“Don’t be impressed. I tried that drink with the Grey Goose the last time I was here. Tanner suggested the Cîroc;it was better.”
“Tanner?” I raise my eyebrows. Rarely does Kara see a man more than a few times, but Tanner has been around for a few months now.
“No.” Kara shakes her head. “We’re not talking about Tanner. We’re here to celebrate, or rather mourn, your last night as a free woman.”
“It can’t be your last night in town though, right? I mean you’ll have time before you have to move?” Rosa’s question is so full of hope, it’s almost painful to burst her bubble.
“Not much. From what my uncle relayed to me, I’m supposed to be packed and ready to leave by Wednesday. I’m not sure what’s exactly happening between the wedding and us leaving town, though.”
“You’ll be on your honeymoon?” Kara raises her eyebrows. “C’mon. Maybe this guy isn’t so bad. Maybe he’s really hot and will whisk you away to some fancy ass resort and you’ll spend four days in bed.”
I wait for the waiter to drop our drinks and leave before I respond.
“I have no idea what he looks like, but I doubt he’s anything all that special. I mean, he’s having this arranged for him as well. If he’s all that hot and important, wouldn’t he have a wife already?”
“Not necessarily.” Rosa lifts a shoulder. “I mean, he could have been waiting until he’s older. You know, maybe he’s sowing his wild oats?”
Kara’s eyebrows knit together with a slight look of revulsion.
“You need to stop reading those historical romances.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my books. Besides, Sienna put me on to them in the first place. Blame her.”
“I do.” Kara gives a harsh nod. “But she’s moved on to the really filthy stuff while you’re still in the eighteen hundreds having virgins being deflowered.”
I choke on the sip of my drink trying to hold back a laugh.
“Whatever.” Rosa rolls her eyes and leans back with her chocolate martini.
“So you haven’t even looked him up?” Kara starts her prodding again.
“No. What would it matter?”
“At least you’d know.” Kara points out.
“Know what? There’s nothing I can do about it. I need Tommy to be taken care of and since Tony made my uncle his guardian, there’s nothing I can do to stop him from taking Tommy back to Italy and stuffing him in some home out there. I wouldn’t know if he was being cared for, or anything.”
“Your uncle is such a dick,” Rosa says.
“Agreed.” I nod, taking another sip of my drink. “So, it doesn’t matter what this guy looks like. I have to marry him. All I can do is hope he’s as pragmatic about this as me, and he’ll leave me to my own life while he lives his.”
“That is so depressing.” Kara frowns. “Especially coming from you.”
“Why? I never thought of myself as being swept off my feet or anything like that.”
“No, but you definitely didn’t think you’d be married off to some Russian mobster either,” Kara says.
She’s kind and doesn’t add the part about the man being responsible for my brothers’ death. It goes without saying that’s probably the most fucked up part of the situation.
“Oh!” Rosa picks up her phone and beams at the screen. “He’s messaging me!”
Kara rolls her eyes. “And? Did he apologize?”
“Yes.” Rosa shows Kara the phone, and they launch into a conversation regarding Rosa’s new boyfriend who had to cancel their last two dates due to work.
I try to listen, but my mind is off swimming with all the what-ifs. Like what if my husband turns out to be as sadistic as my brothers? What if he doesn’t let me have a life of my own, but instead makes my life a living hell just because he can?
What if I hate him so much I can’t stand being near him? What if we have children, and he’s uncaring and unloving to them?
