Page 41 of Take the Wheel

But before she could close her grip around them, the keyholder—who had, unbeknownst to Ari, been in the middle of handing someone a glass of champagne—jerked in surprise. The flute tilted sharply, and in a perfect arc of disaster, the entire glass of chilled champagne poured straight down the front of Paris’s Great-Aunt Margot.

Ari barely had time to register the shock before a shriek split the air. Margot recoiled, clutching at her drenched silk gown, eyes wide with fury. The keyholder gasped, fumbling an apology. Around them, heads turned, conversation stalling as the scene unfolded.

Ari’s stomach clenched. Not ideal. Not ideal at all.

Ari flushed with panic as she stammered, ‘Oh my god, I am so sorry! That’s on me! Here, let me—’ She tried to help, but the older woman was already dabbing at her soaked bodice. ‘Don’t touch me!’ she said heatedly.

Ari retreated quickly, slinking back to Nancy’s side, her shoulders hunched in embarrassment.

‘What was that?’ Nancy asked.

‘I was trying to distract her while I grabbed the keys.’

‘It was definitely distracting,’ Nancy said, her voice dripping with mock exasperation.

Ari looked at her with a sheepish grin. ‘OK. Plan B.’

Nancy scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. ‘There was no Plan A, let alone a Plan B.’ She watched as Ari, unfazed, began brainstorming her next move.

Ari collected herself. ‘Right,’ she said to Nancy with determination and casually drifted back toward the woman with the keys.

This time, she attempted an over-the-top stumble, aiming to bump into her and snag the keys mid-trip. Instead, she crashed into a passing waiter, sending an entire platter of hors d’oeuvres flying.

A prawn landed in her hair.

‘Ari,’ Nancy hissed, rubbing her temple as though she could physically will herself out of this situation. ‘Stop.’

‘OK,’ Ari muttered as an irate wedding planner marched past, barking at staff to clean up the mess.

Ari sighed, pulling out the prawn and watching as the woman with the keys laughed at something another staff member said.

‘Your turn,’ Ari relented. ‘If you think you can do better.’

Nancy gave her a pointed look. ‘I couldn’t do worse.’ She approached the woman while Ari stayed within earshot. ‘Excuse me,’ Nancy said, stopping near the woman. ‘I think I might have left something in the library earlier, an earring. Would you happen to have a key so I can check?’

The woman turned to her, a little amused. ‘I’m afraid we don’t let guests into rooms unsupervised. But I’d be happy to check for you.’

Nancy sighed. ‘That’s very kind. I just hate to be a bother. It’s sentimental, you see. A gift. I’d feel terrible if I lost it here.’

The woman hesitated. Then she smiled and shook her head. ‘Rules are rules. I can go look now if you’d like?’

Nancy’s eye twitched the tiniest bit. ‘That’s alright. I’ll check later.’

She returned to Ari, and Ari had to physically bite her lip to keep from laughing. ‘That was some excellent key-stealing. You really showed me.’

‘Shut up.’

Ari grinned. ‘I think we’re both forgetting the obvious solution.’

Nancy exhaled through her nose as though bracing for nonsense. ‘Which is?’

Ari beamed. ‘Flirting.’

Nancy gave her a slow, measured look. ‘Ari.’

‘I’ll be charming,’ Ari said, checking her hair for further prawns. ‘I’ll be effortless. I’ll be—’

‘What if she’s not interested in women?’ Nancy asked.

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