Read Online Gamble on Engagement by Rachel Astor - Free Book Online

received the job offer, I had no doubt that I could crack out
a ghostwritten autobiography like it was nothing.
    What the hell had I been thinking?
    But the two books actually looked pretty
good. I mean, the titles may have made me feel even stupider than I
already was, but there was something to be said for simplicity and
breaking things down into easy, step-by-step instructions.
    I spent the rest of the evening reading and
started to actually feel like I might be able to pull this off
after all.
     
    ~~~
     
    Until, that is, the next morning when I went
down to grab a coffee at the shop just down from the hotel and saw
a picture of myself lying in a beach chair, looking rather…
vacation-y.
    My stomach seized instantly as visions of
that mysterious (a.k.a. creepy) moustache guy popped into my head.
I wanted to scream something along the lines of, “Argh! Foiled
again!” but I decided I probably shouldn’t draw any more unwanted
attention than I already had.
     
    BRIDESMAID VACATIONS ALONE was the
headline.
    I skimmed the article, furious that they
were implying that Jake had left me high and dry and I was stuck
all by my lonesome at some romantic getaway. They also warned
people to be wary of betting on me in the now apparently famous
Jake Hall engagement wagering all across the country.
    God, these guys would do anything just to
sell a couple of papers.
    And apparently people would bet on just
about anything too.
    Plus, it was just kind of mean to tell
people not to bet on me. I mean, I was still his girlfriend, after
all. God, what was I saying? I’d only been his girlfriend for like,
a month or so.
    And then the real reality of the situation
hit me. The very bad thing about the tabloids was how very public
they are. What if Miranda were to see it? I mean, I didn’t think
Miranda would be a big reader of the tabloids, but I was right
there on the cover! In my bathing suit, no less. I wondered if I
should die first of shame, or fear of being caught. Of course, it
wasn’t one of the most popular tabloids in the country, but still.
Right. There. On. The. Cover.
    I quickly paid for the paper and stuffed it
into my bag for future reference. I wanted to get the name of that
weasel in case I spotted him and wanted to confront and/or report
him. I also quickly put on my sunglasses. I had taken to buying the
biggest pairs of them I could find since my whole McMaster the
Disaster fiasco back home. I never wished so bad that I had a hat
in my life.
    I was back to the usual driver, I noticed as
the limo pulled up in front of me, and I was surprised that I was
actually a little disappointed. With all the slow driving and
non-stop talking, a guy like Lance could apparently still grow on a
person.
    I mean, he was pretty cute with that old man
moustache, after all.
    “Thanks,” I said as the driver helped me
into the car and put my suitcase in the trunk, not even making a
face at how stuffed it was for a two night stay.
    He got in and pulled away from the curb.
    “So, I’m sorry, I was so excited about being
in England and the castle and everything that I completely forgot
my manners and didn’t ask your name the last time,” I said,
wondering if maybe the staff was the way to go to get the real dirt
on the Prince.
    The driver smiled, letting me know it was
okay. “I’m Reginald,” he said.
    Of course he is, I thought. That’s a very
‘distinguished English driver’ sounding name. “Well, it’s very nice
to meet you… again, Reginald.”
    He nodded at me in the rearview mirror,
smiling.
    Okay, so, it was going to take a little bit
for this guy to open up to me. No matter, we had a half hour to
kill after all. “So, do you like working for the Prince?”
    He nodded again. “It’s a very good job,
indeed.”
    I nodded in return. Was this guy going to
give me the shortest answers possible all the way there? I could
tell he was a little uncomfortable with the whole small talk thing,
but I had one more tactic to try.