Gibson
I looked around me at the gallery-the crowd, the funky holiday décor, the ambient lighting. I couldn't recall ever attending a party where I wasn't the reluctant center of attention. Those parties had been more for business and networking, anyway. I found I rather liked being anonymous. It gave me a chance to observe people. No one was fawning over me, pretending to be a friend, or flirting in hopes of spending some of my money. I walked among the crowd, unnoticed.
There were several small cliques, all dressed either elegantly or funky-chic. Not the Frisky Beaver crowd, to be sure. I sipped at a glass of prosecco and wandered the gallery, admiring the artwork. Every few minutes, I glanced back at Sacha to see her engaged in conversation with the artist and her father. She seemed to be holding her own, and I felt a surge of pride at the way she handled herself. Aside from Bianca, I'd never been involved with such a strong, independent woman.
A black and white photograph caught my attention. Moving closer to observe, I studied the image. The subject was a woman, viewed from behind, leaning over a railing on the side of a bridge. Her long hair blew in the breeze, and her hands gripped the railing. Was she contemplating jumping or admiring the view?
As I pondered the photo, a woman stood next to me. She sipped from her glass of red wine then leaned over, her voice low and curious.
"Would you say she's ready to jump or watching someone else who already has?"
An involuntary huff escaped my lips, and I looked down at the woman. My heart began to pound so loudly that I barely heard my response.
"I wouldn't know."
I moved to leave, but she caught my arm, gripping it tight.
"Not so fast, mister. We need to talk."
~*~
Of all the people in the world to run into, Bettina McCord was the worst. The nightmare scenario I had feared happening at this party was unraveling fast. Not only had she recognized me but she had a score to settle, and she didn't hesitate to make clear her intentions. As I moved quickly to a darkened corner of the room, she was holding her cell phone up and snapping away.
"Oh, this is so going viral. I can't believe it. An elusive John G. Colebank sighting."
With my back to the corner, I turned and faced her. My hands were up, trying to block her view of my face. "Bettina, listen. I can explain."
Her dark eyes widened in mock excitement. "And I can't wait to hear it. How you disappeared from my bed without a word and refused to return my calls or texts? Yes, let's hear what a coward really sounds like."
She held a pretend microphone in front of my mouth, feigning interest in my response.
It was shortly before I left on that fateful motorcycle trip and ended up in Tilly that we met. A drunken night at a club had led to a weekend in bed with Bettina, who had quickly showed her crazy side. A side which served her well as a journalist and blogger, writing shock pieces and gossip for several local magazines and websites. She had been interested in exploiting my family and me as fodder for her posts. It wasn't me she wanted but the status that came with dating a billionaire. I didn't normally ghost a woman like that, but at the time, I saw no other way to discourage her.
She was the kind of woman I most wanted to avoid. Now she was up in my face, demanding my full attention.
"I was going through some shit. You knew I was recently widowed. I had to disappear from everyone, not just you."
"Mmm-hmmm. So now you're finally back among the living?"
Her callous disregard for my feelings shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. "Sort of. Look, I'm sorry I never called. I didn't think you cared to hear from me, anyway."
Much as I wanted to get away from this woman, I couldn't afford to be rude to her. She'd likely make good on her promise to "go viral" with the photos and whatever else she felt like spewing about me. Now that she had found me, she wouldn't rest until she had uncovered every aspect of my new life, and I could not let that happen.
I had to diffuse her ire, and the only way to do that was to flirt and make her feel like she had a chance again. I couldn't let Sacha, or my family, find out the truth by seeing it online. I had to take control of this situation, fast.
I looked around to be sure Sacha wasn't nearby, and then put an arm around Bettina's shoulders. "Let's find a place to discuss what an idiot I've been."
~*~