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Chapter Three
RAVEN
The party isat the Elysium. We don’t even need to show our purple and gold invitation card. One of the bouncers recognizes Cindy as we get out of our taxi. He lets us jump the queue that seems to snake right around the block and beyond.
Inside it is already heaving with beautiful people. We snag a couple of glasses of champagne from a passing waitress. She is dressed in something that looks like a white spacesuit. I follow Cindy as she moves deeper into theclub.
“There’s Rosa. Come on,” Cindy shouts, and pulls me towards the roped off section markedVIP.
In the last three years I’ve met Rosa a few times, mostly at Cindy’s birthday parties. Then she is always in jeans and fashionable though casual attire. I’ve never seen her in full work mode. Surrounded by glamorous women, who look as sharp as nails, she holds her own in a classic little black dress that makes her red hair almost glow under the neon lights.
When she turns and spots us she winks. In that gesture of solidarity there is warmth, confidence, and the girl I once knew. We’ve all grown up, but there is still that bit left over from those days when we dyed each other’s hair, and slept huddled together in one tent because we scared ourselves half to death trying to outdo each other telling the most frightening ghost stories we could come upwith.
Rosa excuses herself and walks over tous.
“You guys look amazing,” she says as she air-kisses us. She pulls away from me. “So glad you could make it, Raven.” Her eyes settle on my necklace. “Love your choker.”
“It’s actually Cindy’s,” I say awkwardly.
She smiles. “Well, it looks great onyou.”
“That’s what I said,” Cindy chimesin.
“It’s a wonderful party,” I say, glancing around.
“It’s just warming up. Stick around and it’ll get better in a while when the old school boring frats leave and the more interesting crowd is allowed in,” Rosa says with agrin.
“Oh, okay.”
“How’s … ?”
“Janna,” I supply. I know Rosa has no interest in kids. When we were younger she used to say that she was never going to have kids because she had no intention of ending up in prison for grievous bodily harm or pre-meditated murder.
“Yes, that’s the one” She smiles again. “How isshe?”
“Great. She’s great. She’s obsessed withkeys.”
She raises her eyebrows and nods. “She’s four now, right?”
“Yup.”
“That’sgood.”
We look at each other. It’s a sad moment. I realize that Rosa and I have nothing left in common.
She makes another attempt. “We must do lunch.”
“Yeah, we must,” I say softly.
“Let’s go to that new Thai restaurant,” Cindy says brightly.
Both Rosa and I turn to look at her. Neither of us had any intention of actually meeting up for lunch, but now we’re stuck.
“Do you still like green curry?” Rosa asksme.
“Mmm …” I say with a smile. She remembered.
An obviously gay man with very pink cheeks and a colorful bowtie appears next to Rosa. “And who are these two charming creatures?” heasks.
Rosa introduces us smoothly and for a while we chat to him. I like him. He owns a modelling agency in Bond Street and he is wickedly funny. Eventually someone comes to claim Rosa’s attention, and he moves away with her. Some people that Cindy knows come to join us. An attractive man, not really Cindy’s type, asks her to dance. She wants to say no but her favorite song comes on at that very moment. She looks at me. “Wanna dance?” sheasks.
“Nah, you go ahead. I’ll be waiting right here,” I tellher.
“Yousure?”
“Go on. The song is going to be oversoon.”
I smile at the sight of her practically dragging the man to the floor.
A waitress passes by and I help myself to another glass of champagne. I take a sip and look around me. It’s a good party but I don’t belong here. A man sidles up next to me. Without turning my head I can tell he is wearing a cowboyhat.
“You’re breaking my heart just standing there, sweetheart,” he drawls in a strong American accent.
That amuses me. I turn towards him, and my smile dies on my lips. Oh mygod!
Star is walking around the dancefloor and it is clear she is heading towards the VIP area. For a few moments I can only stare at her. She was always the beautiful one. She is even more lovely now. Her blonde hair is like a halo around her head. There is a very large man with her. Judging by the earpiece he is sporting, he must be some kind of bodyguard. Then my brain kicks in: as soon as she clears the dancefloor she will see me. My first thought is to hide. I whirl away so my back is to her, and try to think.
“Hey, do I smell or something?” the Americanasks.
I don’t turn around. “I’m sorry, I just don’t feel well,” I say, and quickly start to walk in the direction of the other entrance into the VIP section. I just can’t face her. Not today. I’ve had too much to drink and I can’t deal with the past. I wouldn’t even have come if I had known she was going to behere.
The man guarding the entrance lifts the rope and I walk through. I leave my drink on a table and decide to leave the club. I’ll take a taxi and send a text to Cindy when I’m home. I’ll tell her I’m safe and sound. She’ll be mad, of course, but I’ve no other choice. I hurry past the crowd of people milling about in reception and retrieve mycoat.
