My Ex Hired Me to Ruin Her Sister's Wedding novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: The Tasting

The tasting dinner was held in the private room of Anand Kitchen, at a round table for eight.

Priya's parents sat on one side with the groom's father, and I sat beside the bride.

Dylan Treadwell sat across from us, smiling.

He was thirty-two, with neat sandy hair and a navy suit that fit like it had been poured on.

He shook my hand for a second too long and said, "Cass's friend. We're so grateful."

"It's my pleasure," I said, and I meant none of it.

That afternoon I had sent the florist a polite cancellation of the peonies.

By Saturday week they would be replaced with lilies, which Priya's mother was allergic to.

It was sabotage number one, and it had taken me four minutes.

Now I sat with a napkin in my lap, and the bride's bare knee pressed against mine under the cloth.

The first course was lamb kofta on saffron rice.

Priya tasted it and smiled at the table.

"It's perfect, Baba."

"You didn't taste it properly," Dylan said, laughing, and reached over to touch her wrist. "She doesn't like cardamom, Mr. Anand. She just says it's fine."

"I like cardamom," Priya said.

"You don't mean that, babe."

She went quiet.

She set down her fork, and her smile stayed exactly where it was.

I looked at his hand on her wrist.

Under the tablecloth, Priya's fingers closed around my thigh.

It was not gentle.

She squeezed hard, and held on, and I understood she was holding on to me instead of saying something.

I covered her hand with mine.

For a long minute we sat there under the white linen, her hand gripping my leg and mine over hers, while her future father-in-law described a sewage contract.

Then her hand began to move.

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