I nod. “The press and the fans are still crazy, but I’m hoping they won’t track me back here. At least, for a little while.”
“No one will hear you’re home from me. Cross my heart.” She draws anXover her heart like we used to do when we were younger.
“I appreciate that.”
“Enough of that and on to business.” Gabi lifts my chin with two fingers and surveys my face. “Let’s get this covered up and make you so damn hot that Lincoln Riscoff won’t know what the hell happened to him when he sees you.”
I freeze at the mention of his name. “You know about ... that?”
“I don’t think there’s a single person in this town who doesn’t know about him objecting at your wedding. It’s the stuff of legend.” She pauses to take a breath. “I’m sure everyone wouldloveto see you snake him away from that bitch who thinks she’s got her claws into him now. We can tell she’s nothing but a gold digger, but for some reason, Mrs. Riscoff seems to approve. I was definitely betting on her keeling over if Lincoln thought about getting engaged to another woman who didn’t meet her standards.”
Another woman?
“He was engaged before?” I have no idea why my brain latches onto that piece of information, but clearly, it’s demented.
Also,how did I not know Lincoln was engaged?Oh, wait, because I’ve been pretending Lincoln Riscoff and the entire town of Gable didn’t exist for ten years while being wrapped up trying to make sure Ricky’s career continued to skyrocket.
“Almost, but then she got caught in bed with his brother, so she didn’t get a ring.”
“What?” My exclamation bounces around the room.
“It was scandalous. Mrs. Riscoff ended up in the hospital from chest pains, but that old bat is never gonna die, if you ask me. She’s determined to see the next Riscoff heir being born before she leaves this earth.”
I have nothing I can say to that statement, becauseholy shit, I did miss a hell of a lot. I swallow my shock.
“Here, scoot forward on the chair. I’ll tell you the story while I work.”
Part of me wants to say I don’t care, but who am I kidding? Of course I want to hear this. It’s pretty much impossible not to want to know everything that happened in my absence involving Lincoln.
As Gabi smooths primer onto my face, I ask, “And the gold digger this time is Maren something?” I ask like I didn’t commit the name of the woman Cricket almost ran off the road to memory.
“Maren Higgins. She’s a piece of work too. Already thinks she’s lady of the manor, although she’s not, because Lincoln doesn’t live at the Riscoff estate and hasn’t in ages. Thankfully, Ms. Riscoff told her she can’t come in here and order us around unless she pays full price, so she’s not around too often. She’s from the city. Her family sounds fancy, but the kind of fancy that needs a cash infusion. Lord knows when she lost her chance at Hunter Havalin, she moved right up the food chain because the Riscoffs have plenty of cash. I’m not sure why she didn’t go after him first, but craftier women than her have set their sights on Lincoln Riscoff and failed. Although, I still have no idea why he wanted to marry Monica. I don’t think anyone understands that.”
Gabi is laying out so much information right now that I’m struggling to absorb it all ... while stomping out tiny flames of jealousy I’m pretending don’t exist.
He’s not mine. He never will be. I don’t care. This is just entertaining gossip. That’s all.
I’m full of shit.
“So Monica is the ex who slept with Harrison. How long ago was that?” I ask like I’m making idle conversation, but I’m wildly curious.
“I missed out on the Monica era, but from what I’ve been told, it was only a few years after you left town. By the way ... she had black hair, blue eyes, and a body straight out of Victoria’s Secret.”
I freeze as Gabi goes to work on my brows.
Black hair and blue eyes?No coincidence there at all ...
“And Maren?” I try to change the subject immediately. “What does she look like?”
“The kind of woman you love to hate. Blond. Tiny waist. Great boobs. Legs that go on for days. Perma-tan. Gorgeous and she knows it.”
“Sounds ... lovely.” I place sarcastic emphasis onlovely.
“Oh, Whit. God, you should see her. It’s like she’s Regina George out ofMean Girls. She has this attitude that only comes out when she’s nowhere near Lincoln. The one time I did her makeup, I thought about dumping something in the foundation to give her an allergic reaction, because she was so awful. If I wouldn’t have gotten fired, I would have done it in a heartbeat.”
“Yikes.”
“Yeah, he sure can pick some winners. At least he’s kept it from getting too serious. It’s more off-again these days than anything. If you ask me, he’s just using her as a booty call. Poor woman thinks that’s how to nab the Riscoff heir. She’s crazy, if you ask me. He won’t buy what he can get for free, and that man can geteverythingfor free.”