Take Two (The Jilted Bride #1)(56)

“Yes mom,” I groaned. “There’s a pre-nup.”

“That’s my boy! Now, is there any way you could set me up on a date with Tom Cruise? I was reading Us Weekly this morning and they mentioned you two were in talks to be in Minority Report 2.”

“Go find your seat, Mom.”

She gave me another hug and whispered. “You’re the only one that has to live with your decision. Not me, not anyone else. Remember that.”

As she walked out, a young OWN producer walked in. She nervously tapped her pen to her clipboard and waited for security to shut the door.

“Mr. Sterling, Miss Ross would like to take a few pictures before the wedding if that’s alright with you.”

“That’s fine.”

“And after the reception, we’ve set up rose petals as opposed to rice for the guests to throw. It was a last minute change, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.”

“Okay well,” she opened the door. “I’ll come get you in about twenty minutes for the pictures. Your stylist will be on hand.”

I turned away and heard the door close. I thought about all my family members that were waiting in the audience, waiting for me to be married off. I thought about all the celebrities that had RSVP’d—Anne Hathaway, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Ryan Reynolds, and fifty other ones I’d once worked with. I wondered if they really believed that Selena and I were in love.

“Miss Carter isn’t here,” Joan cut through my thoughts and slammed the door. “You’re still going through with this?”

“It’s a little too late to back out don’t you think?”

“It’s never too late to back away from the biggest mistake of your life,” she reached up and adjusted my tie.

“I already lost Melody. No use in losing Selena too.”

“You really disgust me sometimes.”

“Okay that’s it Joan! You’re fired!”

She snorted. “Please.”

“I’m sorry,” I hugged her. “I’m sorry. She really didn’t show up? She’s really not out there?”

“You expected her to be?”

“I called her last week and she finally answered…She hung up after a while so I sent her a letter package at work. I told her to meet me at the coffee shop on Amsterdam Avenue if she still had any feelings for me. I told her I would call off the wedding if she showed up at six. I waited for an entire hour and she never came.”

“You told her that she needed to come to you? I’m not surprised she didn’t show up.”

“She clearly doesn’t care about me anymore. I’m not putting myself out there again. She’s so—”

“The word ‘again’ implies that you did it at least once already,” she adjusted my cufflinks. “You haven’t.”

“You weren’t there! You don’t know!”

“I do know.”

“Ten minutes ‘til we start the pictures Mr. Sterling,” the producer poked her head through the door.

I looked over myself in the mirror. “Be right there.”

“It’s never too late,” Joan kissed my cheek and dropped her car keys on the floor.

“Joan you dropped your—”

“No I didn’t,” she walked out.

Chapter 27

Melody

“Dear Melody, “I know I hurt you. Words can’t express how sorry I am or how much I’ve missed you. I’ll do everything I can to make it right, including canceling my wedding to Selena next week. If you have any feelings for me at all, please meet me at the coffee shop on Amsterdam Avenue at six o’ clock. I hope you’ll show up so we can be together again. –Your favorite actor, Matt Sterling.”

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I was ecstatic, overjoyed. Some of the hurt and anger I’d felt started to melt away.

I told Sophie I was leaving work after lunch and practically ran out of the building. I went home and changed clothes.

It took me two hours to decide on the perfect outfit: A dark green summer dress with silver flats.

I arrived at the coffee shop an hour early. I ordered a latte and walked around looking for a table.

I wondered if he would be wearing a disguise, or if he would send Joan in to get me and lead me elsewhere. I’d been sitting for twenty minutes when I heard other patrons cheering and saw the flickering of camera flashes.

I stood up and smoothed my hair. This was it. He was early and he was coming for me, in front of everyone. I stood waiting.

Maybe he doesn’t see me?

I picked up my purse and headed down to where all the commotion was. I made my way through camera happy fans and heard one of them scream, “Kiss me Selena!”

I paled. I cut through more fans and caught a glimpse of her as the clerk handed her a smoothie.

“Miss Carter?” she turned around and beamed. “You really are good! I didn’t know you were keeping tabs on me!”

What?

She reached for my hand and led me away from her crazy fans. She pulled me into a small side area and thanked the manager for letting her use the room.

“Did Matt tell you that this used to be our spot when we first started dating?”

NO.