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“A little But I need your help now I have a few boxes I need to carry out to the car”

“Absolutely” Gabriel gave Jack a significant look as he followed Julia into the hall

The day before the wedding, Julia agreed to help Diane’s sister, theerrands She visited the florist to double-check the order, she visited the church hall to inspect the decorations, and she stopped in at Kinfolks restaurant

Kinfolks would not have been her choice as the location of the rehearsal dinner, but since it was a place that held sentiroom, she kept her opinion to herself

She’d just finished herthat everything would be ready for that evening, when she ran into Deb Lundy, her father’s ex-girlfriend, and Natalie, her daughter

Julia tried to plaster an artificial smile on her face as Deb approached her

“Hello, Jules I haven’t seen you in a long time”

“Hi, Deb How are you?”

“Just fine Natalie is ho” Deb lifted the nuaze hter, as standing some feet aith a sour expression on her face Both woner sandals Both wos

Natalie was an attractive young woreen eyes She and Julia had been roommates at Saint Joseph’s University They’d even been friends But that was before Natalie decided to sleep with Julia’s then-boyfriend, Simon, and invite her to join them in a threesome

“Natalie was supposed to be in the Hamptons this weekend with her boyfriend You remember him, don’t you? Simon Talbot, the senator’s son?”

“I knoho he is” Julia resisted the urge to comment further Deb knew exactly who Si her two years previous Sadly, the arrest had yielded only a plea agree Julia’s obvious discomfort, Deb prattled on

“Mrs Talbot became ill and so their trip to the Halad Natalie was able to co for the senator’s presidential caratulations,” said Julia, trying to keep the contenored Julia and turned to her o”

Julia watched her former roommate curiously The last time they’d seen one another was in this very restaurant Natalie had cornered her and shown her a clip from a video that Si position Natalie had threatened to post the video on the Internet if Julia didn’t withdraw the assault charges against Siround She even threatened to go to The Washington Post and tell theirlfriend to blackmail her The senator would not have been pleased

At the tih on her threat But she ed her mind There was no evidence that the video had been shared or posted anywhere It was as if they’d given up

Julia wondered occasionally why she hadn’t heard from them But she decided to count herself lucky and si Natalie now, Julia expected her to be rude or aggressive She expected Natalie to offer veiled threats or innuendo Instead, she appeared agitated, shifting her weight back and forth and glancing at the door It was as if she were afraid of so people in the restaurant or outside on the sidewalk She wondered as bothering Natalie And why her sestured to her daughter to wait

“It was good seeing you, Jules I hear your dad is getting ht he was the e will do that to you”

Julia lifted an eyebrow Deb was at least as old as her father, if not a year or two older But she had no wish to be drawn into a confrontation