Page 5 of Broken Vows

All I need to do is get through the next hour.

The tray trembles in my hands and I squeeze the sides tight as I step inside the conference room. Sydney, Annabelle, and Theo are gathered around the round table. Theo’s leaning towards a pink-cheeked, ultra-wide smiling Sydney. In less than twenty minutes after meeting, he’s charmed Sydney into falling for his act.

And honestly, I don’t know how Annabelle stands for this behavior. Gross.

“Promise me if you go there, you’ll try the caviar arancini. It’s the best in the city,” Theo says as he scribbles on the back of his card, and hands it to Sydney. “When you call this number, just give them my name and they’ll get you in.”

“I cannot believe you’re friends with the head chef,” Sydney says, holding the card against her chest like he just handed her a priceless heirloom. “Lexie, remember last year when we tried to make a reservation at Basil and Sage?”

I set down the tray and focus on filling up the water glasses. “I do, yes.” I force a smile. “They were booked up for a year, right?”

“Yes! Well, thanks to Theo, we won’t have to wait anymore,” Sydney says with the same amount of glee as if he said they named their newborn after her.

I curb the urge to roll my eyes and instead offer Theo a small nod before sitting next to Sydney and looking directly at the notepad she discreetly passed my way.

“It’s the least I can do since you’ll be stuck with me and Anna for the foreseeable future.”

“Hey.” Annabelle elbows Theo with a smirk. “I apologize in advance for him. At this rate, you’ll be asking for more than just money once you realize what you’ve signed up for with us.”

“Perhaps chocolate on demand should be part of the terms,” Sydney chimes in.

“Excellent idea. And maybe wine for good measure.” Annabelle glances at me. “Lexie, do you drink wine?”

Warmth spreads through me at Annabelle’s casual attempt to lighten the mood and include me in the conversation. “Probably more than I should admit.”

“I knew I liked you.” She lifts a brow. “White or red?”

“Whatever’s available. But I’m currently in my Malbec phase.”

“A woman after my own heart!” she says. “The next time we visit I’ll bring a bottle from my collection. I forget the name, but it’s from the Uco Valley in Argentina. You’ll love it. Actually, I’ll bring two, just in case.” She winks at me as if we share some kind of secret in-joke.

It makes me wonder what someone as beautiful and sweet as Annabelle sees in a man like Theo. She’s a freaking Barlowe—she could have anyone in the world. And yet, she chose the devil himself.

“So, you started your company eleven years ago, is that right?” Theo says to Sydney as he reaches for a glass of the mint and cucumber water.

“Yes, that’s right,” she says. “You did your homework, huh?”

“I did. You come highly recommended, and now that I’m here, I can see why. You run a tight ship, your staff seem to genuinely like you—which is not always the case—and we couldn’t be more relieved that our wedding is in safe hands.”

Could Sydney get any redder? Please tell me she’s not falling for this crap. I might be expected to act professional, but that doesn’t stop my pen from biting into the page. Just sit still and smile, Lexie. It’ll be over soon.

“Thank you. We’re thrilled to have you as a client.” Sydney flips open her own notebook and taps the pen against the page. “The first thing we need to do is talk about dates. When are you thinking of getting married?”

“July 15th,” Theo says so quickly, so firmly, that my head quirks.

A hushed, weighty silence fills the room.

Sydney’s smile drops. “July 15th? That’s only six months away.” When his stern glance doesn’t falter, she swallows. “Okay, erm, that doesn’t give us a lot of time. If you want to get married in the city, we’ll probably need to look at a minimum of twelve months out.”

Theo’s jaw is taunt. “It will happen on July 15th.”

A scoff leaves my mouth. I cough to cover it up, but not before Sydney shoots me a death glare. The air in the room constricts. Every panicked emotion spreading on Sydney’s face is happening on my insides. Planning a wedding of this magnitude, in New York City, in six months is nearly impossible.

Annabelle is quiet at his side. Clearly, for whatever reason, this date is significant.

Like a true professional, Sydney’s smile returns. “Have you considered a destination wedding?”

I’m sure with the Barlowes’ money they could rent their own private island, which might be necessary, considering this wedding will probably attract every member of high society.