The Price Of Scandal(50)

“Did you hit your head in the shower?” I asked sweetly.





Daisy: WTF, Stanton? You collapse at work and don’t bother letting your posse know?





Luna: Are you alright? Do you need an appointment with my aromatherapist?





Cam: Relax guys. Mr. Naked Dreamy took good care of her. And if my trusty surveillance skills are accurate, his car is still in her driveway.





Daisy: Ooooooooooh! Dick pics or it didn’t happen!





Luna: Sending you my aromatherapist’s contact and a 30-pack of organic, latex-free condoms.





23





Emily





Jane plowed through Bluewater ten miles over the speed limit. Traffic today was even worse than usual. It was as if every unlicensed driver in the city had gassed up their unregistered rust buckets and taken to the roads, double-parking and cutting off law-abiding drivers with abandon.

My mother was going to kill me. She’d called me four times today, each time extracting my promise that I would be at the gala, beautiful, and on time.

The traffic insanity had apparently infiltrated the enclave. We careened through the security gate only to come to a screeching halt when Mrs. Montecito’s golf cart swerved out in front of us. She had a long-standing habit of starting happy hour early, and it looked like today had been two-for-one margarita day at Bluewater’s beach bar.

“Okay, I can shower, dress in two minutes, sit for hair, and do half my makeup in the car,” I decided, recalculating my list.

“You almost lost an eye last time you did your makeup in the car,” Jane said. “Hang on, boss.”

I grabbed the handle above the door and squeezed my eyes shut while Jane jumped the curb and sped down the golf cart trail. Palm fronds and fragrant flowers whipped at the side of the Range Rover.

We were going to get arrested, and I didn’t know who’d be angrier. My mother or Derek.

Jane swerved again, flattening a saw palmetto as she plowed back onto the road, leaving Mrs. Montecito’s golf cart weaving behind us.

“Jane!”

“I’m just driving like everyone else in Miami.”

“You’ll get us thrown out of Bluewater.” I released my grip on the handle and tried to massage blood back into my fingers.

She snorted. “You own the place. You can throw everyone else out if they whine too much.”

I dreaded the next town hall.

Jane slammed on the brakes in the driveway, sending a cloud of crushed seashells up into the stratosphere. I hopped out and sprinted for the door. It had been a busy day of reassuring everyone that I felt just fine and following up on all the tasks Derek dumped on other staff members.

After plying me with lunch at my desk, he’d left to take care of things at his own offices with the promise that he’d pick me up promptly at… Oh, hell. Now.

“Tea and Crumpets will be here any second,” Jane yelled after me as I shouldered through the front door.

“Stall him!” I called over my shoulder and bolted for my bathroom.

My phone rang. It was my mother.

“Mom, I can’t talk right now,” I said, turning the water in the shower on. I kicked my heels off across the bathroom. One landed on the tufted ottoman shaped like a daisy. The other landed between the vanities. Thank God I had very nice, organized people who cleaned up after me, otherwise I’d never find both shoes again.

“Are you ready yet? I want to see a picture of your dress.”

“I’m not ready yet,” I growled, yanking my shirt off over my head and kicking it in the direction of my shoes.

Shit. I was out of body wash. It had been on my shopping list.

“What do you mean you’re not ready yet? You’re supposed to be there in an hour!” She made it sound like I was running late for a life-saving surgery.

I grabbed a short robe from the bathroom closet and dashed out of the room.

“Traffic was bad. I’m home now and getting ready, which would go a lot faster if you’d stop calling me.”

“Don’t you dare be late, Emily. I’m not posing with your father’s ex-wife with both of my children conspicuously absent. What will everyone say?”

My mother’s motto in life.

I found Jane and Luna in my kitchen snacking on cheese and crackers. I snagged one out of Luna’s hand and stuffed it in my mouth.

“Maybe they’ll say it’s nice that you get along with your husband’s ex-wife?” I guessed.

“Emily, don’t speak with your mouth full!”

I mimed scrubbing down my entire body.

Jane pointed at the tote bags on the kitchen counter. At least one thing had gone my way. My personal shopper had left her bounty like a magical fairy.

“Gotta go, Mom,” I said, digging into the first bag and hanging up on my mother.

“Well, it’s an unorthodox look. But you’ll certainly have people talking,” Derek announced behind me.

“Traffic,” I yelled, finding the body wash and taking off down the hall in a barefoot sprint. “Hi, Luna!”

I jumped in the shower and did the fastest wash of hair and body in human history.

Toweling off, I realized I still didn’t know what I was wearing.