Page 75 of Holding on to Chaos
“Who?”
“Don’t know. Said the woman was a stranger. But that wasn’t the vibe she was giving off. I didn’t catch what they were saying, but it was tense.”
“What did the woman look like?”
“Bleach blonde, older. Smoker. From the looks of her, she had some other unhealthy habits. I’m new here, but she definitely wasn’t the type that usually hangs out around town. And the way they looked at each other?” Nikolai shook his head. “There’s history there.”
Donovan frowned. He had a hard time imagining Eva having an issue with anyone. She’d be more likely to pick someone apart and use them as an antagonist in a book than hate them.
“I’ll ask her about it,” he told Nikolai.
His friend nodded. “Good. Okay. I’m going to go find my wife and talk her into breakfast in bed.”
“You do that. And thanks, Niko.”
Donovan drummed his fingers on the desk when Nikolai left. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but it sounded like Eva was keeping secrets.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
To: Beautification Committee
From: Bruce Oakleigh
Subject: Privacy reminder
Hello, fellow B.C. members,
President Bruce Oakleigh here. Attached, please find the minutes of last night’s meeting. I’d like to once again welcome our two new members and remind them that confidentiality and subtly are two of the Beautification Committee’s hallmarks of operation.
Gia and Eva, if you have any concerns about your capability to keep our business secret, here are a few suggestions.
Only open B.C. emails on a private device in a private room (i.e. Linen closet, locked bathroom, etc). This ensures that no family member accidentally stumbles upon our confidential information.
Use only the operational codes for matches. This ensures that no matchee knows they are being matched.
Consider hiding your B.C. binder in a safe, secure place. Amethyst and I purchased a fire safe which is kept in a secure location within our home.
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact a senior member of the committee.
Yours in matching success,
Bruce Oakleigh
P.S. It is forbidden to discuss committee business with any past members, especially those who have been ousted.
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Eva usually didn’t mind keeping secrets. She was good at it. But this one wasn’t sitting well. Not with how raw she felt over seeing her mother in the flesh standing on the picturesque Main Street of Blue Moon. And not with Donovan calling her up to mentionhow much he admired her honesty and appreciated her trusting him enough to talk about her childhood.
“So how was your morning?” Donovan asked sweet as pie through the phone.
“You mean my post-orgasmic bliss? It’s going well,” she joked.
He laughed softly, and Eva felt some of the ice in her belly thaw.
“Are you home?” he asked.
She could tell he was fishing for something. “I am,” she said, pacing through her tiny living room and willing away the unsettled feeling. “Getting ready to write thanks to all of last night’s inspiration.”
