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“‘Morning,” sheback already,” she added a touch too sweetly

“I pro Carly by for introductions” He put a hand on the other woman’s ars of jealousy in even a real fiancée

So why did she have the irrational urge to scratch out the other wonore the reaction as she extended a hand to take the proffered one from the Carly woman

“I’”

“Oh” She was afraid she sounded sour, judging from the other woman’s startled expression, so she made an effort to sound more enthusiastic “How lovely”

Angelina led the it As she did so, she did her best to respond appropriately to Carly’s questions, though she had little interest in planning a wedding that was never taking place She was surprised that Connor stayed, taking a seat at the table as well, and accepting a cup of tea from her a few minutes later with a nod of thanks

She sat down across fro by as Carly see strea frayed the closer it crept to ten am She needed to be on the road by then in order to make it to her eleven o’clock appointment The facility was located farther upstate, which meant she had to drive and wanted to allow plenty of time to reach her destination

When Carly was just getting around to asking her preference for hors d’oeuvres, she started druers on the table “I’ for which I can’t be late We’ll have to pick this up another time” For her part, another time could be never, and she’d be perfectly satisfied She was te coordinator that she didn’t care what she did, because it wasn’t going to happen anyway, but the re, with the promise of more to follow, kept her silent

“Of course, Miss Walsh,” said Carly with perfectnot at all offended or put out that she had been interrupted in mid-hors d’oeuvres survey “I’ll leave my card, and you can call me to set up a time that’s more convenient for you in the next few days We just have a lot to accoether in a month”

She nodded, taking the card and slipping it into her pocket as she walked the and not stepping out with the wedding coordinator She looked pointedly at him “Doesn’t she need a ride somewhere?”

He shrugged “She brought her own car, and I grabbed a cab since it was more convenient”

“Well, as I said, I have to leave, and Mrs Kearney fro”

“I’ll coet better acquainted, and we can suss out more of the details about where we met, and how our relationship evolved”

She let out an annoyed sigh “I don’t want you to come with me, Connor I have to drive upstate to tour of facility for Kevin It’s really not the sort of thing I could impose upon you to accompany me for”

He gave her a s on your fiancé at all”

Out of tactful ways to make it clear she didn’t want his presence, she let out a heavy sigh and accepted that he was either thickheaded or stubborn as ato accept her subtle rejection of his presence She supposed to she should just get it over with, since it would allow theree onthem “

Well, coraciously as she reached for her purse and keys by the door, ensuring he was out on the porch before she slammed it behind her and locked the deadbolt They lived in a fairly safe neighborhood, considering it was the Lower East Side, but she was still cautious