Page 39 of Runaway Bride’s Husband

She waved me off, sliding her arm around my waist as she led me through the cavernous halls of the staff-only area of the store to an office. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. How are you?”

“I’m okay.” I paused for a beat. “I mean, as okay as I can be, I guess. My phone has been off, though. I have no idea how big of a mess I made.”

“Your phone has been off?” Her eyebrows hiked up. “You mean, on airplane mode, right?”

“No, I mean off.”

She stared at me for a long beat. “I don’t think I knew they could do that.”

I chuckled. “Yes, you did.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” She winked. “I just don’t know how to make mine do it.”

After we took a quick elevator ride up, she led me into a private, carpeted office that overlooked Central Park in the distance, shutting the door firmly behind us. A moment later, I even heard the lock click.

“So you really have no idea what’s been going on?” she asked, waving me into a plush armchair in the sitting area. “Is that even possible in this day and age?”

“I’m happy to report that it is.” I hesitated for a moment, but I had to find out at some point and ripping off the band-aid seemed like the best idea. “How bad is it?”

She lowered herself gracefully into the seat opposite mine, a soft smile spreading on her lips. “Actually, as far as the world is concerned, you had a medical emergency.”

My eyebrows inched up. “Seriously? What kind of emergency could possibly be so bad that it keeps a bride from going to her own wedding? Outside of death, that is.”

“A shellfish allergy.” She faked a worried, almost forlorn expression and pressed her hand to her chest. “It’s a terrible, life-threatening allergy. We had no idea the food in the bridal suite had been anywhere near shellfish.”

“I don’t have a shellfish allergy,” I said. “I don’t have any allergies at all.”

She smirked. “Call it an awareness campaign for people to learn just how serious an allergy it can be.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Welcome to high society.” She leaned back in her chair and elegantly slid her elbows onto the armrests. “The wedding has been postponed, not canceled.”

“Postponed? For how long?”

She gave me a little shrug. “As long as necessary for you to recover from the terrible allergic reaction you had.”

“Are you serious? The press thinks the wedding is carrying on?”

“Of course, they do. Because it is. You have to marry Daniel, babe. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. There’s no option, and besides, Daniel is hot. A little boring, but very good looking.”

As I stared back at her, I wanted to tell her everything, but while Cathy truly was my friend and I really did trust her, she was also part of the same social circle I’d grown up in. Gossip was currency where we came from, so I had to be careful about what I told even her.

“You should marry him,” I said after a short beat. “Take my place. I’m sure the Hawthornes would be happy to have you and you’re going to have to get married at some point anyway.”

“Of course, but Daniel isn’t my type. Didn’t I just say he was a little boring? Now, if Marcus was involved, I’d volunteer as tribute in a heartbeat, but alas, Danny boy is all yours.”

I sighed. “Thanks for the support.”

“You’re the one who suggested I marry your fiancé, darling. I just told you that he’s the wrong one for me.”

“Daniel isn’t my fiancé anymore, and legally, I can’t marry Marcus, nor would I want to. Eww.”

“Definitely not eww, but I suppose we’ll have to agree to disagree.”

I nodded my agreement, then folded my hands in my lap as I glanced out of the window. “So what happens now?”

“For starters, you don’t worry about the rumor mill anymore,” she said. “I’ve got this city firmly under my excellently manicured thumb. Manhattan will believe whatever I want it to believe, and when you’re ready to try again with Daniel, I’ll be there.”