Zelda squinted her eyes but didn’t press the issue. If anyone understood keeping things close to the chest, it was her.
“Hmm, all right then. Well. I’ve gotta go schmooze, but try to take it easy tonight. Trust me, the work will still be there tomorrow. And again, thank you. For everything,” she said. Turning to re-join her guests, Zelda paused, craning her head toface Cierra. “You know, even though Elliot and I are headed back to Seattle, Erik’s still in the city. You two should keep in touch,” she said suggestively with a shine in her eye.
“I’m sure we will,” Cierra replied. “We’ve gotten to be good friends this summer, I think. He’s a really great person.”
“And so are you,” Zelda said with a wink.
With that, Zelda sauntered off, leaving Cierra alone with her champagne. She took a sip, looked at everyone by the pool, and made the executive decision that she deserved a night of relaxation and not hiding in the kitchen. She’d avoided the sight of Julian long enough; if he got uncomfortable in her presence, that was his issue — not hers. Besides, she wanted to find Erik.
Walking onto the pool deck with her glass, she started chatting with a small group of people she hadn’t met yet, and after showering her with compliments, they quickly shifted gears toward their favorite places to go for fall foliage — helicopter tours, renting out farms — theusualstuff. Cierra scanned the area while trying to appear interested in the conversation, but she couldn’t see him anywhere. An older man with thick gray hair and tortoise-shell glasses had just asked Cierra if she’d ever gone apple picking, but Erik’s unmistakable voice behind her at the bar distracted her.
Something was off. She detected the edge in his voice he got when he was upset — or downright infuriated.
“So, how are you enjoying the trip?” she could overhear Erik asking someone. Not just someone: Julian.
Shit.
“So sorry, but I have to excuse myself, just a moment,” Cierra said, while the group politely but curiously let her go.What on Earth is he up to?she asked herself, not wanting to acknowledge the obvious answer.
She leapt over to the pool bar area, where a slightly tipsy Erik was looming over Julian, grinning like a cat about to pounce on a rat.
“Just fine,” Julian said, gripping his glass so tightly his knuckles were white. “If you’ll excuse me—”
“God, you just, you look sofamiliar, I could swear we’ve met before.”
“I don’t think so. Excuse me, but I need to get back to my wife,” Julian said. But Alexandra was already approaching him, looking cheery herself and interested in the handsome young man her husband was talking to.
“Hi, babe,” Alexandra said, giving her husband a peck on the cheek that elicited a mockingawwfrom Erik.
Oh shit, Cierra thought to herself, now only a few feet away. She needed to intercept this, fast. While in a way she appreciated that Erik was making Julian just as uncomfortable as Cierra had felt the whole trip, this ultimately wasn’t going to help her. Nothing good could come from this interaction.
“And is this beautiful woman your wife, I presume?”
Alexandra giggled at his flattery. As Erik prodded, Cierra managed to insert herself into the group, Julian’s face turning a bright red color she’d never seen.
Cierra nudged Erik, saying quickly, “I think your brother was calling for you—” But he waved her off.
“I didn’t hear anything,” he said, and turned his attention back to Alexandra, who looked intrigued at the new addition. “You were saying?”
“Well, yes, I am. Alexandra Torres, nice to meet you . . . ?”
“Erik. Erik Lawson, I’m Zelda’s brother-in-law. Your husband and I have actually met before,” he said enthusiastically.
“Erik, Zelda really needs—”
“Oh? How do you two know each other?”
“Maybe the better question is, how well do you know your husband?”
Cierra and Julian froze.Good thing I already got that check, Cierra thought. Six silent seconds passed before Alexandra attempted to save the interaction. “Um, sorry . . . what?”
Julian’s fists were clenched. At this point, a few other bystanders had paused after hearing the inflammatory question.
As soon as Erik opened his mouth, Julian shoved him into the tiki bar with both hands, sending drinks and containers of limes and cherries flying. “Don’t talk to my wife like that!” he bellowed.
Erik, finding his balance, retorted, “A little rich for you to be concerned about the respect of your wife, don’t you think?”
At this point, Cierra was tugging on Erik’s arm, but it was like trying to drag an indignant bronze statue. “Erik, let’s go. Now. Please. He’s not worth it.”
