Page 48 of Embracing Love

Chapter 22

He was going to marry her?

Tanya covered her face with her hands. She didn’t need this, not with less than half an hour to go before her big moment.

A heaviness, thick like tar, settled over her completely and erased the happy feeling she’d been wrapped up in all night and morning, ever since she left Gabriel last night. She’d almost danced all the way back to her room and instead of working on her presentation, she’d gone to bed dreaming of love and hope.

Only to discover this news about Vincent.

She couldn’t go through with her presentation now, not like this. She wanted to be alone. She wanted to cry.

Oh god oh god oh god. The tightening in her chest bottled her emotions. But still, she couldn’t continue.

She stared in silence at the computer screen once more; it must have been many minutes before she abandoned what she’d been doing—what had she been doing?—and forced herself to get dressed.

Being the first one to ‘open’ the convention was a tall order and practicing her words had focussed her attention on delivering a pitch perfect talk. It had to be perfect, because Gabriel would be watching.

After running through it a few times she’d decided to make a couple of changes so that it ran smoother, was more polished and succinctly highlighted the points she wanted to make. She was conscious not only of Michael evaluating her, but of Russell and Gabriel watching closely.

At the last minute she’d set about altering a few things and out of habit and without thinking, she’d made the mistake of visiting Vincent’s social media page as well.

Only to discover that he had proposed to his girlfriend. Photos of the beaming bride to be and Vincent’s oh-so-happy face had punched her to alertness as she examined the images. One showed a close up of his girlfriend’s face.

The next one showed the ring.

It was followed by a short message and pink lovehearts saying she had accepted.

Tanya had felt as though a herd of buffalos had stampeded right through her—leaving her so paralyzed that she’d stared at her screen, lost in her sadness. She’d even forgotten about the changes she’d started to make.

It was only when Nadine called her, telling her that she was going down for breakfast that Tanya was jolted out of her trance.

“Aren’t we supposed to meet for breakfast?”

“Breakfast?” Food was the last thing she wanted.

“Did you get up late?” asked Nadine, “you sound groggy.”

“I’ve been up since five, going through my slides. I don't feel hungry though. You go ahead without me”

“You sound nervous. Don’t be.”

“Okay.” As though it were that simple. “I’m going to skip breakfast, if you don’t mind. I think I’m going to set up in the room now.”

“Sure. Let me know if you need anything. I’m sitting in. If only to watch Gabriel ogling you.” But Nadine’s joke was lost on Tanya. She wasn’t in the mood for any frivolous conversation.

“Gotta go.” She hung up as her stomach began to make that queasy, rolling movement it did when she was nervous or scared, or both.

Why did it hurt so much? She’d cried for hours when the divorce had come through. She’d thought she was over the worst of it. Was this closure? Is that why it hurt so much?

You didn’t really think he’d ever come back, did you?

Sad, pathetic woman.

She didn’t know what she felt any more except that she was all over the place.

She was a complete mess.

And she still had to give the best address of her career.

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