Evelyn

by C. L. Stone

  “Sorry.”

  “My own doing. I always had a soft spot for the underdog. Let’s get together under better circumstances next time.” He winked at me and moved on ahead, in the same direction through the maze as the Harveys.

  How could you expose someone like that and not eventually find yourself face to face, especially if they went to the same party?

  The lawsuit part I wasn’t afraid of. If he thought he’d sue for liable, he’d have to prove I was wrong, and my source was sound.

  But...he thought my name was Emily. And word was being spread about me. Since Ace cleared me, I didn’t have to use the name Emily anymore.

  I hadn’t thought about it, but even revealing my real name now would be detrimental.

  Would anyone trust me here after lying about myself? It was bad enough I was new in town. Now they would think I was royally misbehaving.

  And no one misbehaved here.

  I continued through the maze, feeling I’d made a grievous mistake. The severe miscalculation on my part could lead to more unwanted attention on Ace.

  Even if the lawsuit didn’t do anything, just issuing one could cause trouble if I wanted to try to live peacefully in this town.

  I regretted putting so much emphasis in my story on the shop owner—and Gretta. Mentioning them both possibly put them in the line of fire, and this was my mess that I created.

  I finally got to the end of the maze but ended up on the far side. I followed it around until I found Ace standing on the path, hands on his hips, gazing into the maze opening in wait.

  He turned to me, a broad smile on his face, until I got closer. His amusement disappeared, concern replacing it.

  “What happened?” he asked. “Are you okay?”

  I wasn’t sure how to explain it, but I didn’t want to stay and run into the Harveys again. “I’m kind of tired,” I said and nodded toward the house. “It’s been...a crazy day.”

  He reached for my hand, tugging me closer. “Want to bail?”

  “Unless you wanted to stay,” I said, but my voice was void of any enthusiasm at all.

  He shook his head quickly, doubt drumming up. “No. It’s something else. What took you so long? What happened?”

  I chewed my lower lip, but I couldn’t figure out a way to spare him. He’d know soon enough. So, I relayed the encounter to him.

  After I was done, he shook his head and laughed. “I can’t believe you lived to tell the tale.”

  “I can’t believe you’re laughing at me.”

  “The situation is funny, not you. Also maybe you for taking them seriously.”

  “They might sue me.”

  “She wants to sue Emily, and Emily doesn’t exist,” he said. He tilted his body a little until his face was level with mine. “I didn’t think Eva was the sort to tuck tail and run.”

  “I don’t want to cause a scene.”

  “She’s creating the scene and making an idiot of herself. You’ve every right to be here. Even Loïc would say that.”

  I wasn’t so sure. She had to have a few allies in the same circles, and she had a history with the people here.

  I was no one to them.

  Rumors

  Ace walked beside me as we were directed by staff to return to the tent for the social dinner.

  Everything inside me wanted avoid going into that lion’s den. I wanted to call Soma. I wished I had time to prepare more. I’d done this all wrong.

  But Ace was right. Running now would appear like I had been the one lying. The Harveys had every right to be angry with the exposure, but they were pushing their anger toward me.

  The tent had three flaps closed off, making a break in the light breeze that had picked up. There was a platform with a podium inside. Next to it was a large screen television, currently dim.

  Tables had been set with electric lights and elegant golden chargers on top of dark linen.

  Ace and I approached, and I drew myself in closer to him, readying myself for another verbal attack from anyone at this point.

  Had she stuck with calling the truth lies? What else she had said? Maybe she’d lie about who I was or what I was doing here.

  Ace approached the attendant standing at the entryway. She recognized him on sight, acknowledged me as Emily, and we were guided to a table that was empty.

  Ace leaned into me and whispered. “Just talk about the weather if anyone approaches you,” he said. “Or focus on me, if you need to. Don’t say anything else unless someone asks you directly.”

  I agreed with this. I wasn’t sure I could focus on more than small talk. Hopefully, most of the time would be filled with eating dinner and listening to someone talk about auction winnings.

  Our table was in the very middle. Like the restaurant, Ace had been placed at the center of attention. Another older couple joined our table soon after we were seated, and we had room left for two more couples with us. Other tables started to fill in.

  As we waited, people would approach Ace, sometimes just to shake hands. Others stopped to talk and he’d stand at his seat and address them.

  He introduced me, and then took charge of each short conversation. No one had a chance to ask me any details.

  I fiddled with my phone in my lap on occasion, checking the time and urging the minutes to pass. It was a little inappropriate for the setting, but now, while everyone was shuffling for seats and talking, I was sure I wasn’t noticed too much. After dinner we could escape. We could go back to Ace’s house and this would be over.

  A drop in the bucket, I tried to convince myself.

  An attendant came around our table with another couple in tow, announcing to them that they’d arrived at their table. I was ready to say a polite hello to whoever it was when I found myself looking at Mr. and Mrs. Harvey.

  Mrs. Harvey had put on a dark shawl over her shoulders, and kept her lips tight, her eyes piercing.

  And they were seated across from us.

  Fate had deemed subtle humiliation not enough for me. Now we had to go through an hour of uncomfortably avoiding conversation and trying to appear civil.

  Mrs. Harvey met my gaze, curled her lip in a short snarling expression, and then it disappeared. She turned to the old couple next to her, leaned in to the woman sitting the closest, and whispered, gazing on occasion in my direction.

  I couldn’t have planned a disaster like this.

  She had some gall to throw angry glares my way, though.

  The older woman looked at me after Mrs. Harvey finished, gazing in my direction with displeasure erupting on her face. She turned fully to Mrs. Harvey and started talking heatedly.

  Mr. Harvey had taken his time coming around the table, sitting down hard in the chair next to his wife. He avoided looking in my direction or at Ace and focused on others in the room.

  Ace sat down next to me, put his lips near my ear and whispered. “If I had known, I would have asked to sit somewhere else.”

  I shook my head, sliding my hand to his lap and holding my palm at his thigh. “Don’t,” I said. “It’ll make it worse.”

  He nodded. “Wait it out,” he whispered. “Smile. Don’t look so stressed out. Focus on me if you need to.”

  In such a situation, I was grateful Ace was calm. I forced a smile, and then a small laugh as if he’d told me a joke.

  I had done nothing wrong.

  More people were seated, but Mrs. Harvey didn’t have access to them. Instead she spoke to the woman next to her or her husband. Ace kept his arm around me, his hand smoothing out the space between my shoulders.

  I welcomed it, but I needed to also pay attention. I doubted Soma would have said I earned a point. Not when Mrs. Harvey was vindictive and clearly had not been humbled.

  I’d done nothing but talk about Mrs. Harvey behind her back and made her angry at me.

  So what would I need to do now? I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to humble her or make her change her ways.

  While Ace was distracted talking to someone
else that had come by, I sent a quick text to Soma.

  EVA: Mrs. Harvey found out what I said to someone about her. She’s now trying to counter what I said about her by lying, and no doubt by spreading rumors now about me. What can I do?

  An answer wasn’t immediate. Was he busy, or considering the options?

  An announcement was made and focus was redirected to the podium. There was a large sheet of poster board announcing sponsors for the event.

  A woman in a tuxedo suit approached the microphone, making an announcement, thanked the sponsors, and the staff who were doing a wonderful job at the event and introduced Loïc.

  Loïc had stood off to the side. He went to the microphone, made a short wave and said quickly, “You don’t want a boring speech. Let’s find out who won some art, shall we?”

  There were many laughs and a general round of clapping.

  Loïc then walked away from the podium, to the edge of the tent. Not one for a lot of attention, I guessed.

  I watched him as the first piece of art was brought up to the stage. Each one was going to be shown off, talked about and then the winner would be announced unless someone wished to remain anonymous. This was the last time to see the art before it disappeared into someone’s collection. The television was used to close in on the piece of art so people in the back could see the details, and notes flew by on the screen about the artists, and who had donated the piece for charity.

  Waiters passed by tables, pouring water and iced tea and then bringing out a salad starter.

  While everything was going on, I looked around and found myself in perfect position to see Loïc. He watched until the first piece of art was being taken away to be replaced by the second, and then he made his way out of the tent. I couldn’t see what direction he had gone.

  I felt a buzz of the phone then and got a reply.

  SOMA: Call me.

  I pressed my lips together, looking up at the piece of art and clapping when other people did. I leaned into Ace. “I’ll be right back,” I said. “Going to...find a powder room.”

  “Don’t be too long,” he said. “I can only take the heat for so long.”

  It wouldn’t do any good to tuck tail now. If I left and never came back, it would just confirm whatever rumor Mrs. Harvey told everyone.

  I rose, smiled at him, and then walked away from the table, letting the attendant who asked if I needed help know that I was just looking for the bathroom.

  The moment I was out of the tent, I fished out the phone. I headed for the foyer stairs, darted up and went two rooms on the right to find the bathroom the attendant had mentioned before. There was no way I wanted to be overheard for this.

  The bathroom was only a half bath, with a toilet and a sink, but it could have been someone’s bedroom for how big it was. I stood on the powder-green rug, and stared at the pedestal sink as I dialed Soma.

  He picked up almost instantly. “Tell me the details,” he said. “Everything you said and to who and everything she said.”

  I relayed the events, except with Ace kissing me in Loïc’s room and what Loïc said. Loïc wasn’t on my radar right now. This seemed more important. “I don’t know what to do. I’m worried if she’ll try to sue fake me and realize I was lying about who I was. Plus, this puts Ace in a really bad spot.”

  “Don’t worry about how this will look for Ace.”

  “He’s in the middle of it.”

  “This is your point, right? We’re trying to get you into the game, remember? He’s played this game. He knows exactly what’s going on.”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t,” I said. I backed up until I was leaning against the sink and pressed my fingers to my forehead. “I didn’t think about this. Of course she’s going to attack me, spread rumors about me. She’s angry.”

  “Yes, she is. But she isn’t right.”

  “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what I’m doing at all. Ace doesn’t seem all that worried.”

  “Calm down,” he said. “He’s not worried for a reason. What can she do to you?”

  “Sue me.”

  “No, she can try, but then she’d be bringing more light onto what she’s up to, and it would prove her whole story was false anyway. She can threaten. She can spread rumors, but so what? When people learn about her business and the truth behind it, they’ll stop listening.”

  He was right. I let out a breath between my lips and nodded. “No one misbehaves in this town?”

  “You have more people than you know on your side. It isn’t that someone is spreading rumors in this town, it is who says them and who would believe it. Only a slim few would believe Mrs. Harvey.”

  “So what do I do tonight? Going in with my own story about her didn’t really seem to work.”

  “I can’t tell you,” he said. “Only because I’m not there. Somehow you need to convince her to change. But you’ll find an opportunity, and when you do, use it.” He paused. “Eva...”

  “Yeah?”

  “You look beautiful. I bet every girl is jealous.”

  I cracked a smile. “I don’t want anyone to be jealous of me.”

  “Don’t be a pawn when you can act like a queen. Just keep yourself together and don’t let Mrs. Harvey drag you into a shouting match in public. Decorum will win every time in this society.”

  I disconnected, but pressed the phone over my rapidly beating heart. I knew he was trying to instill confidence in me when I felt like crumbling.

  I needed to return to Ace. I couldn’t hide in the bathroom crying to Soma.

  I didn’t know what I would do, but I had to go and face the choices I’d made. Maybe I needed to approach Mrs. Harvey myself about what I knew, but she didn’t really seem to care about what anyone else thought. I couldn’t follow her for months and then talk about her to everyone she spoke with. Eventually she may find a retail space, even if in another town, and then what was the point?

  Maybe it wasn’t meant to be an easy, done in a single day sort of thing. Without an idea still of what I was doing, I put the phone in my purse and then left the restroom.

  Before I made it back to the stairs, Loïc materialized in the hallway ahead of me.

  I froze. My forward motion stopped suddenly enough I jerked short.

  The motion caught his attention and his gaze met mine. He paused, too, his lips parting, a question etched on the way his brow lifted.

  Anger radiated through me. He’d snubbed me a couple of times when he knew who I was. It didn’t matter what help he provided in Atlanta, I felt as distant as I could have been from him.

  If he wanted to pretend to be complete strangers, I’d let him. I had more important things to worry about.

  I lifted my head, redirected my gaze to the stairs behind him, readying myself to snub, even if he bothered to say hello.

  He remained still in the hallway, gazing at me—and I sensed it. I refused to look at him again.

  Just when I was going to pass him, he reached out, briefly touching my elbow with cool fingertips.

  I stilled at his touch and reflexively lifted my eyes to meet his.

  “Miss Lacroix,” he said softly, a tone I hadn’t expected from his lips. “Why do you look so dour? My hope is that all my guests leave delighted.”

  Those clear, light eyes seemed softer somehow, sincere.

  “I’m fine,” I said, although my voice cracked on the last syllable, betraying my desire to appear confident.

  “Are you?” he said and turned fully toward me. His head tilted, until locks of his dark hair crossed into his eyes, and the appearance was a little more rock style than elegant. “I’ve only now heard the good news. I thought you’d be happy.”

  How could he talk to me like we were friends? I closed my eyes briefly, pressing my lips to try to pull back my nervous, shaken-up feelings and show some gratitude. “I heard you played a good part in that.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted. “Think nothing of it. Although, I hope you and I may get more acquainte
d later. Are you planning on staying in town?”

  I blinked rapidly at him. I wasn’t sure how to respond. His sudden interest confused me. “Yes,” I said carefully. I traced my fingers over the small bag I carried. “I...was planning to stay with Ace.”

  “You’re welcome here any time you’d like,” he said. “As you’ve probably seen, there is plenty of room.”

  I blinked in surprised at the suggestion. “I’m flattered you’d offer...” That wasn’t the right word. I tried to get my composure together but he was making it difficult with the way his eyes remained firmly on my face. “Thank you,” I tried again. “For your help. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was surprised it was handled so quickly.”

  He smoothed out his tie. “That’s the difference between Mr. Waris and myself,” he said. “When I set my mind to help someone else, I don’t waste time negotiating terms or calling in favors.”

  I jerked my head back shortly, wanting to argue that Ace hadn’t done any of that.

  But he had. He wanted me to distract Loïc. I couldn’t formulate a reply that didn’t acknowledge that was the case. And somehow, he made it sound like a bad thing that Ace had asked for a simple favor in exchange.

  Loïc lingered for a moment and then took a small step toward me. He spoke low, his voice becoming a little raspy. “Evelyn,” he said quietly, “I don’t know what Ace may have said about me, but I assure you, I’m not an enemy. You’ll do well to trust me.”

  “I don’t know you.”

  “Then forgive me,” he said. “I wish I had more time to let you get to know me, but I know you have more pressing matters, like Mrs. Harvey.”

  How could he know? But it was his party. I bet he knew the rumors going around. I was sure attendants all over the property would let him know of anything going on as well.

  And with what he and Ace did, it suddenly made sense when Ace said he was watching. Loïc didn’t need to be in visual range if there were other people around ready to spread the word about anything going on at Belle Cielo. If he was into this game, he’d want to be aware of everything.