by Jodi Vaughn
Usually, whenever Miles wore a tuxedo, it made my heart beat a bit faster. I rested my palm over my heart, feeling the slow thud of my heartbeat.
“Everything okay?” Miles slammed the door behind him and started the car.
“Yes,” I lied. I kept my gaze on Miles as he backed out of the garage and lowered the door.
I fought a shiver that sprinted up my spine. I needed to relax. I’d made sure to drink the blood out of ten steaks. I knew that it should get me through the night without a hitch. Now, all I had to do was relax and enjoy the party.
Tonight would be an official starting point. A new journey for our marriage.
Chapter 27
The valet greeted us at the country club. A young man assisted me out of the car while Miles handed over the keys and a tip.
We stepped inside and headed toward the large banquet room.
“Miles! Rachel! Oh my, aren’t you two the Ken and Barbie of the night!” Jilly Roark gave Miles a quick kiss on the cheek and then brought me in for a hug. She was wearing a white evening gown that flared out at the waist and ended in a train that pooled at the back.
“Thank you for inviting us, Jilly.” I smiled and looked at her gown. “You look stunning.”
“Why, thank you, dear,” Jilly leaned in and whispered loudly. “But I have to say, you are going to be the one that everyone has their eye on tonight.”
My smile slid off my face, and my lungs clenched. “Me? Why?”
“Rachel, don’t be so modest. You look like you’ve lost weight and had a little something done.” She motioned to her own face and winked. “Not that I’m jealous. You must give me the name of the plastic surgeon you are using.”
Miles let out a laugh. “She’s not had any work done, Jilly.”
Jilly gave him a droll look. “Whatever you say, Miles.” She laughed. “Why don’t you two head on over to the bar. They are serving a special cocktail tonight, just for my party.”
“Sounds yummy.” I smiled and gave her hand a squeeze.
We made our way over to the bar. I looked around the room and saw many couples I knew and a few that I didn’t.
“What can I get you, sir?” the young bartender asked. His gaze wandered over to me and dipped to my cleavage.
“I’ll have a gin and tonic and …” Miles turned to me.
“I’ll have the specialty cocktail.”
The bartender smiled. “Very good.” He turned and quickly made the gin and tonic. He slid the drink over to Miles and then began work on mine.
When he was done, he sat a pretty blue cocktail in front of me.
“What’s it called?” I picked up the fluted drink and took a sip. “It’s good.”
“It’s called Tiffany Blue.”
“Perfect name. Jilly does like her diamonds.” I said and turned back to Miles. He turned his gaze back to me and smiled.
“Oh, I see Gina and Liz.” I waved to my friends in the corner. They smiled and waved me over.
“Go on. I’ll go find the men.” Miles chuckled.
I made my way over to my friends.
“Oh my God, Rachel, that dress is to die for,” Gina said, wide-eyed.
“Thank you. I love your dress, too. That red looks great on you.” I smiled and admired her short, red dress with crystals adorning the sweetheart neckline. Gina had a great, slim figure and she pulled the look off flawlessly.
“Did you get that dress at Tara’s?” Liz frowned.
“I did.”
“I don’t remember seeing it. I know I went through every dress in that store, trying to find something that would fit me.” Liz cocked her head.
“Well, I love your dress. Looks like you found the perfect gown for you.” Liz had on a floor-length, white dress covered in sequins.
“Thank you.” Liz leaned closer. “We’re friends, right?”
I frowned. “Of course, we are. Why would you say that?”
“Because I want to know the truth, Rachel.”
I could feel the heat rising in my face. Did she hear something? Did she suspect something?
“Who is doing your Botox?” Liz crossed her arms over her chest. “You have to tell me. I feel like my forehead is gaining more lines with each passing day.” She waved her hand at me. “And you, well, you seem to keep getting younger by the day.”
I relaxed and let out a laugh. “I actually haven’t had anything done. Just vitamins. Oh, and I did have that stomach bug. That’s how I lost the weight.”
“I wish I could catch a stomach bug,” Gina snarked.
“No, you don’t,” I murmured and looked around the room. Everyone looked beautiful in their black-tie attire and cocktail dresses. A sense of comfort settled over me. I’d seen this a dozen times, but I was grateful to be here now. I was among friends, and in some ways, family.
My gaze landed on Miles, and he lifted his glass to me and winked. I smiled. And just like that, we were falling back into our old lives.
“So, has anyone picked a date for our annual girls’ trip?” I asked and looked at Gina.
She blinked and looked away. “No one has said anything to me about it. I’m assuming it’s going to be in July again. Aruba, maybe? I really don’t know.” She took a sip of her cocktail and waved at someone across the room.
“Well, I am looking forward to it. It seems like ages since I’ve gotten together with my best girlfriends.” Liz smiled and gave me a side hug.
“You just saw us at book club.” Gina snorted.
“Yeah, but a girls’ getaway is totally different.”
“Yeah, it’s extended wine club.” Gina laughed. “I have to detox every time I get back from a girls’ getaway.”
The time seemed to pass quickly. I was having a good time and enjoying myself. Miles had even pulled me onto the dance floor for a slow dance. I felt like a princess in his arms. When the dance was over, he walked me back over to my friends, and he went back to talk to the men standing around the bar.
“Oh, no. Look who it is,” Gina groaned.
I followed her gaze to the doorway just as a voice screeched out across the room.
“I’m here. The party can begin.” Veronica threw her hands up into the air, trying to look like Marilyn Monroe but failing miserably.
“Damn. Just when I was having a fabulous time.” I looked back at Liz. “Why in the hell did Jilly invite Veronica?”
Liz shrugged. “The same reason everyone tolerates her I suppose. She probably has some dirt on Jilly so she was invited.”
“Yeah, you do not want Veronica as an enemy.” Gina turned her back to the door.
“Well, I think it’s bullshit. We are a bunch of grown-ass women, but we still let Veronica bully us.”
“The day you stand up to her, we will be right behind you,” Liz said and averted her gaze from the woman.
“May I have everyone’s attention, please?” Jilly clanged her spoon against the side of her champagne flute.
The entire room quieted down, and the band stopped playing. Everyone turned their attention to the hostess at the front of the room.
“I have a surprise for everyone! Tonight, we are having a contest for the best-dressed.” Jilly’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Now, what you didn’t know, is as you entered the party tonight, our judges were picking out their favorite couples of the evening.”
A round of applause went up in the room.
Liz elbowed me. “You and Miles are sure to be one of the couples.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Everyone looks so lovely,” I lied. I knew from looking at everyone that, for the first time in years, I looked amazing. And Miles looked handsome as always in his tuxedo. I had a really good feeling that we were going to win. Another step in our start at a second chance.
“If the following couples will please come to the front of the room.” Jilly unfolded a piece of paper. “Harvey and Gina Randle.”
“See! I knew you’d be one of the couples!” I gave Gina a hug before Harvey came over a
nd escorted her to the front of the room. Everyone clapped.
“James and Sondra McNeil,” Jilly announced.
I clapped along with the crowd and pretended that I wasn’t holding my breath.
“And our last couple is…Miles and Rachel Jones.”
Miles ambled over to me all smiles and held out his arm. I took it and let him escort me to the front of the room.
“Now, I need everyone’s help,” Jilly announced. “In order to pick our winner, I need crowd participation. Here we go!”
“How many think Harvey and Gina are the best-dressed couple tonight?” Jilly waved her hand in the couple’s direction, and a chorus of whistles and shouts rang out across the large room.
“What about our next couple? James and Shonda McNeil?” Jilly once again waved her hand at the couple like Vanna White showing off a prize. People applauded and cheered.
“And last but certainly not least is Miles and Rachel Jones!” she shouted.
The whole room lit up with shouts and whistles and loud applause. I didn’t need Jilly to announce who had won the contest.
Jilly walked over to a table where a small trophy sat. She picked it up, and her gaze met mine.
“Congratulations to Miles and Rachel Jones! Our best-dressed couple of the night.” She held out the trophy, and Miles grinned and took it. He pulled me close and gave me a full kiss on the lips. Just like when we were younger. He pulled back and looked across the room. Something flickered behind his eyes, and his smile dropped. I followed his gaze but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Yes.” He kissed the back of my hand. “I’m going to put this thing out in the car.” He held up the trophy.
“Okay. I’m going to the powder room.” We parted ways. I took the last sip of my cocktail and placed the empty glass back on the counter of the bar.
I headed down the hallway and into the bathroom. It was empty, and I walked around the corner to the private seating area. I sat at the stool and pulled my lipstick out of my purse. I swiped my lips with a fresh wash of color and pressed my lips together. I leaned forward and studied my makeup in the mirror.
“Did you hear? They found that missing college student. Dead.” A female entered the bathroom. From where I was sitting, they couldn’t see me.
“I know! And I still can’t believe who the murderer is,” the other female said.
“I know. Cal Dennery.”
I froze, unable to move. My neighbor, Cal? That was impossible. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.
“I know. They found her in a plastic bin in his storage unit.”
“Which is stupid on his part.” The other female snorted. “He had to know that the body would start to decompose and smell.”
“He claims he doesn’t remember anything about the night of the snowstorm, which is the night she disappeared. But it’s hard to ignore the evidence. Her body was found in his storage unit, and he has the only key. His poor wife didn’t even know he rented the thing.”
A shiver ran down my spine. Cal couldn’t remember the night of the snowstorm. Because of me. I’d glamoured him into forgetting about it so he wouldn’t tell anyone that he’d seen me naked.
“I can’t believe Miles brought his wife.” The voice made me freeze.
“Especially after he brought his mistress to the doctors’ conference in Biloxi,” another woman chimed in.
All the blood in my face dropped to my stomach. The doctors’ conference had been six months ago. I’d asked Miles about going, but he’d said that nobody was bringing their wives. Like a fool, I’d believed him.
Nausea rolled through my stomach, and my vision blurred. My heart sped up, and I forced myself to stand. I walked around the corner and faced the two women. They both gasped when they saw me. I recognized them from the hospital. They both worked there. But I didn’t know their names.
“Who did Miles bring to the conference?” I looked at the petite brunette in a short, black dress.
“Mrs. Jones, I-I really don’t want to get involved,” she stuttered, and her face went red.
“You got involved when you opened your mouth.” I glared at her. I fisted my hands at my sides to keep from strangling her.
“We really should go…” The other woman with the red hair tried to step to the door.
“Stop.” I turned my gaze on her.
She stopped in her tracks. She got that dazed look in her eyes.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Jessie,” she said, her eyes glazed, and her tone monotonous.
“And you?” I turned to the brunette. “What’s your name?”
“Elle,” she said, her eyes glazing over, as well.
A tremor of tiny cramps raced inside my stomach. I ignored the pain and looked at both women.
“How do you know my husband?”
“We work in surgery,” they both answered in unison.
“How did you know about the doctors’ conference in Biloxi?” I cocked my head and tried to keep my anger and pain under control.
“I am engaged to a doctor, and he brought me,” Jessie said.
“I didn’t go. Jessie told me,” Elle stated.
So, Jessie was there.
I turned and looked at the brunette. “How do you know Miles had a mistress?”
“Because they stayed in the same room, and they went out together with the rest of the doctors and their wives.”
My stomach turned, and I wanted to vomit all over my Louboutin’s.
“What did the wives say about this?”
“They didn’t say anything. The doctors told the wives to stay out of it and not say a word,” Jessie said.
Humiliation and betrayal struck me in the heart. The other wives had known, and no one had bothered to tell me. The whole fucking hospital knew.
“What’s the mistress’s name?” I demanded.
“Nikki Stollings,” Jessie and Elle spoke at the same time.
My vision blurred, and my knees buckled. Miles had lied. He’d said he’d only slept with her the one time. Not only had he been fucking around with Nikki for over a year but he also hadn’t tried to hide it. He’d paraded her out in front of his colleagues.
I shoved past the two women and stumbled out into the hallway. Hurt, humiliation, and anger raced through every nerve ending in my body. I could feel retribution pumping through my veins and filling the shattered pieces of my heart.
He’d lied.
I had been a fucking fool to believe him. I pressed my hand to my heart and tried to ease the pain that was slowly filling my chest. My mind raced. Miles had been having an affair for over a year. And I had been too stupid to realize it. I barely heard the drone of voices as I stepped into the party. I scanned the space and found Miles talking to Jilly at the front of the room.
My stomach cramped and, suddenly, I was reminded of how much I needed blood. Miles met my gaze and smiled.
It’s a funny thing. When you are married as long as I have been, you can almost read a person’s mind with just a look. Miles must have read my mind because in the matter of three short seconds, his smiled faded, his eyes widened, and the blood drained from his face.
I stopped in front of Jilly and Miles.
“Why don’t we go get some fresh air,” Miles suggested, taking me by the arm.
I snatched my arm out of his hold and glared at him.
“Don’t touch me,” I spat out.
Jilly’s eyes widened, but she didn’t step away. Instead, she studied us both, intently.
“Rachel, let’s talk about this…”
“Here. We are going to talk about this here.” I glared at him. I wished I had superpowers so I could fry his ass with just one look.
“Rachel, this is a public place…”
“You’ve been having an affair for over a year.” I noticed the music had stopped, and the room grew silent. But I was beyond caring.
“Rachel,” he warned and looked
around at everyone.
“You took your mistress to the doctors’ conference. The conference that we always go to. You said that spouses weren’t invited this last time. You lied to me.” Something wet rolled down my cheek. Despite my tears, my voice was calm and lethal.
“You think you can fuck around on me and stay married? You are dead wrong.” I turned on my heel and straightened my back. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, but I kept looking straight ahead at the exit sign.
“I hope that pussy was worth losing everything.” I threw the last comment over my shoulder. Whispers rose up around the room and, suddenly, I felt like I was in enemy territory. They knew. They all fucking knew and didn’t tell me. They were not my friends. None of them.
I made my way out the door just as pain lanced across my stomach. It almost matched the agony in my heart.
Almost.
Chapter 28
I stepped outside and looked at the valet. “I need my car.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He ran over to the parking lot to retrieve Miles’ Tesla.
“Rachel, how could you do that?” Miles stepped through the door.
“Don’t come near me.”
I turned and saw two very large swans come barreling toward the front door. The country club kept the two swans, affectionately named Prissy and Hissy, on their pond on the golf course. They were gentle birds and usually came up to golfers to get a snack of crackers or bread.
Not tonight. They both hissed and tried to bite Miles every time he attempted to take a step towards me.
“Get away!” he yelled at the birds.
Everyone from the party was now gathered at the door to watch the scene unfold.
The valet pulled up in front of me. He hopped out of the car and handed me the keys. I pulled Miles’ wallet out of my clutch and grabbed all the cash out. I handed it to the valet and threw the wallet in the shrubs.
“Before you give that to Mr. Jones, I expect you to take all the cash as a tip.”
His eyes got wide. “Why, thank you, Mrs. Jones.”
“That’s my wallet,” Miles yelled as he tried to kick one of the swans. Hissy stretched out his long neck and bit Miles right on the crotch. My bastard husband let out a yell and doubled over in pain.
