“There was obviously a time when you did.”
“And that was a mistake,” she snapped back. “A close call. I’m better off this way. It worked out for the best, really.”
“You got hurt, and now you’re scared to open up.” His expression suddenly changed to one of pity. And there was nothing she hated more than being pitied. “Have you even opened up to anyone since your wedding day? Have you let anyone in?”
She rubbed her forehead as the music, the lights, the spinning was starting to give her a headache. “I’ve let people in. You can’t pretend to know me after two weeks. Because you don’t.”
“No, I don’t.” The sound that came out of his mouth was a laugh, but he didn’t look like his usual lighthearted self. “That’s just the point. Does anyone? Or do you keep yourself so guarded that no one knows what’s really going on in there? Do you even know what you want yourself?”
“I know a hell of a lot better than you do,” she threw back at him. “Who are you to tell me what I want, what I need, what will make me happy?”
Levi leaned closer so he didn’t have to yell over the music or engine noises. Or maybe it was because heads were turning their way as they went round and round. “Because I think you know what you want, but for being such a straight shooter when it comes to everyone else, you sure are good at lying to yourself.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“One minute you’re telling me I’ve got no chance, and the next you’re grabbing my junk. Even when you’re pushing me away, you’re running after me.”
“No. I mean okay, yes. I did do that.” She shook her head, trying to get a grip on the conversation. It seemed to be forging on quicker than she could keep up, faster than she could defend herself. “Maybe I’ve been a bit indecisive, but it’s not because I don’t know what I want. I do know.”
“Then what is it?” Levi reached out to her, his hand grabbing her waist like he was pleading with her. “Because you’re sending me mixed signals.”
Zoe flicked his hand away like it burned. “Maybe because you’re pushing me. You’re pushing me for promises, for more. You’re pushing me for something that I can’t give you.”
“Can’t give me? Or refuse to? You pretend like you’ve been honest, Zoe, but you’ve been lying right from the start.”
She gaped at him as they undulated up and down on their horses, the rest of the world spinning around them. She closed her eyes, feeling dizzy.
She shook her head. “That’s not true at all. I’ve been honest with you this whole time.”
“Sorry, but I just can’t believe you. I think you’re lying to me, and I think you’re lying to yourself.”
She scowled at him. “Then that’s your problem. Not mine.”
His face hardened and his nostrils flared as he took a steadying breath. “Fine, then tell me right now, and I’ll never bother you again. Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want me. All you have to do is say ‘no.’ Say it, Zoe.”
Zoe glared at him, feeling her breathing come in nauseated pants, her heart thudding inside her chest, her head splitting open from the music overhead. But she couldn’t seem to form the word.
“What do you want, Zoe?” Levi asked when she didn’t say anything.
“I don’t know!” she yelled.
The only thing she could think of that she wanted more than anything else in the world was to leave, to get off that ride and run as far away as possible.
She could feel things bubbling up inside of her, things she wanted to swallow back down, to tuck away in her bottle. But that didn’t seem to be working so well anymore. They kept leaking back out whenever she was around Levi, like he was shaking her up, building the pressure like a can of Coke.
The ride needed to be over. Now. She was ready to jump off the second story carousel, to dive off the pier if she needed to. She couldn’t wait another second.
“Stop the ride. Stop the ride!” she yelled. “I need to get off!”
But when the ride kept going and her world kept spinning out of control, she slid ungracefully off her horse, falling to the metal floor with a bang. Practically crawling on hands and knees, she made her way to the edge of the turning platform.
Someone shouted nearby. The ride jerked. Zoe gripped the horse next to her. Somewhere inside the inner workings of the antique carousel, gears grinded to a halt, a motor whined as everything began to slow.
When the ride thankfully came to a stop, she scrambled toward the stairs. Then she heard Levi call out behind her.
“Zoe!”
At the top of the stairs, she turned to the sound of his voice. He was still on the horse, staring after her like she’d lost her mind, and he felt sorry for her.
“You were right the other day,” he said. “It’s not me. It’s you.”
18
A Song and Dance
Piper swept out of the changing room in a white silk empire dress. Zoe and Addison watched from the plush Queen Anne sofa with hopeful anticipation. Would this be the one? The perfect gown to replace the one that was destroyed in Zoe’s van?
Fabric swished with each step as Piper glided across the Princess Room and stepped onto the raised platform in the center. Zoe crossed her fingers, feeling guiltier than ever that Piper had to go through dress fittings and alterations all over again. And so close to the big day.
She might not have cut up her friend’s dress herself, but she was the reason it happened. She just wasn’t sure why yet. The police still had no leads. It was hard to narrow it down from the thousands of people who had visited the Hilton that day.
The short saleswoman, Astrid, danced around her high-profile customer like an excited puppy, rearranging her train, straightening any wrinkles. Once every square inch was tweaked, tugged, and fluffed, she stood back and spread her hands wide as though displaying Piper. Ta-dah!
Piper assessed herself in the three-way mirror before spinning around to face her friends. A hesitant wrinkle creased her forehead.
“What do you guys think?”
Addison sighed. “You look beautiful. It’s gorgeous. Aiden will love it.”
Zoe shook her head. “You look like crap.”
Piper’s mouth dropped. “What?”
Addison gasped, a long, drawn-out, cartoony sound. “Zoe!”
“It’s true, Addy. Don’t lie.” She held up her hands to Piper before she became distressed. “You look beautiful, as always. But the dress isn’t flattering. Your boobs are squished, your curves hidden, your torso shortened.”
Piper turned her shocked gaze from Zoe to Addison, the fashionista of the group. “Addy? Is it true?”
She bit her bottom lip and kind of cringed. “Well…”
“It’s only one week until the big day,” Zoe reminded Addison. “We don’t have time for sugar coating.”
Piper crossed her arms, still waiting for Addison’s response.
“It could be better,” Addison finally relented. Which was as blunt of an answer as they would get out of her, since she was nothing if not coated in sweet sugariness.
“So, this is a no?” Astrid asked in her thick French accent.
“It’s a no,” Zoe confirmed.
Piper’s shoulders slumped and she headed back to the changing room to try the next one.
When she was out of earshot, Addison spun on Zoe. “You don’t have to be so rude.”
“I’m not rude. I’m honest,” Zoe said simply. “We’re running out of time, and I will not let this wedding be anything but perfect.”
Addison frowned, but eventually nodded. “You’re right. Okay. Honesty. I can do that.” She took a sip of tea out of the shop’s Royal Albert teacup, as though the caffeine would fortify her. “Are you okay, Zoe? You seem a bit stressed today.”
“I don’t know why?” Zoe said airily. “I only have a week to be ready for Piper’s wedding, there’s someone out there that might want to kill me, and my business is tanking as we speak. Not to me
ntion, I’m moving back in with my mother.” And she didn’t even want to get into the whole arranged marriage thing.
By now, Zoe couldn’t deny that someone had it in for her. The snipped brake lines might have been a tiny hint, the explosion an even bigger one. But it wasn’t just that. Whoever was behind the incidents didn’t want to simply hurt Zoe. They wanted to ruin her by destroying her business, her office, her supplies. It was personal. That was why her first instinct screamed rival.
Natalie was clearly going out of her way to cut Zoe down professionally by stealing her clients. Could she have been taking things too far? She would have known exactly which dress to cut to shreds to do the most damage to her business. Hell, she’d even had a key to Zoe’s office. But could she have gone as far as blowing it up?
Then again, Chelsea had just as much motivation as Natalie, if not more. She’d been trying to undermine Zoe for years. Or maybe they were both in on it since they were working together now. Maybe it was part of some grand master plan to eliminate Plum Crazy Events for good.
Then there was Juliet. And she was just crazy.
With a sigh, Zoe leaned against the sofa’s backrest while she shoved all those problems into her bottle with everything else and jammed the cap back on.
Addison was watching her closely. She was already up to date on the details of Zoe’s dramas. “Can I do anything to help?”
“No. Thank you. I just need a little stress relief.” She took a sip of her own tea.
Addison grinned into her cup. “Maybe Levi can help you out with that.”
At the reminder, Zoe swallowed hard, nearly choking on tea. Addison gave her a strange look as she coughed and sputtered. That had been one of the main sources of her stress since she ran away from Pier 39 the day before. She hadn’t spoken to Levi since.
Thankfully she didn’t need to explain her reaction because the changing-room door squeaked opened. Astrid held it open for Piper to squeeze out in a tulle ball gown with heavy beading on the sheer bodice.
She barely made it to the platform before Zoe was pointing back toward the changing room and Addison was shaking her head—albeit with an apologetic frown.
Piper groaned and spun on her heel, disappearing again for round three.
While Zoe and Addison waited, a chime rang out in the tune of the wedding march. The French woman slipped out of Piper’s dressing room.
“That’ll be the door. I’ll just go see who it is. I’ll be right back!” Shoving the heavy privacy curtains aside, she headed out to the store front.
Piper poked her head out into the viewing area before shuffling out in a shapely mermaid gown. It certainly hugged her curves nicely. Approaching the raised platform, she tried to lift her fishtail skirt to step up, but her movements were stiff. She couldn’t bend over far enough to reach the flared tulle.
Finally, she kicked the fabric up with her foot and caught it in her hands. Leaning awkwardly, she stepped onto the platform and spun to face her friends.
“Beautiful,” Addison breathed.
Zoe nodded her head, her eyes running over the gown critically. “I agree. But it’s still a no. Too impractical. You need to be comfortable on your big day. If you can’t move freely, there certainly won’t be any dancing. You’d have to cancel Reluctant Redemption,” she realized, suddenly hopeful. “But if you really want it, I can call them right now and let them know the bad news.”
Astrid’s thick accent drifted through the curtains as she returned. “I’m sorry. I’m booked for the day,” she was saying. “You’ll have to make an appointment and come back another day.”
“Oh, it’s fine. They won’t mind.” Zoe recognized the voice only a second before the heavy pink curtains swished apart and in burst The Holly Hart.
“Ladies!” Holly cried. “What a coincidence!”
Piper gaped. “Holly?”
Zoe got to her feet, blocking Holly from coming into the private viewing room any farther. “Coincidence, my ass.”
But Holly had obviously learned to be quick to get all those breaking stories, and she dodged Zoe’s outstretched arms. Slinking to the platform, she shoved her phone up to Piper’s mouth, the screen displaying a recording app.
“So, any talks of honeymoon destinations?”
“Why? Will I find you lurking in the bushes?” Piper narrowed her eyes.
“I don’t lurk. I stake out. It’s a professional term.” She held a hand to her chest. “I’m a professional.”
“What are you doing here?” Zoe demanded.
“I didn’t think you’d mind, you know, considering our little arrangement.” She gave a subtle eyewink. Or about as subtle as Holly could be.
Zoe eyed her up and down. “What arrangement? We don’t have an arrangement.” Grabbing the reporter by the arm, she began to drag her back through the curtains.
“Oh, you remember,” she said lightly, like she was used to getting manhandled. “I scratch your back, you scratch mine.”
“Zoe, what is she talking about?” Piper stepped down off the platform to get into Holly’s face. She crossed her arms below the sweetheart neckline. “What are you talking about?”
Holly looked at Piper as though she were a simpleton. She spoke very slowly so she could follow. “Where do you think I’ve been getting all my delicious facts for my blog articles?”
Piper spun on her friend. “What? Zoe, you didn’t.”
“I didn’t. Well”—she hesitated, wincing a little—“I guess I did, but—”
Holly gasped and held a hand over her mouth. “Was that supposed to be a secret? Oops. My bad.” Stepping back, she held up her phone to take a photo of Piper in the dress, but Addison slapped it away before she could take the shot.
“Zoe. How could you?” Piper asked.
Zoe cringed at the tone in her voice, at the hurt, the betrayal. And she wished she could deny it, but she had let a few things slip. A lot of things, now that she thought about it. But she most certainly didn’t tell her about their appointment at the bridal shop.
“You knew Aiden and I wanted a low-key wedding,” Piper said, storming back to the changing room—more like teetering in her tight dress. “No media, no public, and especially no Holly Hart,” she said like the name was poison in her mouth.
“Hello. Right here.” Holly held up a hand and waved. “Still in the room.”
Zoe pulled on Piper’s arm before she could slip away. “It wasn’t like that. You know what Holly is like.”
“Overbearing, obtrusive, nosey…” Addison counted the amazing qualities out on her fingers.
“Again. Right here,” Holly said.
Zoe spun on her, her hands balling into fists. “Yes. You are still here. Let’s do something about that, shall we?”
Holly held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. “Now, now. Let’s not be hasty. We’re all friends here.”
“No. We’re friends,” Zoe gestured to the three of them. “That doesn’t include you.”
“Friends?” Piper repeated. “That depends on your explanation as to why you’ve been leaking info to Holly.”
The shop owner’s eyes shifted uncertainly between the girls. Finally, when the tension was thick enough to jab one of her stick pins into, she clapped her hands. “Shall we try on another dress?” she asked hopefully.
“Ooh. Yes! Let’s.” Holly plopped down on the sofa and settled in like she was replacing Zoe in the “friends” category.
And by the fierce expression on Piper’s face, it looked like there might very well be an opening.
“Not you.” Addison shoved the reporter off the velvet sofa and onto the hardwood floor.
Huffing, she picked herself up and brushed off her coral pantsuit. “I don’t have to take this. I’m leaving,” she said, like it was entirely her choice.
“Allons-y!” Astrid said as she shooed Holly toward the exit.
They disappeared through the curtains together. Zoe relaxed as the fabric fell still, but then a moment later, H
olly’s head popped through the slit again.
Her eyes narrowed in Zoe’s direction. “Tit for tat, remember.” She waggled her fingers in farewell. “Chow!”
Silence fell around the girls. They heard the distant chime of the Wedding March as Holly was kicked out of the store.
“Zoe, how could you?” Piper asked again.
Zoe’s face screwed up as she tried to find some kind of explanation that would make sense, but she couldn’t. “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”
The curtains parted and Astrid ushered Piper back into the changing room, determined to sell a dress that day. “Next dress. Here we go!” She shut the door firmly behind them, and a moment later the frantic swishing of silk and organza could be heard through the door.
“So what?” Piper called through the door. “Wedding details just fell out of your mouth by accident then?”
“The day I was kicked out of the expo, Holly was there with her cameraman. They caught it all on film. It wasn’t good.” Zoe lingered nearby, speaking through the door’s louver slits. “She threatened to run a smear campaign against my business. Between my assistant stealing clients, and Chelsea slandering my name all over town, and Juliet’s tantrum at the expo, I couldn’t afford the bad publicity.”
“So you sold me out.”
“No. I mean, yes.” She ran a hand over her face, banging her head against the wall. “But I only gave her information that she could dig up herself if she really had a mind to, and you know she would have. I didn’t tell her anything that would get her anywhere near the wedding, or allow her to stick her nose into it.”
“Except for my wedding-dress appointment,” Piper shot back through the door.
Zoe placed a hand against the door, wishing she could talk to Piper’s face, so she could know how sorry she was, so she could see it in her expression. “I swear I didn’t. I have no idea how she found out.”
Addison had been listening from the other side of the room, but now she came to stand near Zoe. “Piper,” she spoke to the door, “to be fair, I know first-hand how manipulative Holly Hart can be and what kind of damage she can do when she doesn’t get what she wants.”
Addison frowned, probably remembering how close she’d come to losing her business the year before. Holly had been creative with the facts about a dognapping case in the show-dog circuit and turned it all around on her.
A Wedding Tail Page 22
