Page 21 of Only Fate

“You’re not bribing me with dinner so I can get your email.”

“It’s not bribery. I forgot my email, and only food will help me remember.”

I open my mouth to scream at him but shut it. This is my time to show Blue Beech what I’m capable of, and having dinner with the attorney I’m up against isn’t professional. I need to win so that people want me as their attorney, not him.

“The children are to have no communication with the mistress,” I tell him as if the dinner invite never existed.

He chuckles. “She is their former nanny and has been around the children for years.”

“Potato, potahto,” I drawl out. “I’d advise your client to work with Brielle because we don’t plan to go easy on him.”

“He has a prenup, Essie.”

“He also had an affair. I’ll need a copy of that prenup so I can pick it apart.”

“I’ll bring it to dinner tonight.”

“There will be no dinner tonight. You can email me at?—”

“Tonight,” he interrupts. “The diner. Seven. I’m not emailing you anything.”

He hangs up.

Are you kidding me?

There’s an urge to call him back to get the last word.

But I don’t even have his direct line. No way am I having Ralph, one of the biggest gossipers in town, know I’m calling Adrian again.

Adrian thinks he’s winning here, but he’s so wrong.

I’ll convince him to leave my town, just like he left me all those years ago.

8

This is something I never foresaw in my future.

I’m sitting alone in a small diner, “Greased Lightnin’” playing in the background, while being stood up by a woman.

Other diners stare at me in interest.

Some try to hide their nosiness. Others do it shamelessly.

I’ve never felt like more of an outsider.

It doesn’t help that the people in the booth over have been discussing me like I don’t have ears and am the latest episode of their favorite show.

“Why would he randomly move here?”

“His grandmother is why! She’s marrying Terrance.”

“Is he single? I wouldn’t mind marrying him!”

“Daphne, you’re married.”

“Shit, I forgot about that.”

A few times, I’ve wanted to turn around and tell them I moved here for my abuelaandto get my girl back.

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