I laugh. “I promise, once you meet him, the wonder will wear off quickly.”
A valet opens the door, and I slide out first, turning and offering her my hand. She swallows nervously and then extends her high heel and steps out gracefully. The shoes remind me of Ava, and I fake a smile through the wave of pain that hits me.
We make our wayinside, handing our coats over to a worker dressed in a uniform that looks like something housekeeping would wear at a budget hotel. I have to resist rolling my eyes. Can’t have the help forgetting their place amongst everyone else in black tie.
“This place is really nice, but it doesn’t really feel like ahome,” Marnie whispers.
I shake my head. “I think he mostly stays at Gracie Mansion. I doubt he actually lives here. I’m sure it’s something that’s been in his family since the Revolution,” I whisper back. “Alexander Hamilton’s ghost probably chills with the ghosts that haunt this place.”
She giggles, and we’re ushered into the oversized dining room that was probably some kind of ballroom once upon a time. In the center, a giant table that has to be custom is set with place settings, and small ivory cardstock tents that tell us where we are sitting. People are clustered in groups chatting, and I spy Adam. He catches my eye and gives me a nod, brows furrowing as he spots Marnie.
“Here comes my friend,” I say to her.
“I see him,” she says, and I have to keep from grinning at the mildly breathless tone of her voice. I’m not so heartbroken that I can’t be excited about the possibility of someone else finding love.
Adam comes over, clapping me on the shoulder. “Hey, brother. Yougonna introduce me to your lovely date?”
I smile and take a small step back so they can get a little closer to each other. “Not my date, actually. Just a friend,” I clarify, signaling he’s free to pursue.
A wolfish grin spreads across his face, and he extends a hand. “Well then, hello new friend. My name’s Adam Jenkins.”
She slips her hand in his, and I watch as both of them gasp as they touch and catch each other’s scent. “Oh,” she says, looking a little shell-shocked. “I’m Marnie.”
I can’t help but chuckle, placing my hand on the low of Marnie’s back to guide her to a spot where we can all talk, deliberately riling Adam up just because I can. The look he gives me for touching her could peel wallpaper. The evening is suddenly looking far more fun than I expected.
“Well, isn’t this cozy?”
I turn to find Ava standing just behind me. She’s wearing a strapless black lace gown that falls all the way to the floor, her hair pulled into a loose side ponytail so the curls spill over one shoulder. It’s simpler than what she usually wears, almost as if she got ready in a hurry. For half a second, guilt punches through me, like I’ve been caught doing something wrong just by standing here with Marnie. Then anger replaces it just as quickly. Fuck that. She’s the one who walked away.
Her eyes flick between the two of us, narrowed, brows drawn tight. I expect Marnie to step back to make it obvious this isn’t a date, so when she slides her hand around my bicep and instead leans in, I nearly flinch. She tips her chin up, batting her eyes at me with exaggerated sweetness. “Markie-poo, who’s this?” she asks.
I hear Adam choke on a sound behind us, but I’m too stunned to respond. Is she doing this on purpose, trying to make Ava jealous?
“Markie-poo?” Ava repeats, fists clenched at her sides. “Are you on a fucking date with this omega?” she hisses.
My shock evaporates, replaced by heat. “I’m sorry, but I fail to see how that’s any of your business,” I say at the exact moment Marnie cheerfully confirms that we are. I cut a look at her, but she’s focused entirely on Ava.
“Less than twenty-four hours, huh?” Ava asks coldly. “Clearly that was a very serious declaration of love.”
“Keep your voice down, Ava,” I say quietly. “Remember where we are.”
“I don’t care where we fucking are,” she snaps, and for a second, she looks like someone I don’t recognize. I’ve never seen her lose control. Her skin is flushed, and there are a few tiny beads of sweat at the edge of her hairline. I frown despite my anger, remembering that Shelby cleared her schedule. Maybe she really is sick.
I gently pull my arm free from Marnie’s hand and take a step closer. “Are you all right?” I ask, genuinely concerned.
Ava glares at me, jaw tightening, and I can practically see her coiling in on herself, gathering venom to strike. Viper, indeed. Hope Marnie understands exactly what she just provoked.
Before Ava canunleash whatever she’s about to say, Harvey approaches from the side, clearing his throat to signal his presence. “Ms. Kendrick, I didn’t actually expect you to take me up on my invitation,” he says mildly. “I hope you and Mr. Taylor aren’t planning one of your famous arguments right here in my dining room.” His gaze flicks between the two of us, then over to Marnie. There’s a hint of amusement there, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Shit. If he’s starting to connect the dots, he’ll be like a bloodhound on the trail.
Ava inhales, visibly forcing herself back under control. It takes longer than usual, further testament to how different she is tonight. When she turns to Harvey, her posture has completely shifted. Polite. Detached. Mildly bored. “Of course not, Mr. Mayor. I was simply surprised to see Mr. Taylor on a date with an omega. I thought your particular circle believed they should be hidden away until bonded.”
“Well,” he draws, “Mr. Taylor appears to have had a change of heart regarding omega rights. I had assumed you were behind that. Still, I must ask, how else is an omega meant to bond if they don’t date? If Mark here wants a future in politics, he’s well past the age where he should be settling down with a pretty little omega and having babies.”
I feel Marnie stiffen beside me, and I watch Ava coil again.
“Yes, of course,” Ava says, voice dripping with sickly sweet saccharine. “How could I have forgotten? What else are omegas good for?”
