Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Lila
Thank God for Maddie Moskowitz.
On Friday, I brought my gowns—for the gala and the performance—and hair and makeup supplies to the ice complex in the morning.
I spent all day running around, finalizing the last-minute details with the crew, the caterers, and the youth league.
I had to work closely with Maddie, and throughout the day, she’d peer at me and go, “You sure you’re okay, hon?
” and I’d tell her yes, and then another emergency would distract us.
But by five, I knew I had to start getting ready. I sat in my office, curling my hair and trying to use heavy foundation to cover how red my eyes were and knew that no, I did not look okay at all.
My stomach was too knotted to eat anything—although I most certainly needed to, considering how little I’d managed to eat for lunch under Maddie’s watchful eye.
My chest ached like I’d been hit in the solar plexus, and I found it about that easy to breathe, too. But that old adage the show must go on was running through my head, so I kept trying to inhale without shaking, and concentrated on not screwing up my eyeliner.
Stupid eyeliner.
Even on my best days, I tended to look like a lopsided racoon.
Tonight I looked like a lopsided racoon who’d spent the night bawling her eyes out, which was basically what I was.
I should be home with pizza and a pint of ice cream, not here plastering on a smile and telling myself the show must go on because, really? Did it?
That’s what I was struggling with as I pressed on the fake lashes. Here I was, putting on my skating makeup, prepared to go out there and hope the lights didn’t wash me out in my pretty princess dress which now just made me look pink…and I wasn’t even sure if I should be bothering.
Our skating routine, the one we’d been building for the last few weeks, the one Joshua had helped to choreograph, was all about Kardok and me, and our worlds meshing.
We’d spent weeks doing that, on and off the ice…
and now we were being told we couldn’t. The Orc Hockey League had made it clear that he belonged in his world, and I belonged in mine, and if we kept trying to mesh, we’d be endangering the team and my father’s contracts.
“Knock-knock!”
I recognized Maddie’s cheerful tone, so I called out, “I’m in the restroom.”
“Are you decent?”
Was I? I straightened and studied myself in the mirror.
For tonight’s gala, I’d chosen a cocktail-length gown with black glitter and turquoise gems. The collar was high—a pattern of turquoise made it look like I was wearing a heavy necklace—and supported my bust, so I didn’t have to worry about straps…
but the cross-your-heart bra was a bit of a pain.
My blonde curls were arranged just-so around my shoulders, and I wore a pair of simple diamond studs Daddy had given me on my twenty-fifth birthday.
“Yes,” I finally decided. “As decent as I can be.”
Maddie poked her head through the door and gasped. “Oh, Lila, you look—” Whatever she’d been about to say dissolved when her eyes met mine in the mirror. “You are not okay.”
I smiled ruefully. “No, I’m not.”
“Well, you look magnificent.”
When she stepped into the room and linked her arm through mine, I glanced down at her simple and elegant pantsuit. “So do you. We’re both wearing Teal Terrors’ colors.”
“Of course.” She squeezed my arm. “I’m so sorry I haven’t had time to pin you down and ask what the heck is going on, so you’re going to have to tell me now. Come on, we have to get down to the banquet space to be ready to greet the early arrivals.”
I should have known Maddie’s energy wouldn’t let me be.
With her hold on me, she steered me through the social niceties, asking me questions under her breath in between greetings, until she had the full story.
She had an uncanny ability to know when I was going to break, and she’d take a deep breath and call out someone’s name in a cheerful voice, dragging me along to give air-kisses and polite niceties, forcing me to get my emotions under control.
And then, once they were gone, she’d grill me some more.
The gala was well underway by the time Maddie was satisfied. Well, actually, she was completely pissed off at the League, just as I was, and that was comforting.
“Why didn’t you tell your father about this?” she finally murmured, even as she faked a smile and waved to a donor across the room.
My shoulders slumped. “I will. I was just thinking that I had to get through tonight first.”
“He’ll help you sort it out,” Maddie said firmly. “What did Kardok say? I don’t see him here.”
No, and most of his teammates were mingling already, huge orcs dressed in huge tuxedos. My nerves were shot from keeping my senses on alert for him, but he hadn’t arrived.
“No, I think…” A tug came from somewhere beneath me. “I think he’s in the locker rooms. Maybe he’s getting dressed.”
Maddie sent me a look I couldn’t read, perhaps based on the fact I just located my ex-boyfriend without seeing him. “Dressed for the skating. He is skating with you, right?”
Don’t cry, don’t cry. “I don’t know,” I whispered. “I don’t know anything anymore.”
My friend’s smile seemed more fixed than sincere, and she slid her arm through mine again, squeezing it tightly against her side. Nothing to see here. Just two ladies, thrilled to be here, smiling at everyone.
From the side of her mouth, Maddie hissed, “Lila, all these people have spent a ridiculous amount to see you skate. I mean, the exhibition game and the youth ice dancing will be nice, but you’re why they’re here.”
“Kardok is the reason they’re here,” I corrected dully. They likely all wanted to see him make a fool of himself, and that thought made me scowl.
“They’re here to watch you skate together.” Maddie exhaled. “You have to, Lila.”
“Skating is so emotional, there’s so much joy in it.” I shook my head and squeezed her arm. “How can I skate if I’m feeling this anger and hopelessness?”
“Put it into the routine, how should I know?” When she peeked up at me, there was a mischievous glint in Maddie’s eye. “I’m not a skater. Can’t you skate angrily?”
“Actually…” I murmured, eyeing the couple strolling our way. “I’m about to get a good reason.”
“Oh, Mr. Albright!” Maddie’s cheerful greeting sounded fake to my ears, as she slid her arm from mine to welcome the newcomer. “And you must be Miss Cole?”
Yes, indeed.
The dark-haired, elegant young woman clinging to the arm of the gentleman old enough to be her father was Kristin Cole, one of my rivals for many years. She’d continued her ice skating career, and the last I’d heard, had made the national team for the next worldwide competition.
“Lila, darling!” she announced, grinning as she reached for my hands. “You’re looking positively peaked. Do you miss skating so much?”
I returned her air kisses and matched her false smile, which looked more like the threat from the viper in the Terrors’ logo than a real grin.
It was Maddie who saved me from having to figure out how to reply to that. “Lila is still skating magnificently, of course. She’ll dazzle us tonight.”
Kristin hummed noncommittedly, one elegant eyebrow twitching, before Maddie could move the introductions along.
“Lila, this is Matthew Albright, one of the Vice Presidents of the Orc Hockey League. Matthew, Lila Fairbanks, our celebrity skater.”
I had just enough time to watch Kristin’s expression darken with jealousy, because Mr. Albright shook my hand stiffly. “Yes, our HR department sent me a memo recently with your name on it.”
No doubt about the personal relationship that was putting the Terrors’ franchise at risk.
Kristin immediately hummed and shifted her hold on the vice president’s arm. “Oh yes, I was so sorry to hear about your breakup,” she cooed. “No wonder you look so miserable.”
Bitch.
Her smile was falsely sweet. “Orcs don’t belong in our circles anyhow, Lila. It’s bad enough we have to share a world with them; we shouldn’t have to share the ice with them. Or our galas or clubs or performances.”
And just like that, I realized that she was a racist—or speciesist, or whatever it was called. And you know what? That made it so much easier to dismiss her hurtful claims and the way she was deliberately insulting me.
Beside me, Maddie had stiffened, likely to point out that there were plenty of orcs in this room right now, schmoozing the hell out of guests. But Mr. Albright cleared his throat, drawing my attention.
“Is she correct, Ms. Fairbanks?” His tone was completely bland, as if the answer didn’t matter to him. “Has your personal relationship with a member of the Teal Terrors been concluded?”
I felt my blood drain from my face, which shouldn’t be possible. Concluded. There was that word again. I opened my mouth to answer, but didn’t know what to say, which is why I was so grateful for Maddie yet again.
“Matthew, that’s not really any of your business,” she announced sharply.
“On the contrary, rule breaking is very much the business of the OHL, Ms. Moskowitz.” On his arm, Kristin smirked as the vice president continued, as mild as if we were discussing the weather.
“This isn’t a pleasant task, but we have to ensure that everyone in the league follows the same rules. We cannot offer special treatment.”
“We’re not asking for special treatment,” Maddie began, but the man spoke over her.
“The rules are in place for a reason. If the practice facility isn’t owned by the team or person working for the team, then there can be no hint of preferential treatment.”
He nodded once to me and Maddie, then glanced down at Kristin—him still looking completely unimpressed by everything, while she was beaming as if my pain was delightful.
“Come along, my dear. I can see the exhibition is about to begin. We should find our seats.”
As they turned to leave, I felt my knees give out, and then Maddie was there, arm wrapped around my waist to keep me upright.
“Asshole,” she muttered. “I never did like him.”