Page 62 of Wingwoman
“Your friend signed you up for these wingwoman dates, didn’t she?” I asked, changing the subject.
Maggie’s eyes widened. “My friend Jackie did. How did you know that?”
Jackie! That was her name.
I gave a noncommittal shrug. “I have a lot of people who can find out a lot of things,” I said, keeping my answer evasive.
From over her shoulder I saw Matt come out of the bathroom. Oh shit. That’s what was bothering me so much… Matt had been dating this girl’s best friend. That girl I didn’t like. The one who said Maggie was cramping her style and hired Hope as a result.
An uneasy feeling churned in my stomach that this was going to blow up in Matt’s face somehow.
I gave Maggie a quick jerk of my chin toward where Matt was walking toward us, as though to saygo get him, tiger.
Beaming, she hopped up and took off.
Not missing a beat, on the other side of me, one of Hope’s future stepsisters sat down.
Oh boy. Vivian had introduced me to each of them, but they all looked so freaking similar and all their names ended withAnne. Seriously, couldn’t they at least color their hair from different boxes? That’d be a huge help.
Placing long, lean fingers on my arm, one of the Annes launched into talking as though we’d been in the middle of a conversation already. “I cannot believe Josh Gabriel is at my mother’s bachelorette party!” she squealed.
“Um… yeah. Your mom can be pretty persuasive when she wants to be.”
SomethingAnne snorted. “Don’t I know it. In high school, I didn’t want to run for student body president, but one manicure date with Mom?Bam. I was hanging posters and handing out buttons the next morning.”
“Any luck?”
“Well, they don’t call me Madame President of Rutherford High for nothing!”
“They called you Madame President?”
“We’re very formal at there.”
Apparently.
She extended her hand for me to take. “I’m Julianne. I know we met earlier, but it can get confusing with me and my sisters. They call us Irish triplets.”
I breathed a little easier and took her hand in mine, shaking it. “Thank you. I couldn’t remember whichAnneyou were.”
She laughed at that. “Welcome to the club. We used to see how many people we could trick when we were younger. Once, I went out with my sister, Raeanne’s boyfriend and broke up with him for her because she didn’t have the guts to do it herself.”
My eyes widened. “And he fell for that?”
“Oh yeah,” she said, leaning in so close to me I could feel the hot breath of her exhale against my neck. “He was a dumbass though. One of themanyreasons she was breaking up with him.” Julianne paused and her eyes flitted to where Hope was leaning on the bar ordering another drink. “So, you and Hope are…?”
She didn’t finish the question nor did she need to. The implications of why I was here at this bachelorette party hung heavily in the room with the crowds of girls. However, what they suspected versus what they knew was anyone’s guess.
And what little I knew about Hope? She valued her privacy.
Privacy that had been torn from her when I leaked that photo to the press.
“Friends?” I offered.
Julianne pressed her lips together. “Hmm. Was that a question or a statement?”
“You know Hope… you tell me.”
She chuckled at that and finished what was left of her fuschia drink in one gulp. “That’s the thing. Idon’tknow Hope all that well,” she said, her southern drawl more pronounced now. “But in a matter of weeks, she’ll be family. Hell, with or without the wedding, we consider her our sister now.” Julianne paused and shoved her empty martini glass into my hands. “And in this family, we watch each other’s backs.”
