Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 89645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
She smiles wider, and I realize I’ve been studying her too closely.
I look away.
“You can call me Tori. All my friends do.”
I realize I haven’t contributed much to the conversation yet, so I turn back to her. “Did you grow up here in Newport?”
She shrugs, reaching for her champagne glass. “Here and there. My family spent the summers here and the winters in the Caribbean. My boarding school was in Connecticut and my father lived mainly in Tokyo, for business, so I’d visit him there every so often as well. What about you?”
I close my mouth, which dropped open midway through her answer. “I grew up in Providence mainly.”
“So then you aren’t far from home.”
“No, not at all.”
Silence fills the gap between us and then she leans in close. “I feel like I should tell you that Cornelia has told me a bit about you.” I jerk my attention back to her in alarm, and she holds her hand out to touch my shoulder. “Nothing too personal, just that you might have had a difficult time recently, and well, I just wanted to say I can be a good friend. I’m told I’m a good listener.”
I have no reply to this, mostly because it’s not what I was expecting her to say.
This woman with her gentle features and luxurious upbringing has every right to be a snooty asshole, and yet she’s offering me friendship. Our eyes meet, and I see something complicated lurking behind the surface. Something…sad, I think. Her eyes seem to implore me to take her up on her offer.
“I’d really like that.”
She grins. “Good. Do you play tennis?”
“Not at all.”
“I’m not so good. My mother didn’t want me playing as a child because she was worried it would interfere with my posture. I have no idea where she got that notion, but now I’m taking lessons at the club, and you could join me if you’d like. This Tuesday?”
I look to Cornelia for permission, and she simply nods, obviously approving.
I grin. “It’s a date.”
Tori and I sit there talking while more guests are introduced at the entrance of the ballroom. The volume increases and bodies press in. Eventually, the quartet starts playing louder, and the dancing begins. I watch from the sidelines, smiling as couples sweep across the dance floor, arm in arm, waltzing to some of my favorite pieces of music.
I hear Cornelia ask Tori if she’s heard from Nicholas, and I wonder if Tori has a boyfriend and if I’ll get to meet him tonight. Suddenly, I’m hungry to know more people in this world, to find out if they’re all as nice as Tori.
My wish is granted a few minutes later when a guy about my age comes over to our table to introduce himself to me with a slight bow, and I’m immediately struck by how handsome he is. Barrett Knox has expertly styled light brown hair and a tailored black tuxedo that accentuates his broad shoulders. Underneath his mask, he has a charming cleft in the center of his chin and a winning smile he aims at me as we’re introduced.
“It’s good to see a new face in Newport,” he says, holding my gaze.
“Barrett is actually my cousin,” Tori tells me, leaning in as she throws him a cheeky grin. “He’s a few years younger than me and my friends, and he always hated that we didn’t include him in our games when we were growing up.”
He presses a hand to his heart as if the wound still stings.
“Do we have to dredge up the past?”
“How old are you, Maren?” Tori continues, ignoring him.
“Twenty-three.”
She beams. “There, Barrett—now you finally have someone to play with who’s your same age.”
The look in his eyes makes me think he would enjoy playing with me, though not as children do.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he says before excusing himself to make the rounds.
I sag in my chair as he walks away, buzzing from the encounter.
“I’d be careful where he’s concerned,” Tori says, following my gaze.
“Why?”
She laughs. “Because Barrett only loves Barrett. Sure, he might look pretty on the outside, but I gave up hope a long time ago that he knows what it means to be decent.”
He seemed nice enough to me, but then what do I know?
“I’ll try to keep my distance,” I tell her, though I’m not sure the promise will be kept. It’s been so long since I’ve been interested in a guy, even longer since anything actually came from it. My life hasn’t allowed for much romance in between work and bus routes, overdue bills and worry for my future.
I stand to excuse myself so I can go get another glass of champagne, and I take my time strolling around the perimeter of the party. I have the advantage since I know so few people here. I slip by groups undetected in the crowd and can observe everyone from a distance. Jewels sparkle. Champagne fizzes. Dresses swirl in heaps of fabric on the dance floor and I stand apart from it all, sipping a glass of champagne near the doors that lead out to the back terrace and the gardens beyond.