“Sunday afternoon. Driving herself from the airport. So, we have until lunch at least.”
Archie and this “hot” naked woman were having a grand old time in Hope’s bed on her duvet cover. She loved that duvet cover.
Wait, was it the new receptionist they’d just hired at the dealership? Hope didn’t really care who it was. Her husband, the father of her children, the man she’d delayed her own dreams to support, was having an affair.
She was in a whirlwind of anger, betrayal, and disbelief when a knock at the door interrupted this discovery that Archie was cheating on her.
ChapterFive
Hope
A knock at the door sounded like it was coming from another planet. Hope moved toward the muted sound, the louder sound, the one she couldn’t shake, was the sound of her own ears ringing. The images she’d just seen were still in her vision, not the door in front of her.
Maybe she was going to pass out? Or throw up?
Hope gripped the iPad with one hand and opened the hotel room door with the other.
A stranger was standing there, she had her hand out for a handshake.
“Hope, do you remember me? I’m Libby Quinn, I—”
The tall, beautiful redhead may as well have been speaking another language. Hope didn’t process the words coming out of the woman’s mouth. The images she’d just viewed, what they meant, how she’d been lied to, made a fool of all, dominated her senses.
“Hold this, will you.” She flipped on the camera for the iPad and placed it in the red-headed woman’s hands.
“Can you just snap a picture of me, really quick? A little selfie.”
“Of course, sure.” The redhead held up the iPad and pointed it toward Hope.
Hope grabbed her giant check and positioned herself for the camera.
Hope smiled—or thought she did. Maybe it actually looked like she was baring her teeth? No matter. If her face was ambiguous, her hand gesture wasn’t.
With one hand, she flipped the bird. With the other, she held up the giant check. The red-headed stranger in her room cocked her chin to the side but didn’t question the gesture.
“Thanks.” Hope took the iPad back and hit send. The next thing Archie and his naked friend would see would be Hope and a bunch of money. “Take that, Archie.”
The woman at the door inched in a bit more.
Hope tried to get her heart to find a normal rhythm. She took a deep breath and then another. “I’m sorry, you said your name. Are you from the competition? I still need to change before the reception.”
Hope really looked at the woman now. There was something familiar.
“I’m not, Hope. It’s me—”
And Hope said the woman’s name with her.
“Libby!”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come at a bad time.”
“I’m having the weirdest day.”
“Congratulations, by the way, that win was so awesome.”
