But it also makes me wonder if she knows who I am. Surely if she knew this hotel belonged to me, she wouldn’t be so willing to be here since her dislike for me is pretty clear. But I’m not important enough to her for her to do even a little bit of research. I’m just in her way and a problem to clear.
She wants Malakai.
Jealousy turns over in my stomach and it’s a feeling I despise. He told me I had nothing to worry about with her, and maybe I don’t, and maybe I shouldn’t feel any kind of way toward her, but that little envy monster inside of me disagrees.
There’s no way I can deny my feelings toward Malakai have shifted, not when the idea of her being so close to him makes me want to pull her hair out.
“Will you save me a dance?” She asks, and I can imagine her fluttering her lashes.
“No.” Malakai answers in a tone filled with disdain. “Now please excuse me, my wife needs a drink.”
He gets up, bringing me with him and still, I haven’t laid eyes on her, nor does it appear I will as I’m steered away from the table and walked to the bar.
“She doesn’t belong in the same space as you,” Malakai whispers, “I apologize if you thought that was rude.”
“I don’t like her. Does she not realize this is my hotel?” I ask.
He chuckles, “Not many do. Unfortunately, I work closely with her father, but clearly, she hasn’t put your surname and this hotel together.”
“My sympathies.” I grimace, joining the girls at the bar. “I actually need to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh, I’ll come!” Willow pipes up, “Sav?”
“Nah, I’m going to catch up with the guys,” She smiles before she plucks up her drink and makes her way back to the table.
“She’s nice,” I say to Willow.
“Mm,” Willow agrees, “Not going to lie, thought she was someone else when she came to the table.”
“You thought she waswithBast?”
She nods, “I didn’t like it which is weird because we’re just friends.”
I purse my lips and don’t say a word. I push open the door to the bathroom, locking myself in a cubicle to do my business and Willow does the same. The door opens a few seconds after, and the woman’s heels click on the marble tiles of the floor. There were only two stalls so she’s waiting for one of us to finish.
I’m the first one done, so after I flush, I make sure my dress is all in place and hurry out of the stall only to stop abruptly when I see who is staring back at me from the mirror.
Regina looks gorgeous in a full black dress, the cut low and risqué but on her body, it looks incredible. Sheer panels work up the sides of her dress, revealing no panty line and her strawberry blonde hair tumbles in waves around her shoulders.
Her makeup is all glam, bright red lipstick and smoky eyes. She has this femme fatale vibe going on and it annoys me.
Cooling my expression, I choose to drop her glare and step up to the basin, turning on the water before I reach for the soap.
“He’ll get bored.” She says. I still feel her eyes on me but choose to keep mine down, watching the soap work into a lather between my palms.
“We all know it. I don’t know why you keep trying.”
I don’t correct her that, I am, in fact, not trying anything. Malakai wanted this marriage, not me. Things may have changed a little since then, but we started because of him.
“Being the other woman is not a pretty look.” She continues.
I can’t help it, I laugh.
“Firstly,” I meet her stare in the mirror, “To be theother womanwould imply Malakai was with someone else.” She curls her lip, “Secondly, I’m the one with his ring on my finger and his last name attached to mine, which would suggest any woman that isn’t me, would be theother woman.”
“You can put a collar on any stray,” She spits, “but it doesn’t make it a pedigree. We all recognize trash when we see it. You don’t belong here.” This bitchdid not just refer to me like I am a dog.
I can hear Willow scrambling to get out the stall, but I don’t need her to back me up on this.
