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Nolan Wolfe, the billionaire. Why hadn’t he told me? Did his family know?
But then I remembered him saying how they never allowed him to help financially and decided no, he probably hadn’t shared it with them.
It was yet something else he kept hidden from those who loved him.
And even if helping Nolan with his family wasn’t part of our fake engagement deal, I added some sort of reconciliation to my list of things to do before I took my big trip.
Jenn waved the credit card. “So, ready for some shopping?”
In the past, I’d been content to scour the thrift shops for finds. But while here, I needed to impress everyone and not embarrass Nolan. “Er, okay. Just…”
“Just what?”
“Just don’t take me to those fancy stores that’ll look down at me for not being a size zero.”
Jenn rolled her eyes. “Fuck those people. Seriously. And don’t worry, my wife is close to your size, so I know exactly where to go.”
After she gave directions to the driver, I asked, “When will I meet her? Your wife? Isn’t she Nolan’s lawyer?”
She smiled. “Yes, Valentina Lopez is the lawyer to the stars, and one of the best in town, in my opinion. Although don’t ever call her Valentina, as that makes her think of her great-aunt. Just call her Tina.”
“Okay, Tina it is then. So how did you two meet? I only know the bare minimum.”
And so Jenn told the story of how Tina had been late to a meeting, Jenn had taken her to task, they’d argued, and soon they’d ended up in a bathroom, making out. The rest was history.
I also learned that Jenn enjoyed traveling, and she told me about her recent trip to Thailand. The more she talked, the more my worry eased. I knew Nolan was a busy guy and couldn’t be with me twenty-four-seven. However, I’d been afraid of being bored or lonely in L.A. But I liked Jenn. A lot.
When the car finally pulled up in front of a fancy vintage dress shop, my heart raced. I hated shopping. Finding something to fit a busty lady who also happened to carry weight on her lower body wasn’t easy.
But Jenn smiled, told me to trust her, and soon she whisked me inside.
An hour later, the saleswoman finished zipping up the dress I’d picked out and gestured toward the three mirrors. “I’ll leave you alone to look and decide.”
Once she exited the dressing room and closed the door, I took a few deep breaths. On the hanger, the black dress had looked beautiful. It was an A-line dress that had shoulder straps, a deep neckline, and the skirt flared out from the hips.
However, even without seeing my reflection, I could tell the top didn’t quite fit.
Stop being a coward.
After taking a deep breath, I turned and walked over to the mirrors. The dress was beautiful and fit fairly well. However, since the shopping trip was impromptu, I hadn’t worn shapewear like I usually did for dress-hunting. As a result, the bodice hugged every curve and highlighted every flaw and roll to the world.
It shouldn’t bother me—I knew I’d look stunning once I had on the right undergarments. And yet, as I stood in arguably the most beautiful dress I’d ever worn, tears pricked my eyes. Some of the nasty messages from Wendy Webster’s fans that had slipped through came back to me:
Nolan only picked you because of his weight loss company endorsement. Stop hurting Wendy and pretending he cares.
Are you pregnant? You definitely look it. And that’s the only reason Nolan would pick you over Wendy.
Wendy is Nolan’s soul mate. Stop being a selfish bitch and let him go. There’s no way he could be attracted to you. Wendy’s a goddess, and you’re disgusting.
Closing my eyes, I willed my tears away. After all, this whole thing with Nolan was fake. Even if it were for different reasons than the ones the haters had said, they were right, to a degree.
Nolan wasn’t mine to keep.
Someone knocked softly and then Nolan’s voice came through the door. “Katie? I’m sorry I couldn’t be here earlier, and Jenn should’ve waited. Regardless, let me in, baby. I want to see this dress Jenn talked about.”
I ran my hands down my sides and replied, “I think I need a different one.”
“If there’s anything that I’ve learned from shopping with my sister, it’s that sometimes you need a second opinion. Won’t you let me in? Please?”
