There抯 nothing I hate more than being played a fool. My whole life, people have seen me as a spoiled princess. They抳e never considered how much harder excessive wealth can make your life. Everything becomes fake. The pleasantries, the platitudes. Pointed reminders and presumptions. How lonely it can be to always second-guess others?intentions.
I抦 lucky in lots of ways, but my life is a long way from perfect.
I trust Crew. I believe he抯 being faithful.
And if he抯 not梚f I抦 wrong梚t will shatter me.
I look Hannah straight in the eye. 揑 don抰 believe you.?
I walk out of the restroom without another word. The muffled music and voices coming from the hall sound loud after the quiet confrontation in the bathroom.
When I reenter the party, my gaze is drawn straight to Crew. He抯 standing near our empty table, looking sinfully sexy in his tuxedo as he clutches a glass of amber liquid and talks with a large crowd of men. Holding court.
I sigh and head for the open bar. Joseph Huntington, a good friend of my father抯， is standing alongside it, watching the bartender mix a martini. He smiles when he sees me. 揝carlett! How are you, dear??
揑抦 well, Mr. Huntington. How are you??
揋ood, good.?
換uite the family you married into, eh??He waves a hand around at the opulence surrounding us. 揌anson has never thrown this sort of affair.?
I shrug. 揗y father isn抰 one for pomp.?
揥ouldn抰 have known that, seeing the wedding he paid for.?
I smile. 揃lame my mother for that.?
揗aybe you抣l shake things up when Hanson steps down.?Joseph peers at me closely. I抳e mostly ignored the speculation about the future of Ellsworth Enterprises, even as it抯 grown louder. My father is nearing retirement age. I didn抰 take a job at the company, the way everyone expected me to. I married Crew, who has an empire of his own to run.
揗aybe.?
Joseph smiles at my vague response and picks up his drink. 揌ave a lovely evening.?
揧ou too.?
I turn to the bartender once he disappears. 揌i. Can you make me something without alcohol, please??
The bartender grins. He抯 cute, close to my age. With a lanky build and shaggy hair. 揊irst request I抳e gotten of those tonight.?
揑抣l bet. Businessmen love their fancy liquor.?
揘o kidding. If I pawned one of these bottles, I抎 be able to pay rent for months.?He backtracks quickly. 揑抦 not going to, obviously. Just a bad joke.?
I laugh. 揇on抰 worry about it. And I doubt anyone would even notice.?
揇o you like ginger??
揧es.?
He nods and starts pouring.
揌ave you bartended long??
揂 couple of years. I抦 getting my master抯 at NYU. It抯 good money and works with my class schedule.?
揥hat are you getting your master抯 in??
He looks sheepish. 揂nthropology. You can laugh. I抣l be eating Ramen my whole life.?
揋ood for you,?I say, and mean it. 揗oney is overrated.?
揈asy to say when you have it.?
揧ou抮e right,?I agree. 揃ut I bet most of these people aren抰 very happy with their lives.?
揂re you??
I sigh. 揟hat抯 a complicated question.?
揑t is.?He studies me for a minute, then holds out a hand. 揑抦 Charlie.?
I shake his offered hand. 揝carlett.?
揇o you work for Kensington Consolidated??
揘ot exactly. I抦 married to a Kensington.?
揑 thought I recognized you,?Charlie replies. 揧ou had that big, fancy wedding this summer, didn抰 you??
揧ep.?
揗y little sister loves your magazine.?
I smile. 揜eally??
揢h-huh. Last time I went home, my bed was covered with old Haute issues.?
揝eriously??
揑 swear.?
揥ow. That抯 flattering.?
Charlie slides a glass with a pink tinge in front of me. 揝ort of a Shirley Temple, but I added a few special ingredients. No alcohol.?
揟hank you.?I take a sip. It tastes like ginger, grapefruit, and rosemary. 揑t抯 really good.?
揋ood.?
I keep chatting with Charlie. Occasionally someone comes up for a refill, and he has to work. I often end up in conversation with whoever it is, hearing over and over again about what a fantastic job Crew is doing and how they抮e so excited for the future.
By the time Crew himself appears, I抦 on my third mocktail, chasing ice around in circles with a straw as Charlie makes someone a gin and tonic.
揌ey.?He stops beside me, close enough I can feel the heat radiating from his body.
揌ey.?Ice clinks against my glass as I keep chasing it round and round. Hannah抯 annoying lilt bounces around my head.
I don抰 want him. I have him.
Crew looks me over. I know, because I can feel each spot his gaze grazes. 揂re you drunk??