Page 3 of Undeniable Love

Lucy: It will take me 30 minutes to get there from the studio.

Gemma: Already getting my shoes on.

Lucy: And I’m gonna need a beer.

Gemma: Seriously? The shoot was that bad?

Lucy: I promise to tell you everything when I get there.

Gemma: And I’m texting Mike that he’s on his own for dinner

Gemma: You know, just in case.

Lucy: Thanks. I appreciate you!

Gemma: Okay! See you there!

Tossing her phone back into her purse, Lucy pulled back onto the road and made the drive back to her hometown. When she pulled into the parking lot of the local pub, The Creek, and spotted Gemma’s car, she almost couldn’t wait to get inside and see her.

Luckily her friend had already gotten them a booth and was waiting there with menus and drinks.

“You’re kind of freaking me out,” Gemma said as Lucy slid into her side of the booth. “Did the photoshoot go okay? You haven’t allowed yourself to eat at the pub in months.”

Smiling serenely, Lucy took her phone back out, opened to the picture she’d taken, and slid it across the table.

“Are you freaking kidding me? Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?” Gemma hissed. “Seriously?”

Nodding, she took a sip of her water before pushing it aside and grabbing the bottle of beer Gemma had ordered for her. “Yup. While I was sitting by myself in that stupid dressing room in that stupid dress, the two of them were going at it in her office! How freaking gross is that?”

“Oh, gross is too nice of a word! What a douche! I mean…how? Why? He seriously couldn’t keep it in his pants until you weren’t there?”

Lucy arched a dark brow at her.

“I mean, um…” Gemma slid the phone back over to her. “I mean, he shouldn’t have been doing it at all. Ever. You were the best thing to happen to that uptight asshole!”

Lucy could debate that, but not right now.

“Are you okay?” her friend asked, reaching over, squeezing her hand. “What do you need? Should we send someone over to kick his ass? Or do we need to go and break that blonde twig with a camera in two?” She grinned. “You know I’m a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I could genuinely mess her up.”

“And as much as I would love to see that—just because she was such a prissy and snooty bitch to me—it’s not worth it.” She shrugged. “They’re welcome to each other.”

Leaning back in her seat, Gemma studied her—hard. They’d known each other since kindergarten and there wasn’t anything her bestie didn’t know about her. “I get that this wasn’t like…you know…a fairytale romance for you. Blake certainly wasn’t the kind of guy you’d ever gravitated toward before, but I thought you were happy with him.” Pausing, she shrugged. “I know you cared about him; otherwise, you never would have accepted his proposal. But…”

Her words were cut off by the sound of cheering. Half of the pub’s customers were watching the football game on the big TV in the corner. She glared at the crowd before responding.

“Don’t get me wrong; I’m pissed, but I’m not devastated. More than anything, I dread having to tell my mother because she has been way more excited about this wedding than I was.”

“She was more excited about it than anyone,” Gemma murmured. “And I’m sorry, but it was really hard not to say something to her. Like…I saw how much she was pressuring you, but I didn’t feel like it was my place to tell her to back off.”

“Yeah, I don’t know how she’s going to handle it. I’m sure she’ll take Blake’s side no matter what, and…”

More cheering.

“Go Wylder!” someone called out. “Let’s hear it for the hometown hero!”

Lucy’s hands clenched into fists as she tried to keep her focus on her conversation.

“Ew…your face got all scrunchy,” Gemma said with amusement. “You can’t possibly still be holding a grudge against him. It was ages ago and everyone moved on. Your brother’s still friends with him, so…”

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