Chapter 13 Willow #2
“Of course,” Olivia replies, and I’m relieved to see that she doesn’t seem too wary of the brothers. “I’m very pleased for Willow to get to have experiences like this, and I’m happy to let her share that with her friends.”
“We appreciate it,” Vic says.
Malice says nothing, but he turns down the intensity of his expression a bit, and honestly, that’s a miracle in and of itself. He seems content to let Ransom do the talking, which makes sense, since that’s the role Ransom usually plays. He knows how to talk to people better than the twins do.
In fact, Ransom must’ve done a bit of research before they arrived tonight—probably aided by Vic—because he talks knowledgeably with my grandmother about the new wing and several of the well-known pieces in the museum, credibly selling the three of them as amateur art aficionados who would want to come to this sort of event.
Vic and Malice nod along where appropriate, and I mostly stay quiet, marveling at how weird it is to be standing here between my grandmother and the Voronin brothers. Two facets of my life that couldn’t be more different.
“Well, I hope you all have an enjoyable evening,” Olivia says to Ransom after a couple of minutes. “And I hope you won’t mind too much that I need to steal Willow away for a bit.”
“Oh, of course not.” Ransom nods, still smiling. “Have a good evening, Mrs. Stanton.”
Olivia puts a hand on the small of my back and steers me away from the guys. I half expect her to have something to say about them or to ask me more questions once we’re out of earshot, but she doesn’t.
“You look lovely,” she says instead, her smile taking on a little more warmth now that it’s just us. “I knew that dress was perfect for you.”
“Thank you.” I smooth a hand nervously over the soft fabric. “I still feel a little weird being here, but it’s nice to be part of it.”
“Comfort comes with time. And connections. Speaking of which, let me introduce you around.”
I nod, and she takes me over to a cluster of people standing by a large statue of a woman wearing a gauzy dress. Most of them are older, Olivia’s age or a bit younger, and they all seem delighted to see her.
“Olivia!” one of the older men exclaims, smiling broadly. “I saw your name on the guest list for tonight, and I was simply ecstatic.”
“He was,” the woman next to him confirms. “He has talked about nothing else.”
“Can you blame me? Olivia Stanton’s name on a list means the party will be worth going to.”
Olivia laughs politely. “Your enthusiasm is as flattering as ever, Bradley,” she says. “I’d like to introduce my granddaughter, Willow Hayes. Willow, this is Bradley Derrington, Heather Johansson, and William Fleck.”
“It’s nice to meet all of you,” I say, smiling and trying to mimic Olivia’s ease with talking to people.
Thankfully, we don’t stay with that group long before she’s whisking me away to meet more people.
It’s amazing how many of the guests at the gala Olivia knows. I guess that’s what she meant about having connections. Or maybe there’s some secret club that all the rich people in the city belong to, and that’s how they all know each other.
It’s a bit of a relief when she finally introduces me to some younger people, closer to my own age than hers.
Some of them are girls who give me the same vibes that April and her band of bitches do, but because I’m with Olivia, they seem to think I’m one of them.
With them is a guy who eyes me up and down and makes no effort to hide it.
When I shift and the slit in my dress flashes some leg, his brown eyes zero right in on it, and I don’t like the slimy feeling it gives me.
He’s clearly rich, dressed in a nice suit and wearing a watch that probably costs as much as my car.
He has classic features, artfully styled brown hair, and a chiseled jaw, and he holds himself like someone used to getting what he wants.
“Troy Copeland,” he says, holding out his hand for me to shake. At least he manages to meet my eyes when he says it.
I don’t want to shake his hand. I don’t even want to touch him, but with Olivia standing there smiling, I don’t have much choice. So I shake his hand and go to pull away, only to have him hold on for an extra second or two, staring right at me.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, finally pulling my hand back and barely resisting the urge to wipe it off on my dress.
“Likewise.” He brings the glass of whiskey he’s holding in his right hand to his lips, taking a sip without breaking eye contact with me. “I’ve heard a bit about you through the grapevine. You have a pretty amazing story.”
I blink. Maybe his comment shouldn’t surprise me, considering April and her friends found some kind of article about the long-lost Stanton heir having returned.
My sudden reappearance in Olivia’s life is clearly common knowledge, but it still catches me off guard to have someone mention it. I’m not really sure how to respond.
“Oh.” I shrug. “Um, I don’t—”
“Olivia? Is that you?”
Before I can say anything else, someone calls to my grandmother from nearby, and she takes my elbow, whisking me off to another group. I let out a little sigh of relief, summoning up a friendly smile for the new people I’m about to meet.
I guess the upside of being a social butterfly is that you never have to get trapped in a single conversation for too long.
This group of people is a mix of ages, some older and some younger, and once again, everyone seems pleased to be meeting Olivia Stanton’s granddaughter.
“I’m Joshua,” one of the young men says, offering me his hand.
I take it warily, but to my relief, he just shakes it normally and then lets me pull away. He seems much less creepy than Troy did, which makes me relax a little.
Someone else calls Olivia’s name, and this time she steps away to speak with them, leaving me alone with the group.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Joshua asks, gesturing to the room around us.
He doesn’t carry himself nearly as pompously as that Troy guy did, but it’s clear he’s probably just as rich.
His clothes are expensive, and he looks comfortable in this atmosphere.
His hair is a little shaggier, blond with pale gold highlights running through it, and he reaches up and pushes it out of his face as he speaks.
His eyes are a soft gray, and when he smiles, it seems natural and easy.
“I am,” I reply, nodding back. “It’s a little overwhelming, I’ll admit. I’m not used to meeting so many people at once.”
Joshua grins at that. “These things are definitely like that. It’s a chance to see and be seen. My parents had me meeting people and shaking hands when I was barely five.”
“That must make it easier for you now,” I point out. “At least you’ve had a lot of practice.”
“True. I can imagine how you must feel. We’ve all heard about how Olivia Stanton’s long-lost granddaughter resurfaced. And now you’re diving headfirst into high society. That must be overwhelming.”
I listen for any hint in his tone that he’s mocking me or getting ready to tell me that I don’t belong here, but there’s nothing to indicate he feels that way. He just seems genuinely curious about me.
“It is,” I admit. “I’m so grateful for everything Olivia has done for me, but I still feel like my head is spinning most of the time.”
Joshua smiles, revealing that one of his front teeth is slightly crooked.
There’s something almost endearing about that.
Everyone here looks so perfect, their clothes and makeup impeccable, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that a lot of them have had some kind of plastic surgery.
But despite the fact that I’m sure he’s got the money, Joshua hasn’t gotten that tooth fixed.
It makes him seem more human, which relaxes me even more.
“It will get easier eventually,” he promises. “You can pretty much go off of a script with these people most of the time. You just tell them what they want to hear and then go on about your business.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” I tell him, lifting a brow. “You were born into this. You already know what they want to hear.”
He laughs, ducking his head a little. “Okay, that’s fair. I’ll stop trying to act like I know what you’re going through and start trying to get to know you instead. Have you been to Mrs. Stanton’s house?”
I nod. “House is an understatement.”
“It really is. I haven’t been there since I was a kid, but I remember feeling like it was a castle. My parents are very jealous of her success.”
“What do your parents do?”
“They’re in finance.” Joshua says. “I am too. I got my master’s degree last year and just started working for the family business. Are you a student?”
“At Wayne State,” I reply, not sure how that will sound to someone like him. He probably went to one of the best schools in the country or something, ready to follow in his parents’ footsteps.
“Ah. I’m surprised your grandmother didn’t push for something… different,” he says.
“You mean better.”
He smiles again, and it’s sheepish. “Maybe a little.”
I shrug one shoulder. “She just wanted me to be happy, and I’ve been happy where I am. I had to take a… leave of absence last semester, and she helped get me back on track.”
He slides his hands into his pockets, all casual grace. “Well, I’m sure she’s glad to have you close by.”
“She is, I think. I—”
The back of my neck prickles, and I break off, glancing over my shoulder.
Malice is standing on the other side of the room, his gaze locked on me and Joshua, and I swear I can feel the weight of it even from here. He looks like a bull ready to charge across the space and destroy everything in the room, and my heart lurches in my chest as I tear my focus away from him.
Turning back to Joshua, I pick up where I left off, determined not to let Malice get under my skin. But even as I nod along and laugh at Joshua’s jokes, I’m viscerally aware of Malice watching us.
Watching me.