“With my luck, I’ll get lost in the hedge maze and freeze to death,” she murmured before taking a sip of champagne.
“There are too many lights, and you would definitely be missed.”
She froze, too afraid to move. Swallowing hard, she couldn’t think of a word to say.
How? How was it even possible?
“Hey, Maisie.”
“Hey, Connor,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “Small world, huh?”
He looked very handsome in his tuxedo, and it occurred to her she had been correct the first time she’d seen him on video. She had a sense that she’d seen him before, and clearly, she must have because they run in the same social circle.
“Are you a friend of the bride or groom?” she asked, hoping she sounded normal.
Connor took a sip of his champagne as he moved to stand beside her, looking out at the massive property just like she was.
“The groom,” he replied. “We went to private school together when we were younger. He moved when we were in high school, but we always kept in touch. Nice guy.”
She nodded. “He seems like it. Victoria’s completely head over heels in love with him, and everyone in the family can’t seem to say enough good things about him.” She paused. “I’m sure they’ll be very happy.”
They stood side by side, silently drinking their champagne, and it seemed both normal and completely bizarre. Honestly, Maisie had no idea if this was a big deal or not. It wasn’t like she lied to anyone about anything.
Liar.
Oh, right. Yeah. She’d lied about her last name. But was that such a bad thing? Was she freaking out over nothing?
“So I have to ask,” he began, and that’s when she knew this was indeed a big thing. “What’s an heiress from one of the wealthiest families in New York—if not the entire U.S.—doing driving a beat-up old pickup, living at the Lakeview Inn, and doing interior decorating at an old resort?”
The breath slowly left her as she tried to find the words that didn’t give too much away.
Why? Why don’t I give it all away? What difference does it make now?
And then…it all came spilling out.
“My parents are trying to force me into marrying someone I despise. Like…he’s the devil,” she began. “They’re convinced because I’m not beautiful and willowy that no one will ever fall in love with me.” She rolled her eyes. “Great parenting, right? Whatever happened to unconditional love?” She took a moment to compose herself. “Anyway, I’ve been fighting them on it for a while now, and when I put my foot down and said I refused, they told me I’d never make it on my own. If I don’t marry this person, they’ll cut me off. That was how it started. They eventually tried to compromise with me and they said if I could prove that I could take care of myself, they’d stop with this whole arranged marriage thing.”
Her throat was dry, but it felt so good to finally tell someone about this. So, she took a sip of champagne before continuing.
“I thought they were giving in too easily, and I was right. I was stripped of my credit cards, and no one we knew was allowed to hire me. I was sent off on my own with a very limited budget and a rickety old truck and told I had a few weeks to make something of myself.”
Shaking her head, she willed herself not to cry.
“I packed up a few things and just started driving. When I stopped for the night at a hotel off I-87, I knew I had to come up with a plan. Fast. I was searching for jobs as a decorator, and I saw your ad for the resort. I called the next morning and set up the interview and had only a few days to put together a presentation that would hopefully guarantee me the job.”
Beside her, Connor remained silent. Maisie chanced a look at him, and his expression was completely neutral.
“So now I have a job that is amazing, but…it’s just the beginning. I didn’t tell my parents about it because I wanted to have a few more things lined up,” she went on. “I know you and Harlow and Milo all seemed interested in hiring me, but I need things that are on a slightly larger scale so no one can say it’s not good enough.”
When he still didn’t say anything, she knew what he was thinking, and she wasn’t afraid to say it.
“I get it, okay?” she said, turning to face him. “It seems like a load of crap. I mean…who has arranged marriages anymore, right? But you have to believe me because it’s true. I’m honestly mildly afraid that now that I’m technically home, my family isn’t going to let me leave.” A nervous laugh was out before she could stop it. “I’m sure you have no idea what this is like, and I don’t expect you to understand. Just know that…”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he politely interrupted, turning his head toward her. “I know exactly what you’re talking about. My marriage to Annabeth’s mom?” He shook his head. “That wasn’t my idea. And it certainly wasn’t what I wanted.”
“But…how?”
“My mother refused to believe I would marry someone…appropriate.” He shrugged. “Appropriate by whose standards, right? I knew the girl I wanted to marry, but…she wasn’t up to my family’s standards, and I was forced to break up with her. Before I could even fully recover, my now ex-wife was shoved under my nose everywhere I went.” His mirthless laugh spoke volumes. “The harder I pushed back, the more things were being taken away.”
