Page 22 of Little Gray Dress

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say to him. “I’m so sorry about tonight.”

“Don’t worry about it, they’re assholes.”

“I hope you find another playboy bunny.” I try not to scrunch my face in disgust as I say it, but I can tell my face isn’t co-operating.

Morgan laughs and winks at me. “No worries there, I’ve got a whole stack of 'em.”

“Ew,” I say before watching him toss his half-empty plate into a garbage can on the sidewalk, grab his bags and jog across the street to hop on the Max train.

Jack’s phone pings in his pocket.

“Oh no, is it work?”

His face suddenly tenses as he looks at his phone before handing it over to me.

Jack, I have connections. You’ll be hearing from me. Greta

“What the fuck?” I yell, nearly dropping my plate on the ground and startling an older woman walking past us with a bag of groceries. “She could hardly speak a straight sentence five minutes ago. Now she’s suddenly become Nancy Drew? How on earth did she get your number so fast?”

“She’s going to be a real pain in the ass.” Jack growls in irritation. I watch as he hits Delete and shoves his phone in his pocket. “Don’t worry about it, though, I want nothing to do with her.” He gives me a peck on the cheek and nods in the direction of the parking garage. “Dinner on the street as we walk to our car, there’s a date we’ve not yet had.”

“True.” I wish this situation was a little less stressful than it is. Jack’s trying hard to make light of it, but I just lost my job. A job I worked really hard at.

“Everything will work itself out for the best, you’ll see.” As if reading my mind Jack sends his usual positive vibe into the atmosphere.

I hope he’s right.

Chapter Seven

Present Day

West Hills, Portland, Oregon

The Bridal Shower

“What happened last night?” Lily asks. She, Hannah, Josh, and Evan are all sitting around the dining table with me the next morning, coffee in hand.

I guess now is as good a time as any to spill all the secrets I’ve held back about the last day Jack and I were together. As I rattled it all off to Liam last night I felt bad that I was telling it to a stranger before I told even my own brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law.

“There are some things you guys don’t know.” I glance at everyone except Lily and Josh, who already know too much. “Greta and I have a bit of a history.”

“How?” Evan asks.

“Remember when I worked for Mayfair Home?”

“Oh yeah… I forgot about that. You quit right after you and Jack got engaged, right?”

“Not exactly.” I purse my lips together. I hate it when I lie and then get caught and need to explain it later. Right now, I honestly feel like I’m twelve years old. “I didn’t quit, I got fired.”

“How did you get fired?” Hanna’s voice is high-pitched and unbelieving. I can’t blame her; I’m not the girl who normally gets fired, and even she knows it.

“Greta. She was supposed to be the face of a commercial we were shooting, but she got wasted, took a liking to Jack, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I was accused of being jealous, not keeping a close enough eye on her, not keeping her sober, and being irresponsible. So her dad fired me.”

“WHAT?” Evan and Hannah say in unison.

“Oh my God, Ems.” Hannah stares at me. “I’m so sorry. If I’d had any idea at all about this, I never would have asked her to be a bridesmaid.”

“Oh God. She’s a bridesmaid?” I didn’t know this detail because I only stayed here for a few minutes with her last night. I just assumed she was here for the barbecue because Jack is in the wedding party. I expected Evan to have him as a groomsman; they’ve been best friends for years. I couldn’t possibly expect him to dump Jack just because of what happened between him and me.

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