Maybe the captain wanted to throw her off. Or maybe he wanted to mess with her head. Then again, Lance may be putting on an act, pretending to be shy and unassuming. She shouldn’t let her guard down.
Krowe regaled the crowd with tales about Lance that she doubted were true, and eventually the two returned to their seats. The guests continued dining and gossiping through dessert until everyone seemed bored with the mystery of Lance. He planted himself at the far corner of the room in the darkness where the glow of the trees fell short of him. That was the last place she’d choose for gathering intel, so then he may not be here to do that. Odd. Nothing about Lance madesense unless he really was just Krowe’s nephew. But the captain acted as if they weren’t actually related.
Miya worked the tables near Lance, careful to never look at him directly. If he hadn’t noticed her by now, then he must be blind. She’d made sure she looked perfect tonight, her long hair twisted into an updo, with ringlets kissing her cheeks and the nape of her neck. Though she wore the same fitted black dress and capped sleeves as the other maids, Miya chose a dark red lipstick that never failed to draw eyes.
After another five minutes, Miya served the table closest to him, catching a better look at him. He leaned against the wall with a haze of smoke drifting up over his face that did not smell like cigarettes.Come on, Mr. Lance Supposedly Krowe. Come out and play.
“Can I get anything for you?” she asked, walking away from the guests toward him.
“I’m fine.” He took a drag before returning his attention to the other side of the room. Miya followed his line of sight to… nothing. He stared at an empty table littered with leftover food. If he wasn't interested in women, then she needed to pivot with her strategy right now.
Best to find out for sure. “You know this is your party, don’t you?”
He blew the smoke away from her, his eyes on her now. “Guess I missed that.”
It wasn’t proper for her to talk to him like this, but he entertained her at least. “We picked all the flowers by hand, you know. People traveled for days to come.” Miya bit her lip, daring a step closer. “There’s a sign somewhere that says, ‘Welcome Lance Krowe.’ Subtle clues, but there's plenty if you know where to look.”
“Huh.” He stuffed a hand in his pocket. “You picked flowers in the snow, eh?”
“We wanted to make a good impression.”
He finally faced her. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll get in trouble talking to me like this?”
Yes. Good. Focus on her. “That depends. Am I in trouble?”
A grin crawled onto his face. It made him look boyish and his eyes kind. He lifted the joint he didn't try to hide.
“I can’t smoke here,” she said. Not too hard to catch Lance’s eye, after all.
“You didn’t seem too worried about the rules a second ago.”
She pursed her dark lips, eyes lowered to give him the chance to sneak a look at her if he wanted, and took his gift, her fingers brushing his. Slipping between himand the wall, she backed into the corner, leaving enough room that Lance needed to shift closer should he want to, but near enough to give him the chance.
Miya held the smoke in her lungs for a few seconds. She'd hear about this for sure when the headmistress smelled her. The boss hated it when she smoked, and Governor Krowe outright forbade staff from any of it—cigarettes, weed, whatever.
Befriending this Lance guy might have its benefits if she washed her clothes immediately after. It had been a boring few weeks here. “I see why you’re hiding over here now.” He was cuter than she first gave him credit for, especially with that disheveled look to his wavy hair. The style matched him well enough that she wondered if he’d tried to make his hair look that way but suspected he hadn’t. The short beard he wore looked well-groomed. A plus once she got him to kiss her because she hated dirty beards rubbing against her face.
“What’s your name?” Lance towered over her. If he were an undercover agent, he wouldn’t appreciate her partnership with the captain. What then? She had more than the captain to worry about, even if he was the greatest danger.
She passed the blunt back to him. “Miya.”
He studied her. “Where will you go in a few weeks when this place sells?”
Clasping her hands behind her back, she rested against the wall. “Onto the next placement, wherever that may be. You?”
“Home.”
Had Lance moved closer? Felt like it. Miya held her ground, waiting for him, glancing up at him from beneath her lashes. In the low light, his dark facial hair looked like a shadow.
Now was the perfect time for Lance to make a move. Instead, he opened the space between them. Which meant she should leave now and keep his interest. “I should probably refill more glasses.”
“I should probably stay in this corner.”
She watched to see if he appeared disappointed. Couldn’t tell.
Her body brushed his as she squeezed past him. He turned with her, holding her gaze. Black rimmed his brown eyes.
“Enjoy your party, Mr. Krowe. And be careful. I hear smoking is bad for the lungs.”
