He’s not here.
Asher isn’t here.
My mind starts racing. He must have had second thoughts and reneged on the plan.Again.
And why wouldn’t he? The plan is, as Sloane has kindly reminded me about a million times since I first told her, patently ridiculous. Of course he’d get cold feet. Of course he’d prefer not to rile up his father because of me, a veritable stranger. Of course he—
‘Ow!’ I whimper for the second time tonight, yanking my arm away from Sloane before she can pinch it again. ‘Are you twelve years old?’
‘Relax,’ Sloane hisses back through a fake but remarkably believable smile. She is truly a pro. ‘You look like you’re about to throw up.’
I just might.
‘There’s still plenty of time,’ Sloane continues as she slows to a halt beside a table with two conspicuously empty seats. It’s remarkable how easily she can read me and decipher what’s currently stressing me out. ‘A lot of people aren’t here yet. So take a deep breath and get your shit together. It’s show time.’
And show time it is. I barely have the chance to school my expression into one of practised ease and elegance before a tornado of silver and blue suddenly appears in front of me. It’s only thanks to years and years of conditioning to be the perfect daughter, the perfect representative of Malcolm Davies and Peregrine Airways, which stops me from grimacing.
‘Sloane! Imani! I was sure they’d made a mistake with the seating assignments, but here you are. Here youbothare!’
Emmeline Pittock, youngest daughter of the Earl of Camberley, beams at both of us, bright blue eyes wide and searching. Searching for what? Something juicy.
I chance a sideways glance at Sloane, whose smile has become slightly manic. We have no concrete proof, but we’re fairly confident that Emmy is the one behind the current most popular anonymous Instagram gossip page going around our circle. We usually do our best to avoid her at events like this; Sloane still hasn’t quite forgiven Emmy for posting leaked photos of her at a shoot where the make-up artist had no experience with darker skinned women and left Sloane looking a regrettably ashy grey sort of colour. If she had her way, we’d not be within eyesight of Emmy, but for tonight being close to Emmy is a must.
‘Emmy,’ I say smoothly through a gritted grin. ‘How lovely to see you.’ I descend into the empty seat next to hers. Emmy follows suit and Sloane drops down beside me with barely a nod in Emmy’s direction. ‘How have you been?’
‘Oh just wonderful, wonderful, darling,’ Emmy says absentmindedly. She doesn’t return the pleasantry and ask how I’m doing. Instead, she leans over me and bats her doe-like eyelashes at Sloane. ‘Did I hear correctly that you’ve got averyyyyyspecial magazine cover coming soon?’
Sloane’s manic smile widens. ‘I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
Emmy’s own smile gets a little bigger too, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She shimmies a little closer towards Sloane.I’m fairly certain that if it were socially acceptable to simply shove me out of the way and steal my seat, she would. As it stands, she has to settle for awkwardly leaning over me.
It’s abundantly clear that Emmy has no interest in me. I should be offended, but I suppose I can’t blame her. I’m notoriously low drama and she’s never been able to mine me for gossip like she does everyone else, so she’s learned not to waste any time with me and instead go for Sloane.
That’s all about to change tonight.
While Emmy continues to probe Sloane about a certain coveted cover spot (with no success), I scan the room again. The night is officially in full swing. Surely Asher must be here by now. I’m itching to reach for my phone in my clutch to see if he’s left me an apologetic message, but Emmy is too close and even if Sloane is currently taking all her attention, I can’t chance her eagle-eye reading something she shouldn’t.
I scan the room again, ready to call it quits and accept the fact that I’ve effectively been stood up, and then I spot him.
Dressed in a tailored navy suit that fits as if it was crafted just for him, he enters the room a few steps behind his brother, Teddy, and who I have to assume is Teddy’s date for the evening. The cut of Asher’s jacket highlights broad shoulders, and tapers down to show off a trim waist. The crisp white shirt beneath it is almost blinding against the darkness of the suit, the only pop of colour being the flash of a dark tie resting against his chest.
His dark curls are tousled and fall slightly across his forehead in an effortless kind of way that makes my pulse jump.I’ve never denied the fact that Asher is handsome, but tonight he looks impossibly good, like he’s sauntered straight out of the pages of a magazine.
He suddenly looks over in my direction as if he can feel the heat from my gaze boring into him. For a moment our eyes lock and everything around me seems to slow down. Emmy non-stop gossiping beside me, the chattering guests, the clinking of glasses, the string quartet still playing softly in the background… all of it blurs into the faintest hum.
Then, without missing a beat, his lips curl into a small, warm smile like he’s relieved to see me. It’s the kind of smile that makes you feel like you’re the only one in the room. It’s a soft, reassuring thing and it makes my heart do a quick flip in my chest.
I force myself to look away before I become an absolute mess of nerves, but I swear I can still feel the warmth of his smile lingering in the space between us.
I inhale slowly, trying to remind myself why I’m here. It’s time to set this plan into motion.
I clear my throat and say, as obnoxiously loud as I can make it, ‘Ugh.’
The effect is instantaneous. As if she’s got some kind of preternatural affinity for sensing juicy gossip, Emmy pauses mid-sentence and turns her head ever so slightly in my direction.
‘What was that?’ she asks.
I pretend to look flustered and wave a frantic hand in front of my face. ‘Oh, it’s—It’s nothing.’ I let slip another glancein Asher’s direction and, yep, Emmy follows my gaze, her curious blue eyes landing on Asher.
