She snorted. “Fair.”
A gust of wind lifted the edge of my napkin.
“Are you going to Sebastian’s party tomorrow?” she asked.
The bite became significantly harder to swallow. “I’m not sure yet…”
“Henry’s called me three times today alone to check on Sebastian’s guest list.”
I frowned. “How come?”
“Says he needs RSVPs for masks or something.” She poked at her lunch with a plastic fork.
“That’s weird.”
“You know what’s super weird?” Vanessa looked at me through her fringe with a sly smile.
“What?”
She went back to eating with the most fake-disinterested expression I’d ever seen.
“Why are you edging me?”
She laughed, then turned toward me again. “Luca hasn’t RSVPed.”
“Seriously?” My eyebrows shot up and my pulse jumped—way too obvious—and I took another bite to hide it.
She nodded, scooting a little closer. “I asked Sebastian about it today, and he said Luca was out of town—but that seems weird, right? Like… it’s his birthday. And he hasn’t been over in a while.”
God, I loved her.
“Maybe they’re fighting.”
“Maybe.” Another bite. Then, “So… are you going?”
I leaned back, staring across the courtyard where employees hurried between buildings like nothing in the world was shifting under their feet.
He could avoid me in the halls, in meetings, behind glass walls, and with polite smiles, but he couldn’t avoid me at his own party.
“It’s Saints and Sinners, right?”
She nodded.
“What’s he wearing?”
“A hot-as-sin suit from Prada. I picked it up for him two days ago.”
I chewed as an idea began forming—slow at first, then picking up speed, turning into something wicked.
He wanted control? Wanted distance?
Perfect.
Let him try to keep it.
“Do you know any good costume shops?”
She leaned back on the bench. “Are we talking prim and proper or provocative?”
