Page 3 of A Chance at Forever
Before she took her seat opposite Derek, Richard gave her hand a tight squeeze. From the concern shining in his blue-gray eyes, Victoria surmised he’d heard about the debacle the previous night. She glanced at Carter, who offered an amused, knowing grin.
“You blabbed.” Victoria shot daggers at Derek.
“No, I didn’t. We pinky swore.”
“He didn’t say anything. Your dumping a bottle of wine all over Alan went viral,” Carter commented. “Amelia and I saw the video on social media last night at dinner.”
“Let’s not discuss that now.” Richard regarded her with love and sympathy. “We can talk about it after breakfast.”
Birds twittering in the trees accompanied their conversation which turned toward Lockridge Cosmetics. As Chief Operating Officer, Carter oversaw the daily operations of each division of their company. His and Richard’s collaborations over the past five years propelled their family-owned business into the international market. Derek’s clever graphic designs and marketing strategies and campaigns and Victoria’s brilliant ideas for product lines in Research and Development also contributed to the company’s meteoric success. Discussions were in progress about branching into the fashion industry and developing a new signature fragrance.
The family lingered over second and third cups of coffee, and Victoria grew increasingly apprehensive as she anticipated being the center of Richard’s and Carter’s attention. When their conversation about business waned, Richard cleared his throat and began, “Now, honey, what happened last night between you and Alan?”
Richard hated social media. He didn’t have a personal presence on any of the popular platforms and barely tolerated the influencers who worked for Lockridge Cosmetics. “How did you find out?”
“Carter called me.”
Victoria drew a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t intend to do something so stupid. Alan broke things off with me in public and told me he’d been cheating. What happened next with a fangirl sitting on his lap and kissing him infuriated me, so I dumped a bottle of Merlot on him. End of story.”
Carter’s phone dinged with a text message. “Oh, this fiasco keeps getting better and better. Amelia said Alan is posting all over social media that Victoria dumped him because she was jealous of his posing with Fangirl, then humiliated him by pouring the wine over him. Sorry, Tori, but public opinion is on his side. You’re being vilified.”
Richard frowned. “I don’t like this. There’s an ethics clause in the contract Alan signed with us. Seems to me he’s violated it. Carter, check with our lead counsel, and see if we can cut him loose.”
“Alan bragged that Calvin Klein offered him an exclusive deal, Dad. Apparently, they want to build an entire line around him.”
“They can have him.” Richard peered at Victoria. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
She offered a wan smile. “No, not really. But I will be. As long as none of you are upset with me for embarrassing you and the company.”
Richard patted her shoulder. “We’re not upset with you. We’re upset with Alan. No offense, but we never liked him, right, boys?”
“Right,” they said in unison.
Carter rose from the patio table and gathered a few of their breakfast dishes. “I’m calling our lawyer, Dad. The sooner we cut Alan loose, the better.”
Richard, Derek, and Victoria followed Carter into the kitchen with their coffee cups and plates. Derek loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up since it was his turn. Richard and Carter closeted themselves in their home office, so Victoria changed into her riding clothes and headed outside to tend the horses.
Her favorite horse, Summer Wheat, a blond beast with a stark white mane, tail, and forelocks, whinnied a soft greeting and nudged her shoulder. Victoria buried her head against his neck and rubbed his long, velvet nose. “I’ve been such a naïve fool. I don’t even like the glamorous life. That’s not who I am at heart.” He snorted a response and she laughed. “So, you agree, huh?”
She finished saddling Summer Wheat and led him out of the barn into the bright sunshine. Victoria hoisted herself onto the horse’s broad back and urged him into a gallop across green fields. She gave Summer Wheat his head and soared with him. In the wake of their wild ride, Victoria left behind her shame and humiliation. Getting involved with Alan had been a mistake, and she’d learned her lesson the hard way. It would be a long while before she’d be ready to date someone else, but whomever the good Lord intended her to be with wouldnotbe a self-absorbed pro-football player.
In good spirits when she returned to the barn, Victoria groomed Summer Wheat and fed and watered her father’s and brothers’ horses. Afterward, she showered again and re-dressed in her yellow shorts and blouse. Plopping down on her bed, she checked her cell phone for messages and saw one from her lifelong best friend, Mia Houston.
Mia:Hey, Tori! Saw what happened last night. Jonica is with me. Call us as soon as you get this! Love ya!
Victoria pressed Mia’s number and waited for her friend to pick up. “Tori! Hold on a minute. I’m putting you on SPEAKER.” In the background, she heard Jonica’s voice. “Hi, Tori! I’m here with Mia. Looks like you had fun last night.” She emitted a light laugh. Jonica always put her own spin on things.
“Not so much.”
“Well, Alan deserved it.”
That’s what Victoria loved the most about her best friends. They supported her no matter what. Drawing a deep breath, she explained the debacle at Le Bernardin. “None of you liked Alan when you met him during Christmas,” she ended. “Though you and Steve and Danny never said a word against him, I could tell by your reaction to him that you didn’t think he was good enough for me.”
“True,” Mia admitted. “This really isn’t a tragedy. You said you didn’t love him.”
“No, I didn’t. I might have, though, if he hadn’t been so selfish. And you know I’m not referring to the amount of money he spent on me. That doesn’t mean anything to me.”
“We know. In spite of your fancy title and career in New York City, you’re still a small-town girl at heart.”
