Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
I gave her hand a squeeze, trying to ignore everyone watching us. “Thank you, so much, for doing this.”
She squeezed my hand back, her kind smile lighting up her face. “Trust me, it’s my pleasure. I love helping people, and I never would’ve even considered that there were kids out there in foster care who really need service dogs, but who would never get one under normal circumstances. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. The world needs more people like you in it, Layla.”
Hannah was just one of those genuinely nice people, and her kind words along with Vali’s weight at my side, made me stand up a little straighter. “Stop, you’re going to make me cry.”
Hannah giggled then nodded to Leo who was watching us closely. “Come on, let’s go shake down some billionaires.”
A couple hours and glasses of champagne later, I was chatting with a very nice older woman covered in diamonds when I spotted Mark.
He was on the other side of the dance floor, near a long table holding ice sculptures and all kinds of delicate desserts. Dressed in a black tuxedo with an impeccably white shirt and black bowtie, he commanded the room with his presence. Or maybe he just commanded me. My words dried up in my mouth as I greedily drank in his silver-flecked beard, his full lips, and aristocratic profile. My heart began to race, and other parts of my body heated as I continued to stare.
I don’t know how long I would have stood there, stunned, if a woman hadn’t joined Mark and wrapped herself around him like a vine.
A gorgeous blonde with an impossibly perfect body wearing a glittering emerald green dress. She gazed up at Mark with open adoration, and the way she reached up to stroke his beard spoke of familiarity. Mark’s face was partially turned away from me, so I couldn’t see him clearly, but his gaze focused on the beautiful woman. She wrapped her hand around his neck as if to bring him down for a kiss, and the crowd shifted, blocking my view. Another shift and I got to see Mark’s back as he lifted his arms to embrace the woman.
“Layla?” Hannah gently squeezed my wrist.
Jerking around to look at her, I tried to pretend my heart wasn’t breaking as I said, “I have to use the lady’s room. Do you know where one is?”
“Of course.” Hannah’s worried gaze scanned my face before she whispered something to Leo.
Two guards followed us as we made our way through the throng with Hannah pulling me in her wake. Her dress sparkled like she’d been dipped in gold dust, and I forced myself to focus on the pretty shimmer instead of thinking about what I just saw. She didn’t let go of my wrist until we were in what looked like a lovely blue and apricot decorated parlor. Mirrors lined one wall, along with a long marble vanity and pretty pale wood stools. There were a few chairs in the corner of the room, grouped around a circular glass table.
The guards waited outside with instructions to let no one in. The moment we were alone, Hannah asked, “What happened? You looked like you were going to be sick. Are you okay?”
I started to talk, but to my embarrassment, my throat closed off as a few tears escaped.
“Layla!” Concern rang through her voice. “Are you okay?”
I nodded vigorously, clutching some tissues she put into my hand. “Yes. I just…I saw Mark kissing someone.”
Hannah staggered back a step in her gold heels as if I’d struck her. “He what? No, you have to be wrong. I’m sure that wasn’t Mark.”
Shaking my head, I tried to stop the tears from falling. “It was him and some blonde. They were across the room by the ice sculptures. She…they kissed…”
“Like on the cheek?”
“Like on the lips, with tongue.”
“And you’re sure it was Mark?”
I nodded, the lump in my throat getting bigger by the second. “Trust me, it was Mark.”
Hannah chewed her lip, then stood up a little straighter. “Well, fuck him.”
“What?”
“Fuck him if he wants to be an asshole like that.” She grabbed a fresh tissue then carefully blotted my face. “Wow, this makeup is really good.”
I gave a dry laugh. “Yeah, it’s professional grade coverup. It will stand up to pretty much anything. I have to use a special makeup remover to get it off. The stuff I used to wear smudged too easily.”
The memory of Mark rubbing his thumb over my jaw in the elevator all those years ago came back to me, and I had to swallow down more tears. Vali butted his head against my leg, and I squatted down next to him, comforting us both as I petted him. Hannah texted someone, then knelt next to me, and we gave Vali love in silence for a few moments.