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“Damn, you are persistent. I’m not telling you!”
“Clown?”
“We’re done here.”
But I’m not. I rifle through the characters fromThe Greatest Showman. “The bearded lady?”
The corners of Merrick’s mouth twitch.
“Oh my God. Am I right?”
“How could you possibly guess that?”
I gasp. “I’m right?”
“Fuck.” He grinds his teeth. “You can’t tell him that I told you.”
“I know, but… you’re kidding me, right?” I wail. “Henry said I would look good!”
“Hey, who says a woman with a beard can’t look good? It’s natural.”
“So is having it waxed. Couldn’t you have chosen somethingsexierthan that?”
He shrugs. “Wolf said you’d want a modest costume, and that was the most modest one I could find.”
“Because my face will be covered in hair!”
He purses his lips. “I promise, it’s not that bad.”
I look down at my beautiful black dress in dismay. “What are the other women going as?”
“Acrobats. Sexy costumes too.”
“Seriously?” I’m beginning to like Merrick less by the second.
Another shrug. “I was just following Wolf’s rules.”
Henry reappears at the bottom of the stairs.
“Remember, youpromised.” That hardness is back in Merrick’s eyes and voice as he glares down at me, as if hiding a threat. How does he change so quickly between warm and cold?
“What’s going on here?” Henry’s gaze shifts between us, before settling on his friend with a “What the fuck did you do?” look.
“Hello, my dear friends!” Margo strolls in then, her short black lace dress leaving almost nothing to the imagination. Joel trails a few steps behind her, her trench coat draped over his arm. “Now the party may begin!”
* * *
Kendra leansover her place setting on the other side of Joel, who sits between us. “Is it true what I heard? Henry was trapped in a mine recently?”
“Yes. A couple of weeks ago.”
She presses her hand against her cleavage. “That must have beensoscary.”
“It was terrifying,” I admit, glancing across to where Henry sits. He’s not paying attention, deep in conversation with Merrick who, as the only solo guest, is at the head of the table. I’m sure he’d rather bypass a conversation about his recent ordeal.
“Oui, but our Abigail was strong.” Margo beams at me from her spot next to Henry.
“I didn’t eat or sleep until he came home. I was an absolute mess, and you know that because you dropped everything to be there for me. Because you’re a wonderful friend.” Who I’msohappy insisted on coming tonight. Not that there’s been any real awkwardness. It’s as if no time has passed since Henry and his childhood friends last saw one another, which I suppose is normal for such a close group.
