Chapter 20
Twenty
Eva followed the group into the lounge, relieved. There’d been a moment there where she thought her presence had freaked Maddy out, that she’d made a serious mistake.
But Hannah had been right. Maddy did seem to want her here. Then again, Maddy was an exceptional people-pleaser. She might have faked it.
But Eva felt oddly confident that she’d know if that were the case. Because she’d felt, right from the off, that she could read Maddy to an extraordinary degree. It was easy, even. She screamed out if you looked for even a second.
Eva followed Hannah, who was moving from one end of the lounge to the other, pointing out the bar, talking dinner plans, though it wasn’t lunchtime yet, describing the spa menu with the familiarity of a staff member.
Eva let her chatter wash over her as they plonked in a seating area.
She could handle Hannah. She met ten Hannahs a year.
She was your basic maid of honour who was reliving—or rehearsing—her own ‘special day.’
Maddy walked slightly behind. Eva’s eyes flicked to her constantly, scanning for cues. Tension, hesitation, anything that suggested Maddy was uncomfortable or overwhelmed. She always was, but in this particular group? Eva could see that it was amplified.
Eva watched Maddy’s mother, Kelly, nodding approvingly at Hannah, delighted, it seemed, with every drop of bullshit pouring from her lips.
Kelly seemed well-meaning, but not what you’d call emotionally perceptive.
If she were, she’d have been at her daughter’s side.
Instead, she was crawling up Hannah’s backside.
Mary was quietly inspecting the place settings on a side table. She didn’t speak much, didn’t laugh much, but her eyes moved with a kind of careful calculation. She was the hardest to pin down.
And Aria. Librarian eccentricity at full power—crooked glasses, jumper too loud, speaking to the waitstaff at full volume. A chaotic element.
The group split naturally around the table of drinks. Hannah swept in front, waving a hand. ‘Champagne for everyone! Or tea, if you’re the sensible type!’
Kelly immediately grabbed a flute, smiling.
‘Got to get in the spirit!’ Mary hesitated, then grabbed two.
‘Just in case.’ Eva couldn’t imagine what emergency necessitated double-fisting.
Aria grabbed one of each and poured champagne into her teacup.
No one said anything, but Kelly raised an eyebrow.
Maddy went with tea. Eva did the same.
Once everyone had a drink, Hannah was off again, steering the chatter around appropriate wedding topics. Dresses, menus, vows—she knew her way around the block. As someone who spent her life steeped in such details, Eva zoned out. What a busman’s holiday.
Maddy kept her hands folded around her drink, knees pressed together, trying not to attract attention.
‘You’re quiet,’ Eva said softly enough that only Maddy could hear.
‘I… I’m just… I prefer to observe,’ Maddy whispered, almost apologetically.
Eva nodded. ‘Whose idea was the hen weekend?’
‘Hannah’s.’
‘Did you actually want one?’
‘I don’t think it’s optional,’ Maddy said.
‘It’s all optional.’
Maddy looked rather disturbed by that comment.
Across the table, Hannah was telling Kelly about a massage she had pre-booked, Aria was describing how she hoped the spa staff weren’t too finicky about her wandering around naked between treatments, and Mary was eating truffles two at a time and washing them back with champagne.
Eva’s gaze drifted back to Maddy. She was sipping her drink, eyes darting at the edges of the group, lips pressed together.
Eva let it all unfold, sipping her tea and wondering if she should have had champagne after all.
Hannah clapped her hands suddenly, dragging Eva back into the moment. ‘All right! Now that we’re settled, drinks in hand, I have a little game to get us all warmed up!’
Yeah. Eva should have definitely gone with the booze.