Page 74 of The Bitter Words

I go down the front circular staircase because the kitchen will be full of people mingling as they graze on food my mom has out on the kitchen island. I get to the main floor and I’m about to step into the living room when a woman with brown hair and hypnotizing green eyes rushes up to me.

She grabs my arm. “Oh, awesome! There’s someone else here my age. These people are nice, but I need to let loose a little, if you know what I mean.”

“Sure.” Wide-eyed and confused about who she is, I pointtoward the hallway where the library is. “There’s a bathroom that way. Do you… Um… How are you needing to let loose?”

“The bathroom is perfect.” She takes my hand and pulls me along with her. “Girl, I’m telling you, the stuff I’ve got will have you thanking me that I was the first person you saw when you entered the party.”

I run a gaze over myself. I’m dressed up because my mom likes us to look nice when we mingle at their parties, so I can see where this woman thinks I’m a guest. She must not have seen me come down the stairs.

The actress in me decides to go along with her. It could prove to be a lot of fun and I could forget Callum for a while.

We get inside the restroom and she locks the door. I point to a small area off to the side with a vanity set up for a quick primp if needed. She struts over to it.

“This Charlie is potent, so you might not need much.” She digs into her purse and brings out a little bag of white powder. “You have done coke, right?”

“Of course, but can I ask who you are?” I follow her and lean against the wall. “How did you know about this party?”

“Sorry. “She laughs as she portions out four lines of blow on a small hand mirror that’s lying on the table. “I’m here with Jaxon Crowne. My name is Cindy. My parents named me after Cindy Crawford.”

“Hi, I’m Livianna. And I can see why they named you after her. You’re gorgeous.”

“Aren’t you the sweetest? Such a relief. Women our age and in positions like us usually have their cat claws out, ready to take us down. Anyway, let’s do this and then grab some bubbly. The kind they’re serving is delicious.”

Cindy here seems to think she knows a lot about me. Maybe she knows who I am, but she’s got to be close to thirty and she thinks I’m her age, so that’s not likely.

And what position does she think I’m in? I’ll get to the bottom of this soon enough.

I study Cindy to see if I can figure her out. “I’ll be sure to let the owners know you like their choice of champagne.”

“Oh, do you know them?”

“You could say that, but that’s not important. Tell me about you and Jaxon. I’m sure that’s a better story than how I know the Hemingses.”

“Jaxon and me…hmm. How do I explain this?” She takes a clear tube out of her purse and snorts two lines. “We’re both members of an exclusive club. We met there, and you know. Now we’re here.”

She moves over and has me do my share of the blow. It’s strong, like the stuff Callum gave me.

I shake off the intensity of it. “Tell me about this place where you met Jaxon.”

She grips my forearm like she’s preparing me for a big secret to be exposed. “You know how hard it is to meet someone when you’re an influential business owner. Even at our age.”

“How old do you think I am? And while we’re at it, what is it you think I do for a living?”

“Well, I’m assuming since this is a networking party for high-powered income earners, you own a company of some kind.” She looks me up and down. “I’m guessing you’re about twenty-six.”

“So close,” I lie but decide to expand on it to make it more acceptable. “I’m an actress and I don’t own my own business yet, but I want to start a fashion design line. There’s so much to know about it. I don’t know where to begin.”

“Oh, that’s why you’re here. You’re looking for investors.” She puts her stash back in her purse. “You need to talk to Jaxon. That’s what he does. He already has a few fashion companies he’s backed. Since he’s a billionaire, I’d say he knows what he’s doing.”

My eyes round. “Jaxon Crowne? That guy who’s like what…thirty, is a billionaire?”

“Yes. That’s why he only dates people from the club. Everybody there has money, so he doesn’t have to worry about that part of the equation.” She peeks up at the ceiling for a brief moment as if she’s considering something.

What is this place she keeps alluding to?

She brings her glossy gaze back to mine. “Although I’m not sure that’s his reason. I think he goes to the clubs because he doesn’t want a relationship and it’s easy to hook up with someone with no ties.”

“Maybe I should get the name of where you two met. It sounds interesting.”