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The line of cars was one black limo after another, and she couldn't tell which one was hers. As she approached, a door opened and Thad climbed out, a huge grin firmly in place. Flashes filled the air and he posed, then called, "Hey, Rhi!" when he saw her. "Come pose with me! Make me look good! I’m not famous enough to get an invite to the show, but I’m here for the party!"
She walked up to him, and he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her in close, mugging for the camera. After two rounds of flashes, they both turned their backs on the photographers and Rhiannon patted his shoulder.
"Ta’, love," he said, giving her a wink. "How's the party?"
"In full swing," she said, shaking her head at him.
"What are you doing out here by yourself? Where's your date?"
She sighed, glancing around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. "Apparently, I don't have one, so I'm going home."
Thad frowned, "What? You can't leave. I've only just arrived! We need to celebrate."
"I think I've had enough to last me for one night. Enough to last me forever, really," she said, seriously. "I just want to go home."
"What happened, Rhi?"
She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it, but if you go inside, you might be able to tell." She looked down the row of cars. "Do you mind if I borrow your car? I don't know which one I arrived in."
"Of course, love. Tell Bruce where you want to go, and he'll get you there."
"I'm not sticking you without a ride, am I?"
"No. This is my last stop before home, which I should be heading to somewhere around dawn. Bruce will be back to pour me into the limo by then," he said, winking at her.
"Okay," Rhiannon said, obviously relieved. "Thanks, Thad."
"Anytime. I'll ring you tomorrow," he said, leaning to kiss her cheek before heading off towards the entrance.
Rhiannon slipped into the limo and Bruce closed the door. Once behind the darkened glass, she settled back in the plush leather of the seat and released a slow breath. Bruce got in and asked her where she wanted to go, and she gave him Kline's address.
Getting back onto the road was easier than she'd expected given the traffic and the time of night, and soon they were underway. When they were getting close to Kline's house, Rhiannon gave Bruce the alternate route to go in the back way so she could avoid the vultures at the front gate. He dropped her off and she went in through the hidden entrance just off the garden, following the short breezeway into the kitchen.
Seated at the island counter was a pretty young woman with medium blond hair and a golden tan, eating a bowl of ice cream. "Congrat—," she said, the word fading with surprise at seeing Rhiannon, "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought—Hi!"
"Hi. You must be Kim. I'm Rhiannon."
She nodded. "I figured. Is Kline with you?"
"No. He's still at the party. I wasn't feeling well, so I came back here. I need to get out of this dress and head home."
"Oh, okay. Well, I've just put Jack to bed a little while ago. He was trying to stay up to see his dad when he came home," Kim said, with a slight smile. "He was really tickled to see him on the television."
Rhiannon nodded. "It was a great moment. He did a good job," she agreed, heading towards the steps. The clicking of her heels sounded loud to her, and she stopped to take them off so as not to wake Jack while she changed clothes. She hurried up the stairs into the loft and grabbed her bag from behind the chair at the foot of the bed. She peeled out of the dress and pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt, plucking the antique sterling and diamond earrings out of her ears and slipping the matching bracelet from her wrist. She laid the dress on the bed and dropped the jewelry and the empty clutch onto the sheer fabric.
It took only a few minutes to collect all of the things she'd brought with her, including the toiletries in the bathroom. She didn't go near the closet. There was nothing in there that belonged to her. After one last glance around the room, she slung the bag on her shoulder and made her way downstairs.
Kim was still there, rinsing the dish she'd used. Rhiannon gave her the once over and wondered briefly if Kline was sleeping with his nanny, too. It was a passing thought and she decided she didn't really care. "I'm off," she said, "it was good to meet you."
"You, too," Kim said, looking a bit confused but not daring to question. "G'night."
"Night," Rhiannon said, before trotting back through the breezeway and into the garage where her car was parked, ready to take her home.
* * *
Rhiannon was at her computer when the phone rang, and she checked the caller ID to see that it was Kline. Reaching over, she turned the ringer off and let the voice mail pick up. She'd gone to bed angry and woken up sad and wasn't in any state to talk to him. She sipped a cup of tea and turned her attention back to the screen.
The previous night's events were splashed all over the internet. DeuxMoi was featuring the winners list and the fashion highlights. Kline's name was mentioned in several of the articles, which was to be expected. Jill's dress made headlines, as well. She was in the top ten best dressed according to Go Fug Yourself.
