Page 119 of The Addendum

“Hey,” I greeted her, accepting her kiss on the cheek easily. “What are you doing here?”

She frowned. “You didn’t get Luc’s message?”

“No.”

“He got held up in the server room this afternoon. He asked us to pick you up, and he’ll meet us at the winery.”

“Oh.” I picked up my purse, looking at my phone. “I don’t have a message or a missed call.”

“He said their signals kept going down. It’ll probably show up later.”

“I guess.”

“I love that dress. You look gorgeous,” she said, changing the subject.

“Luc picked it.”

“It’s beautiful.” She fingered the shawl. “This looks vintage.”

“It was my mom’s,” I replied quietly.

“It’s perfect. You almost ready to go?”

“Yes. Do you know what the event is? Luc never told me.”

“Oh, um, some dinner dance thing his company was sponsoring.”

“Like a charity gig?”

“Something like that, I think.”

I picked up my purse, transferring my phone and a couple other items into the small clutch I would carry for the night.

“Wait, why did you come all the way in here to pick me up? I could have driven myself,” I asked her.

I turned, but Heather was out the door, and I didn’t catch what she said.

I frowned. This event seemed very mysterious. Luc didn’t talk about it; Heather seemed reluctant.

What was the great mystery?

* * *

Heather and Reed kept up a running commentary the whole drive to the winery. When we arrived, Heather asked Reed to drop us at the front door. “These heels are gonna kill me,” she pouted.

He laughed and stopped. “Sure, babe. The lot is pretty full out back, but I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

We got out, and I hugged my shawl tighter, grateful I had brought it. The air was chilly. Inside, I looked around, even more confused. There was no greeting area, no one to welcome people and give them seat assignments—in fact, no one was around at all. I could hear muffled voices from behind the closed doors, but nothing else.

How odd.

Heather’s phone buzzed, and she smiled. “Luc says he is two minutes away.” Reed strolled in, looking dapper in his suit. He was usually dressed far more casually, but he cleaned up well.

“We’ll go in, and you can wait for Luc,” he suggested. “We’ll grab a table.”

“Are we late?” I asked. “Is that why there’s no one out here in charge?”

“It’s pretty laid-back, from what Luc said.” Reed smirked. “Nothing is assigned.”