“I don't know how I'm going to make it through the night,” I groan into my hands.
“You better be careful. You're going to mess up your makeup if you keep fretting like that.” Cindy points at me with her fork.
The aroma of grilled skirt steak permeates the house. She cooked it last night, but I can still smell the char from the grill. My mouth waters, but I know I should save my appetite for the opening of The Billionaires Club. Croix is having the event catered by a fancy restaurant, and I've already decided to spend as much time stuffing my face as I can so that I don't have to socialize.
Now that I'm no longer on the payroll, being friendly to the billionaires and clients isn't my responsibility. I'm going to support Croix. My only goals tonight are to be a good girlfriend and to fuck him ragged after the party is over. With the eyes of dozens of women roving over him for most of the night, I'm sure I'll want to take him home and claim what's mine.
“You're right.” I drop my hands to the table. “It's no big deal. I just have to be nice to everyone. I don't have to hold down any conversations.”
“No one goes to a party without having conversations.” Cindy gives me a sarcastic look. “What are you so afraid of anyway?”
“I don't know,” I lie because I don't want to tell her the irrational truth.
I'm afraid that Kenzi will hit on Croix in front of me. That she'll present herself as his girlfriend. That I'll be overshadowed and forgotten.
I'm afraid that Derrick is going to try to pressure me into working at Club Lux again. He's a pushy guy. I wouldn't put it past him.
I'm afraid of feeling out of place and being bored. I'm afraid that I won't have fun and will only be in Croix's way. I'm afraid that me showing up is going to be a big mistake.
***
“He's late? Seriously?” My eyes practically bulge out of my head as Raj delivers the news to me.
I showed up fifteen minutes late just so that I wouldn't have to be alone with these people. The fact that Croix is taking even longer makes me uneasy. Not just because this is the opening of The Billionaires Club and he should have been here early, but also because I know he's with Kenzi. He told me earlier today in a text that they'd be riding here together. Knowing that they're not on time makes me wonder what they're doing, but I'm too proud to text him and ask—to show him my insecurities.
“It's fine.” Raj brushes it off. “Everything is running as it should be.”
I glance around the room. He's right. The waiters are walking around with their trays of champagne. A table with assorted hors d'oeuvres lines one of the walls. The billionaires are chatting amongst themselves and flirting with the clients. No one notices Croix's absence but me.
“I suppose you're right.” I relax a little.
“Isn't it amazing, Raven,” Raj slides his hands into the pockets of his slacks, “seeing The Billionaires Club come to life like this?”
“It is kind of neat.” I survey the area.
“It's so cool that I'm almost tempted to volunteer. The clients are admittedly a lot more attractive than I thought they'd be.”
“Raj.” I slap his chest with the back of my hand. “Keep your voice down.”
“What? No one is listening in,” he laughs, his eyes sparkling.
I shift my weight, my gaze moving around the clients. All of them are dressed to the nines for the event, many of them in show-stopping dresses. I feel a bit frumpy in comparison in a red mermaid dress with side ruffles. My hair is swept back away from my face. I can't help but wonder if Croix will complain about it. I'll never forget the time he told me how I should have worn my hair with my club dress. It's made me self-conscious about my styling ever since.
“There are some lovely women here,” I note.
“There are.” He rubs his palms together. “I wonder if I can get some side action without actually being on the penis buffet.”
“I'm sure you could.” I smirk at him.
“Maybe I'll find out.” He winks at me.
Involuntarily, I roll my eyes. For someone so adamant about not wanting to be a part of the sexual side of The Billionaires Club, he sure seems eager now.
“With Croix not here, I need to pick up the slack.” Raj waves at someone over my shoulder. “I'll come back and check on you later.”
Before I have a chance to object, he's sidestepping me to go speak to one of the billionaires. I watch him walk away, though I quickly avert my eyes when one of the other billionaires catches my gaze. I'm not much in a socializing mood. To be honest, I just want the night to pass so that I can put it behind me. There's not enough wishing in the world to make the clock speed up, though.
I make my way to the hors d'oeuvres table and stack a small plate with various cheeses, a crab cake, and some chocolate truffles. Then I find a corner to hide in while I stuff my face, allowing the awkwardness of my solitary state to sink in.
What in the hell is taking Croix so long?
I eat each morsel from my plate with calculated slowness, not wanting to be bothered. The minutes tick by like hours. I'm really beginning to wish I hadn't come. You'd figure that Croix would have texted me by now to explain why he's running late, but my phone has been obnoxiously silent.
“It's not like you to be a wallflower,” a familiar voice says from behind me—the kind of familiar voice that makes the hair on the back of my neck bristle.
“Derrick.” I spin on my heels to face him, plastering on my best fake smile.
“Any recommendations?” He glances down at my empty plate.
“The crab cake was really good.” I wipe the corner of my mouth with my napkin.
“You look really good.” Derrick takes in my dress.
He's dapper in a classic tuxedo. Normally, I'd feel something seeing him all dressed up like this. Right now, I feel nothing. Maybe that's not entirely accurate. I feel relief because it's now blatantly apparent that I'm finally over him. Praise the lord! I thought it would never happen.
“A lot of the women here look really good.” I cast my gaze in the direction of Mischa Charles. Her long blonde hair cascades over her shoulders in curls. She's wearing a short white dress covered in lace-work. There are four billionaires circling her like flies on shit. I wish that Derrick would join them instead of pestering me.
“But none of them are you.” He gives me the smirk that used to melt my heart.
Croix's face pops out of the crowd, a welcome sight despite the fact that Kenzi is trailing behind him like a puppy. I perk up as his eyes meet mine and his lips part in a stunning grin.
“Well, my boyfriend just got here,” I inform Derrick. “Enjoy the party.” I give his shoulder a friendly pat as I walk past him, leaving him to his thoughts.
“There's my girl.” Croix opens his arms to me.
He kisses me on the cheek and then steps aside, gently herding me towards Kenzi. “Makenzi, this is my girlfriend, Raven. Raven, this is Beverly's mother.”
“It's a pleasure to meet you.” I extend my hand to her.
“Likewise.” She shakes it, her fingers as ice cold as the stare she's giving me.
“That's a stunning dress,” I lie, trying to make conversation. You couldn't pay me to wear the long blue and black ensemble she has on. The lace detailing down the arms makes her look about ten years older, and the color combination reminds me of a trash bag.
“Your dress is lovely as well.” Her eyes scan up and down the front of my dress, and I can't help but wonder if she's thinking the same thing about my dress as I am about hers.
“I'm going to leave you two to get acquainted while I make the rounds,” Croix says before stepping away from us.
Gods no. What in the hell is wrong with him leaving us alone like this? And here I thought he was going to protect me from awkward situations.
“You guys were pretty late.” I don't bother beating around the bush. It's the only thing I'm really interested in talking to her about. The accusation is plain in my voice, but she handles it with a pleasant expression.
“I'm sorry about that. Beverly's babysitter was late.”
I nod. An understandable excuse. I suppose I can accept that.
“It must be hard to find a babysitter on a Saturday night.”
“It can be.” She looks past me to Croix. “So how are you enjoying my best friend?”
It makes him sound like a beverage or a piece of food. I can't help but smirk.
“I'm enjoying him a lot. He's a great guy.”
“He is.” Her eyes stay glued to Croix's back, and I can see a fondness there that goes beyond friendship.
“What do you think about all of this?” My eyes volley around the room.
She inhales a deep breath, her gaze finally breaking from Croix to observe her surroundings. “It's something else. When Croix told me about The Billionaires Club, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. This is a lot nicer than what I had in mind, though.”
“It is pretty nice.”
We fall into silence, and I pray for Croix to return. The next several minutes are spent looking at everything but each other. There's definitely tension between us. I don't really feel like she's competition, but we won't be getting comfortable with each other anytime soon.
Eventually, Croix loops back to us. Scared that he's going to ditch me with Kenzi again, I decide to break away from them and go hang out with Raj. While I'm here to support Croix, it doesn't really seem like he needs me. At this point, I just want to minimize strained encounters and try to make the best of a situation that I obviously don't belong in. Now, more than ever, staying home seems like it would have been the better option.
Raj is busy talking to two of the billionaires and one of the clients. I wait behind him patiently until he notices my presence and introduces me to the group as the woman who helped to put The Billionaires Club together. I accept their praise with grace, making polite conversation as if I still work there. Even though I had wanted to avoid this, it's somehow easy to fall back into that role.
Everyone seems delighted to be here. The billionaires talk about how stunning the place looks, while the client makes eyes at the men standing next to her as she comments about how she can't wait to get down to the festivities. We laugh, all knowing what she means. By the end of the night, most of these women will be bedded. Part of the grand celebration is the sex involved.
I glance over at Croix, wondering if we'll ever get to that tonight. I'm sincerely beginning to doubt it. He's probably going to be exhausted by the time it's all said and done. No, tonight isn't the best night for steamy romance. Maybe a morning romp in the sheets would be a more realistic expectation. I can settle for that too. As long as I get to be with him, I'll be happy.
“This is some party, eh?” Raj bumps shoulders with me when his company finally walks off to hit up the food table.
“It's something,” I say with a sigh, my gaze lingering on Kenzi. She's standing too close to Croix, invading his personal space—space reserved for me.
“You don't seem like you're enjoying yourself.” Raj's eyes follow mine to where Kenzi and Croix are standing talking to one of the billionaires. “Oh, I see what's going on.”
“Do you?” I lazily cock an eyebrow in his direction.
“You're jealous.” He smirks.
“Hardly,” I huff. “In a dress like that, what do I have to be jealous of?”
He hisses with a laugh. “Catty.”
“She's going to be staying in Florida while Croix is here. I get the feeling she follows him wherever he goes. For as long as we're together, she'll always be a part of our lives.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“Of course, she will. She's the mother of his child. There's no getting rid of her, Raven.” He gives me a serious look.
“I don't like that they're so close. I can't help but wonder if it's always going to be like this. Even though I'm his girlfriend, I feel like I'm taking a backseat to her.” The fact that he's by her side and not mine is proof of that.
“I think you're twisting this into something it's not.” He tilts his head to the side. “She doesn't know anyone here. You do.”
“Whatever.” I wave his response away.
My phone buzzes in my purse. I pull it out and check the caller ID. It's an unknown number. Probably a telemarketer.
“You have no reason to be jealous, Raven,” Raj says as I shove my phone pack in my purse.
“I hope I don't.”
“Croix doesn't care about her. He never talks about her. He only ever talks about you.”
“Is that so?” I smile softly, happy for the boost of confidence.
“That's so. You're everything to him. Sometimes, he talks about you so much that I get sick of it.” His expression suggests that he's not joking.
“Oh really? What kind of stuff does he say?” I sway back and forth curiously.
Raj glances around the room to make sure that no one is listening. “Stuff that shouldn't be said in public.”
I gasp before slapping his arm playfully. “Raj! Does he really tell you what we do in bed?”
“Sometimes. But that's beside the point.” He flips his wrist. “The point is that he can't get enough of you. You should feel completely secure in your relationship. No one is going to take him from you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate the pep talk.” I glance over at Croix and Kenzi a final time. She may be sneaking looks of desire at him, but he's completely focused on the task at hand, making sure that everyone is enjoying themselves. Raj is right. Croix doesn't feel the same things for her as he does for me. At the end of the day, that should be all that matters.
“Anytime.” Raj inhales deeply. “I should probably go make the rounds again.”
“And I should go to the bathroom. I have to piss like a racehorse.” I hold my purse in front of my bladder. The two glasses of champagne I had have finally snaked their way down my pipes and are ready to make a reappearance.
“So ladylike,” he teases me as he takes a few steps backward before turning away from me.
I make my way to the bathroom. There are several clients inside reapplying their makeup, wanting to look gorgeous for the billionaires. I could probably use a touch up on my lipstick too. Peeing is my first priority, though. By the time I reached the bathroom, I was on the verge of bladder pain.
I sit on the toilet and pull my phone from my purse. While I was talking to Raj, I heard it buzz again. Considering it was so close to the initial phone call, that probably means I have a voicemail.
While I don't particularly care what's on it, listening to it now will kill some more time, and that's the only goal I have for the rest of the night. I check the time on my phone before swiping over to my voicemail. One more hour, and I'll take my leave. There's no point in me staying all night.
I press the play button on the voicemail and draw the phone up to my ear. The voice that comes on sounds automated at first.
“This message is for Miss Raven Tarley. My name is Doctor Scott Arocha at the JFK Medical Center. I'm calling to let you know that your brother, Roscoe Tarley, is in our emergency room with a gunshot wound to the head. He is currently in critical condition. Please give us a call back as soon as possible.”