Pretend It's Love(22)
She and Gracie had decided to debut Paul's creation at the pre-wedding kitchen tea. It would be a perfect opportunity to gauge feedback before the big day and make any final tweaks, if necessary. Libby had the feeling it would be a tough crowd: a mixture of Cecilia Greene's society friends and the very traditional Chapman family.
It would also be Libby's first time meeting Paul's extended family.
She could hardly believe it had been close to a month since they formed their arrangement. He'd slipped into her life quietly and seamlessly, but she already feared that his exit wouldn't be so unnoticeable, especially since they hadn't spoken after she'd left the bar abruptly a week ago.
"Are you okay? If you keep looking so nervous someone will mistake you for the bride." Gracie patted her on the shoulder.
"I'm fine. You look lovely, by the way."
Gracie wore a floaty red dress with huge, dangling earrings that chimed when she shook her head. Her dark curls were pinned up loosely, several tendrils falling down around her face.
"So do you. I'm so jealous of those heels."
Libby looked down to the towering emerald green stilettos on her feet. They had plaited straps and a delicate gold buckle at the ankle. "They're my good luck charms."
"You don't need them; everyone is going to love the cocktails." Gracie grinned, her eyes twinkling. "And if they don't, who cares? I love them and so does Des. By the way, he asked me to tell you to bring a few samples to the bar whenever you can. He wants to do a tasting session with a few of his regulars."
Progress. Libby clapped her hands together. "Great, I'll bring them around tonight."
"Paul must be so proud of you. I have a feeling your business is going to do very well." She winked.
The future for Libby Gal Cocktails was certainly looking brighter. After meeting with Des during the week, he'd agreed to take her on for a trial period. She'd drafted a press release, which had been picked up by a few Australian food bloggers and one online industry magazine. It wasn't worldwide domination, but it was a start.
Since then she'd been contacted by a few smaller restaurants who'd expressed interest in her product. They weren't as high profile as the ones she'd started out targeting, but they seemed passionate about trying new things, and she'd come to realize that was just as important as the size of a restaurant's reputation. Not to mention a thirst for creativity over celebrity endorsement.
"Thanks. I think he's proud," she said, forgetting for a moment that she had to play the role of happy girlfriend.
"Of course he is." Gracie shook her head, fiddling with the centerpiece in the middle of the table that would house all the food. "I can tell."
The bouquet of white and silver silk flowers had been sewn with a smattering of crystals that caught the afternoon light. A lace tablecloth covered the dark wood, and two large white letters-G and D-sat on either side of the centerpiece. In that moment, Libby understood why some people got caught up in the excitement of weddings.
Ordinary things seemed special because they carried the weight of a greater meaning. The letters weren't just G for golf and D for Delta. They represented the union of two people who loved each other enough to risk a lifetime of messy emotional entanglement.
Libby swallowed against the lump in her throat.
"You should see the way he looks at you," Gracie continued. "I've seen Paul around a lot of women. Believe me, he hasn't looked that way at any of them except you."
"What do you mean?" She didn't care, but a happy girlfriend would ask that question.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
"He gets this expression on his face when you're around. He looks … content." She gave Libby's shoulder a squeeze. "You make him happy. Even Des has noticed a change."
"Really?"
"He said the other night that Paul seems more invested in his work, he's more motivated. You've been a great influence on him." She drew Libby into a hug. "I'm so glad you two met."
A large stone settled in the pit of Libby's stomach. Gracie and Des-and Paul's parents-were such wonderful people, and she was lying to them over and over. They'd embraced her with such warmth and acceptance, she didn't know how she'd ever go back to the cold criticism of her own family once it was all over. These people didn't deserve to be lied to. The truth hovered on her tongue; she wanted to clear the air. Settle the score with her conscience.
But Paul had held up his end of the bargain, and now her product was going to be on the menu at First. She had to see it through to the end and hope that she'd be able to make it up to them.
"Don't look so worried." Gracie released her with a grin. "Everything will work out, trust me."
The doorbell rang, and within moments the Greene household was buzzing. Waiters had been hired to serve drinks from silver trays, including the special cocktails. No detail had been left unattended. Everything matched from the invitations to the name tags to the trimmings on the seats that lined the large dining area.
Games had been set up and a table had been cleared for presents, which was soon filled to bursting. Libby hung back, introducing herself to anyone who came near, but she didn't want to get too involved. After all, her relationship with Paul was due to expire in two weeks. It made her feel like a carton of milk.
An elegant woman with glossy blond hair dropped down into the chair next to Libby and slipped her feet out of a pair of low, sensible heels.
"I love your shoes," she said, looking forlornly at Libby's heels. "I miss high heels so much." She placed her hand over her stomach for a moment and sighed. Other than some dark shadows under her eyes, everything about her was perfectly polished. A diamond the size of a beach pebble sparkled on her left hand and matched the two smaller stones in her ears. "No one ever tells you how tired you get when you're pregnant."
"How far along are you?" Libby asked. The bump on the woman's stomach was small, and if she'd been wearing a flowy top you might not have been able to see it.
"Just over four months. Though it feels like even longer since I can't get through the night without needing to go to the toilet a hundred times. And don't get me started on the morning sickness." She cringed and tucked her hair behind an ear. "I don't get these women who say pregnancy makes them feel beautiful."
"You look lovely, if that means anything." Libby caught the attention of a passing waiter and grabbed a cocktail.
"Oh and I've been craving a drink like you would not believe." The woman shook her head. "But enough about my pregnancy woes. I'm Sadie."
Libby shook her hand. "Libby. How do you know Gracie?"
"I'm married to one of Desmond's cousins. I must admit I've only met Gracie on a few occasions, but it was very sweet of her to invite me."
"She's a lovely woman. Des has done well for himself."
Sadie nodded. "Indeed he has."
As if she'd heard her own name, Gracie wandered over. "Sadie, did Libby tell you she created these wonderful cocktails for us? We'll have to make you a special one, I made sure we had a bottle of non-alcoholic wine for you."
"You made them?" Sadie looked impressed. "They're so beautiful and I bet they taste divine. You girls really are making me jealous."
"I can't really take the credit." Libby said, shaking her head. "Paul was the one who put them together. I just made the special ingredient."
"Paul?" Sadie blinked.
"Oh, Des's brother. I assume you've met?" Libby sensed a change in the air around them as Sadie and Gracie exchanged looks.
"Libby is Paul's girlfriend," Gracie explained. "She's helping out with the drinks for the wedding."
"Oh." Sadie tried to smile but her lips made more of a grimace.
"I'm sorry to ditch you, Sadie, but I need to check on something in the kitchen. Libby, could you give me a hand?" Gracie shot her a look that said now.
"Of course. It was lovely to meet you, Sadie. I'm sure we'll bump into each other at the wedding."
Sadie nodded, but her eyes were focused on her lap.
"Is Paul's name a bad word or something?" Libby asked as they threaded through the guests and stepped into the hallway.
"I'm surprised he hasn't told you." Gracie sighed. "It's quite awkward. Sadie and Paul used to date."
"That's odd, he's never mentioned it."
"Yeah, maybe he wasn't sure how to bring it up. Anyway, Sadie's a lovely girl but the whole thing makes family gatherings pretty uncomfortable. They'd been together for a few years, and everyone thought they were going to get serious. Then it turns out she'd been sleeping with his cousin."
So Sadie was the ex who cheated on him, but he'd never mentioned that it was with his cousin.