Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
The six of them were arranged around the table in the spa’s restaurant, coming to the end of mains. By some stroke of luck, Eva had ended up sitting next to Maddy.
She’s a bride. She’s just a bride. Once her wedding is over, you’ll never see her again.
It was becoming Eva’s mantra.
Hannah had installed herself at the head of the table and looked deeply satisfied about it. She clearly loved the chance to run a social situation like a drill sergeant. Eva suspected she’d be just as much in her element at a funeral.
‘Right,’ Hannah said brightly. ‘Now that we’re all fed and spa-ified—’
Mary snorted into her prosecco.
‘—we’re doing a classic hen night tradition,’ Hannah continued.
Hannah reached into her handbag and produced yet another small stack of cards.
Mary leaned forward immediately, swallowing her last bite of fish. ‘Is it tarot? I went to a tarot reader once who told me I was going to meet the love of my life in a laundrette. And I’d just bought a washing machine, so I’m buggered. At least until the warranty runs out.’
Hannah held the stack up. ‘Hen night dares.’
Maddy’s eyebrows shot up. ‘We’re in a restaurant,’ she said cautiously.
‘Yes,’ Hannah said.
‘A public one.’
‘A spa restaurant. It's just us and a few posh women. And who cares what they think?’ Hannah said with a dismissive hand wave. She began fanning out her cards dramatically around her empty plate. ‘Pick one. You do what it says.’
Maddy leaned slightly toward Eva and murmured under her breath, ‘I should have stayed in the sauna.’
Eva bit back a laugh. ‘Too late now,’ she whispered.
Mary snatched one. She opened it and burst out laughing. ‘Fantastic.’
‘What is it?’ Hannah asked eagerly.
Mary stood up halfway out of her chair and read it aloud. “Let the group choose a drink for you, and you have to finish it.”
Aria nodded approvingly. ‘A good start.’
A drinking game for the group’s unpredictable drunk? Eva didn’t think that was a good start to anything.
A waiter appeared at the table at that exact moment. Hannah beamed at him. ‘Could we get something fun for her?’ she said, with a nod to Mary.
‘Can you be more specific?’ he asked gracefully. He looked to Mary, who was grinning like a pirate. ‘She means booze,’ Mary said.
He nodded cautiously and retreated.
Eva glanced sideways at Maddy. She had tucked one leg under her chair and was nibbling her last bites at a snail’s pace.
‘Gird your loins,’ Eva murmured.
‘I always do,’ Maddy said.
The waiter returned with a bright pink cocktail in a tall glass.
Eva caught his eye. ‘I’ll take a scotch on the rocks,’ she told him subtly. She wasn’t looking to get smashed, but sobriety, at this point, seemed masochistic.
Mary raised her pink monstrosity triumphantly. ‘To poor decisions.’ She drank half of it in one go.
The table applauded.
‘Who’s next?’ Hannah said evilly. Her eyes swept the table. They landed on Eva just as she was brought her drink. ‘You.’
Eva raised an eyebrow. ‘Already?’
‘New person privilege.’
Mary shoved the cards toward her. ‘Come on.’
Eva picked one without much ceremony. She turned it, reading it. And then she placed it down without saying anything.
For fuck’s sake.
‘What?’ Hannah demanded.
“Say something flirtatious to the person to your left,” Eva repeated.
Mary cackled. Aria smirked. Eva slowly turned her head. To her left sat Maddy. Maddy blinked at her.
‘Umm,’ Maddy said softly.
Mary leaned across the table. ‘This is perfect.’
‘Is it?’ Maddy asked, confused and already flustered.
Eva took a chug of her drink and considered her for a moment. Maddy was going to be spectacularly awkward about this. Which, if Eva were honest, tempted her to say something that would make her blush. After all, the cards had told her to. She was permitted.
‘Alright,’ Eva said, preparing.
Maddy looked up warily.
No, Eva decided. She wasn’t going to make it any worse. For either of their sakes.
Eva cleared her throat, trying to sound casual. ‘Well… you have very… excellent posture,’ she said, the words sounding far more awkward out loud than they had in her head.
Maddy looked relieved. ‘Thanks.’ She turned quickly back to Hannah. ‘Okay, that’s that then.’
Mary groaned dramatically. ‘That wasn’t flirty.’
Aria nodded. ‘You went soft.’
Hannah waved a hand. ‘She tried! Give her a break. She had a tough job.’
Maddy took immediate and obvious offence at that. ‘A tough job?’ she repeated slowly.
‘I just meant… You know! Librarians and everything.’
All three librarians in the room were now pissed. ‘I do beg your pardon,’ Aria said. Mary sniffed. ‘My body count is probably bigger than yours.’
And Eva, on Maddy’s behalf, was also very annoyed. She hadn’t held back because she considered Eva sexless. Quite the opposite.
That was how it happened. Because Eva couldn’t let Hannah get away with her little dig. She had to show her up. That was how the tide turned.
She turned to Maddy and started talking. ‘Hey, I need another go at my dare.’
Maddy’s eyes went wide. ‘Oh, no, you don’t have to…’
But it was already coming out of Eva’s mouth. The truth. ‘I want you to know that I think you’re incredibly hot,’ Eva told her plainly.
Maddy’s lips parted in shock.
‘I mean it,’ Eva said. ‘If you weren’t taken, I’d be very tempted to shoot my shot.’
Maddy’s cheeks flamed instantly. ‘I—I…’