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He was just about to speak when Daphne swept back and delivered his bourbon. “Enjoy! I’m off to mingle.”
My husband clutched his drink and had a large sip.
“Whatis going on?” But at that moment, Kelli Nguyen joined us. She looked fantastic as usual, with her long, tawny-colored hair loose over her shoulders and a sage-colored dress that skimmed her toned figure.
“Hi guys.” She hugged Bryce, then me. “I’m glad you finally showed up.”
“You’ve outdone yourself, Kelli,” Bryce said quickly. “The place looks great.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Well, since your people did it, you shouldn’t sound so surprised.”
An awkward silence settled over our group. I glanced at Bryce. He wasn’t looking at anything in particular, and he definitely wasn’t looking at me.
Kelli seemed confused by his reaction, so she turned to me. “How are you holding up, Chloe? I’m sure it’s been a bit of a circus.”
I nodded. “It has been, but I’m…fine.”
“Fine?” She arched an eyebrow. “As in Feeling Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional?”
When I blinked at her, she laughed. “You’ve never heard that one before? Ah, I guess you’re too young to have been in as much therapy as the rest of us. Do you want to come and try the appetizers? There’s a sushi roll with local crab and seaweed—todiefor. C’mon.” Kelli put her arm around me and gently led me away from Bryce.
“Wait…”
But Bryce nodded, indicating I should go with Kelli. He drank more of his bourbon, almost draining it in one gulp.
“He’s having a hard time, huh?” Kelli maneuvered me through the well-dressed crowd, who were all staring at me, Bryce, or Felicia, while pretending not to.
I shrugged. “He is, but he’s not the only one.”
Kelli nodded. “You’re feeling like he’s not supporting you. Am I right?”
“Sort of. I’m feeling like he’s... Oh, I don’t know.” But the truth was, I absolutely knew how I was feeling. It just wasn’t anything I could voice to Kelli Nguyen.I feel like he’s putting up walls. I feel like he’s pushing me away. I feel used.Not long ago, he’d fired me and sent me back to Boston. I needed to remember that he was all too capable of hurting me just like that again.
Why was he being so cold to me? What had I done?
I was prepared to give him everything, and he seemed more than willing to take it. But what if it was just a black hole, a vacuum? What if he took my love and never did anything with it—like return it or appreciate it?
“What did you say to him, back there?” I asked Kelli, shifting gears. “About his people decorating for the party?”
“I thought you knew. Me and my big mouth,” Kelli sighed. “Gene Windsor reached out to me and asked me to throw this party. He donated a million dollars to my foundation so I’d say yes.”
I almost spit out my crab roll, even though it was delicious. “He paid you a million dollars to throw alobster bake?”
She shrugged. “I work in Hollywood. Let me tell you, this sort of thing is more common than you might think.”
“But…why?” I shook my head. “Maybe I just don’t understand people who are that wealthy. No offense.”
“None taken. Billionaires are a different breed, that’s for sure.” She raised her hands. “I’ve seen it all. Like I said—I work in Hollywood. There’s so much bullshit I need to bring a shovel to work every day. That’s why I like you, Chloe. You’re not jaded yet.”
I sighed. “I think I might be getting there.”
“Not just yet, kid.” Kelli shook her head. “And as for why Gene donated a million dollars to have this party? It’s because he’s trying to save his company. Olivia Jensen has them all believing that a PR campaign is going to impact the possible charges against him. She believes the court of public opinion is what matters. I hope she’s right—otherwise, things don’t look good for the company. Gene’s throwing everything he’s got at this. And what he’s got is money and influence.”
She stopped talking and furrowed her brow, watching the party. I followed her gaze. Felicia Jones was crossing the lawn, heading straight for Bryce. “Stay here, Chloe.” Kelli gently put her arm out to hold me back. “I have a feeling this is something that needs to happen.”
“Oh God.” I watched in horror as Felicia reached my husband. All eyes were on them. If only the earth would open up beneath me so that I could go die in a hole myself and not have to witness this…
The heiress wore a black tank dress with a huge slit up the side, showcasing the lightly tanned skin of her long, toned legs. Her glossy black hair was swept over one shoulder, and of course, Bitchface’s makeup was perfect. I might hate her slightly less if she’d ruined her good looks with too much facial filler. Unfortunately, she appeared totally, naturally gorgeous.
