AllFreeNovel
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I don’t doubt her. When it comes to gossip, and scandal, and all the juicy society things, Poppy knows everything.
I fled New York a year ago to escape a broken engagement and travel the world, and only arrived home eleven days ago. Besides not having a clue about any of the New York gossip, I’ve missed Poppy’s entire relationship with Seth except for Zooming with him. I also missed the pre-wedding dinner and brunch her mother insisted she hold two weeks ago.
I sniff Owen’s jacket again. “It’s his eyes.”
She looks at me. “He might have great eyes, but you know what else he has? An ex-wife no woman needs in her life. I recommend you stay far away.”
“Ah, Pop, this is me we’re talking about. You know I now stay far away from men who wear suits that cost more than some people’s annual salary.”
He might be hot.
And I might want to go swimming with him.
But there’s no way Owen and I would ever be a match.
I don’t do men from this world anymore.
“True,” she says.
“What the hell made you look up your shares at your wedding, anyway?” I ask as we head toward the elevators.
“Don’t give me hell about my devotion to my shares, Charles. A girl has to make sure she’s able to take care of herself at all times. Even if she is married now.”
She’s absolutely right.
Our mothers may have taught us a lot of useless stuff about how to act in public, how to host a dinner party, and how to walk in heels, butwemade sure we know how to fend for ourselves in life. Poppy and I are not the kind of women who will ever rely on a man to take care of us.
I hook my arm through hers. “Right. Let’s get your shares sorted. And then I’m taking this dress off, putting my pajamas on, and perusing the room service menu to plan what I’m going to eat for breakfast.”
Poppy rolls her eyes. “You and your breakfast.” She shakes her head. “Charles, there’s no way I’m allowing you to leave the reception yet. Put those pajama ideas away.”
I silently sigh.
If there’s one thing I know for sure it’s this: Poppy is the bossiest person I know and I allow her to boss me around because there’s no one I love more in this world than her. There’s no way I’ll be planning my breakfast in the next few hours.
2
Charlize
“What happened to the red dress?” Nate asks as he leans back in his seat at the reception an hour after my bathroom fiasco. “I could have sworn you were in love with it.”
Nate’s sarcasm is duly noted. My brother knows how much I detested that dress. He’s the one who’s been subjected to all my complaints about it today. “It’s dead.”
He looks at me, amused. “Dead? How does a dress become dead?”
I reach for my wine and take a sip. “When it rips down to one’s ass it becomes dead.” I glance down at the little black dress I’m now wearing. “This one looks better, don’t you think?”
He eyes it before meeting my gaze again. “This one is sure to be a crowd pleaser.”
I smack him. “I thought you loved me, Nate Cohen.”
He grins. “I’m sitting with you, aren’t I? I’ll protect you when Mom comes over to tell you what she thinks of that dress.”
My mother will hate this dress simply because I chose it. Also, because it’s too sparkly for her taste. And far too short. Joan Cohen prefers conservative clothes, especially for her daughter. I truly feel sorry for her some days that she was gifted me as a child. We couldn’t be more opposite if we tried.
“How much longer do you think we have to sit here?” I ask.
Nate shifts his attention to a woman at the next table. “I’m giving it another five minutes.”
