Page 7 of Free to Believe
Reaching into my desk, I pull out one of Ali’s ironclad contracts. “The minute we have all parties sign this document and your father’s payment clears.”
James Fredericks gives me a wry look. “Do you take American Express?”
I grin. “For an additional three-percent fee.”
Shoulders shaking, he reaches for his wallet. “It’s worth it. Trust me.”
4
Emily
“Ican’t believe you managed to sell a twenty-thousand-dollar dress and tack on first-class travel to Paris!” Ali exclaims. She’s flipping through the contracts. I practically danced into her office once the Fredericks left and after I called Susan Simon’s family to let them know the dress sold earlier in the day. Once my ears stopped ringing, I decided to celebrate my biggest dress sale to date. “Hell, if you didn’t sell that dress soon, I was debating buying it and holding on to it for Kalie.”
Having just taken a drink of coffee, I spit it out, turning my head at the last minute to avoid the precious contracts lying on Ali’s desk. “Jesus, Ali. She’s not even two yet. Were you planning on having me alter it for something?”
“Nope. I was going to hold on to it for her wedding.”
Helpless to do anything but laugh, I barely manage to get out, “I can just picture Keene’s reaction.”
Ali grins. “I was planning on storing it at Phil’s.”
We’re a mess when Cassidy strolls into the room. Older than I am by about six months, my “big” sister is the tiniest of all of us in stature. Yet every time I see her, it still amazes me to witness what love has done to her. Before, Cass was fairly timid, needing us to fight her battles for her. Now, she’s this pint-sized warrior ready to take on the world. “I’m more curious how you managed to sell the dress in question to one of the bridezillas that had you threatening no more dual bridal appointments.”
“I’m still standing by that,” I grumble.
My sisters laugh. Cassidy sits down in the chair across from me. Frowning, she looks at Ali. “You know there’s coffee on your floor.”
Ali points at me. “You can thank Em for that. Phil isn’t around, and she just avoided the contracts on my desk.”
Cassidy’s head snaps toward me, likely remembering the rest of our conversation last night. The room takes on a recently familiar tension. I know my family wants to intercede because they believe I’m making a colossal mistake, but they love me. They’re respecting my decisions and my choices. I sigh. I’m going to have to let them in on some of my thoughts before they both worry themselves to death. Twirling the diamond around my finger agitatedly, I admit, “I’m not so sure…” before I’m interrupted from behind.
“If you finish that with ‘about my engagement,’ I promise I won’t bitch for a month if you spit on me at dinner,” Phil says from behind us, and I twist around to see my brother; he looks like an eager kid about to be told he’s getting ice cream for dinner. “And if you follow it up with ‘I’m breaking the engagement,’ I’ll take you shoe shopping.”
Holly pushes past him into Ali’s office. “I’ll take you to the fabric store.”
My lips part in surprise. Do none of my family members like my fiancé? Before I have time to process that thought, the shock I feel is compounded when Corinna adds on, “When I was sick, I said to you to find your happy, Em. Don’t settle for something just because you think you have to.”
“You are the last person I expected to hear this from,” I say boldly to Corinna.
“Why? I know he was my doctor and all, but he’s not more important than you are to me. Please, put an end to this farce before you’re so far in you can’t get out.” Pushing her way into the room past Phil, she leans against the wall in her trademark chef’s coat and jeans. Her own diamond sparkles against her left hand.
“What if I love him?” I ask curiously. I don’t, but I’m curious about their intervention efforts.
“Then we wouldn’t be sitting here trying to save your happily ever after,” Holly says gently.
I snort. I can’t help it. “Like I believe in those.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Phil interjects smoothly.
“To make me want to buy into something that’s full of shit?” I demand. It’s not, and I know it. But I can’t ever have it.
Ever.
“No, to prevent you from buying into something worse than shit,” Ali says.
“What’s worse than that?”
“A life filled with nothing.”
