feeling horrible.
Leaning over, he pushed the button for the
seventh floor. “Then I will take you to my room. I doubt if anyone
will look for you there.”
Moving a little further away, I pressed my
back against the wall then leaned my head back. Closing my eyes for
a brief moment, finding it hard to look at my friend of so many
years. Guilt was eating at my core.
The old saying floated through my mind that
‘you never push friends aside for lovers because when things go
wrong your friends are who you would need to turn to’. That was so
true. Here I was dependent on Char like when we were younger.
When I opened my eyes, I was caught in his
gaze. He held mine for a moment then his gaze traveled along the
length of my gown.
I wondered what he thought as he assessed me
in my Signature Galina. I had fallen in love with the dress the
moment I saw the soft gown with its ruched bodice and embellished
beaded neckline that continued over one shoulder. When I had stood
in the mirror at the bridal store, I had believed that the sultry
charmeuse fabric draped along my new curves just right. Hell, I had
dieted for six strict months to have them.
Feeling self-conscious under his inspection,
I stood up straighter and made sure my bare feet were hidden
beneath the hem.
Michael had originally stated he loved my
thick curves when we met. That my body was different from the
emaciated models he was around all the time.
I shook my head. They had been empty words.
As soon as we’d gotten engaged he’d begun pointing out all my
flaws—from my style of dress to my weight. He wanted me in heels
and small tight dresses all the time and never without make-up.
“ You look beautiful in
your dress.” Char’s voice broke into my thoughts.
Focusing on him again, I said, “Thank you.
You look good without the glasses.”
The elevator dinged.
“ Lasik. About eight months
ago.” He winked at me as the doors to the elevator
opened.
I stepped out first then he exited carrying
his garment bag and a small handbag.
He stared at the panel with arrows and
numbers to the rooms. “I’m in 726, so that is left.”
We didn’t have far to go. As soon as Michael
had the card in the lock I heard my Aunt Macy’s loud voice echoing
along the corridor. I quickly went inside the room.
Char’s entry was a lot more casual as he
closed and bolted the door behind him. “You truly are trying to
hide out.”
“ Oh, yes.” I let out a
heavy sigh. My head was starting to throb painfully. I began
rubbing my temples. I hated getting headaches. Especially a tension
one that ached across my forehead and behind my eyes. I’d been
getting them a lot over the last few months. My meds were now in my
suite with the lying bitch and cheating asshole.
“ Well, why don’t you have
a seat on the couch and I’ll make you some tea and see if I can
find some pain relievers in my bag.” He moved beyond the sitting
area and into the double doors of the bedroom.
From where I stood, I could see the
king-size bed that encompassed most of the room and the door
leading to the bathroom. Char was now out of my sight at the closet
putting his things away, I assumed. I glanced away, not needing to
think about the fact I was in a hotel room alone with a man. This
was Char, he was my best friend from childhood. We shared tents
when we were kids when our parents took us camping every Fourth of
July in the Appalachian Mountains. Granted, his sister and brother
were also in the tent with us, but he and I always put our sleeping
bags next to each other. We would stay up late whispering about
things while the others slept.
Char was different.
We had both been nerds in school. Social
outcasts. He was into science and technology while I loved business
and marketing. It was no wonder he’d ended up a neuro-radiologist
and I’d become a marketing graphics consultant. The joke was, I was
a consultant to fashion magazines and I knew nothing about
designers and things. Michael
Leaning over, he pushed the button for the
seventh floor. “Then I will take you to my room. I doubt if anyone
will look for you there.”
Moving a little further away, I pressed my
back against the wall then leaned my head back. Closing my eyes for
a brief moment, finding it hard to look at my friend of so many
years. Guilt was eating at my core.
The old saying floated through my mind that
‘you never push friends aside for lovers because when things go
wrong your friends are who you would need to turn to’. That was so
true. Here I was dependent on Char like when we were younger.
When I opened my eyes, I was caught in his
gaze. He held mine for a moment then his gaze traveled along the
length of my gown.
I wondered what he thought as he assessed me
in my Signature Galina. I had fallen in love with the dress the
moment I saw the soft gown with its ruched bodice and embellished
beaded neckline that continued over one shoulder. When I had stood
in the mirror at the bridal store, I had believed that the sultry
charmeuse fabric draped along my new curves just right. Hell, I had
dieted for six strict months to have them.
Feeling self-conscious under his inspection,
I stood up straighter and made sure my bare feet were hidden
beneath the hem.
Michael had originally stated he loved my
thick curves when we met. That my body was different from the
emaciated models he was around all the time.
I shook my head. They had been empty words.
As soon as we’d gotten engaged he’d begun pointing out all my
flaws—from my style of dress to my weight. He wanted me in heels
and small tight dresses all the time and never without make-up.
“ You look beautiful in
your dress.” Char’s voice broke into my thoughts.
Focusing on him again, I said, “Thank you.
You look good without the glasses.”
The elevator dinged.
“ Lasik. About eight months
ago.” He winked at me as the doors to the elevator
opened.
I stepped out first then he exited carrying
his garment bag and a small handbag.
He stared at the panel with arrows and
numbers to the rooms. “I’m in 726, so that is left.”
We didn’t have far to go. As soon as Michael
had the card in the lock I heard my Aunt Macy’s loud voice echoing
along the corridor. I quickly went inside the room.
Char’s entry was a lot more casual as he
closed and bolted the door behind him. “You truly are trying to
hide out.”
“ Oh, yes.” I let out a
heavy sigh. My head was starting to throb painfully. I began
rubbing my temples. I hated getting headaches. Especially a tension
one that ached across my forehead and behind my eyes. I’d been
getting them a lot over the last few months. My meds were now in my
suite with the lying bitch and cheating asshole.
“ Well, why don’t you have
a seat on the couch and I’ll make you some tea and see if I can
find some pain relievers in my bag.” He moved beyond the sitting
area and into the double doors of the bedroom.
From where I stood, I could see the
king-size bed that encompassed most of the room and the door
leading to the bathroom. Char was now out of my sight at the closet
putting his things away, I assumed. I glanced away, not needing to
think about the fact I was in a hotel room alone with a man. This
was Char, he was my best friend from childhood. We shared tents
when we were kids when our parents took us camping every Fourth of
July in the Appalachian Mountains. Granted, his sister and brother
were also in the tent with us, but he and I always put our sleeping
bags next to each other. We would stay up late whispering about
things while the others slept.
Char was different.
We had both been nerds in school. Social
outcasts. He was into science and technology while I loved business
and marketing. It was no wonder he’d ended up a neuro-radiologist
and I’d become a marketing graphics consultant. The joke was, I was
a consultant to fashion magazines and I knew nothing about
designers and things. Michael
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