Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“Everything except my older brother holding up the progress for a certain real wedding ceremony. You could at least get fitted for your tuxedo.”
“You can leave the party now. Thanks for coming.”
“I can’t stand you.” She laughed and hugged me. Then she walked over to Tatiana and pulled her close.
Hayden waved goodbye from afar, and the two of them exited down the grand staircase.
“Come over here and join us, Mr. Carter!” One of the product managers called out to me. “We could use your input on this conversation.”
“Be right there.” I grabbed a water bottle from a passing waiter’s tray and moved to Tatiana’s side.
“Mrs. Carter was just telling us how she’s transitioning to full-time life in Vegas,” he said. “She says it’s a lot tougher than New York City, but we’re finding that hard to believe.”
“They don’t believe how expensive it is to live there.” She was clearly in the mood to start shit today. “Can you tell them just how much I’m spending to survive?”
“Why don’t we tell them how much you’re making instead?”
“Oh?” The manager’s eyes lit up. “Are you preparing to perform on the ice again?”
“No, she’s blessing the world with an entirely different performance,” I said dryly.
“Well, I’m looking forward to whatever that may be,” he said. “How’s the rematch training going, Mr. Carter?”
“Wonderful,” I said. “I honestly never stop training, though.”
“Ah, heart of a champion.” He smiled. “How are you making time for your wife during this intense season?”
The same way I’m making time for this silly shit.
“He doesn’t make the time.” Tatiana beat me to the answer. “He’d avoid me all the time if it were up to him.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No.” She shrugged. “But, I’m willing to play second fiddle to his career until he retires because I understand how important it is to him. It’s almost like I’m repaying him for a favor, with tons of interest.”
What the hell is she doing?
“Hmmm.” The manager looked somewhat confused by her answer. “Well, since he’s raved so much about you tonight, what’s your favorite quality of Mr. Carter’s?”
“I honestly can’t think of a single one.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, the list is so long that I can’t pick just one.” She looked up at me with a fake smile. “Then again, unbeknownst to a lot of people, he has some amazing accounting skills.”
“That’s…your favorite quality?”
“She’s joking.” I grabbed her hand. “Can I talk to you in private for a minute, Mrs. Carter?”
“Sure.”
I yanked her away before she could say anything else reckless. After walking past a few bedroom doors, I pulled her inside a laundry room.
Locking the door, I dropped the doting husband act.
“I would ask what the hell you’re doing, but I don’t even think you know at this point.”
“‘I’m being a good wife.”
“A good wife doesn’t insinuate negative things about her husband.”
“She does if she can't think of any nice things to say.”
“‘I’ve always thought my husband was sexy as hell’ is a pretty easy one.”
“I would’ve said that if you hadn’t spent most of this party keeping your distance like I have some type of disease,” she said. “I’m shocked no one else has caught on, because ever since the toast, you’ve been treating me like a damn pariah.”
“Tatiana…”
“You didn’t even talk to me on the plane.” Her face reddened. “I go away to Phoenix for an entire weekend and when I get back, you don’t have anything to say?”
I raised an eyebrow. “What do you expect me to say?”
“A simple hello would’ve been nice. Hell, I would’ve settled for one of your sarcastic comments since I arrived late for takeoff.”
“Maybe it pains me to get too close to someone I want but can’t have.” I swallowed. “I personally think I’m showing some impressive restraint because trust me, the only reason I’ve kept my distance tonight is because if I get any closer, I’ll fuck you.”
“Well, I…” She stepped back. “Thank you for clearing that up.”
“You’re welcome. Now, back to what I was saying about you being a good wife—” I moved in front of the door. “I need you to go back out there and say some nice things about me.”
“Fine.”
“After you admit that you missed me.”
“What?”
“You missed me,” I said. “Say it.”
“I didn’t miss you, Travis. I’m still mad at you for tons of other things outside of tonight. Can we go back to the party now?”
“Say that first sentence like you actually mean it, and we can.”
Silence.
“Mr. and Mrs. Carter?” Someone called from outside the door. “We’ll be ready for you to cut the cake in a few minutes!”
Neither of us made a move.
TWENTY-SIX & A HALF
SEVENTEEN DAYS AFTER SAYING “I DO”
TATIANA
Manhattan, New York
All I could do was stare into Travis’s eyes, hoping he couldn’t see the denial in mine.
I hated the way he’d treated me tonight—only showing affection when someone was watching, only looking at me from afar—and I hated that I cared.