But even as the thought occurred to her, she couldn’t help but remember all the times she’d seen him texting and smiling. When she’d asked who he was talking to and he’d put her off, saying it was no one important.
The devil on her shoulder whispered in her ear, There’s an easy way to answer this question.
Her conscience screamed, Don’t do it! This is a violation of his trust and his privacy!
The devil poked at her conscience with a pitchfork. And if he’s got nothing to hide, then there’s nothing to lose. And if he does have something to hide…
“I’m going to hell,” Cecily muttered, and clicked in the message box. You there? She wished immediately she could take it back.
But the reply was almost instant. There you are. You’ve been quiet lately.
Okay. Okay, you’re in it now. Might as well get the answers you’re looking for and prepare to grovel and apologize later. Been busy. Can you do me a favor?
Selina: Name it, tiger.
How to ask this without it coming across as weird? Define our relationship.
The laughing emoji came first, followed by Selina’s reply. Got another naysayer because I’m long-distance, huh? Fine. Yes, I exist. Yes, I’m your girlfriend. A picture of a cute blonde making a kissy face popped up.
Cecily’s head began to roar. Since when?
Since beginning of August.
The, Thanks, was automatic, though Cecily’s hands were trembling.
Selina: What’s this for? Your mom? Tell her she’s free to send me a batch of her famous snickerdoodles any time she likes.
Nausea roiled in her stomach.
August. Selina and Reed had been together since August. Which made her the other woman.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Clearly her picker was broken, as her cousin Blair would say. And she’d be right.
Oh God. Oh God how could I have been so stupid? How could I show such horrible judgment again?
Shoving back from the desk with shaky legs, she gathered her purse and headed for Ci
ty Hall. At least I can stop this one in its tracks.
~*~
Shit. Shit. Double shit.
As soon as his new phone was up and running, the first message to pop up was from Tony Becker. Canceling.
Reed had spent the drive back from Lawley getting in touch first with Becker’s publicist, then with Tony himself to see if there was any way to talk him out of it. Given the man’s mother was going in for double by-pass surgery, that was a great big negative. Reed had offered his prayers without question and told the distraught author he was welcome any time.
Cecily hadn’t answered when he’d called to notify her. He figured she’d gone radio silent for a meeting, so he left a voicemail with the news, feeling awful for her. She’d put so much work into this. He hated to see it all go to waste. Not that everything she’d done was a waste. The platform she’d built could be used for future events and promotion for years to come.
He hated to see his own investment go to waste, too. The outlay on advertising wouldn’t hurt him too bad, but he wasn’t operating with such a margin of profit that he could afford to have this happen often.
Maybe it’s not too late to cancel the ad and get a refund, he mused, stepping back into Inglenook.
“What the holy hell is wrong with you?”
Reed actually stumbled back against the closed door in the face of the fury pumping off Norah as she rose from the couch. Her normally calm and even demeanor had been replaced by a rage so great, he half expected her to bulk up and start screaming “Hulk smash!” And he had no clue what she was so pissed about.
“What?”