Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Rhett steps closer to me, his voice calm, grounding. “Pippa. Relax. It’s ok. Give me two minutes … and trust me.”
I gape at him. “Two minutes?”
He nods, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Two minutes. Then you follow me.”
I open my mouth to interrupt, but he keeps going. “If by the end of the day you still want to leave, I will arrange everything for you, ok?”
I find myself nodding, his tone soothing enough that I calm down a little bit. I don’t know what he thinks he can do to make me feel ok about my pauper clothes, but I’m here now, I can give him a chance.
Rhett heads towards the mansion with my suitcase in one hand and his cell phone in the other. I sink onto the low stone wall by the driveway, trying to slow my racing heart. What am I doing? This isn’t me. I’m Zara, Topshop, H&M. This world, it’s not designed for me. And yet, he looks at me like I belong in it with him, like this is exactly where I should be.
A few minutes later, Rhett returns, unruffled, looking like he’s just finished sipping a cold drink in some Mediterranean villa. He gestures toward the car.
“Come on.”
“Where are we going?” I ask nervously.
“You’ll see,” he replies coolly.
I know it’s not the airport, because he has come back without my suitcase. That’s literally all I know, though. Maybe he’s going to show me Times Square before I leave.
I follow him reluctantly, feeling very much like a fish out of water in this world of pristine lawns, sparkling pools, and sunbaked terraces. He drives with the windows down, and the warm, salty Atlantic breeze tugs at my hair, and the sound of waves crashing from somewhere in the distance fills my ears.
“I’m taking you to East Hampton,” he says casually. “My friend’s girlfriend is going to take you shopping. She’s fabulous, and she will know exactly what you’ll need.”
I glance at him, my brow furrows. “Shopping?”
He smiles, holding out a sleek black card. “Yes. Use my credit card. Go nuts. Get something for the wedding and anything else you want.”
I stare at it in astonishment. “Rhett, I can’t take this. I …”
“It’s part of the wedding expenses,” he interrupts smoothly. “Just think. How can you convincingly play the part of my girlfriend in a Zara dress?”
I try to bite back a protest, but how can I when he is making complete sense? I feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I continue to argue the point. “But I can’t … I …”
“You can,” he says, his voice firm but gentle. “And you will. Tech billionaire, remember? I won’t miss it.”
The road curves, and soon we pull into the driveway of a stunning property, smaller than his mansion but still marvelous with duck egg blue walls, glass accents, and tropical landscaping.
He steps out of the car, and I follow suit. He leads me toward the entrance to the house, and I feel the weight of the card in my hand, like a key to a world I’ve only glimpsed in glossy magazines and Instagram feeds. My heart beats erratically, a mixture of fear, excitement, and an undeniable thrill all tangled together.
Inside, the interior is chic but welcoming with soft cream walls, plush rugs, and strategically placed works of art. I hear laughter from somewhere inside the cavernous house, then a woman moves to meet us. She is a pretty brunette with a friendly smile. Her outfit is designer casual. She embodies the type of effortless elegance I’m not sure I can match.
“Pippa,” she says brightly, stepping forward. “I’m Maria, and I’m going to be your personal shopper today. Trust me, it’ll be fun.”
Rhett places a hand lightly on my back. “Have fun.” Then he hands me a key. “I have to pop to the office. This is the key to the house in case you guys get back before me.”
I glance up at him, wanting to protest, to tell him I’m really not ready for this, but he gives me that infuriating smile, assured, confident, teasing.
“Go on,” he says, and adds cryptically. “Enjoy the experience. You can’t break anything even if you try.”
And just like that, he’s gone, leaving me alone in the Hamptons with Maria and a credit card that might as well be a passport into a universe I never thought I’d ever enter.
I feel a mix of exhilaration and panic. The dress I packed, the shoes, my entire wardrobe, it suddenly feels like an insult to all the glamour around me. But Maria seems nice, and if all of Rhett’s friends are like him or her, then maybe, just maybe, I can do this.
Maria smiles again, looping her arm through mine. “Ready to be spoiled?”
I force a smile, trying to ignore the pounding of my heart. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”