Here Comes the Bride

by Ragan, Theresa

  Her heels clicked against the floor as she headed straight for Mitzy’s office. Sam didn’t bother looking around to see if her co-workers might acknowledge her presence with a nod or a wave.

  “Sam!”

  Kate waved her over. The last time she’d spoken to Kate she had the feeling they wouldn’t be talking again, but Kate looked excited to see her.

  “Hi, Kate, what’s going on?”

  “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve had time to think about everything you said and I want to apologize for treating you badly. I should have been there for you when you returned from New York. In fact, I want to congratulate you on your marriage and let you know that if there’s anything you need, anything at all, I’m here for you.”

  They were both teary-eyed as they embraced.

  “I’m sorry, too,” Sam said. “I never meant to hurt you.”

  “I know you didn’t. I also know how busy you must be with your new life, but if you get time this week or next, I’d love to come see you at your house in Malibu…maybe meet your husband.”

  Sam scribbled the address on a piece of paper. “Come by anytime. I’d love to catch up.”

  “Are you here to see Mitzy?”

  Sam nodded. “She has some papers she wants me to sign.”

  “You probably shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

  “I’ll see you soon then?”

  “Definitely.”

  Sam walked toward Mitzy’s office. She looked around and once again thought about all the hard work she’d done for these people. She’d never asked for anything in return, and that’s exactly what she’d received. Nothing. Every time one of her co-workers got a raise or a promotion, she baked a cake to celebrate their success. When had any of them given her a pat on the back or said good job?

  Frustrated with the way she was being treated, Sam didn’t bother knocking on Mitzy’s office door. She just walked right in and shut the door behind her.

  “Well, well, if it isn’t Mrs. DeMarco.”

  “Hello, Mitzy. You said you have papers for me to sign?”

  “I do. Have a seat and we’ll get started.”

  Sam felt her resolve sinking as fast as the Titanic. There was something about Mitzy that always managed to intimidate her. The quiet was stifling as she read through the first page of the contract Mitzy slid in front of her. A lot of legal jargon giving the Beat one hundred percent exclusivity to Sam’s story. Sam skimmed through the rest of the document, and then looked at Mitzy. “I can’t sign this.”

  “Just highlight the areas you’re having trouble with and I’ll talk to Legal and see what we can do.”

  “I’m not going to give you the exclusive.”

  Mitzy’s steely gaze snagged hers. “You owe the LA Beat. You owe me. Do I need to remind you of the humiliation you caused me? I still have colleagues calling me asking how my own employee could end up married to DeMarco right under my nose.”

  “And what have you and the LA Beat done for me?” Sam asked.

  “Clearly this marriage of yours has gone to your head.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Look at you.” Mitzy made a stabbing motion with her pencil. “You look different. Hair, makeup, nice suit.”

  “I’ve worn this suit to the office a dozen times, but you never noticed. I’ve worked my tail off for this paper, my co-workers and for you, and yet nobody has the decency to say hello or congratulations. So, maybe you’re right. This marriage has changed me. It’s allowed me to see everyone’s true colors. For the first time in years, I’ve come to the realization that I’ve been selling myself short. But not any longer.”

  “You have changed,” Mitzy said. “You’ve finally developed a spine, haven’t you, Samantha?”

  Sam didn’t waver. The woman had always seemed so big, so important. But Mitzy was just one woman who happened to be very good at making others think she was of great consequence. Over the past few weeks, Sam had gained so much. Her confidence and self-worth were growing every day.

  “If you’re not going to sign this today, there’s a ton of filing to be done,” Mitzy said. “It’s probably a good thing you did come in today. We do need you.”

  “I’m done filing. I quit.”

  “You can’t quit. What are you going to do? Live off DeMarco’s fame? You’ll be forever known as DeMarco’s wife. Is that what you want?”

  “There are plenty of well-respected newspapers in Los Angeles.”

  “They will never hire you. After the stunt you pulled in New York, your name is mud.”

  “I’ll find a job where I’m appreciated,” Sam said. “A job where teamwork is prized, a job that makes me happy.”

  “Happiness is overrated,” Mitzy growled.

  Sam headed for the door.

  “Before you go,” Mitzy said. “I have something for you.”

  Sam turned around and waited patiently while Mitzy reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a manila envelope. She held it out for Sam to take. “I wasn’t going to show you these, but whether you know it or not, I am doing this as a friend.”

  Sam didn’t like the dark look in Mitzy’s eyes, a very familiar expression of power and control. Sam didn’t want to walk back to her desk and take the envelope, but she did. She unfastened the metal clasp, reached inside and pulled out five eight-by-ten glossies of Dominic with another woman. It wasn’t Julia nor was it any of the women Sam had seen Dominic with over the years. The woman in the picture wore little makeup. She was a natural beauty with light brown hair, a wide smile, and sparkling blue eyes.

  And in the background were dogs, lots of dogs.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Sam waited patiently for her mother at a popular bar and grill on Fifth Street. She’d arrived five minutes earlier, and sipped on a glass of sparkling water. An older woman entered the restaurant. When she turned Sam’s way, recognition lit up her face.

  Mom?

  Her mom wore a beautiful turquoise sheath dress. Her hair was swept to one side, her makeup perfectly done.

  Sam stood to greet her. “You look amazing.”

  Smiling, Rebecca Johnston slid into the booth across from her. Sam couldn’t believe her eyes. The transformation was remarkable.

  A waitress came over, took their orders, then dashed away to help another customer.

  “Dad’s worried about you.”

  “Well, he should be.”

  “I was worried, too.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I guess I should have called you as soon as I arrived at my hotel.”

  “Hotel?”

  “I assumed you had talked to your father.”

  “I did talk to Dad. In fact, I left him at the house with Dominic hours ago, but he didn’t say anything about you staying in a hotel.”

  “Your father came to your house?”

  Sam nodded. “He looks horrible.”

  “You didn’t tell him we were meeting, did you?”

  “I did. I’m sorry. I didn’t want Dad or Dominic to worry about me, too. But I didn’t tell them where we were meeting.” Sam reached over and put a hand on top of her mom’s. “What’s going on?”

  “I couldn’t take it any longer. I saw the way you looked at Dominic the other night. How he stood up for you. How you both took on your father, and your brothers, for the sake of the other. After that, knowing how happy the two of you are, my old life came back to me in a blinding flash. It took hold of me, in the middle of the night, and wouldn’t let go. Dad and I used to be happy, too.”

  “I know you did,” Sam said. “But suddenly Dad changed and all of these years I thought it was because I wasn’t meeting his expectations.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. It had nothing to do with you or your brothers. I should have talked to you, made it clear that whatever Dad and I were going through had nothing to do with any of you. I didn’t want to burden you with our troubles.”

  “So what happened to you and Dad?”

/>   “After your dad took over his father’s business, he came home less and less. I’m afraid I got lonely.”

  “Did you tell him?”

  Rebecca nodded, but she looked incredibly sad. “I told him I needed him home. He thought I was nagging and the more I tried to talk to him, the longer he stayed at work each night.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I had an affair.”

  “Oh.” Sam had no idea. Her body sort of melted into her chair.

  “I wasn’t trying to teach him a lesson,” she went on. “I was simply lonely. I was also riddled with guilt, so I told your father what I had done.”

  Sam couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She felt a strange sort of relief knowing she wasn’t the reason for her father’s grief and yet she also felt horrible for her mother.

  “He’s been punishing me ever since.”

  It was all starting to make sense. A heavy burden literally lifted from her shoulders. “Everyone makes mistakes,” Sam said softly. “I’ve made some colossal ones myself.”

  “You’re young. You have your whole life ahead of you. You and Dominic have each other. That’s all that matters now.”

  “Our marriage is a sham,” Sam blurted.

  Her mom gave her a curious look, but remained silent when the waitress brought iced tea and chicken salad. After the server left, she said, “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

  “Remember when I called you a few days before the wedding? I was in New York, but we were cut off?”

  Rebecca nodded.

  “I was calling to tell you that a reporter at the LA Beat had come down with the flu. Mitzy was frantic and so she sent me in her place to get the story of a lifetime.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I was excited to have a chance at this story. I wanted to be the first to find out who Dominic’s mystery bride was. I was also desperate to prove to Dad, you, and my brothers that I could make something of myself. On the day of the wedding, I felt gutsy and on top of the world. Nothing was going to stop me from succeeding. But, for reasons I didn’t know at the time, the wedding was delayed. Determined to find out what was going on, I found a way to get to the back of the church, where I overheard Dominic talking with his agent and manager about his bride being a no-show.”

  Her mom continued to stare at her, her expression one of bewilderment.

  “Long story short,” Sam said, “they told me they needed a bride and they needed one fast.”

  She gasped. “His bride didn’t show up, so you filled in?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Who was the intended bride? Is Dominic in love with her?”

  “No,” Sam said. “Her name is Julia. Supposedly they were good friends, but Julia showed up in Hawaii—”

  “On your honeymoon?”

  “Right again. She was not happy about our marriage, which spoke volumes.”

  “Julia’s in love with Dominic, but he doesn’t feel the same way?”

  Sam nodded.

  “Why didn’t he just cancel the wedding?”

  “There was too much at stake. Dominic’s accountant, who also happens to be his uncle, emptied his accounts and disappeared with millions of dollars. Dominic panicked. He didn’t know what to do, but then Ben, his manager, came up with the harebrained idea to get World Studios to sponsor the wedding of the decade. It worked beautifully. Suddenly Dominic’s faltering career was on the rise again. His face was suddenly on the cover of every tabloid and magazine across the country. He still has scripts pouring in and because World Studios sponsored the wedding, he won’t lose his house or his cars.”

  “And what’s in it for you?”

  “I was promised two hundred fifty thousand dollars when the three months are over. Plus, the opportunity to write an exclusive about my experiences as Dominic DeMarco’s wife.”

  “Oh, Sam. I don’t know what to say.”

  Acid burned in Sam’s stomach as she realized how bad it all sounded. “It gets worse.”

  Neither of them bothered eating. Her mom took a sip of her iced tea, her gaze never leaving Sam’s.

  “A celebrity and a reporter,” Sam said. “Not a marriage made in heaven. The last thing I wanted to do was marry a celebrity and Dominic felt the same way about reporters. But I’m in love with him, Mom. Not even a month with the man, and I’ve fallen in love.”

  After a long pause, Sam pulled the envelope from her purse and slid it across the table. “I saw Mitzy this morning and I quit my job. Mitzy has been using me. She never intended to promote me. I’ve been a fool.”

  Rebecca looked through the photos. “These pictures don’t mean anything, honey.”

  “Look at the way he’s gazing into her eyes. There’s definitely more than friendship between them.”

  Her mom continued to examine the pictures. “I bet you these photos are from years ago.”

  “Look at the dates. Dominic wore that same shirt the other day. He disappears during the day at odd times. There have been a couple of nights when he didn’t return home until late. I ask him where he’s going and what he’s doing but he always finds a way to skirt the subject.”

  “It looks like some sort of ranch. There are a lot of dogs in the background.”

  Sam exhaled. “What am I going to do?”

  “If you’re in love with Dominic, you need to talk to him. Tell him about your meeting with Mitzy. Show him the pictures. Don’t brush it all under the rug like your father and I did.”

  “But he’s only my temporary husband.”

  “In the eyes of the law, the two of you are married. But forget about all of that, Sam. Even if you weren’t married, I would tell you to sit down and talk to Dominic. After you do, and if you still don’t trust him, then this thing between the two of you, whatever it is, will never work anyhow.”

  Sam took a moment to think about what her mom said. “You’re absolutely right. I need to talk to him, tell him everything. What about you, Mom? What are you going to do about Dad? Are you still in love with him?”

  “I’ve always loved your father. That’s why I let him punish me for so long. He wasn’t the only angry person in the house. I swallowed my anger and let it grow into something much worse. I began to hate myself.”

  “Are you going to come home with me and talk to Dad?”

  She shook her head.

  Sam’s heart dropped.

  “I’ve managed to make things worse for everyone. Look at you,” her mother said. “You thought you did something wrong. That it was your fault. And your brothers…I’m afraid I’ve ruined them.”

  “Mom, that’s not true. Taylor and Kevin have always been demanding and overbearing—”

  “They’ve watched your dad treat me badly for so long, they’ve lost all respect for me. I just didn’t see it soon enough. I’m not ready to talk to your father, though. I need more time.”

  “I understand.” After a long pause, Sam added, “I know this must be difficult for you, Mom, but if it helps at all, you’re looking really good.”

  A smile brightened Rebecca’s face. “I went shopping and then I spoiled myself with a day at the spa.”

  “I’m glad. You deserve to be happy.”

  “So do you, dear. Now let’s eat this delicious salad before it goes to waste.”

  Sam took a bite, looking at her mom—this woman she hardly recognized—through her lashes. Would her mother and father be able to work things out? Would they reconcile?

  Her life was suddenly turned upside down. Everything was happening so fast: her parents, her job, Dominic.

  Dominic.

  The pictures.

  As soon as her father left, she would talk to Dominic.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  While Dominic gave Sam time with her father, he watched Maria wash the dishes. It dawned on him then that she was working too hard. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d given her time off. “Maria, I want you to go home and enjoy your family. Take
the rest of the week off—paid, of course.”

  Maria turned slowly from the sink and stared at him. “The week? Are you sure?”

  Dominic almost laughed at the deer-in-the-headlights look on her face. “Definitely. With everything going on, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner.”

  “But, I need to finish these dishes,” she said, “and then, if you’re sure, I’ll take you up on your offer. My eldest son is visiting and I’ll be able to spend more time with his little ones.”

  “Perfect.” Dominic clapped his hands together in a loud smack. “Forget the dishes. I’ll take over from here.” He took the plate and sponge from her hands. “Now go.”

  Maria took off her apron. “You’re a good man, Mr. Dominic. You deserve to be happy.”

  He didn’t know how to respond to that, so he just smiled at her.

  “I’ve known you for ten years now and I think it’s past time for you to let go of your trust issues from the past.”

  He arched a brow at Maria as he scrubbed a dish.

  “You need to stop letting past disappointments and betrayals affect your life,” Maria explained without any prompting from him. “It’s not healthy. It takes time to earn someone’s trust, but it should never take forever.”

  Dominic stopped what he was doing. “Maria, what are you trying to say?”

  “I don’t know what’s going on between you and Mrs. Dominic, but I wasn’t born yesterday. I like her. I haven’t been able to say that about too many of the women you’ve brought home in the past. Being unable to trust can cause fear that destroys friendships, relationships, and even marriage. The only way to learn to trust again is to talk about your feelings.”

  “Is that all?”

  “That’s all for today, Mr. Dominic. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  Maria laughed as she walked off.

  Dominic shook his head and went back to work. With his accounts nearly depleted, he really couldn’t afford Maria or any of the staff for that matter, but Maria had a family to care for and he wasn’t about to let her go.