Page 7 of Resisting Fate
Chapter Three
Four days later, Missy was riding in a limo with her friends in a dreamy haze. If you had told her back when she was on the streets, hungry and clawing her way through just to survive, that one day she’d be attending movie star Claire Jordan’sFierce Loving wrap party at a palatial mansion in the Connecticut countryside, she wouldn’t have believed it. Claire was a Happy Endings Book Club member and star of the Fierce trilogy movies based on books written by former book club member Julia Marino. Everything good in Missy’s life could be traced back to her connection with the Happy Endings Book Club, a romance book club she never would’ve joined on her own. She didn’t even believe in a romantic happy ending. And that connection was all due to her younger sister, Lily Marino.
Three years ago, out of the blue, Missy got a call from a woman claiming to be her sister—both of them put up for adoption as babies from the same mother to different families. Missy had agreed to meet her, figuring at least someone would understand how much their biological mother sucked. They’d connected immediately, but it was only for a week. Missy had been living in Seattle at the time and thought she’d never see Lily again. But Lily kept in touch and, when Lily got engaged two months later, she asked Missy to be maid of honor, a huge step for their tentative relationship. Their bond strengthened during Missy’s visit for the wedding, resulting in Missy moving to Clover Park. Lily’s family by marriage, the Marinos, had welcomed Missy, giving her a job and leading her to the Happy Endings Book Club. The debt she owed the Marinos was immense. They made Clover Park feel like home.
She focused on her friends all dressed up for the special occasion. Lexi and Hailey sat across from her, Sabrina by her side. The rest of their friends from the Happy Endings Book Club had skipped the limo in favor of driving with their fiancés or husbands. Guess the limo crowd were the last of the single women in their group. Fine by Missy. Sisters before misters, forever and ever, amen.
Lexi’s shoulder-length dark brown hair was swept into a sophisticated twist, her makeup flawless, and she wore a scandalously slit red dress, exposed from ankle to waist. For sure she was commando under that thing. Lexi was a lot like Missy—no-nonsense and practical.
“Champagne?” Lexi asked, passing the bottle over to Missy. Claire kept the limo stocked for them.
Missy took a slug from the bottle, delicately wiping some from her chin. She smiled at Lexi. “Looks like your dress ripped.”
Lexi swished the bottom of her dress from side to side. “Eat your heart out, Blake Grenier!” He was the drop-dead gorgeous co-star of the Fierce trilogy movies.
“Or you,” Missy quipped.
Everyone laughed.
Missy passed the champagne bottle to Sabrina, who huffed. “Where are the glasses? I can’t show up to an A-list party in one of Claire’s designer dresses with champagne spilled all over my front.” Her full-length lavender dress was exquisite—frothy and light with lace and sheer panels. Her long dirty blond hair was smooth and glossy, her brown eyes accented by smoky eyeliner, even her round apple cheeks had more definition with makeup. Quite a transformation from girl-next-door to glam. Of course, she was still sweet as ever.
Missy felt a little plain next to Sabrina, wearing her usual little black dress, her brown hair not at all glossy or styled, just straight down to her shoulders. At least her push-up bra made it look like she had cleavage.
“So don’t spill,” Missy told Sabrina.
“I got it,” Hailey said, sliding open a storage cabinet and pulling out a stack of plastic cups. Hailey somehow moved with ease in a black strapless dress that fit her like a glove. Probably from all her years on the beauty pageant circuit. She was a former beauty queen with long strawberry blond hair, pale blue eyes, and a flawless complexion. Now she worked as a wedding planner and was the leader of the Happy Endings Book Club.
Sabrina leaned forward and took the offered cup. “Thanks, Hailey. I have to be so careful. I’m sure this dress cost a fortune.”
Hailey nodded. “It’s classier to drink from a cup.” Hailey wasalwaysclassy.
Lexi showed off an exposed leg and purposely slurred her words. “What’re you saying, we’re not classy?”
Missy made a show of adjusting her strapless bra. “Yeah, we’re classy!”
“Classy with a K,” Sabrina said, which made Hailey laugh.
Hailey took them all in with a bright smile that meant she was shifting to hyper planner mode, her speech rapid-fire. “Anyone have time this weekend to help me get ready for the holiday stroll and tree decorating? There’s still a lot to be done decoration-wise, plus the favors I’m preparing for the kids, the raffle, the gift-wrapping for seniors—did I tell you about that event? I merged the gift-wrapping thing into the tree-decorating event. I’m also on the hunt for miniature stockings for—”
“Hold that thought,” Missy said. She turned to Sabrina. “Pass her the champagne.” Hailey had always been driven, but ever since she’d become single, ending a long-term friends-with-benefits situation, she’d catapulted past driven to hyper. The real issue, they all privately agreed, was Josh Campbell. The pair, previously involved in an escalating frenemy one-upmanship fueled by a palpable sexual chemistry, abruptly stopped all sparring when Josh got a girlfriend. Kind of a shame for the rest of them too because watching Josh and Hailey at Garner’s Sports Bar & Grill, where they all hung out, was an extremely entertaining and frequent event. Josh was manager and bartender there and took great pleasure in denying Hailey her favorite drink as retaliation for whatever devious thing she’d come up with. The rumor that Josh had a tiny banana was only one example of Hailey’s brilliant moves. Josh’s new girlfriend was the anti-Hailey—a laid-back, supersweet, bohemian yoga instructor.
Sabrina handed the bottle to Hailey. “Sweetie, promise me you’ll take a breather after the holidays.” Sabrina was a relationship counselor with a deeply compassionate nature.
Hailey poured herself a glass, her smile bright. “I’m fine. This is what I do.” She set the champagne bottle back in the ice bucket and lifted her cup. “To planning fantastic events!”
Missy and Sabrina exchanged a concerned look.
“I’m fine!” Hailey chirped. “Seriously, I’ve never been happier!”
“We totally believe you!” Lexi chirped back in a dead-on Hailey impersonation.
Hailey’s pale blue eyes narrowed. “You’ve been snippier lately. When was the last time you had a man in your life?”
“Don’t go there,” Lexi said with no real heat.
Hailey lifted one shoulder. “It’s what I do. I’m a happy-ending facilitator.”
“The Love Junkie,” Sabrina added with a straight face. “It says so on her card.”
