Chapter 20
PHOEBE
The music is loud. Lights flash furiously all over the dance club in violent shades of purple, pink, and yellow. There was a time when I would’ve welcomed the noise and the throbbing base line, having downed several lime and tequila shots by now. But tonight, I’m not really feeling it.
“This is supposed to be our girl’s night,” Penny says. “You’re still moping.”
“I’m sorry,” I reply, briefly glancing down at my full glass.
We ordered champagne, but I haven’t touched it yet.
For the past few days, the mere scent of alcohol has repeatedly turned my stomach inside out.
Which is ironic, because I’ve been rummaging through the pantry at night a lot more than usual.
It reminds me of all the times I was miserable, living at home with Mom and Crystal.
“It’s okay. At least you came out,” Penny laughs and takes a sip of her champagne. “And you look gorgeous, by the way.”
“Oh, thank you,” I smile and glance down at my upside-down tulip dress. It’s simple and black, but it shimmers beautifully under the club’s dynamic lighting. “I feel bloated, though.”
Penny gives me a playful wink. “Your appetite has gone up.”
“I’m getting bigger, aren’t I?”
“It’s not a tragedy,” she rushes to reassure me. “Babe, you’re going through some things. You’re not made of stone. We all have our coping mechanisms.”
I lower my gaze, feeling rather ashamed. Penny quickly realizes where my thoughts are and puts her arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.
“Phoebe, you are and will always be beautiful, no matter your size or weight. The most important thing is that you are happy in your own skin.” She squeezes my shoulder. “Speaking of being happy, have you called the guys yet?”
“No.”
“Why the hell not? They’ve been giving you the space you asked for. They deserve at least a phone call from you. Come on.”
“I know. But it’s like with each passing day, I grow more and more avoidant. I think you’d call it self-sabotage.”
“It is self-sabotage.”
“Well, maybe I don’t deserve them. I panicked last week. I turned against Theo, and I shut the three of them out without giving them a chance to explain anything.”
“And then you asked for a little bit of time to work through your feelings. Which is what you’ve been doing, right?”
I glance around, recognizing some of the club’s patrons. Familiar faces I’ve seen at other bars and events over the years. Rich kids. Hamptons royalty. Mostly harmless but with plenty of cash to waste in places like this.
There was a time when I would’ve given anything to feel included in their cliques. Not anymore. I’m no longer drawn to this kind of lifestyle. Not that it ever really stuck to me in the first place.
“Yes,” I tell Penny. “But now it feels like it’s too late to salvage anything from my relationship with them. Maybe it’s been too long.”
“No way. Phoebe, they’re waiting for a sign from you. They’ll never give up on you. Get that through your thick, beautiful head.”
I can’t help but smile as I look at her. “You think so?”
“Honey, they’re smitten and… hold on,” she pauses, frowning as she looks somewhere behind me. “Hold that thought. Fucking finally.”
“What is it?”
I follow her gaze, but I don’t see the center point of her sudden interest. There’s a big crowd by the main bar, and it’s hard to make out the details of anyone hanging around that area, especially with so many folks dancing all over.
“Penny?” I ask.
“One moment,” she replies, her gaze still fixed on that single, distant point. “Son of a bitch. I knew it.”
“Knew what? You’re killing me here!”
“Okay, confession time,” Penny says, but she still won’t look at me. “I wanted to take you out tonight but not to get you drunk. I’ve been following a pattern with the guys, and we were pretty sure I’d see her here tonight.”
“Wait, you’ve been talking to them?” I ask sharply.
She nods. “Almost every day, yeah. We’re this close to getting to the bottom of that lingerie store nonsense.
I think Dominic and August are grilling the paparazzi as we speak.
There was a movie premiere at a private theater in Manhattan, and the photographer was supposed to be there. They couldn’t miss their shot so—”
“Penny, slow down. I’m way behind here.”
She gives me a long, thoughtful look. Slowly, a devilish smile stretches across her face, specks of glitter shimmering on her cheeks. “Look at the cocktail bar. The section on the far end, to the right. Next to the small Red Bull fridge.”
I do as I’m told, finding the energy drink fridge after a careful scan of the area. I watch as the bartenders dash from one side to the other while serving cocktails. I see patrons gathering and waving at them. Some look a little too young to be in here, while others—
“Oh, shit,”
I see her. Georgina. Her slim figure barely fills out the electric blue dress she’s wearing, held up by two metallic straps. Her tanned legs seem to go on for days. Her hair is slicked back into a ponytail, not a single strand out of place. She’s got an arm around a tall man in a pricey suit.
“What the hell is she doing here?” I ask Penny.
Penny’s smile widens. “I know, right?”
“Is that why you wanted to come to this place? Because Georgina would be here?”
“With her next victim, no less.”
“Victim?” I ask, confused, then pause to check out the guy again. He’s good looking. Dark-skinned, curly black hair, big brown eyes, and a carefully trimmed goatee. He doesn’t look like he’s from around here, I soon realize. “Who is he?”
Penny shrugs. “I forgot his name. Theo would know. He’s a friend of his.”
“Wait, what?”
“It’s a honey trap,” she informs me with a laugh.
“The guy’s a wealthy businessman from Dubai.
No, scratch that, wealthy doesn’t even begin to cover it.
He’s filthy rich. He’s got a summer place in the Hamptons, right next door to Theo’s.
They’ve been buddies for years, but the dude never met Georgina until earlier this week. ”
I give her a startled look. “Penny, what is going on here? What do you mean, a ‘honey trap?’”
“Little slow on the uptake there. But I’ll forgive you, because you’re a kind-hearted woman with a pure soul, and you’d never partake in such dirty games. However, your boyfriends and I most definitely did, and it looks like Georgina caught the bait with great enthusiasm.”
I glance at the bar again. Georgina is smiling and giggling, caressing his arm.
Leaning in. Whispering in his ear. And he seems to enjoy it.
He’s smiling back. Whispering words of his own in her ear.
He lingers for a second longer to breathe her in, and she loves it, her eyes sparkling like diamonds.
“It dawned on me that I haven’t seen Georgina on a runway in over a year.
She brags about being a designer’s darling, but I checked.
She’s been out of work for a while,” Penny says.
“So, the guys and I had her followed, and we noticed a pattern. We weren’t sure at first, but now we are.
And Theo’s buddy will probably confirm before midnight. ”
“Confirm what?”
“Georgina hooks rich guys with her beauty, her supposed fame, and her charm. Whatever works. They meet for drinks, they hang out, they get close—and then she pulls them into some kind of compromising situation—because none of these guys should be seen in public with her. They’re all married.”
“Including Dubai guy?”
“Especially Dubai guy. He could lose his entire business. His reputation would be crushed if word were to get out about this affair.”
A flash catches my eye. It’s subtle, barely noticeable in the middle of the club madness, but I still spot it. I trace it back to a man with a camera snapping countless photos from across the bar. He’s trying to be discreet about it, at least until the bartender sees him and shoos him away.
“So, Georgina seduces married guys,” I conclude.
“Or otherwise engaged, yes. She gets them drunk or high or both, and then she gets close enough for her paparazzi buddies to snap some compromising images,” Penny replies.
“And then blackmails them.”
“For tons of money. There are rumors that the bribes they’re paying are considered monthly subscriptions meant to preserve discretion, or so that’s what Georgina likes to call it, anyway.”
“Holy cow. And the Dubai guy is aware?”
“Oh, yeah. This whole thing will blow up in her face soon enough. Trust me.”
My stomach churns, nausea working its way up to my throat.
My whole life, I saw Georgina as some kind of untouchable beauty standard.
The goddess all the boys ran to. It didn’t excuse her mean character, but I figured she got away with it because she’s pretty.
Seeing her now, however, I realize just how ugly she is on the inside, and it saturates to the outside.
“She pulled the same stunt with Theo, didn’t she?” I ask Penny.
“Absolutely. We’re this close to proving it, too. That’s why Theo’s buddy is doing this tonight, setting a trap for the photographer. It’s the same guy who took the photos at the lingerie store. He and Georgina are in cahoots.”
“Oh, God, I think I’m going to be sick. The way I reacted was—”
“Hey, you had every reason to feel the way you did,” Penny interrupts. “You didn’t know. And trust me, none of the guys are going to hold it against you.”
“I should’ve known better.”
Penny gives me a sour smile. “You did know better. You were just overwhelmed by everything else going on in your life right now. It’ll be okay, I promise.”
Still, I feel awful.
Theo tried to explain. Dominic and August tried to talk to me, too, but I pushed them all away because I got scared.
I got scared thinking about what our relationship could cost me in the long run.
My trust fund, my company shares, my family, my so-called reputation as a Baldwin.
But none of that matters if I don’t have Theo, Dominic, and August in my life.
None of it.
“By the way, we also figured out who sent you those threatening text messages, including the one before you boarded your flight to Hawaii,” Penny says, pulling me out of my self-loathing session.
“You did?”
“The ‘this isn’t over’ message. It was Georgina.”
No. My jaw drops. I stare at Penny, then at Georgina, who’s still busy charming her Dubai prince. I’m tempted to walk over there and give her a piece of my mind.
“Yes. It’s connected to a social media account she’s been using to tweet and comment for the sole purpose of bashing your name,” Penny explains. “It took some promised favors to a local cybercrime cop for the details, but we’re certain it came from Georgina’s burner phone.”
“I don’t understand. Why does she hate me so much?”
“She doesn’t hate you, honey, she hates herself. She’s taking it out on you because she’s miserable in her own life. Therefore, she’s trying to destroy yours. Also, it’s a concentrated effort to support Crystal and your mom, too, so it’s a conspiracy through and through.”
I shake my head slowly, a sadness settling in. All I ever wanted was for my family to love and accept me. Yet here they are, going to extreme measures to try and destroy me, to make me miserable and helpless.
We may not be able to choose the family we’re born into, but I can certainly choose the family I decide to spend the rest of my days with.