"And your job?"
"Yes, I did quit. I have so many friends, recent college grads, looking for work. Finding a professional job is a struggle for my generation. Better for my old job to go to one of them when I don't need it financially now." And I was about to be axed anyway, due to how bad the company was doing. But I didn't want to advertise the trouble my former employer was in. "I'm focusing my efforts on pro bono now, and volunteering and running some of Justin's charitable projects."
I launched into a brief description of the needs of the children's hospital and the good work they were doing.
"Wonderful," Sheri said.
What could she say without looking like a horrible bitch?
She broke for a brief commercial and completely ignored me as the staff set up for our cake-tasting display. I wandered into the crowd, shook hands, and answered questions. The ladies in the audience wanted to see my bracelet and were dying of curiosity about my wedding. I became the artful dodger, evading questions on the fly.
Sheri's assistant called me back up on stage to the display of wedding cakes and toppers that had been rolled in. And then we were back live.
Sheri introduced the cake segment. "Did you have a cake at your wedding? A reception?"
I laughed. "No. And no. It all happened too fast." I was purposefully vague.
Sheri made a pretty pout and sighed heavily. "So sad. You must be a different kind of girl not to want a dream wedding."
Not as different as she thought. I shrugged, feigning modesty. "It's the marriage that counts, not the ceremony."
Did I really say that? I was turning into a different kind of person.
"You deprived the city of a great deal. We were all hoping we could cover a fabulous, extravagant billionaire wedding." Sheri moved to the first cake, a three-tier beauty with a topper of a loving groom holding his bride up by the waist.
"Jus is extremely private," I said. "There wouldn't have been much to cover."
Sheri described the cake—a tuxedo cake—and handed me a cake knife and server. "Since you never got to cut a cake, will you do the honors?"
"Who says I never got to cut a cake?" I demonstrated my expertise.
We both tasted it and left it to her staff to hand out samples to the audience while we moved on to the next cake.
I stopped in front of it and held back a laugh. "Now this one has an interesting topper! It looks more like it belongs at a bridal shower or bachelorette party."
The bride and groom were grabbing each other's butts.
"You like that one?" Sheri's smile was vicious. "We'll give it to you as a parting gift."
"That's lovely of you." The bitch. "Jus will get a kick out this!" And he would.
"What is Justin like in private?" Sheri asked while we sampled the pink lemonade cake. "Give us a glimpse?"
"The same as he is in public—sweet and thoughtful. Totally adorable." Not as obviously in love with me as he put on for others. Was I a little bit jealous of the public us?
I launched into the story about Sophia and how Jus had sent flowers ahead to my parents. I found myself getting mushy, really believing my words.
"You really are madly in love with him?" Sheri's smile was laced with arsenic, sweet enough to kill.
"Yes. Desperately." Did I look sincere enough? Would I have fooled the Great Pumpkin?
Sheri got a triumphant gleam in her eye. "And yet, just the other night, your ex, who you broke up with less than two weeks ago, got into a battle of the voices at a local bar. And fists very nearly flew." Sheri paused and looked at a screen in front of her as a video clip from that night popped up on a large screen behind us.
What the—
I collected myself. "Turn the volume on so we can hear Jus sing! His voice is totally sexy. He'll turn you into a fangirl." Did I sound like I had enough wifely pride? I surprised myself.
Sheri arched an eyebrow. "They don't look friendly."
I laughed it off. "The whole thing was just a joke! Two old college buddies who love to sing hamming it up and pretending to duel over me. Pranking each other. You know how guys can be." I rolled my eyes for effect.
The audience laughed.
"I clearly picked Jus. As Eric knew I would." Nice to get a jab at Eric in, too.
"You didn't have a bachelorette party. But what about the rumors about you and Lazer Grayson? Marry in haste, repent when you meet a hotter billionaire?"
I frowned, catching myself just in time before I blurted out, What rumors? I managed to shrug ever so slightly. "I'm not aware of any rumors. Lazer is a good friend to both of us."
Sheri's answering smile was perfectly wicked. "Yes, but the gossip mill reports you were a little too cozy with Lazer at the highly secretive EIEIO meeting just days after your marriage to Justin."
How would Sheri know about that? I didn't respond.
"And that Lazer commissioned a character of you to be put in a highly anticipated new video game he's heavily invested in."
A picture of the video game character me flashed on the monitor in front of me. The audience gasped.
"Is this how Lazer sees you?" Sheri said.
I brushed it off. "I have no idea how Lazer sees me. That's a video game character!"
I laughed. "How many fully clad, flat-chested, average-looking video game heroines have you seen?" I smiled sweetly. "Lazer wants his game to sell, so of course he's going to make sure all the characters in it are attractive."
Sheri's eyes lit up. "Are you saying you're attractive and that Lazer thinks so, too?"
"I'm saying that enhanced cartoon characterization of me is attractive. Lazer's artists are very good. And now Jus has a 'picture' of me he can be proud to put on his desk." I winked into the camera.
Sheri was getting testy. "How sweet."
How sarcastic.
"Did Justin have a bachelor party?"
Where was this leading? I hesitated. "No, of course not."
"Then what is this about?" Sheri's voice had a triumphant edge, as if she was about to skewer me with piece of investigative journalist genius.
She turned to look over her shoulder at the screen behind us. "This was taken just hours before the wedding. He's having drinks and looking cozy with a woman who isn't you."
Suddenly we were all staring at a picture of a woman who was obviously trying to be me—blond hair, probably a wig, about the same height, obviously heavier than I was. Wearing a pink dress, of all things. Hot pink. A shade Jus could see. So he had been right about that.
She was sitting on a barstool next to Jus at the hotel in Reno, quite clearly coming on to him. Her back was toward the camera, her face turned sideways so we could only see a partial profile, not enough to identify her, really. She was holding a margarita and invading his personal space.
My heart nosedived for my stomach. My mouth went dry. I tried hard not to let it pop open. A ball of anger flamed inside me. There was that awful ID-stealing bitch, probably wearing a dress she'd bought with my credit card. Dressed like me so she could use my ID and hit on my husband—
Wait, Jus wasn't my husband then. Okay, hit on the guy who'd had a crush on me in college. Fury nearly blinded me. And in fact, it probably saved me. That, and getting a glimpse of a stunned Magda in the front row. Turned out she was my ground in all this.
I had to save the situation, even as my heart pounded with an odd cocktail of fear, anger, and excitement. Where had Sheri gotten that picture? And was there any way Jus and I could use it to shut that thief down? Unfortunately, her face was mostly obscured.
I broke into a fabulous smile and clapped softly, trying to look as amused as possible. "Where in the world did you get that! Jus and I laughed so hard about that little incident, later.
"Women are always hitting on my husband. It's an occupational hazard of being a billionaire. That must have been taken while I was in the bathroom. Honestly! I leave him alone for a fraction of a second and another woman tries to snatch him!"
Which was th
e honest truth. I was in the bathroom. Puking my brains out in my hotel room.
I hitched my thumb toward the screen and kept smiling. Smile and wave, Kay, I told myself. And make stuff up. Answer the question you wish you'd been asked.
"I popped out for a second. When I came back, this overly done blond was hitting on Jus. Imagine!
"Jus said she moved in the instant the bathroom door closed behind my cute little butt. His words, not mine. Like the little opportunist had been ready to pounce, looking enough like me that she hoped Jus had a type and she was it." I winked at the audience, roping them in on my joke. "But Jus and I only had eyes for each other."
The audience had been on the edges of their seats and deathly silent. They exhaled as one and burst into a round of wild applause.
Sheri frowned and moved into a brief segment about honeymoons, bringing in a travel expert to talk about the pitfalls and joys of honeymoon travel.
After it was over, Sheri smiled artificially sweetly at me. "You didn't have a honeymoon? That's not very billionaire-like or romantic. You'll have to get Justin to take you somewhere fabulous for a late honeymoon."
"He's already making plans!" I felt defensive on his part. "He's taking me to Italy. To Milan and the Amalfi Coast."
Sheri's smile froze. I'd slipped away again.
We had a final commercial break and came back to the last segment—buying thank-you gifts for the bridal party. I'd brought a display of items the staff at Flash thought were perfect. I described the items, elaborating on exactly why they were the fantastic, thoughtful gifts to show your appreciation for the time, money, and effort your bridesmaids had put in. For them to remember your nuptials by.
As if I was on expert on any of this wedding stuff. I had, however, been a bridesmaid too many times and gotten stuff that was frankly crap. The final item I'd brought with me was a stunning silver and crystal bracelet that could be engraved and personalized. And looked way more expensive than it was, especially if you were lucky enough to get it in one of Flash's events.
I took the sample off the velvet bracelet display peg and put it on next to my diamond bracelet, holding out my jeweled wrist for the camera. "This is my favorite piece of the entire line. Look how pretty it looks, even next to my real diamonds! I love it so much I brought one for each of you! Bring them out, guys!"
The audience had been waiting for this. They erupted in applause as I waved the serving guys out. Smile and wave, Kay. Smile and wave!
"Compliments of Flashionista. Now you all can be Flashionista women, too!"
While the audience was distracted and putting on their bracelets, I glanced at Sheri. I had to find out how and where she got that photo.
Chapter Four
Kayla
On the way home in the car, Magda had turned from Sunshine Sheri super fan to major detractor.
"I can't believe she tried to make it look like Mr. Justin was unfaithful to you hours before your wedding!" She put a disdainful huff into her voice. "He's not the type to fool around! Before you, he didn't have a girlfriend. Or date."
Can you be unfaithful hours before an unplanned, impromptu wedding to a girl you've just reconnected with? That was one of those moral enigma questions someone with way more smarts than me would have to ponder.
I nodded. "Yeah. What was up with her? Her assistant apologized profusely. I think she's afraid of Jus and his connections and what they could do to Sheri's show if they chose. Sheri's evidently having some kind of midlife crisis where she thinks she needs to 'get serious' and leave a body of work that 'means something.' Like a hard-hitting piece on a billionaire's elopement? That doesn't even make sense!"
I tried to play it cool. But I was nervous and jumpy. Could Sheri have somehow found us out? I had to talk to Jus and tell him everything I'd learned. I'd been texting him like a crazy woman. But I had to veil everything. Send cryptic messages like, Call me so I can tell you all about the show!
Yeah, like that would set his alarm bells off. I looked like an excited media hound. I was relying on the sheer volume to tip him off.
At least I'd managed to beg Sheri's assistant to email me a copy of that damning picture of Jus with my ID-thieving wannabe me. Jus would know what to do with it. He'd use his mad computer skills to put a stop to things. In an odd way, I was excited that we finally had a picture of her to work from.
Magda sighed. "Sheri's shows have been getting—what's the word?—edgier! Yes, edgy lately. Not so light and fun like I like. But this was the first time she's been mean to a guest. On a show about love, too!
"If I had seen her act this mean way before, I would have warned you. Or Mr. Justin. Mr. Justin would never have let you go on that show then!"
I loved Magda's loyalty. But I almost laughed at the thought of Jus going all alpha dog on me and putting his foot down, forbidding me to go on the Sunshine Sheri show.
My phone rang. When I picked up, Britt was bubbling over with excitement. "I just got an offer from Flash! As a senior merch buyer." She rattled off the details, including a salary that Jus had been exceptionally generous with.
I felt the noose tightening. Complications were flying today. Britt at Flash. This could either be fantastic. Or the death of a beautiful friendship. I was in the proverbial rock and hard place spot. If Jus didn't give her a job, I was doomed. If he did, the jury was still out.
What happened when Jus and I broke up? Would Britt side with him because he was her big boss and figuratively signed her paychecks? Or with me, her longtime wronged friend? Would she last a year at Flash?
She'd just interviewed for the job on Tuesday. Jus had fast-tracked her. I made the appropriate supportive noises. Even going so far as to squeal in joy with her at her news. But deep down, I was worried. No, I was terrified.
When we got back to the penthouse, I gave Magda the rest of the day off. With the excuse Jus and I were going out to dinner, anyway. And the afternoon was too nice to waste indoors. She was having family over for a late dinner and was grateful to have more time to prepare.
Jus didn't reply to my texts. He was probably tied up in important meetings and had shut his phone off. Or had just become so engrossed in his programming that the outside world couldn't reach him. I'd noticed that about him. If he was deep in thought, I could call his name and he wouldn't hear me.
Sheri's assistant was true to her word. She emailed me the picture. Every time I looked at it I went cold and felt sick to my stomach, wondering if I could believe the story Sheri's assistant had told me. Or if the truth was the ID thief had sent it in. Was she threatening us again?
About seven, after I'd stewed for the entire day, Jus texted he was wrapping things up and sorry to be running late. Could I meet him at the restaurant for dinner? We'd planned to go to one of those Brazilian places where they gorge you to death with serving after serving of roasted meat. I wasn't a big meat eater, but Jus had been excited about it. And since I hadn't gotten him a two-week anniversary gift, relenting was the least I could do.
I almost cancelled on him. But then I figured, after that spectacle of a talk show, it wouldn't hurt our image to be seen happily out and about town. So in the spirit of Brazil, I changed into a tight red dress that showed off my butt, augmented by a butt-enhancer, since Brazilian fashion is all about the butt rather than the breasts, and put on another pair of platform sandals.
At the restaurant, Jus was apologetic. And couldn't stop staring at me. "Wow! I didn't know you had such a killer ass."
I shook my head and whispered, "You didn't? Maybe because your eyes don't usually go lower than my breasts."
He grinned devilishly. "Yeah, and I'm going to have to give that ass more attention next time."
I shook my head. "Look all you want. Just remember, it has a little help tonight from an enhanced foundation garment." I grinned.
He took my hand as the hostess showed us to our table. "How was the show? I've been so damned busy I haven't had time to watch it yet."
I took a de
ep breath as I was seated. All those texts evidently hadn't clued him in. I took my menu from the hostess and waited until she'd told us our server would be right with us and disappeared before I responded. "We need to talk about the show. In private. But let's just say it would help our image while we're out to look very happy together."
Which Jus took to mean PDA, and tons of it. And feeding me bits of meat from his plate. After two small servings, I was meated out. For being so slender, Jus put away a surprising amount of beef, chicken, lamb, sausage, and grilled pineapple, just to balance things out. Because, you know, you need your daily servings of fruit.
I heard a few murmurs emanating from the tables around us. We turned heads. People nodded and subtly pointed to us. We'd been recognized. The happy couple PR was good for us.
By the time we got home, Jus was buzzed and horny. I, however, was still full of the fear of that picture Sheri had shown. It was the first time I'd seen my thieving impersonator, and I was shaken up. Jus forgot the show was only for public consumption. When we were safely closed in the penthouse, he started kissing my neck and pressing me to him.
"Jus." I arched my neck away from him and braced my hands against his chest. "We need to talk. About the show."
"Later, Kay." He kissed my neck, his voice deep and full of seduction and good humor. "Right now I need another lesson in love."
I laughed. He could be so funny at the oddest times.
"You're laughing at a desperate man." He practically breathed the words into my ear. "I'm a good student. You won't be disappointed by my progress."
"Jus. We need to talk. There was a development on the show today."
He nuzzled my neck. I hated to throw cold water on his ardor, but I'd been desperate all day, too. With worry. "Sheri showed a picture of the identity thief and you together on her show."
He froze. "What did you say?"
I repeated it.
He let me go so fast I nearly toppled over. "No! How?"
I pulled my phone from my purse and showed him the emailed picture from Sheri's assistant. He went stark white.
For Richer, for Richest Page 5