She fell into Nicole’s arms and sobbed for a while longer.
Nicole found herself feeling angry with Danielle for how immature and silly and overdramatic she was being. Then Nicole reminded herself how many times Danielle had been there for her during moments like these. So Nicole tried to be patient, even though she was annoyed and her fuse was decidedly short from everything that had gone on in the last twenty-four hours.
Finally, Danielle wiped her eyes and tried to laugh. “I needed that,” she said, laughing.
“I know how it is,” Nicole told her. “Being married to a very powerful, confident man can be incredibly difficult.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I’ve been there,” Nicole said. “It will get better, I promise.”
“Really? You think so?”
“Yeah, I do.” She forced a smile. Sure, things got better. Then they seemed to get worse again—best not to mention that part.
“Enough about me,” Danielle said. “I need to focus on something else, something fun. Tell me about your wedding. What’s going on with it?”
Nicole felt her stomach clench like a fist. “Nothing much is happening.”
“What? But you told me how busy you were going to be planning everything. If I were you and I had a chance to have a big, fancy wedding with all of those famous people, I’d take it. But Kane would never show me off to the world the way Red does you, because Kane is ashamed of me.” Danielle’s expression was positively bitter. “You got the good one, it turns out.”
“Don’t say that,” Nicole said. “I’m sure Kane loves you more than anything.”
Danielle shrugged and screwed up her face. “Tell me something about the wedding. I need to live vicariously through you.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Oh, come on, Nic. Did you at least decide on a date?”
“Seriously, Danielle. I don’t really want to get into it right now.” Her tone was harsher than she intended.
Danielle turned away from her. “Okay. Jeez. Sorry I asked.”
Nicole got up and folded her arms. “Are you feeling better?”
Danielle looked up at her. “I don’t understand why you’re being like this, Nicole. Suddenly I’m not good enough to discuss your wedding with? Why, because I’m not some hoity toity wedding planner?”
“That’s got nothing to do with it, Danielle. Why can’t you just let it go?”
“Because, I don’t get it. What did I do wrong?”
Nicole looked at her. “Well, for starters, you’re way too interested in the finer details of my wedding.”
Danielle’s face registered shock—as if Nicole had actually slapped her. “What?”
“You know what I’m talking about, don’t act like you have no idea. The tabloid that your husband owns and runs just did a nasty story about Red and I getting married. Almost nobody knew about it but you and a very few other people.”
Danielle stared at her in awe. “You think I gave them a story about your wedding?”
“No, I think you probably blabbed about it during pillow talk with Kane, but there’s no difference as far as I’m concerned, because anything I tell you ends up in his ear and then he’s probably on the phone with Anderson from The Rag about five minutes later.”
“That’s ridiculous. I don’t tell Kane about your wedding and he doesn’t have the least bit of interest in it.” She got up. “I can’t believe that’s what you think of our friendship, Nicole.”
“I don’t know what else to think.”
“Maybe it was your mom,” Danielle replied. “You know she’s just as likely to do that as I am.”
“Don’t try and tell me about my mom.”
“Well don’t blame me for your problems, Nic. Jesus, who even cares if someone knows when your stupid little wedding is?”
“And who really cares if Kane tried to teach you how to make an omelet? Maybe he’s better at it than you are,” Nicole sniped.
“I’m so out of here,” Danielle replied, starting to walk down the private road in her bare feet.
“Tell the guys at The Rag that I say hello,” Nicole yelled after her. Danielle just kept walking.
Nicole considered going after her, especially knowing that Danielle didn’t have a cell phone or money or anything. Instead, she called down to the front gate and alerted them that Danielle was walking on the private road and asked that they arrange for a cab to bring her back to her home.
A few minutes later, they called back and said it had been taken care of and she was on her way home.
Nicole was so upset that she didn’t even know what to do. Why couldn’t she have taken the high road with Danielle instead of sinking to her level?
She needed to talk to Red right away. Nicole needed a calming voice, she needed her husband. She picked up her cell phone and called him, her heart racing.
“Come on, please just pick up,” she prayed. “Please.”
Finally, mercifully, the line was answered. But it wasn’t Red.