Chapter 3: Chapter 3

“Leo mentioned you’re an actress. That’s so cool!” Beth exclaims as our limo heads towards what I’m sure is the most upscale bridal shop in London.

~Why me?~

“Um, aspiring actress,” I correct her. “I haven’t been in anything big, like on TV or anything.”

“So, you’re not really anything. I’d be surprised if you can act at all,” Evelyn retorts, not even bothering to look up from her phone.

~What on earth is this?~

This morning, as I was lounging by the bay window in my room, engrossed in the third ~Harry Potter~ book, I thought my day was going to be chill.

Even when Leo showed up, I was still looking forward to spending time with my best friend. But instead, Leo went off to work and left me in the overly enthusiastic care of his fiancée.

Beth immediately decided that we were going wedding dress shopping and herded me, her sister, and her snooty best friend, Jacklyn, into the waiting limo.

“So, which part of New York are you from?” Jacklyn asks, and I can already predict their reactions to my answer.

“Brooklyn,” I reply, maintaining eye contact with Evelyn. She smirks.

“Figures.”

“I think it would be such a cool place to visit,” Beth says, her ever-present smile still on her face. She seems completely unaffected by her sister’s snide remarks.

“It’s run-down, Elizabeth. Dirty and full of poor people.”

“There’s nothing wrong with poor people, Evie.”

“That’s a matter of opinion, Beth.”

I tune out the rest of the conversation for the remainder of the drive. I probably seem rude to Beth, who is honestly the sweetest person I’ve ever met, but I just can’t handle it anymore.

~Does Evelyn not realize that Leo wasn’t always rich~?

God, Mr. and Mrs. Chambers are going to have a tough time dealing with Evelyn Walker and her constant judgment.

~And Lily!~

Leo’s sister would definitely give Evelyn a piece of her mind when she arrives for the wedding.

I haven’t been back to Mississippi in a while, six years to be exact, but I know Leo’s older sister Lily married a dairy farmer and has two adorable little boys.

Both of the Chambers kids have worked hard for what they have. Mr. Chambers is a family doctor in the town of Jackson, and Mrs. Chambers is a high school teacher at the same school Leo and I attended.

Leo’s current position as the world’s youngest billionaire and CEO of QB Enterprises is nothing short of impressive.

I’m incredibly proud of what he’s accomplished, even though I did laugh when he named his company after his high school nickname.

“We’re here!” Beth’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

Beth hops out of the car excitedly, and Jacklyn quickly follows. I’m about to step out when a hand grabs my wrist.

“Try not to embarrass us,” Evelyn sneers. “I’d hate for poor Leo to have to send you back to grimy old Brooklyn.”

Before I can respond, she’s gone. Lucky for her, otherwise her fake nose would have met my pretty solid right hook.

I was right about the bridal shop, or should I say boutique, as the owner ~and~ designer keeps reminding us.

Every dress in here costs at least as much as my rent…for the next decade. Beth’s custom-made wedding dress is breathtaking, she looks like a real-life princess, and I can’t help but feel a pang of envy.

“Where is the female groomsman?” the owner asks, cringing as she says it; clearly, she’s not a fan of ~modern~ weddings.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Jacklyn snickers, and I roll my eyes.

“Here!” Beth says, grabbing my wrist and pulling me forward. “This is Francesca.”

“Nice to meet you,” I say, extending my hand.

The woman looks at my hand, then back at my face, and cringes. Again.

“Charmed. Well, bridesmaids, try on your dresses while I check if the bride approves of my choices.”

She hands over two pale-pink taffeta dresses, and I mentally celebrate that I don’t have to wear that.

She looks back at me. “Stay.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I mumble, and Beth laughs.

“Thank you for coming along,” Beth says after a moment of silence.

“You didn’t really give me a choice,” I reply honestly, trying to lighten the mood.

“No, I guess I didn’t. But thank you. I know Leo didn’t tell you, so this must be very strange.”

I sigh. ~God, this girl is hard to hate.~

“I was surprised, but you seem nice, and Leo seems happy, so it’s not my place to interfere.”

“Why can’t my own sister be this understanding?”

“I think it might have something to do with the stick she has up her ass.”

Beth stifles a giggle.

“That or the fact her fiancé dumped her a month ago,” she adds with a slight smirk.

~Finally, some wickedness in her!~

“Well, that might do it. What happened? Did he see the green skin under all her makeup?”

“More like found his best friend in her bed.”

“Oh!”

“Yup.”

“Here!” The boutique owner reenters the main room, holding a figure-hugging navy dress.

The front of the dress is covered in diamantes, giving it the illusion of a starry night sky. The back appears to be low and held together with thin straps.

“It’s beautiful,” I gasp, and the designer rolls her eyes.

“I know.”

“It’s the same color as the boys’ suits. We thought it might be a nice way for you to fit in without wearing a tux,” Beth explains. “You just need to try it on.”

I step towards the dress before taking a step back.

“Beth, I don’t think I can afford this.”

“Don’t sweat it, Francesca, it’s all sorted out—”

“No. I’ll handle Leo. You both have enough on your plates without—”

“Not Leo.” Beth interrupts me.

“What?”

“Christian gave me his credit card before we left this morning. He said to charge whatever you want or need for the wedding.”

***

“Arrogant jerk, total ass, complete idiot!”

Back in my room after the bridal shopping trip, I let it all out.

A stunning designer dress, shoes, and clutch now sit in my closet because Beth wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Christian bought me. He basically bought me.

I’ve never felt like this outside of work. I can’t believe he’d do this, and Beth, she just went along with it.

Such a goody-two-shoes. She and Leo are perfect for each other. It’s like when I tried to get Leo to try alcohol for the first time, such a damn goody-two-shoes.

~I can’t believe Christian is this arrogant. I mean, I don’t know him well, but how could Leo be friends with someone like that?~

~What made him think he needed to pay for me?~

~One minute he’s flirting with me, then he’s ignoring me, next he’s calling me a slut, and now he’s saving me from wearing a potato sack to my best friend’s wedding.~

~A potato sack might have been better.~

After the clutch, Beth agreed to hand over the credit card and not charge anything else to Christian’s account. For a girl who supposedly hates shopping, she sure had fun spending someone else’s money.

Evelyn and Jacklyn didn’t say much on the ride back to the mansion. I’m not sure if seeing my beautiful dress compared to their marshmallows softened their moods or what.

Black card in hand, I march out of my room and across the hall, rapping my knuckles against Christian’s closed door.

I knock twice, waiting somewhat patiently for him to answer. After a minute, I knock again, still no answer. I groan before turning my back on the door and start back toward my room.

“Si, gattina?” His deep voice makes my feet stop and my breath catch.

~Arrogant jerk, total ass, complete idiot!~ I repeat my inner monologue.

“Gattina?” he repeats the Italian, and I spin around.

He’s standing there with sweatpants hanging low on his hips, his chest wet and glistening. He must have been in the shower; that’s why he didn’t answer the first time.

~Focus, Francesca!~

“What?”

“What, what?”

“What does that mean?”

“Gattina?”

I nod, and he continues. “It’s Italian for kitten,” he explains with a smirk.

His smirk reminds me why I’m here.

“I came to return this.” I thrust the credit card toward him. He looks down at the card in my hand and then back up to my face.

“Keep it.”

“No.”

“No?”

“I hate owing people, Christian. While I appreciate the gesture, I don’t understand why you’d do this when you clearly hate Leo’s slutty childhood best friend, but I ~will~ pay you back.

“When I get back to New York, I’ll set up some sort of payment plan. Maybe I could clean your apartment or—”

Christian interrupts me, pressing his thumb against my lips.

“Quiet, kitten,” he whispers. “I don’t hate you. You intrigue and frustrate me at the same time. I don’t want you to pay me back. It wouldn’t matter if you spent a million dollars on my card.”

“I hate owing people.”

“You said. Take the card.”

“No, Christian.”

“Kitten.”

“How could I possibly frustrate you? You flirt with me, then you belittle me and call me a slut, then you call out my crush on Leo, telling me I can do better. Where the fuck do you get off?”

“Watch your mouth, kitten,” he growls, and I roll my eyes.

“You know what, Christian?” I step back, holding the card between my thumb and forefinger.

He raises an eyebrow in question, and I flick the card at his head like a ninja star. “Fuck you!”

I leave the mansion after my showdown with Christian, and with nowhere to go, I start walking the property.

I’m annoyed I didn’t grab my book before storming out, but I’m too stubborn to go back and get it now.

“I heard you went dress shopping.” Leo’s voice startles me, and he laughs at my reaction.

“You’re awful.” I stick my tongue out at him, and he does the same back. “Yes, I went dress shopping. It was a blast.”

“I know it's not your thing, but thanks for going with Beth. I know her sister and Jackie can be a bit much for her.”

“No! Really?”

“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Cheer.” Leo laughs.

Leo walks with me for a while, the two of us enjoying a comfortable silence.

“Would you have gone through with it?” I ask.

“With what?”

“Our pact. Would you have gone through with it?”

“You mean if we hit thirty and were still single?”

“Yeah.”

“Absolutely,” Leo says with a grin. He pulls me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing me tight.

I breathe in his scent and snuggle into him. “You would have been stuck with me, Cheer.”

“Beth is a lucky girl,” I whisper, and he pulls back, his brow furrowed.

“Mr. Chambers.” A maid appears behind him, and Leo sighs.

“Yes?” he asks without turning.

“There’s a phone call from your office, sir.”

“Thank you. That’s my cue, Cheer. How about we spend the day together tomorrow?”

“You got a deal, QB.”