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“You flatterer,” she murmured with a smile. Miles Barrow had been the captain and art director for Oedipus for as long as she could remember. Flamboyant, loud, and slightly annoying, he loved his position of power within the super krewe, but there was something decidedly lovable about the overweight man with a gray-streaked beard.
“Of course I am, but I ain’t no liar, neither, darlin,’” he said, his New Orleans East accent thick as gumbo.
Nick stuck out his hand. “Miles.”
“How ya been, friend?”
“Good. I’m here with Tess, aren’t I?”
Miles nodded. “Damn straight. Go get you some food. We got everythin’ you want. Have a ball.”
Nick slipped away and headed to the bar. Tess nodded at Miles, knowing Monique expected her to help bring in his business. But he wouldn’t be easy to pull away from Ullo because he was the kind of guy who respected tradition. Frank Ullo had been a friend as much as he’d been the guy building spectacular, elaborate floats with all the intricate posterboard flowers the krewe was known for. “I want to talk to you about this year’s floats… after I snag some of those smoked oysters and do the wobble with Margaret Ann.”
Miles’s guffaw filled the foyer. “Ah, damn, chérie. My wife’s been practicin’ that dumb thing all week. You go dance with her. Will tickle her fancy, for sure. Business can wait.” He waved at someone across the room and was gone in a blink just as Nick returned with a vodka tonic with a wedge of lime and offered it to her, clinking it with his own scotch and soda.
“I’m glad to be here with you, babe,” he said, brushing a lock of hair off her shoulder. “It’s been too long since I spent time with my Tess. I can’t even remember what we fought over.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Really?”
Nick played dumb which unfortunately suited him. “Naw. What was it over? A silly Christmas present? Drinking too much at the Ullo holiday bash?”
“Merrill Wynn?”
“Merri?”
“You took her home and screwed her right after giving me that bracelet and talking about forever. Remember?” Tess said.
“Oh, yeah. I forgot. But you know she didn’t mean anything. I was drunk and she was all over me.”
“You don’t really believe that.”
“So I screwed up. I know that now. I’m ready to be the man you need.” He looked down at her, so earnest, so sincere, so… freaking lying between his teeth.
“We’re here as friends, Nick. That’s it.”
Nick smiled. “Sure. We’re totally friends. And if we hook up, we hook up.”
She pulled his hand from her waist and surveyed the room, wishing now she’d just come solo. Monique had urged her to bring a date, even going so far as to suggest a double date, but for some reason Tess held her off, declaring she had an appointment earlier that day. She hated lying but the thought of sitting at a table with her boss and Nick made her feel itchy.
Monique and Josh should be here by now.
Graham, too.
Her stomach did a loop-the-loop. She’d taken extra care with her appearance that evening, donning a short gold cocktail dress that clung to her hips and showed off her toned legs. The blousey crepe top showed her equally toned arms by gathering at her shoulders and dipping low to show the tops of her breasts. She wore diamond hoop earrings and her hair pulled back soft against the nape of her neck. Killer high-heeled sandals completed her look.
She’d told herself the outfit had nothing to do with Graham and everything to do with feeling confident and together—the same reason she’d brought Nick. But she lied to herself. Rubbing the satiny lotion over her body and sliding into her lacy underwear, her thoughts had been of Graham. Of the way he’d loved her, made her feel like forever was something within her grasp.
Damn it. Why couldn’t she have all she wanted, including Graham? Why was everything so hard now?
“Tess, you look lovely,” Monique said, sweeping alongside her.
“Oh.” Tess jumped at the unexpected greeting, sloshing her drink on her hand. “And you look gorgeous as always, Monique.”
Monique, clad in something short, slithery and magenta, smiled. “I see you’ve brought a date. Your taste is exquisite as always.”
Tess made introductions for her “friend” Nick, who applied his charm with a light hand. Tess’s earlier reminder about his indiscretion must have taken the wind from his sails. Wouldn’t last long. Nick was anything if not impervious to “no.”
Josh bumbled up, carrying two glasses of champagne. He handed one to his wife and turned a goofy smile on Tess. “You clean up good, girl.”
