Page 105 of Forget Me

“Miriam, if I may, I think this gala isn’t your scene any more than it is mine. The secret to success at these events is to get yourself a partner who’ll smooth the way like Audrey does for me.” He reached out a hand, and Mrs. Hayes took it.

“Charles.” Mrs. Hayes stepped in close, leaning against his shoulder. “If you’d only make an effort—”

“Why should I make an effort?” He grinned. “You do all the work for me. In fact, I’m sure there’s someone I should be talking to right now.”

“You do need to find Mr. van der Poel to find out what he knows about the new data privacy legislation.”

“See what I mean?” His deep brown eyes sparkled. “Jackson, Jamila, come on. We have some networking to do. And these two deserve to drink champagne in peace. If you’ll excuse us, ladies. Enjoy the party.” He winked at his stepdaughter, nodded at me, and held out his elbow to his wife. She took it, and they disappeared into the crowd, along with Jackson and Jamila.

“Yeah.” Natalie’s smile was fragile as glass. “That’s how you and Mateo would’ve been.”

I tipped the last drops of champagne into my mouth. I needed another if she was going to keep throwing him in my face. “Come on. We need to network, too. Larissa’s orders.” Plus, I needed to find the director and ask her about the withdrawal and the strange deposit.

“Fuck Larissa. Hanging out with you is way more fun than networking. But if you want to mingle, I can be the Audrey to your Charles.” She tossed her long hair over her shoulder. She knew exactly how to work these parties in a way I never could.

“I’ll never be like your mother or Charles. I don’t belong here at all.” I looked down at my sparkly gown like I’d been projecting it with Loki’s magic, and at any minute the illusion would crumble, leaving me in my usual saggy, black clothes.

“Sure you do. You just need the right partner.” She bent her elbow like some duke in a period film.

“Thanks, Natalie. You’re a good friend.” I slipped my hand through her arm. “Now, where should we go fir—”

Larissa floated up to us, popping the delicate bubble of normalcy Natalie had blown around me. She wore a strapless black mermaid-style gown covered with intricate beadwork that extended to the swishy tulle at the bottom. Around her neck was a flashy statement necklace of glittery red crystals with a giant fake ruby suspended just above the dress’s bodice.

“Larissa, that dress is gorgeous,” Natalie said. She peered closer. “Hand beaded?”

“Isn’t it?” Larissa smoothed a hand over her side.

“And that necklace.” Natalie named some high-end jeweler I’d heard celebrities mention on the red carpet before award shows.

Larissa nodded. “It’s the most amazing piece I’ve ever worn.”

It was real? I swallowed, and that tug in the back of my brain, like the answer to a math problem I’d almost solved, was back. I didn’t know Larissa’s take-home pay since, against my advice, Jackson paid her directly from his personal funds. According to the salary comparison websites I’d checked, it wasn’t enough to afford gigantic, genuine rubies. Was it possible to rent jewelry like that? My mind spun, trying to figure out the jeweler’s business model and how they’d insure the pieces.

Larissa woke me out of my calculations by saying, “Let me introduce you to Flavio, my date.”

He’d been standing behind her, talking to one of the club’s black-uniformed staff members, but he stepped up when she plucked his sleeve. He’d been wearing golf clothes both times I’d met him here before, but tonight his tuxedo molded to his physique, from broad shoulders to narrow hips. He didn’t stand up straight like Mateo always did but slouched, hands in his pockets, comfortable in his tux and in his own skin like he owned the place.

“Oh, we’ve already met,” Natalie said. “When we came here with the decorator last week.”

“Yes.” He wagged a finger. “I gave you my card, Miss Jones, but you haven’t called me yet.”

“Talk to Larissa. She’s the one who’s been keeping us busy with party planning.”

“Ah. But now the party planning is done, and I have a business proposition—”

“Not now, Flavio.” Larissa’s smile teetered into a grimace. “Where’s Mateo? I want to ask him why the band isn’t wearing sombreros and those tight mariachi pants.”

Natalie rolled her eyes so forcefully I thought her fake eyelashes might fly off.

“He isn’t here tonight,” I said.

“Trouble in paradise?” Larissa’s ash-blond eyebrows sailed up.

I wanted to tell her no, but the lie stuck in my dry throat.

“Oh, no.” Her voice dropped an octave. “You broke up?”

Natalie stepped closer and clutched my suddenly cold hand. “Let’s not talk about that tonight. Tonight is for celebrating our hard work.” But she gave me a look so full of sympathy that my sinuses tingled.

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