A weekend away from Eve was exactly what she needed. Hopefully, it would help clear her head.
Faith headed into the house. Inside the entrance hall, Faith paused by a mirror to straighten out her outfit. The dress she wor
e, a knee-length blue number, had been borrowed from Lindsey. She didn’t own many dresses that were fancy enough for an occasion like this. These parties Lindsey’s girlfriend threw weren’t Faith’s usual scene, but she still loved attending them. They were so glamourous.
She fixed her hair, which she’d managed to style into loose waves instead of her usual messy curls, and followed a pair of guests to the ballroom. The party was in full swing, the room filled with dozens of people. She scanned the crowd until she found Lindsey. She was standing with her girlfriend by a table of canapés.
As Faith approached her friend, Lindsey spotted her. She rushed over to Faith and pulled her to the side, a sheepish look on her face.
“What’s going on?” Faith asked.
“It’s Eve,” Lindsey said. “She’s here.”
Faith’s stomach flipped. “What’s she doing here?”
“Camilla invited her. I didn’t realize she was your Eve until Camilla introduced us. We were all talking, and she mentioned some stuff that sounded familiar, like her job and that she had twins, and it clicked.”
Great. That was just Faith’s luck. She’d left the city, and she still couldn’t escape Eve. “Where is she?”
Lindsey pointed to the other side of the room. Amid a group of people stood a stunning blonde woman holding a glass of champagne. Her back was turned, her hair straight and parted to one side. She wore a strapless black gown that went down to the floor. Faith wouldn’t have been able to tell that the woman was Eve if she hadn’t recognized the dress. She had seen it in Eve’s closet, tucked away with all her other glamourous clothes.
Dressed like this, Eve looked even more like the woman in the corset.
“How does Camilla know her?” Faith asked.
Lindsey shrugged. “I haven’t had a chance to ask. Camilla has never mentioned her before. I think they’re just part of the same rich people social circle.”
Faith glanced at Eve. “So they don’t know each other from Lilith’s Den?”
“Not that I know of. Why?”
“No reason,” Faith said quickly.
“I hope this doesn’t make things awkward,” Lindsey said. “I know she’s been giving you a hard time at work.”
“It’s fine.” Faith had told Lindsey about how Eve had dressed her down in her office that afternoon. But that was only part of the reason Faith was frustrated with Eve.
Faith pulled herself together. She was not going to let Eve’s presence ruin a good party. “So, where are the drinks?”
Lindsey led her over to the bar where Faith grabbed a glass of champagne. It was crisp and light, more delicious than any champagne Faith had ever tasted. She and Lindsey sat down in a quiet corner to talk. It wasn’t long before Camilla found them and dragged them both off to meet people.
The evening wore on, the sky darkening to night outside the wide windows of the ballroom. After finishing off her second glass of champagne, Faith excused herself and went back to the bar for another drink. This time, she asked for a glass of rosé. It had just the right balance of sweetness.
She sighed contentedly. She was enjoying herself. Although she had little in common with most of the people in the room, there was delicious food, top-shelf drinks, and interesting conversation. It was enough to make her forget about Eve.
Almost.
Faith searched the room for her. Did Eve know she was here? The party was so big that Faith hadn’t crossed paths with her yet.
Her eyes landed on Eve. She was nearby, deep in conversation with a pair of women, close enough that Faith could see her face. Without her glasses, the long, dark lashes that framed Eve’s hazel eyes made their depths seem endless. Her cheeks had a faint flush, and her lips were a pale shade of pink that brought to mind the rosé Faith was drinking.
Would Eve’s lips taste just as sweet?
As if overhearing Faith’s thoughts, Eve turned toward her. There was a flash of surprise in Eve’s eyes, followed by something else. A cool fire that made Faith burn inside. It was just like that night at Lilith’s Den, that moment Faith had locked eyes with the woman in the corset.
Faith turned around sharply and took a deep breath. A minute passed, then two, then five, but Eve didn’t approach her. And Faith didn’t dare look for her again.
Faith finished off her glass of rosé and went off to mingle again. She didn’t know why she was avoiding Eve. She had no reason to hide from her. But Eve hadn’t sought her out either. Was she avoiding Faith too? Faith wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or offended. She had no idea what she wanted from Eve.