38. Lily #2
“That’s why when Gage concocted this last-minute birthday party idea and enlisted my help, I was on board.
” Gage Hollingsworth is a brooding giant of a man with an enormous heart.
“I was dying to see you again and I wanted to meet the sisterhood. When he offered to fly me to LA on a private jet—nice touch, by the way—I couldn’t refuse.
I’m a sucker for VIP treatment. Even though my father is a former president of France, I’ve never experienced such luxury before.
One of the downsides of being la batarde is that your father always travels with his legitimate kids and his wife.
Never with his bastard daughter and her mother.
Thanks to Gage, I was able to cross an item off my bucket list.”
My eyes find Gage’s.
He shrugs.
He knows we’re talking about him.
His sixth sense is freaky.
“I’m taken aback everyone knew, except for me.”
“That’s the whole point of a surprise birthday party.” Nads winks.
“When did you get here?”
“Yesterday afternoon while you were having a picnic with your man.”
What? “So, yesterday, when I thought you were calling me from Paris, you were here in LA?”
“In my defense, you didn’t ask me where I was. So, I wasn’t lying.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Lying by omission is still lying.”
“And I’d do it again in a heartbeat if it meant seeing you this happy.”
I blush.
“You’re beaming, Lily.”
“You mean, my face is the color of a tomato?”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re glowing. Own it.”
“Okay, you’re right. I haven’t had a drink yet, but I’m drunk with happiness—” Realization hits me. “Are you Enid?”
A huge smile spreads her lips. “It’s my code name.
Enid is Nadine spelled backwards, minus the first two letters of my name.
Gage didn’t want to spoil the surprise. This”—she swirls a finger in the air—“was well orchestrated, down to the minute details. Same for your full day limo tour of celebrity homes and other Hollywood iconic attractions today.”
The tour was a distraction?
“It wasn’t by chance the driver dropped you off on Rodeo Drive.” Her eyes lower to my new gold strappy heels for a beat. “After all, you can’t resist a shoe sale. Gage was made aware of all of your weaknesses.”
Sneaky best friend.
“I also told Gage about the songs on your playlist and favorite cake.” Nadine keeps dropping bombs on me. “And I guided him in the right direction for the flowers, so he stayed away from your no-no list. No lilies. Ever. And carnations are a copout.”
God, I’d die for this woman.
My father never bothered finding out which were my favorite flowers. He’d have one of his mignons send me flowers—ninety-nine percent of the time, they were lilies—accompanied by a birthday card with the same one-liner.
Love you, Lily. Dad .
The distinctively female penmanship was a dead giveaway. It’s always a blessing to receive gifts, but my father’s gifts were never from him. As for the ‘ love you’ part, that’s a big fat joke.
“Gage suggested I fly in with flowers that would put a huge smile on your face.” She shrugs. “So, I did.”
I knit my eyebrows together. “The flowers are all from Paris?”
She nods. “It took me a few days of hustling before I was able to get them from the right vendors, but I managed. Let me tell you, a private jet is quite practical when you’re not traveling light.”
“Unbelievable.”
I’m amazed by the care and attention Gage put into planning this party.
“Gage wanted to make up for me having to close the shop for a few days.”
“Wow––” I frown. “I’m leaving tomorrow for New York. Are you going to stay in LA? That would suck if we were in the same country, but on opposite coasts.”
She shakes her head. “Gage is flying me out to New York tomorrow night. We won’t be on the same flight, but I’ll arrive in New York an hour after you. I can only stay a couple of days, but we get to spend some time together. ”
I’m flabbergasted. “He did all this for me?”
She reaches out and rubs up and down my arm. “He wanted to make up for Fisher being a jerk. My words. Not his.”
I laugh.
“Here I thought Enid was…” I shake my head.
She elbows me. “You thought Enid was a random chick after your man?”
The DJ kicked off the music again, but I don’t want my voice to carry. So, I switch to French.
“ Mais ca va pas la tête? C’est pas mon mec. On n’est pas ensemble. ”
Translation: You’re crazy. He’s not my man. We’re not boyfriend and girlfriend.
Nadine stares at me like I’ve lost my marbles. “ T’es aveugle, ma vieille. De part ses actions, il démontre ses sentiments à ton égard. Tu es sa copine. Je n’en ai aucun doute. ”
Translation: You’re blind, dear friend. Actions speak louder than labels. You’re his girlfriend. I don’t doubt it for a second.
Her eyes shift in Gage’s direction before fixing onto mine.
“Your father spent years hiding you. He’s still not forthcoming about who you are.
Case in point.” She places her hands on her face, cupping her mouth.
“Your Adonis didn’t even know you existed because Fisher never spoke about you.
” She holds my gaze. “The demigod who punched your V card is flaunting you around like the prized beauty you are.”
Like the beating wings of a majestic white swan, hope blooms in my chest.