Page 71 of Beguiled

I breathed a slight sigh of relief when she didn’t ask me for another favor. “How was your date?”

My bestie was thoughtful, munching on her salad. “Interesting.”

“How so?” I was inhaling the salad, forgetting just how delicious they were. Maybe food tasted better after incredible sex. Shit. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t even think about Stash in any other way but professionally. Obviously, the incident hours before had pricked my nerves.

Tawny was many things, but her consistent noncommittal attitude was surprising. She was trying to keep something from me.

“Have you ever thought something was one thing only to discover it was something else entirely?”

“Almost every day of my life.”

My honest answer erased the shadows from her face. “That’s how my night went.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“I wouldn’t call the date bad. On the contrary. He took me to an incredible five-star restaurant, ordering the most expensive bottle of wine. After that we went on the cruise. Would you believe on his private yacht? There was music and champagne. Everything a girl should love.”

Yacht. That screamed of money, the kind Stash and his cousin had.

“But you didn’t.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know how I feel about men trying too hard.”

“At least he tried. I take it he’s a wealthy man.”

“Mmm… Yes, you could say that. He inherited money from his father. He took me home and was a perfect gentleman. All very sweet. Let me show you. I managed to snap a single photograph when he wasn’t looking. Apparently, pictures are dangerous weapons.”

How many times in one day could she roll her eyes? She flicked her finger across the screen, sighing as she did. It was obvious she wasn’t thrilled about the guy.

“There’s no denying Miska is handsome, but the yacht was… Too much,” she breathed and showed me the photograph she’d taken on the dock. Her date stood off to the side with a phone in his hand, the name of the ship splashed creatively across the stern.Lady Isabelle. Beautiful.

I thought the yacht was incredible, but I had a feeling Tawny was comparing the man to her father.

“Very nice,” I told her.

“Yeah, he was trying to be sweet.” She tossed the phone into her purse as if disgusted.

Sweet wasn’t a word she used very often. And she seemed… odd. Just odd.

“O-kay. Is there a but in this discussion?”

She looked toward the skyline once again. Up until a day ago, she’d begged me not to get too close to the edge. Now she was openly gazing at the tall buildings. The date had rattled her.

“It was a few things he said, like approving of the choice. Something like that.”

“Did you ask him what he was talking about?” I munched on my salad even though a knot formed in my stomach. My bestie wasn’t herself today.

“I did, but he passed it off with a smile and saying we were a good match and nothing more.” She flipped the lettuce, moving the food around the plastic tin aimlessly.

“But you don’t believe him.” I continued munching but noticed her hand was shaking when she took a bite.

“There’s no reason not to believe him.”

“How did you meet again?”

Tawny offered one of her eat-shit-and-die looks while forking the salad to death.

“I think your salad is dead.” I laughed when she stared at me blankly. “You spear your food when you’re upset.”