that went. Emily didn’t actually know what the process was. If
Dani told Sandra that she read tarot cards, that might even be
enough to get her parents to agree to whatever she wanted as
long as she got an annulment and went back to being the
silent, dutiful, invisible daughter.
“Alright.” Dani crossed her arms and put on her business
face. She wasn’t smiling. She was totally stoic. She looked
like she should be smoking a cigar, wearing shades, and
playing a high stakes game of cards. “I’ll do it for five grand,
but just three appearances that are no longer than ten minutes
each. That’s all I’m agreeing to. Any more than that and I want
more money. I don’t care if you have to pay me later, I know
you’ll find a way to come up with it. I’ll keep a running total
of what you owe me, and you will sign off on it, otherwise I’ll
take you to small claims court or something. Does that work?
Oh, and one more thing. You pay for the wedding, and you
find the witnesses. It better just be a justice of the peace thing
and it better not take more than half an hour.”
Emily couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was she
actually about to do this? Her throat was suddenly so dry she
could barely swallow. Her stomach felt pinched. She had to
take slow, deep breaths to keep calm. She realized her palms
were leaving damp marks on her jeans again and wiped them
up and down the denim.
She couldn’t bring herself to say the words, couldn’t get a
thing out one way or the other, so she just extended her hand
across the table.
Dani shook it without hesitation.
Chapter 6
Dani