Page 4 of Ruthless In A Suit

“This is Julia,” I reply matter-of-factly.

And it’s true. Everything here comes straight from Julia’s diligent and painstaking attention to detail.

“The nicest party I’ve ever attended until this was my prom,” Cadence says ruefully. “And that was held at the Shiner’s Auditorium, which had hosted the circus two days prior. I’m pretty sure the place still smelled like elephant poop.”

“Julia planned our prom, and it was nearly this nice,” I tell her, not that I remember much of it. I spent a good bit of the evening drunk and ignoring my date, a set-up with one of my father’s golf buddies. I hadn’t even wanted to go in the first place, but apparently a good showing at the Country Day prom was required of a Maxon, even though my mother had only died a year previously and I barely wanted to leave the house.

I come back to the present as Julia glides into the room.

The bride appears as if she were summoned by the mere utterance of her name. I squeeze Cadence’s hand and pull her close instinctively, protectively.

Julia has a good heart and means well, but her tenacity can be a bit frightening to people who haven’t known her for twenty years. I worry that the force of her personality might break someone like Cadence, who isn’t used to the cutthroat society scene that the rest of us grew up in and are accustomed to.

Julia approaches us, her eyes fixated on Cadence as she moves towards us.

“Speak of the – “ I say, but Julia holds up a manicured hand, glancing from Cadence back to me now.

“Don’t you dare, Levi Maxon. Not on my wedding day.” She pauses to brush a stray hair from her face. “I will not tolerate your lip today.”

“Where’s your better half?” I ask, trying to slow her down.

“Photos with his third cousins or some such nonsense. Now stop stalling and tell me about your better half.” Her eyes dart pointedly down to Cadence’s hand folded in mine.

Before I can answer, Cadence pulls her hand from mine and offers it to Julia with a wide smile.

“I’m Cadence Fallon. Thank you so much for having me. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful.”

I’ve never seen anyone, male or female, who wasn’t at least fifty percent intimidated when meeting Julia. But Cadence seems perfectly at ease, despite the fact that I know this isn’t her usual scene.

Something about watching her match Julia for elegance and grace makes me feel a bit light headed.

This is almost too perfect.

I don’t think even in my wildest dreams I imagined this could go so well. And now I’m sweating a little bit, because the overpowering guilt I feel is ruining what should be a lovely day.

“I like her,” Julia says to me.

“I’m going to hit the ladies room and let you two catch up,” Cadence says. I can’t help but watch her perfect ass as it disappears into the crowd.

Julia takes a seat at Cadence’s place card, so I follow her lead and sit at mine.

“You’ve got it bad,” she says with a Cheshire grin.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I reply, feigning indifference to the subject.

“Hey, I encourage it. You’ve spent way too long being an office hermit.”

“You sound like my father.”

“Say that again, and I’ll stab you with this sterling silver flatware,” she says, fingering a fork. Julia knows all too well what it was like to grow up with my father.

I catch a glimpse of Cadence from across the room as she re-enters. She walks confidently, yet still carefully, through the crowd, that gorgeous yellow dress hugging every inch of her curves.

A tuxedoed waiter offers Cadence a silver tray of champagne glasses. She looks unsure for a moment, but finally takes one with a wide smile, her lips forming a delicate thank you.

When I see her standing there, looking somehow out of place and yet completely at home in this extravagant setting—I get an intense wave of excitement that settles in my chest.

Fuck.