Page 30 of Wedding Crasher

‘He won’t. Just get out.’

Irritation prickled hot beneath Marla’s skin. Despite the other woman’s tearful face and her right to her anger, she detected an element of self-satisfaction in Melanie’s over-bright eyes. However shaken up she was, she was drawing an element of pleasure from Marla’s fall from grace.

‘I’ve asked real nicely,’ Marla said, stepping closer and laying her shaking palms on the desk. ‘If Gabe won’t listen to me, he needs to send me away himself.’

A flash of pure hatred lit Melanie’s eyes as she mirrored Marla’s stance and leaned in.

‘And I’ve asked youreal niceto get the hell out of here.’ She mimicked Marla’s American accent with a sneer.

‘What’s going on here, ladies?’

They both flinched and looked towards the door behind reception, where Gabe leaned against the doorframe with a deep frown over his unhappy eyes.

‘She threatened me, Gabe,’ Melanie said, traces of panic in her plaintive voice.

‘I did no such thing!’ Anger made Marla’s voice louder than she’d intended. Gabe crossed to stand shoulder to shoulder with Melanie. ‘What do you want, Marla?’

Marla looked from Gabe to Melanie. From pure misery to crocodile tears. She really didn’t want to have to explain Jonny’s actions in front of Miss Snark.

‘Can I please speak to you?’ she said, keeping her gaze only on Gabe.

He looked at her in silence.

‘Please?’ she said softly.

‘I already told her you wouldn’t see her, Gabe,’ Melanie almost whispered, laying a hand on Gabe’s forearm. ‘That’s when she got aggressive.’

The urge to get truly aggressive right there and then burned in Marla’s gut, but she held her silence and Gabe’s gaze, hoping he’d be reasonable.

‘You’ve got five minutes,’ he said eventually.

Melanie pursed her lips and looked at her watch as if about to start the stop clock.

‘Can we at least speak in private?’ Marla asked, hating how small her voice sounded.

Melanie shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’

Mild surprise registered in Gabe’s eyes before they slid from Marla to his receptionist.

‘Give us five, please Mel? I’m sure you could do with a cuppa anyway.’

She shook her dark head, resolute. ‘I’m fine.’

Gabe touched her shoulder. ‘Take a break, Melanie.’

His voice held a quiet authority that brooked no argument, and Marla watched as Melanie struggled hard to hold on to her professional veneer.

‘Fine.’ She smiled through gritted teeth. ‘I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.’ She flicked a last accusatory glance at Marla as she turned away, and then down at her watch again, leaving Marla in no doubt that she’d be back from that tea break in exactly five minutes and not a second more. She better start talking.

Gabe clicked the door closed behind Melanie and then turned back around.

‘Well?’

Marla glanced at her ruby shoes, wishing again for that elusive courage.

‘I’d like to pay for the damage to the window.’

‘Even though it’s not even your fault?’ Gabe said, and his cool eyes told her that he was in no doubt that she was the guilty party.

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