Page 16 of Lost Summer
Before I could answer, a figure appeared at our side, cutting smoothly into the conversation with a charm I decided I didn’t like. His eyes—sharp, glacial blue—roamed freely over Elena.
“I’ve been waiting to meet you, Edward,” he said, voice silkier than velvet.
Elena flushed, squeezing my hand as she fluttered her eyelashes at Prince Charming. “This is Allan Herod, the son of?—”
“Lee Herod,” I interjected, finally interested. “Your dad won the case against the oil company back in ninety-nine.”
Allan nodded before turning back to Elena. “I wouldn’t know much about that, though; I was only a baby.”
Nineteen and ripped to fuck. No wonder Elena was drinking him up with her eyes.
Taking a step back, I murmured, “Excuse me, I’m just going to the little boys’ room,” leaving Elena and her new admirer to it.
Once I was away from Elena, I became just another guy in a suit. I was faceless, nameless, and it was exactly how I liked it. Instead of heading to the bathroom, I turned left, heading towards an empty balcony for some fresh air.
I held onto the railing, inhaling deeply. The views from up here were magnificent; the city’s lights glittered against the blanket of the night sky, and I wondered how it had come to this.
It hit me again—the weight of everything. The champagne, the lights, the endless parade of glamour. But where was the fun? The spontaneity of a night beyond our control?
“Stifling in there, isn’t it?” a soft voice commented from behind me. Feminine, with a thread of familiarity I couldn’t place immediately.
“Feels like a cage,” I muttered, the tension in my shoulders loosening ever so slightly.
“I agree.” There was an honest exhaustion in her voice that resonated. She stood beside me, her perfume subtle—something like vanilla, warm and nostalgic, conjuring memories I hadn’t summoned for years. “I’m here on business, but I’d rather be on my sofa with my cat.”
“Sounds like a plan. Shall we go?” I joked, turning to rest my left arm on the railing.
“I’ve got to work, or I would. It doesn’t help that I’m here with someone I had a drunken thing with from work.” She grimaced, and I laughed, loving her honesty. It was refreshing.
“Shit, really?”
“Yeah. He thinks we’re having an encore tonight, but I’ve told him I’m going back to my boyfriend.”
I felt a stab of jealousy at the mention of her boyfriend, but then she turned to me, her eyes sparkling. “It’s my cat, but don’t tell anyone.”
A chuckle escaped me before I could stop it.Vanilla. And that humour. Tingles down my spine. Something…something too familiar.
As she tucked a loose curl behind her ear, I saw her clearly for the first time. The glossy lips, the slight upward tilt of her mouth—her eyes, dark and wide?—
No. It couldn’t be.Could it?
Suddenly, it was so sharp, so clear.
“Adele?”
8
ADELE
My gaze swept over the crowd, and despite the extravagant perfume and champagne filling the air, I stifled a yawn as Marco leaned in too close, his breath drifting over my earlobe.
“If you want, I can take you into the bathroom and wake you up,” he murmured, his voice tinged with that flirty edge I’d despised.
I forced a smile, but inside, I was screaming. Did I really want to relive that chapter of my life? Not at all. But there I was, pretending like I had it all together.
“We’re here on work business, Marco. Stay professional.” I gave him a dismissive wave, my eyes glancing towards the corridor, longing for an escape. “Go and mingle. I need to find the bathroom.”
I turned on my heel before he could protest, heading for a chance of solitude.
