I grit my teeth. What is Aiden playing at? I’m going to have to watch her parade around, talking to people, pretending I don’t know her? How is this helpful?
“If it means a lot to you, of course not,” I say out loud instead, flashing her a smile I hope I can live up to later.
An hour later, I leave Rey with a coffee and a book in my library, which she seemed overjoyed with (and it’s about time someone used it). I walk Aiden to the lift.
“What the bloody hell are you playing at, Aiden?” I ask, making sure I don’t speak too loudly. “I don’t want her working there like that.”
“You said she loves dressing up, and she loved The Orion. I thought I was doing her a favour.”
“Her,maybe,” I grumble and rub my neck.
“You don’t want her there?”
“No, not like that.”
Aiden sighs. “Ask what she wants to do. She gets to takepart in this huge event, and one day down the line, at least you can share those memories. She doesn’t have to be on the sidelines just because you want to keep her a secret.”
I knit my brow at his words. Down the line.
But how do we get there?
“What am I supposed to do, Aiden?” I whisper. I need the romantic in him to give me some actual advice. Not the rational response I’d get from anyone else.
“Own it, Mark.” He shrugs as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“What?”
“Don’t keep it a secret. Own it. Get ahead of it.”
I nod in response, cogs whirring in my mind. How do I do that? Could we make people understand our story?
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
blog 65
F/WHATHAPPENSINMAYFAIR
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Blog65: Mystery date at Mesmeric Mystique event?
I don’t know about all of you, but I’m DYING for Aiden Aurellan’s Millefleuré opening. It’ll be the biggest red carpet event since the BAFTAs earlier this year, except we expect fewer TV celebs, but more ultra-wealthy and billionaires, which is why we’re going to be all over it, of course.
Aurellan has been whetting our appetites with the May Day Wonderland masquerade and the Mesmeric Mystique sensory event (see previous blog for the detailed rundown from anonymous visitors); summed up into the floral, sensory-delight kind of vibes that we believe the Millefleuré will provide.
But peeps, I’m not here to give Aurellan more free marketing. I’mhere to pick up the thread of Mark Becker and the mysterious Alice (see Blog59)!
Because guess who went to the Mesmeric Mystique event?
You got it (I knew you would)—Mark Becker.
One of my sources tells me he’s acting differently these days. Taking breaks, staring into trees in the park, leaving work at the time normal mortals would. Not the behaviour you’d expect from someone under the pump and in the limelight. What’s going on?
My theory:
He’s met someone.
Yup.
