Page 22 of Karma's Kiss

Ha! I use this slip-up as proof he wasn’t paying attention to me back then, at least not like he’s claiming. Does he really think I’mthatgullible?

“My mistake,” he says good-naturedly. “I could never keep it straight which guy liked you which week…”

“Because there weresomany.” I roll my eyes.

Believe me, if I’d been Ms. Popular at Oak Hill High, I would have known it and exploited it!

“Oh come on. You were everyone’s dream date,” he insists. “Weren’t you voted that in the yearbook or something?”

How embarrassing.

“Yes, because Kendra and Jessica thought it’d be funny to fudge the votes. I also won Most Likely to Succeed and well…” I toss out my arms. “Look at me now.”

“Doesn’t seem like you’re doing too bad for yourself.”

My jaw drops. He can’t be serious. “I almost married a cheater. A liar. A-Adespicablehuman being.”

“You tell him all those things?”

I rear back, confused by the question.

He doesn’t take his eyes off me. “Just the way you said it…it’s like you were needing to get that off your chest.”

I sniff in annoyance. “He’s not worth the effort.”

“So you didn’t.”

I pick up my wine glass. “There’s always tomorrow! What does it matter to you how my engagement ended? Whether or not I ripped him a new one?”

“I’m just a little curious about how it all went down.”

“Don’t act like David didn’t tell you all the sordid details.”

“He didn’t, actually. He’s not that kind of guy.”

I know that. I’m being nasty for no reason.

I sigh and let the worst of my anger burn off. Another sip of wine won’t hurt, so I go back for one more. God, it’s good.

“Matthew was having an affair for at least a few months, if not longer. It was his secretary, which is just…triteis what it is. And now”—I perk up, getting to the juiciest bits—“the two of them are getting married in a few weeks. Matthew never wanted to set a date for our wedding but apparently he’sall inwith this girl. Is there more wine?”

He pours and listens as I detail everything I already told Kendra over the phone, about the stolen wedding plans and the absurdity of using all the same vendors.

“Well how do we sabotage it?” he asks with a playful twinkle in his eyes. “Obviously, we can’t let them use your wedding.”

“Well the florist can’t create the bouquets and centerpieces without flowers…so we’ll buy up every peony in the state.”

He grins, understanding the game right away. “We’ll slip Matthew’s tailor a hundred and have him hem his tuxedo pants to midcalf.”

“A buzz cut on the morning of the ceremony ought to do.For the bride.”

Neither of us stops coming up with ridiculous suggestions until I have an ache in my side from laughing so hard. I’m about to topple out of my chair when Sawyer reaches over to catch my shoulder. His face is so close to mine. He laughs and I giggle.

GIGGLE.

Like Charlotte.

Like a girl with her heart fully intact.

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