the boat in less than a day.
Easy come, easy go,I supposed.
I drove off the lot on a cloud of dopamine. I owned a car, purchased for me, by me, and I’d never felt as powerful or free.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lucas wasn’t at work during my shift for the next few days, and I didn’t know how to reach him without asking the staff manager for his number. I couldn’t bring myself to do that, and the fear he was intentionally avoiding me pressed on my lungs. I wanted to accept his offer. I wanted to go to France. Most importantly, I wanted to confess my lie and my reasons. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t want to hide.
In the meantime, I refocused on the things I could do until I saw him again, like meet with my attorney for pretrial preparations.
