Luke
Inursed my drink between my hands as my mind wandered back to Leanne. I closed my eyes, hoping it would erase the memories. But it didn’t. I opened them to see Fliss waiting patiently for me.
“I understand your humiliation in front of so many people. Although, mine was in front of close friends and family.”
Images of everyone waiting caused a pain in my chest. Come on. Get it out of your system, Luke.
“Anyway.” I cleared my throat. “I’d met Leanne through a mutual friend. She was funny, intelligent, and pretty. I thought I’d hit the jackpot when she agreed to go on a date with me.”
“Why would you think that?”
I smiled at Fliss. “Well, look at me.”
She took my hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. “I am,” she whispered.
“What do you see? I mean, really see.”
“I see a super-hot guy, with compassion, who’s supportive, oh, and gives a woman great sex.” She winked.
I was stunned, I never really saw myself that way. No one had ever said those things to me.
“Thank you. Well, I was soon to discover that all she saw in me was a meal ticket. I have a good job and I’ve made sound investments, so my life is secure.”
“Don’t you just hate users?”
“Absolutely. We were happy for a while. I loved wining and dining her and taking her on holidays. Actually, it was Leanne who proposed to me. I said yes instantly. It was quick. We’d only been together a matter of months. But we were in love, so what could possibly go wrong?”
“I can understand getting caught up in the moment, but insta-love has never been something I’ve believed in.”
I agreed with her. “I wasn’t sure pre-Leanne, but post-Leanne?” I let out a bitter laugh. “I won’t be fooled again.
“So,” Fliss said, watching me intently, “what happened to burst the bubble?”
“She became quite demanding, always complaining she didn’t have enough money for things. And as for the lavish wedding she wanted… let’s just say it was a blessing I was good with money. Warning bells should’ve started ringing when she went on about having a joint bank account and access to my savings. But being crazy in love can make you do crazy things, I guess.” I shrugged.
Fliss gasped and placed her glass down on the table with a thump. “Jesus. You didn’t give her access, did you?”
“No, and I have Marcus to thank for that. Being a guy who knows the workings of a woman’s mind, he warned me against it. I argued with him about it, but in the end, I followed his advice. Maybe my subconscious was trying to warn me. Who knows?”
“Thank goodness he has sense where that’s concerned.” She was thoughtful for a moment then added, “It’s so hard when people on the outside can see what’s going on, but when you’re involved, it makes you blind to things. Do you get what I mean?”
“I really do understand.So, the wedding was planned, and everything paid for, including a very expensive honeymoon to the Maldives. She booked it all, I just paid the bills. We were getting married in the grounds of a stately home.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow, I dread to think how much that cost.”
“Trust me, you really don’t want to know.” I took a sip of my drink and continued. “A few weeks before the wedding, she became distracted. Usually, she stayed with me. We were going to live at my place until we found our forever home.”
“Didn’t you suspect anything was wrong?”
“No. I put it down to wedding jitters. The day of the wedding, the supposedly happiest fucking day of my life, I was standing waiting for Leanne to arrive. Marcus kept glancing at his watch and frowning.”
Although I no longer felt anything for Leanne, it still hurt how easily I’d been sucked in by a pretty face.
“Hey, it’s my turn to say this now. I’ve got you, Luke.”
Fliss’s soft words almost made me cry. “Thanks. So, to cut a long story short, she didn’t turn up. Left me standing like a fucking idiot while all our friends and family started whispering and muttering. Marcus was all for hunting her down. But to what end?”
She moved closer to me and linked her arm through mine. Her scent and warmth made me feel better. “What happened after that?”