Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Aurora exhaled a tired sigh, though she was smiling with pride, obviously satisfied with how the charity event was turning out. “I can’t believe this is all finally coming together,” she said, groaning as she pressed a hand to her lower back while stretching her spine. “I think we’re just about done here at the office.”
“I think you’re done,” Georgia pointed out as she set the tape dispenser on a box. “You’re putting in long days, and you’ve got to be exhausted.”
“I agree,” Billie said, adjusting her black-framed glasses on the bridge of her nose. With her pink hair and light-blue eyes, she reminded Georgia a bit of her sister, Courtney. “It’s after seven, and I’m surprised that Nick hasn’t charged in here to drag you home yet.”
Aurora grinned impishly. “He’s been texting me, but I told him I really needed to see this through, and he understands how important this event is to me. But he did make my favorite chicken tortilla soup for dinner and promised me a foot rub after I get home and Leah has gone to bed. I can’t wait.”
Even though Georgia had worn tennis shoes today, the soles of her own feet ached, too, from all the hustling they’d done over the past ten hours. “That sounds like heaven.”
“Oh, it will be,” Aurora said, and laughed.
Despite how the first seventeen years of Aurora’s life had started out—being bounced from various foster homes, then being pregnant and homeless before her true family found her—she was always so optimistic and happy. And now she had the perfect little family and a husband that absolutely adored her.
Georgia found it hard not to be a bit envious of that kind of fairy tale life and relationship. She definitely wanted that for herself—with a man she chose on her own and not one hand-picked by her parents.
“So, let’s all call it a night,” Aurora said, breaking into Georgia’s thoughts. “The delivery guys will be here first thing in the morning to pick up everything and take it to the hotel, and then we can get started setting up the ballroom.”
“We, as in me and Billie and the staff,” Georgia pointed out. “You are going to sit with your feet up and delegate what you want where.”
Aurora rolled her eyes. “We’ll see.”
As soon as Aurora turned around and walked out of the room, Georgia exchanged a conspiratorial look with Billie so that they were both on the same page about making sure Aurora didn’t overexert herself over the next few days.
After shutting down the office, the three of them rode the elevator to the parking garage. Aurora slipped into the hired town car waiting for her, while Georgia and Billie headed to their respective vehicles. Georgia just barely turned out of the structure and onto the main street when her cell phone rang.
The number came up on her car’s display, and she groaned when she saw that it was her mother. She’d already called Georgia a few times today, leaving messages to the effect of I have something I need to discuss with you.
Judging by the terse tone of her mother’s voice, she was annoyed over something, and since the call wasn’t urgent, and Georgia had been going non-stop all day, she’d let all her calls go to voice mail and sent her mother a quick, I’m busy and I’ll call you later text.
But there was no avoiding Nina Brooks for long, so Georgia picked up the call through her car’s Bluetooth feature. “Hello, Mother,” she said, trying not to sound as tired as she felt as she drove toward her apartment.
“Finally, you answered my call,” Nina said dramatically.
Georgia rolled her eyes. “I’ve had a full day at the office, and I’m just now headed home for the night.”
Her mother made a disapproving clucking sound. “You work for a non-profit organization. How difficult and busy can your days really be?”
“Very,” Georgia said, hating how her mother minimized her career. “The charity event is this weekend, and we’re getting everything set up.”
“Oh, right. Aren’t there people to do that for you?”
Georgia refrained, just barely, from smacking her head on the steering wheel in frustration. “Mom, I’m the ‘people.’ I’m a paid employee, and this is my job.” She exhaled a deep, calming breath and got to the point of the call. “What did you need to discuss with me?”
“Well, I happened to come across some photos that the Leadership in Law website posted of the awards banquet,” she said in a huff. “Why were you dancing with another man?”
Her mother’s question, asked in that disapproving tone of hers, was the last thing she’d been expecting to hear—and the memory of Drew’s warm, firm body pressed so intimately against hers flooded her mind. “Because he asked me to dance?”
“You were there with Elliott,” her mother chastised Georgia. “I can’t imagine how humiliated you made him feel, seeing you with another man when you were his date for the evening.”