Chapter 9

Mia

I felt like I was moving through a haze as I changed, grabbed my bag, and set off down the street. I was a block away from the house before I even pulled my hair into a loose ponytail.

On auto pilot, I walked to the ballet studio where Tina used to work. I crossed my fingers and hoped she still did.

Tina Paulin was my best friend in high school, even if she was nearly a year older than me, given our birthdays were on opposite ends of the calendar.

I couldn’t remember how many times I’d run to the studio where she taught ballet to children after I’d had a fight with my parents, or had received a text from a boy I liked, just about anything really.

Finding out I was expected to get married in five days, well, I needed to talk to her, desperately.

Why did you agree to this? My subconscious screamed at me. I should’ve walked away from him that afternoon after we’d had coffee and accepted one of the other offers on my table, lateral move be damned.

Hell, I regretted even stepping into his office on that fateful afternoon. I should’ve left the damn contracts on Jenny’s desk and let her deal with him. Maybe he’d be at her parents’ house and not mine.

Shit.

She probably would’ve loved it. I probably wouldn’t have gotten the leave to go home for this week, but I would’ve been bummed about missing the party and blissfully unaware of the bullet I’d so narrowly dodged.

I kicked myself for getting into this situation. Now my family was involved, and the authorities knew Hudson was visiting them—there was absolutely no way out.

The ballet studio loomed in front of me. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Tina’s graceful form at the barre, demonstrating a move to a small girl who looked like she was about to burst into tears.

I pushed through the doors of the studio, welcoming the air conditioning on my overheated skin, and waited for Tina to finish.

Her eyes lit up when she saw me. “Mia! Everyone, take five. I’ll be right back.”

Tina enveloped me in a hug that brought tears to my eyes. God, I was relieved she was there.

Once she finally released me, she stepped back, keeping her hands on my shoulders. “How are you, girl? I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever! How long are you home for?”

My mind spun with the events of the morning and Tina’s rapid-fire questions. I felt slightly queasy. “I’m,” I paused. “Let’s not talk about me right now. How are you?”

Tina’s features tightened with worry. “I’m okay. It seems you’re the one we should be concerned about. Do you need to sit down? You look kind of pale.”

“No, I’m fine.”

Tina grabbed a bottle of water and led me to a small seating area anyway. “Spill, girlfriend. What’s going on with you?” She folded her lithe frame into a wingback chair, her fiery hair a stark contrast to the dark velvet of the chair.

“It’s a long story. You free for an early lunch?” I gnawed on my lower lip.

“For you, always. I was almost done with this class anyway. My next one isn’t for another two hours or so. Let me go finish up with them, then we’ll go. You going to be okay here?”

“Sure,” I replied, relieved she was able to get away soon.

I watched Tina spin around the dance floor. The girls sighed with delight as she moved. Every single one of them wanted to grow up to be just like her. It was clear in their eyes.

I missed watching Tina in action. Her students adored her. Men couldn’t get enough of her, as evidenced by a shaggy-haired guy peering in through the glass of the studio’s outside wall.

Tina flipped him the bird when her back was turned to the girls and gracefully completed her routine.

“What was that all about?” I asked as she linked her arm through mine after her class, leading me out of the studio.

“That’s just Bruce. Remember, I told you about him when we spoke last month?”

I searched my memory. “The programmer, right?”

She nodded. “The one and only.”

“I thought you were crazy about him!” I exclaimed.

“I was. So was his new next door neighbor, unfortunately.” I heard a note of sadness in her voice, and I squeezed her arm.

“He cheated on you?” I couldn’t believe anyone would cheat on her.

She rolled her eyes to the brilliant blue sky and took a deep breath. “If he’s to be believed, he didn’t. He insists it wasn’t cheating because he was just with her so he could, ‘be sure about me.’ What bullshit!”

“Agreed. Did he honestly think you were going to buy that?” Who the hell did he think he was?

She blinked back tears, then shrugged. “Apparently. He still comes by every few days, trying to get me to talk to him.”

“I’m so sorry, Tina. That’s terrible. When did you find out?”

We rounded the corner and settled into a table at a perfect little bistro we’d been visiting since we were teenagers. It was tucked away on a quiet street and served the best Italian food.

“I found out about two weeks ago. I haven’t spoken to him since.” Tina plucked a bread stick from a basket that had appeared on the table and bit into it almost violently.

“You should have called, Tina. I could’ve come out for the weekend. We could have plotted revenge together.” I was against violence in principle, but I wouldn’t have minded being responsible for a swift knee to Bruce’s nuts. “I mean, of all the horrible things to do. And then to try and justify it that way? It was fucking ridiculous.”

“I needed time to process, but thanks. You’re here now, and I’m really happy to see you. It’s like you knew I needed to see your pretty face.” She smiled.

“It’s good to see you, too, Tina. Really.” A waiter approached our table, took our order of obscenely big mugs of strong coffee, and fled. It was like he knew neither of us were feeling particularly friendly toward men in general. It might have been our matching scowls when he’d interrupted us, but who knew?

He managed to redeem the male gender somewhat by delivering our steaming mugs seconds later.

“So, enough about me. No offense, friend, but you looked terrible when you arrived at the studio earlier. Are you okay?” She tilted her head and studied my face.

“None taken. No, I’m not. I haven’t even showered this morning.”

“That’s not what I was talking about, but now that you mention it.” She pinched her nose shut mockingly and waved her hand in front of her.

“Oh, ha.” I smiled at her just as the waiter returned to take our food order.

We ordered a variety of antipasti without looking at the menu and giggled as the waiter hurried away once more.

“Seriously, that’s not what I meant. You could skip showering all together, and you’d still be gifted by your incredible genes. I was talking about your eyes. They looked like you were high or hysterical or something when you first got to the studio. Though, now that I think about your gene pool, how’s Ryan?”

I knew she was trying to keep things light. She never forced me into talking. “Ryan’s fine.”

“Yeah, he is,” she teased before becoming serious again. “How about you, though? You want to talk about it? Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay. I will be, but I’m not right now. I think I made a mistake, Tina. And I don’t think I can dig myself out of the big black hole I’ve dug myself into.”

“What did you do?” Her eyes darkened with genuine concern. That was the thing about Tina. She wasn’t pushy. She’d wait until I was ready to talk, and she really cared. When she listened, it was to hear, not only to reply.

“Do you remember when I told you about Hudson Blake?” I decided to start at the beginning.

Her eyes widened. “The insanely hot wicked boss from Mordor who was eviler than the guy who killed Dumbledore?”

I might have slightly over exaggerated the first time I mentioned him to Tina. “One and the same Hudson, yes.”

“What did you do?” she groaned. “Tell me you didn’t sleep with the personification of a cocky asshole!”

Wow, I’d forgotten how great her memory was. I was also a little embarrassed at my colorful descriptions of him. No wonder Ryan was so pissed. I shook my head. “Worse. If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone. Ever.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t. I’m a vault.” She imitated zipping her lips, locking them, and throwing away the key.

“This is serious, Tina. Like, government agent serious. Are you sure you want to know? I could just give you the cliff notes version?”

“I’m sure. You’ve been my best friend since forever, silly. I’ve got your back.” Her face was solemn as she leaned back in her seat and waited for me to find the words I needed to say.

“I agreed to marry him,” I blurted out. Tina’s jaw dropped, and she stared dumbly for a couple of seconds.

“So, you didn’t sleep with him, but you’re marrying him?” She breathed once she regained her composure. “Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack. Or an Immigration Agent.” A weight lifted off my shoulders at the confession.

“So, he’s...?”

“Here illegally,” I finished for her.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” she said and took a sip of her coffee.

“No, I think I will be, though. I walked into his office one day, and the agents were there. He told them we were engaged, and I eventually agreed to it. He’s here, at my parents’ house, right now.”

“You left him alone at your parents’ place? Ryan will eat him alive, and not in the fun way. What possessed you?” Her eyes bored into mine, alarmed.

“He can hold his own, trust me,” I assured her before continuing. “What possessed me was it gets worse.”

She arched an eyebrow. “It gets worse?”

“We’re getting married on Friday. As of this morning.” I moaned, my face falling back to my hands.

“This Friday?” she shrieked then lowered her voice. “As in five days from now?”

“That’s the one. My wedding day. I guess I imagined it a little differently.”

“Ya think?” Her expression was confirmation of the absolute insanity I’d gotten myself caught up in.

“Yeah, silly me. I guess I hoped for a ring and a wedding I could plan in more than five days with a man I might just love,” I replied sarcastically.

Tina sniggered. “Imagine that. You’re stuck in a bit of a pickle with this one, aren’t you?”

“A pickle? Try a fucking cactus,” I countered, wishing it was a joke.

“That may be the more apt description, yes. What are you going to do?” Her eyes searched mine.

“Plan a wedding, I guess. Unless you have a better idea?” I wasn’t above begging.

“Hey, don’t look at me. I’ll help however I can, but I can’t get you out of this. Especially not if the agents are going to be attending.”

No begging necessary, there was no way out of it either of us could see.

“Great,” I groaned. “Well, I guess there’s only one thing to do here. Tina Paulin, will you be my maid of honor?”

A grin spread across her face. “Yes, of course, I will. And for your next wedding too. You know, the one where you’ll have a ring and more than a couple of days to plan it, to a man you love.”

“Smartass.” I managed a smile. Only Tina could make me smile at a time like that.

“So, when do I get to meet the man of the hour?”