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I sipped champagne and nibbled on snacks, studiously avoiding Neil when I saw him. It was a more difficult task than I planned. He seemed hellbent on getting to me.
He’d never go to the women’s bathroom, so I decided to take a break in there.
I squeezed through the party until I found it and went inside. It was surprisingly empty. Usually, there was at least one person there, touching up her makeup. Someone was in the stall at the far end, but aside from that, I was alone.
I took my time, touching up my lipstick and checking my phone. Someone else came in not long after, a woman in a sleek red dress who I didn’t recognize.
“I love your dress!” I said.
“Thanks. I love yours, too.” She looked me up and down, then dug through her purse. “But there’s something on the back. Can I get it for you?”
“Yes, thank you!” I turned, and she stepped around the voluminous back. “It’s so big that I’m surprised it’s not a mess.”
“It’s so lovely.” The woman put her hand on my exposed upper back, and I felt a sharp pinch on my neck. I sucked in a breath, clutching the edge of the sink. My vision blurred at the edges and went completely black.
* * *
I woke up with a pounding head and a dry mouth. Where was I? The room was in a hotel suite, a more budget-friendly one based on the furniture. The curtains were drawn closed, and I was alone.
I tried piecing together my most recent memories. The gala. Champagne. Going to the bathroom. That sharp pinprick.
I gasped and tried to stand, but my legs wobbled, and I fell down. Someone had drugged me. How had they gotten me out of the bathroom without being noticed? Was there another door or something?
“H-hello?” I called out. I wasn’t tied up. That was a good sign, wasn’t it? If they wanted to kill me, they would have tied me up, right?
I suppressed my tears and tried to keep my head on straight. Had my stalker been let out of jail or something? But he wouldn’t have gotten inside the gala…
“You’re awake,” Neil said, rounding the corner from the outer suite. “Finally.”
My limbs froze, but my insides did a huge somersault. What was going on?
“I know you’re probably shocked.” Neil offered his hand to me. “Let’s get you seated on the bed.”
“No.” I was still woozy, but I managed to fall back onto my butt and crawl away from him, even in my dress. “What am I doing here?”
“It’s okay.” He held his hands up and sat on the bed instead. “We can talk about it. It’s not what you think.”
“Not what I think. Drugging me and somehow getting me out of the gala.” I pressed my back to the wall and curled my knees to my chest. “Okay, sounds reasonable.”
“Those bodyguards of yours have influenced you,” Neil said. “You never used to be so sarcastic.”
That was too sarcastic for him?
“Anyway, I invited you here to propose something,” he continued. “Marriage.”
I blinked. “Marriage to who?”
“To me.”
“No,” I blurted, running my hand up the wall to the windowsill. It was sealed. “I’d never. That’s disgusting.”
“Disgusting?” A shadow passed over Neil’s eyes, making me shudder.
“You’ve known me since I was a child. I’m twenty-three, and you’re nearly sixty. And obviously, I wouldn’t be going into this marriage willingly,” I said, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice and failing. “Let me go.”
“I think you should reconsider.” He stood and walked over to me. He wasn’t a tall man, but being on the ground while he was standing over me made him feel huge. “We’d be a great alliance. And I’d love to have a beautiful woman on my arm.”
“Alliance in what? I don’t want anything you have to offer,” I said. “But I have a lot to offer you. Especially if your real finances are to be believed.”
