What If I Never (Necklace Trilogy 1)

CHAPTER SIX

The party is on a Friday night, at the rooftop bar of the Grand Hyatt. During the three days from when I received my invite and the actual evening of the event, Allison remains elusive and just plain impossible to reach. At this point though, I’m committed to the party as part of my role at Riptide.

I’m attending.

This is non-negotiable.

If by chance Allison attends, or I find a way to reach her through the party, that will be a bonus.

The evening in question arrives, and so do I. I enter the hotel dressed in business attire, rather than the invite’s indicated cocktail attire, which fits my conservative, cautious nature. In this case, I’ve paired a figure-hugging black Chanel skirt with a black silk blouse with a cut-out neckline that manages to offer the illusion of showing a little skin while showing nothing at all. My strappy heels are Gucci. They, like the other items I’m wearing, are outrageously expensive and part of a shopping spree I’d found a necessity with my first Riptide bonus.

Dress for success, Queen Compton had told me the day she’d promoted me to a more visible role in the auction house. Our clientele can spot a brand a mile away, she’d added. It was a lesson proven right when one of the customers told me I was surprisingly far better at my job than I was at choosing my wardrobe. You’d think that snobbery would make me hate the job, but it really didn’t. The one-of-a-kind treasures Riptide inventories daily are much like a perfect book you fear you’ll never find again: invaluable. And Riptide has managed to offer me an identity I seem to be losing while here in Tennessee. Maybe that’s why I’m so eager to be here, reconnecting with my job in some way tonight.

And all thanks to the mysterious other woman named Allison.

I’m walking through the lobby when I spot a sign directing guests of the Hawk Legal party to the elevators. Once there, I find yet another sign directing me to a specific car, which has a young, rather handsome couple in evening wear waiting for it as well. The doors to the appropriate car slide open and I join the couple inside, as does a man with smoke-gray hair and an expensive suit. As the ride begins with each passing floor, I can’t deny my nerves.

The truth is that I’d arrived at Riptide beaten and bruised emotionally and professionally, a sense of control nowhere to be found, and for reasons I share with no one, Riptide helped me find my self-confidence and my footing again. But being here in Nashville, afraid for my mother, connected to that bad history more than most might think, has set my world spinning again. My mother, my best friend, could have died. She’s in remission, but her cancer could come back. I’m definitely not on solid footing. I’m definitely not in control when I have nothing to think about but her illness.

My mother’s doctor said that if I see my mother’s death around every corner, so will she. I have to live so she can live. Tonight is me reclaiming my life. I live. She lives. With that in mind, I start thinking about my goals. First and foremost, I’ll find Allison and give her the necklace that’s inside my cute little Christian Louboutin Paloma studded leather clutch. It was a birthday gift from Queen Compton, and I use it every chance I get. It’s red inside, and one day I’ll splurge on a pair of red-soled Christian Louboutin heels to match. I’ll earn them all by my lonesome. Because I can. I know I can.

The car halts, and I’m feeling empowered.

The handsome couple exits first, and the distinguished man motions me forward. I give him a nod and exit with him on my heels. Each of us ends up to the left at a hostess stand where we present our invitations. When I’m next, I recognize the hostess as the receptionist for Hawk Legal, who I now know to be Katie.

“Hi Katie,” I greet and when I see the recognition on her face, I offer a small smile. “What are the odds I actually meet Allison tonight? I know she took time off, but I thought—maybe, just maybe—she’d be here tonight?”

“She’s not going to attend, sorry. But I’m glad you made it. I told my boss about your connection to Riptide. He wants to speak to you.”

“Oh,” I say, and since I have questions, I motion for the man behind me to go ahead. He nods his appreciation and when he’s checked in and moved along, I join the receptionist once again. “Who’s your boss?”

“Tyler Hawk, the principal in Hawk Legal, and he’s Allison’s boss. I’m sure you’ll get any information you wanted about our upcoming charity auction from Allison from him.”