Page 2 of Accidental Fiancé

She sighed before saying, “Some people don’t appreciate good taste. I thought you might come with your girlfriend. Did you two break up?” Her face turned bright in almost a mocking way as she said the words.

“Huh?”

“You know, you and that snarky redhead you used to hang out with. We called her Skinny, but I can’t remember her real name.”

“Nora Skinner.” She hated it when people called her Skinny. Not that she wasn’t, she was. But to her, it meant they hadn’t bothered to learn her real name and they were making fun of her body.

“Right. So, are you two not together anymore?”

“No, we’re?—"

“Oh, that’s too bad. We could have used some diversity here tonight.”

“Chloe, we were never together like that. She’s my best friend. Not my girlfriend.”

Those too-blue eyes flickered over my dress before meeting my gaze. “Right. Sure.” She leaned forward, her volume dropping. “She said no, huh? That’s too bad.”

“I’m not into women!”

“No need to get testy about it. People don’t care about that kind of thing anymore, Maggie. It’s no big deal if you are.”

“I’m not!”

Her perfect lips upturned into the very picture of faux understanding and real condescension. “Of course, you’re not. But if you were to change your mind, there are a few women here tonight I could introduce you to.”

She knew she was irritating me and that ignoring me would be a favor, a gift from her. I saw it all over her face—that sadistic amusement. Her cruel smile gave her away. And if I made a big deal about it, I knew she’d find a way to make me feel like an idiot.

I desperately searched for my patient and calm tone when really all I wanted to do was scream. “I went to school with them, too, Chloe. I don’t need you to introduce me to anyone. And that’s not even the point. I’m straight.”

“Then you must have a boyfriend. Did he come with you tonight?”

“No.”

“What kind of a boyfriend doesn’t go to his girlfriend’s class reunion with her? Are you breaking up with him? You should. That’s unacceptable. You deserve better, Maggie.”

Oh. My. God.I was quickly losing my patience and it was impossible to not raise my voice at her. I just needed her to listen. “Chloe. I’m here on my own.”Thanks to Nora. “Any other questions?”

Her lower lip pouted a little while she simultaneously thrust her tits out and slumped her shoulders. It was the same pose she used to give the male teachers to convince them to bump her grade up a letter. Sexy, sad Chloe. They always fell for it and kept her grades up so she could stay on the cheer squad.

“No need to be snippy. I thought we were catching up.”

I refused to play into it and changed the topic. “Are you seeing anyone? Married? Anything?”

“You insist that you’re straight and then ask me out? Talk about mixed signals?—"

“Just making conversation, not a proposal.”

“Mm-hmm. I date a few people here and there. Never got married though. I like to keep my options open. Life is too short to be tied down, you know?” Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly when she said the words, and now that they were hanging in the air, I wondered what had gone wrong for her in the romance department.

I’d always thought she’d get married, have kids, get divorced, and become an alimony ex-wife. She was a serial monogamist in high school; she always had a boyfriend, including a backup boyfriend, ready to go. But Chloe Foster, single after thirty? I did not have that on my bingo card.

“Have you?—"

“We should go inside so you can get your nametag and catch up with everyone,” she said as she looped her arm through mine, forcing me to go in without making a fuss about it. I was trapped by my bully.

Neither option held any appeal, and by everyone I was sure she meant Harmony and Emma. I reluctantly went with her, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention. As much as I loathed Harmony Piedmont, Emma Gonzalez and I had shared a strained friendship back in the day, and admittedly, I was curious about her.

Still, each step toward the convention hall took a Herculean effort. I had hoped to catch up with Emma while having Nora by my side, in case she had gone full mean girl in the years since we’d seen each other. Nora acted as my guard dog—when people were rude she gave it right back to them and more. Norahad better have an amazing excuse for not being here, and that amazing excuse had better not sound like, “I had to work.”

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