Page 10 of Cinderella Is Faking It

A second cup was set out for me on the other side of the table. Along with a folded piece of paper.

“What’s this?” I sat down and unfolded the paper, finding a name inside.Roger Childs.My fingers jerked on reflex. I swallowed the sour taste welling up my throat and forced myself to draw my brows deep into my face. “Is this name supposed to mean anything to me?”

“Delilah, you don’t have to play coy with me.”

“I’m not.” Tabitha’s words echoed in my ears. Rich people could find out just about anything.

“He’ll be gone by the end of the week.”

I froze, unable to breathe. If she could really make that happen… “Why?”

“Because I owe you.”

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“Beckett is a very powerful man. A picture ofmedancing with him? Being called a couple? Let’s just say other powerful men trust me more now that I have the Beckett seal of approval. At least for the moment. I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s how the game is played.”

I had googled August Beckett since my last visit here. He was the CEO of the Axent group. Whereas Montgomery was all hotels, Axent was luxury hotels, luxury clubs, luxury restaurants. Basically, anywhere you’d spot a mega celebrity hanging out. However, after reading all that, I spent a lot more time on the google images tab… I couldn’t help it. He was so damn pretty.

“As soon as Mr. Childs is out of the way, I will write you a personal letter of recommendation. My name still holds some weight.”

“Cordelia-”

She didn’t let me speak. “You were right when you said that I can’t get you the job at Truman Academy. I can’t guarantee you the job, but I can do this much for you. You deserve a chance to prove your worth without your past hanging over you.”

“One event,” I said, surprising myself. I was too soft. But Cordelia deserved a chance to prove herself, too. “I’ll go to one event for you.”

“Really? Delilah, thank you so much!”

“Del,” I sighed, “you can call me Del.”

“Do you know your measurements?” She pulled her phone out and tapped her fingers against it faster than should be humanly possible. Not even Tabitha typed that fast.

“I don’t. Why do you need to know my measurements?”

“So I can get a dress for you, obviously.” She blinked, stopped typing, and grimaced. “Sorry. I do that sometimes. I need to get better at explaining my thought process. I’m still working on that.”

“That’s okay.” I felt that in my bones. Even slowed down, sometimes my thought process still didn’t make sense to neurotypicals. But Cordelia had my neurodivergent radar flashing. “I’m a size four, and five-one, so I usually have to buy in the petite range.” I finally worked up the nerve to pick up the dainty teacup, even though it looked too expensive to be handled. After one sip, I put it back down. Whatever tea Victor was brewing in that kitchen had to contain the bitter caffeine of ten espresso shots.

“Thank you. I can work with that.”

An hour later, Cordelia had coordinated five dress choices to be delivered to her doorstep, along with matching shoes and accessories. I’d gaped at the prices, but when I’d suggested I could just wear my own sandals, Cordelia scrunched her nose at my feet.

All that was left for me to do was to cancel my Friday date night with Parker and show up here an hour before the event to get ready. I’d shake some hands, smile for the pictures and I didn’t even have to stay more than 45 minutes. No biggie. No problem. I could do that. I was going to be agreatversion of Cordelia Montgomery.

I just kind of, sort of felt like throwing up. A little bit.

It was going. To. Be. Fine.

* * *

“I made reservations and everything.I feel like I deserve an explanation, Del.” Parker crossed his arms in front of his chest, glaring at me across my studio. He was leaning against the kitchen counter but shrank aside when Fitzwilliam launched his huge body to the countertop. As if this weird cat wasn’t weird enough, he only drank from the sink - which made doing the dishes a life-or-death experience in case he got thirsty. Parker had only ever gotten scratched once, but he kept two feet between himself and my cat at all times now.

“Is this about the cancellation fee?” I asked because Parker got upset over wasted money quickly. I’d gotten very good at never throwing out leftovers over the last three months. “I can pay the cancellation fee.”

“Oh, you will, but what on earth could you have coming up on a Friday night?”

Okay, that stung a little. He wasn’t wrong, of course. “I met this really rich lady at the Academy after my interview last week,” I said, trying to steer clear of details, since spilling the whole truth now felt like admitting to lying. I hadn’t lied. I just hadn’t shared. “We talked and she’s offering to write me a letter of recommendation since she has some pull with the school administration. That’s why I’m meeting her again on Friday.” Technically, none of that was a lie.