Page 115 of Provocation
Shade side eyes me, not knowing the dark turn of my thoughts. ‘You should probably stay away from the champagne tower.'
I huff, turning back to make a face at him. 'That was one time, and I told you, I tripped on a cord. It wasn't even my fault.'
He snorts.
We get to the party that’s being held at a grand house just outside of Richmond proper. It overlooks the sea, and thegrounds go down to a rocky shore where I can hear the ocean waves crashing hard.
Everything is decorated for Christmas in golds, reds, and greens. There's a massive Christmas tree in the foyer, designer decorated. It's at least 20 feet high, and there are actual presents underneath it.
The Forrests are standing close by to welcome their guests. I'm given a flute of champagne, and when they greet Shade enthusiastically, they luckily don't seem to realize who I am because I'm ignored completely. I guess they just think I'm his date.
In the dining room, there are tables set up. Each one is decorated with place cards and a party favor for each guest as well as a huge centerpiece pile of golden Christmas baubles. We find our seats, and I see that I’m supposed to have John on one side of me and Joe Banderville on the other.
Shade's eyes narrow as he sees the place cards.
'Fuck that,' he whispers, switching his name tag, which is on another table, with Joe's. 'I can't do anything about my father, but at least you don't have to sit next to that son of a bitch all night.'
I sit down and grasp my champagne glass tightly, taking a sip. The party favor on the table in front of me is wrapped up like a Christmas present. I open it and find a little crystal kaleidoscope. I look into the light with it, enjoying the shapes and colors, and then put it into my purse, intending to give it to Lu as a memento of the evening since she can't be here.
The dinner passes off without a hitch. There's nothing that I can't eat, but it's all lukewarm fare from a caterer that had to make two hundred dishes all at once.
For most of the meal, John isn't even there, and when he does finally turn up, he looks a little out of it. He’s swaying a little and his eyes are unfocused. Joe Banderville’s seat is out ofmy line of sight, but I know he’s watching me, probably wanting more than anything to punish me for drinking alcohol. I don’t look at him once, but Idomake sure I have at least two glasses of champagne.
John speaks over my head at Shade a few times, and to the older man who's next to him, who I don't know, but he doesn’t spare me even a glance. I do notice that John is knocking back the tumblers of whiskey, though.
When the dinner is done, after a couple of boring speeches about whatever charity we're here for and the silent auction that's taking place tonight, we leave the table.
Most go straight for the ballroom to dance, so Shade and I wander through the auction room. We look at all the lavish things that can be bid on, from expensive bottles of wine to trips, and one in particular catches my eye. It’s a luxury day-voyage up the coast in a sailboat with a captain. I put my name down and a dollar value I can actually afford with a small smile on my face, making sure Shade doesn’t see me do it, and hoping I win.
Afterward, we go into the ballroom.
Shade is immediately asked to dance by a determined blonde girl who looks about sixteen.
He gives my hand a squeeze. ‘If I don't get this done early, she'll be shadowing us the entire night,’ he murmurs in my ear.
I give him a nod.
‘I’ll be fine. I’ll stay in the ballroom. It’s not like Joe can do anything with all these people around,’ I whisper back, waving him away and giving the girl a wink that makes her wrinkle her nose at me.
I stay at the edge of the room, wandering through the people who are watching the others dance from the sidelines.
As requested, I keep away from the champagne tower completely. I've already switched to water because I want to keep my wits about me anyway.
I'm standing watching Shade dance when I feel a presence at my shoulder. I glance back to find John. He's very drunk now, I realize. He stares at me with half-closed eyes and then shakes his head as if to clear it.
'You look...You look just like her. You know?'
I don't know what to say, so I say nothing. He takes another gulp of his whiskey.
'She never loved me.'
I want to ask if that's why he killed her, but I stay quiet, wondering what else he's going to let slip while in this state.
'She never loved me,’ he says again, half to himself. ‘She saved that for Mark. Fucking Mark.’'
His sudden sneer makes me want to step back. 'It was always Mark,' he hisses angrily, but he looks more…sad to me.
'Why did you marry her then?' I ask quietly.
