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“No, you were on the right track with the others. More my speed. Are any family heirlooms in contention?” I asked her.
“I think that might be part of the issue between Mr.Case and Collin,” Syl admitted.
“Right. You know, I really don’t think it’s his father. It’s hismother.” Saying that word aloud always made me shiver.
“You know what, Bea? Who fucking cares? A new ring is way better anyway. You don’t want anyone’s bad juju, especially in a crazy family like that. Who knows what kind of marriage Grandma and Grandpa Case had?” Syl was trying to butter me up. And the answerwas “a rich one,” but I agreed with her. Gimme something fresh. “Gum?” she offered, popping a little white cube of Trident into her mouth. “Sugar free, obvs.” I took one from her and let her continue.
“He’s standing up for you, to hisfamily, and I think that says a lot about a man,” Syl added. I nodded at her for the sake of appearances, but I disagreed. I thought it said more aboutmeandmyeffect on Collin, someone who had probably never taken a stand against his parents about anything before in his life. I had truly enchanted him.
“They’re being ridiculous,” Syl went on. “You’re an accomplished woman in your own right and they’re acting as if that’s a bad thing. Please. It’s just hard to be girls like us sometimes.” That declaration startled me. Syl thought we were similar?Really?Maybe I wasn’t a full-fledged member of the Case family just yet, but I could have been associated with the nouveau riche or at least a wealthy generation or two before my own. She didn’t know anything about me, but as if reading my mind, she added, “Collin told me about your parents’ passing. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh. He did. Well, thank you,” I said, because it’s what you say, no matter how odd.
“I don’t really have my parents either,” Syl offered to commiserate with me. “It’s hard.” I went silent. I assumed she was hoping I would pry further into her life, but I didn’t see the point. I could handle awkward silence no problem, but most people couldn’t. Predictably, Syl changed the subject after a few more seconds. “I should get back to the office, but I’ll keep you posted on ring things, if you want me to?”
“Only if it seems like Collin is getting derailed with the proposal. If he’s staying the course with everything you already told me, I don’t need any further updates. It might be nice to be surprised about the ring itself and how he’ll decide to pop the question.”
“Totally agree,” she said, back to her bubbly self. “So you’re not upset that I told you?”
“Not at all.” I smiled, touching her on the shoulder. It was definitely wise to keep her close, especially if I could keep her flapping those fangs about the things I cared about. “Thank you, Syl. I really enjoyed our lunch. I’m glad you asked me.”
“Me, too,” she said, spitting out her gum into a napkin. “So we can do it again sometime?”
“Sure. I’d like that,” I said, and I meant it. She held out another napkin for my gum and gathered all of our trash to toss, just to be nice apparently. As we walked out of the Pret, another question occurred to me. “How often would you say Gale calls Collin at the office?”
“Gale?” Syl looked perplexed.
“Gale Wallace-Leicester. She’s a close friend of Collin’s?”
“Oh, right,” she said, still a bit flustered. “I recognize her name, but we haven’t really spoken too much. I’d say she’s called a few times since I started. Nothing excessive.”
“All right. If that changes, I’d be curious to know. That is, if you were comfortable sharing. No pressure, you’ve already given me so much.”
“Sure,” Syl said. “But she rarely calls as it is.”
“Okay. Then I’ll see you later.”
Syl went in for a hug like I knew she would, but this time I accepted it. Passersby probably thought we were genuine girlfriends. A thing like that. But it didn’t mean I could trust her. It probably meant I needed my guard up around her even more. A delicate dance. Lure her in, without revealing too much of myself. Story of my life.
I practically floated back to the agency, high on the engagement news that fully allowed me to plot my ultimate revenge on Len andcompany. It wasn’t quite the moment to pull the trigger yet, but all in due time. Collin’s proposal was officially pending, bypassing the all-important step of moving in together, which would surely follow, if not precede. Frankly, it couldn’t come soon enough. I needed to get out of Morris’s place as soon as possible. I could tell he was tiring of my lingering presence without any benefit to him. I knew Morris would never throw me out on the streets, he wasn’t that kind of man, but I also didn’t want to be badgered about earning my keep through anything unsavory in the sheets. Hewasthat type of man, so time was of the essence.
Collin and I had plans to go to the symphony that evening, something I found dull in practice but refined in theory so I had to go along with it and pretend I enjoyed it. An excuse for a new frock was welcome, but more so the adoration of anyone we passed throughout the course of the night. We were a very attractive couple, though I was pulling most of the weight in that regard, no surprise there.
Before the music began and idle chatter swept through the concert hall, Collin revealed to me that the Cases’ Newport home would be ready for us come Memorial Day weekend. Excellent news. He had taken care of business. Collin gave my left hand a squeeze, an exhilarating tell, and I thought about texting Syl to inquire about any ring updates during the intermission, but I stopped myself because I deserved the surprise. Why not? I wanted to start reveling in momentous occasions, instead of constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for the letdown.
Once I was married to Collin, I would never be let downagain.
CHAPTER
6
NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND,reeked of old money, which, while obnoxious, I honestly preferred because I knew what to expect. Everyone waxed on about the Hamptons, which provided lovely ambience, minus the rampant banter between finance bros or star-fucking bimbos stalking celebrities. It was all so showy. The concentration of rich idiots in the Hamptons was much higher, especially of the new money variety, whereas Newport had a distinctly more laid-back vibe, since the crowd had little to prove in the wealth department. A welcome respite for both Collin and myself. It could be exhausting performing for someone all the time, and while I was always in a mild performance mode to keep Collin secure, I felt more relaxed than I had ever been with him when we chucked our bags into the master bedroom. So much so that I was the one to initiate a daytime romp simply because I felt like it.
I wasn’t naive about my feelings for Collin. I knew I didn’t lovehim in the way a normal person loved their partner. The Hallmark definition was simply not a priority for me because it didn’t seem to result in anything worthwhile, much less tangible. Feelings were fleeting and fickle, with no guarantees. Belongings, assets and money had staying power if you played your cards right. I would have put up with far worse. Any affection for Collin was due to the affection I had for the life he could provide, but he was a genuinely sweet man, buck teeth and lack of bravado and all, so I counted myself lucky in that regard. That’s not to say Collin wasn’t without his faults. He could be secretive and quiet. He was not a gregarious man, similar to his father in that respect. I wasn’t always exactly sure what Collin was thinking, but he likely felt the same way about me. While his every thought may have been unknown to me, his behavior was almost always predictable, and that was what really mattered. I believed he would always choose me and that was reason enough to stay with him forever if he asked.
Whenhe asked.
“Did you want to go out or stay in for dinner, babe?”
