Page 1 of Dirty Deceit

Prologue

Gemma

My besties and I are all really excited about our trip to Las Vegas this weekend. We're celebrating Hailey, who is the first of us to turn thirty. Her father is paying for most of the trip and has gone all out. I can't wait to travel in first class for the first time in my life.

We are a tight-knit group of women who are trying to live our lives in the best way possible. Hailey wants to transform herself this weekend, and maybe I should have a similar goal in life. My life is not going great right now, and I could use a change. There are six of us in total: Hailey, Alice, Amber, Meghan, Julie and me.

Inseparable since college, we've helped each other through the ups and downs of life. I am closest to Alice, who also needs this vacation badly.

The word in our group chat is that clothing is optional. As if. I'm probably the most conservative of us, apart from Meghan. But things usually get out of hand in that chat, so I'm not surprised.

We've prepared a couple of surprises for Hailey during the weekend. I swear I did not vote for the male strip club, but the other girls overrode my other, more tame suggestions. I mean a few hours at a spa is fancy, isn't it? I'd even voted for doing a tour of the casinos and blowing tons of money there, but my besties want to see skin. The hussies!

I need to get out of my head and start packing. I can't shake the feeling that exciting things are coming our way. It’s best I pack my bikini as well. Gosh, who am I kidding? I only ever buy one-piece suits. Vegas better be worth it.

Chapter 1

Gemma

Another letter from the hospital arrived today. My mother passed away three months ago, but she spent a lot of time in the ICU, which is crazy expensive. I made the mistake of cosigning her hospital expenses when she was checked in. Now, the hospital will let me do a payment plan, but I need to give them a significant down payment first. I'm worried I might have to mortgage the apartment. I worked so hard to pay it off early. It will break my heart if I have to do that.

I pick up my phone and send off a message to Alice.

Me: I got another one

Alice: Letter?

Me: Yes

Alice: Damn them

Me: It's understandable

Alice: Your mom wasn't gone a day, and they started hassling you

Me: I need cheering up. Brunch? Mimosas?

Alice: I say hell yes to day drinking. We can plan other surprises for Hailey's trip

Me: Meet you in 30?

Alice: I'll be there

Sidney’s Five is a nice place to have brunch in New York. The prices are a bit high, but hey, so is everything in the Big Apple. I decided to cheer myself up by putting on an adorable sundress and doing a mini makeover on my face. I usually don't bother with makeup, but I needed to pull out the big guns. My rideshare leaves me at the curb, and I approach the hostess.

"How many?"

"Reservation for two under Taylor."

"Ah, yes, your friend has been seated already. Follow me."

I follow in her wake, marveling at her severe posture and manner. It's like she's got a stick up…

"Gemma!" I hear my favorite person scream from a few feet away. We're not known for etiquette, which makes the hostess frown at us. She'll have to kick us out if she can't handle our obnoxious personalities. We only get that way when we're together. And drinking. So yeah, that's about to happen.

Alice gets up and comes to give me a big bear hug. She's tiny, but she's strong. "Maybe we should go to a cheaper place?" She whispers in my ear.

It's not like I didn't consider it, but we're leaving for Las Vegas in a few days, and I want to start celebrating early.

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