The Billionaire Romantic Getaway

One more hour and then you can leave. Just one more stupid hour.

Mandy resisted the urge to look at her phone for the fifth time in twenty minutes. She didn’t know what she was expecting to see on it. It wasn’t like time would move any faster. She turned her attention back to her sister’s engagement party, which she supposedly should be enjoying – in theory. However, it felt next to impossible with her fucking ex sitting right across from her with his arm around her sister.

Stephen caught Mandy staring and flashed a fake grin at her. Mandy looked away, down at the ice water she had opted for instead of the beer she really wanted. She might as well try to make an effort to show the family she wanted to lose weight.

“Have you chosen the venue yet, Claudia?” Mandy’s mother asked. Her bony elbow jabbed Mandy in the side as she reached for her water glass.

Mandy made an effort to straighten from her slouched position, only to slide her shoulders forward a moment later.

“Not yet.” Claudia smiled at her fiancé. “We were thinking about that cute little church a few blocks away from Stephen’s apartment.”

My apartment! At least it had been until Stephen refused to move out. With her savings dwindling, it had just ended up being easier letting him have it and tell the landlord to start charging him rent instead of her. She had not argued when the landlord also insisted Mandy keep her name on the lease when he added Stephen’s. She kept quiet even when it meant she had to move into her parent’s basement. Temporarily at least... I hope.

“Oh, that church’s so cute! You should definitely check it out. It is Methodist, right?” Her mother’s tone grated Mandy’s nerves. She knew her mother didn’t mean anything about the cuteness of the church, she only wanted confirmation of her question. That was exactly how her mother always worked.

“Of course,” Stephen said. “We wouldn’t consider any church that wasn’t Methodist.”

Her father grunted and checked his watch. He was the only one in the family who seemed to remember the fact that Stephen hadn’t bothered oozing charm when he had met them as Mandy’s boyfriend. Or, more likely, he simply didn’t think anyone was worthy of his precious little angel, Claudia. Mandy couldn’t tell. She was never able to get her father’s attention long enough to ask him.

Just then their food arrived and Mandy’s mouth watered from the smell. She couldn’t take her eyes off the oversized burgers and chicken tenders with French fries served at the pub. The waiter balanced huge plates of delicious junk food on the tray. He smiled at everyone as he set the burger and fried chicken down in front of Claudia and Stephen, the chicken alfredo and crab cakes in front of her parents and then flashed her an almost sympathetic smile before putting a small, bland looking salad in