Page 2 of Falling Hard
"Luke is getting married."
I stared at my phone, heart pounding, fingers twitching, waiting for a reply that felt like it might never come. It seemedlike an hour later when someone finally replied, but it was probably only two minutes.
Mei:So, your safety-net man finally found a woman who doesn't treat him like her emotional Uber?
Instantly, I regretted reaching out to her. These jokes weren’t helpful. When I saw the dots moving in the text, I hoped it was someone else in the chat.
Demetria:When Luke tells you where they’re registered, let me know. I want to get him a gift.
What the fuck was happening? Was this some joke they were playing? Had the entire universe decided to play a big joke on me? Annoyed, I replied in all caps:MY LUKE IS GETTING MARRIED. MY BEST FRIEND SINCE CHILDHOOD IS MARRYING SOME GIRL HE'S ONLY KNOWN FOR SIX MONTHS.
To my surprise: nothing. No dots moved on my screen. Confused, I stood and began to pace the room. When my phone rang, it startled me. I was an anxious mess. As I raised it to my face, I caught sight of my wild eyes in the mirror beside me. My tanned skin was slick with sweat, blonde hair damp and sticking to my face. I sighed when I spotted Alex's number. I'd been desperate for her to say something sensible in the group chat. Relieved, I accepted the call.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Her question made me defensive. "Me? I'm always okay. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because Luke is getting married."
Silence. Well, yeah, it startled me. It came out of nowhere. I've kept houseplants alive longer than Luke knew this woman, and I had no green thumb. "I'm just concerned he’s rushing into things."
"When people fall in love, they do foolish things–"
"Yes!" I yelled. "That's it … I'm worried my friend is doing foolish things. What do we know about this woman? Selene is probably after his money."
My friend went silent and then said, "I think her name is Solenne."
"Right. Selene. That's what I said. Now, how do I stop Luke from marrying her?"
"Let's meet up later after work," Alex suggested.
Shit, the mention of work reminded me I should be on my way back to Fox & Cie. Hurrying, I moved around the hotel room, getting dressing and gathering my things.
My dad gave me the job but didn’t take kindly to me slacking off.
"Fine. Let's have an emergency meeting with the other bitches after work. Come to my place," I said.
"I’ll tell the girls. Just get through the day, and then we can chat about things later over a few glasses of wine. Don’t panic–"
"Alex, why does it sound like you're talking me off a ledge? I got surprising news and just shared it. I'm fine."
My chest was heavy and coiled tightly like a spring. I wasn’t okay. Luke was getting married, and it did feel admittedly like the world had moved without me or my permission.
"I know you are. Like I said, everything will be fine. I'm walking back into the office. See you later."
The call ended, and I hurried from the hotel room to the elevator. When the doors opened, my phone buzzed with messages; the other two in the group matched Alex's approach.
Mei:Things will work out in the end.
Why did it feel like I was mourning and she was trying to console me? This was insane. We needed a game plan to stop Luke from making a huge mistake. I didn’t need a shoulder to cry on.
Demetria:Don't worry too hard. You and Luke have history. Things may not be final.
Frustrated, I shoved the phone into my purse and stepped outside. Hopeton, my driver, was already waiting and opened the door as I approached. After I slid into the back seat, I tried to process my friends’ words. I stared out the window, watching leaves fall from the trees and float to the ground. The sidewalks were crowded as usual, but the people wore more layers. Fall was here and, with their pumpkin lattes in hand, New Yorkers rushed to their destinations. The entire ride across Manhattan passed in a blur. When I arrived at Fox & Cie, I scanned the tall brick building that loomed above me and the polished revolving door gleaming at the entrance.
It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn’t answered Luke. What should I say to a man who was making the biggest mistake of his life? I'd need to think about it. I hurried into the building with my chin lifted extra high. I was the vice president ofWomen's Couture. I would never wear my feelings on my face for all to read. If I could be counted on for one thing, it was that I had one hell of a poker face. Even now when I felt like a balloon that had been sat on by an elephant. Not many people could tell. Which was one of the reasons Luke hated playing cards with me. Yet, for some reason, he still allowed me (the only woman) into his monthly poker nights. I had a game face so good you couldn't read me, no matter how hard you tried.
"Oh, you've finally returned from the early lunch you took." My dad's words caught me off guard. I pointed to my office, not eager for the employees under me to hear me getting scolded.
