Page 27 of The Perfect Mistake

What do normal people do?

What should I do now?

“You look deep in thought,” a voice says. It belongs to a man who came up to stand beside me. Tall, dark-blond, and with a smirk on his lips that suggests he sees amusement all around him. “Making guesses on how long the happy couple will last?”

My eyes widen. “Oh. Well... no. I think they have great odds.”

He smiles. “You’re a real friend, then. Connie’s?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Gabriel’s friend.” He extends a hand. “Evan.”

“Isabel,” I say, and we shake hands. “Are a lot of people making bets, then?”

“I’ve heard a few,” he says. “You have to admit, the two of them getting married was one of the big surprises of the year. People are curious.”

“Those same people probably don’t know them all that well,” I say.

He laughs. “True. It took less than ten minutes after meeting Connie for me to be certain that this is a real thing. Gabriel would rather chop off his arm than lose her.”

That makes me smile. “I’ve gotten that impression, too. How do you know Gabriel?”

Turns out they’ve known each other for years, even though their friendship is now mainly long-distance. Evan is jokey, open, and warm. It doesn’t take much time before I’m enjoying myself.

Maybe this is what normal people do. They go to parties. They drink one or two glasses of champagne, and they don’t worry about having to get up at the crack of dawn to train.

They flirt. They talk. They make new friends and actually have time to spend with them.

“So,” Evan says, leaning against the bar. “Do you have a date wandering around somewhere?”

A shiver runs down my back. I guess we are flirting. It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything remotely like it. “No,” I say. “Flying solo. How about you?”

Evan nods, his eyes crinkling with a smile. “I’m alone, too. Terribly, shamefully alone.”

I chuckle. “Good thing—”

A shadow falls over us. Alec has joined us, his shoulders blocking out the light from the chandelier, and his eyes move from me to Evan. He gives Evan a brief nod before returning his attention to me.

Holding out his large hand, he says, “Dance with me.”

And I slide my hand into his.

Isabel

Alec’s hand grips mine tight, and I give Evan a small smile before I’m swept out to the dance floor. Warmth radiates from Alec’s touch as his left hand lands on my waist. I don’t think we’ve ever done more than shake hands before.

His voice is hoarse. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Yes, I am.”

He seems tense, and while he leads me well, there’s no fluidity. I glance up to see the sharp line of his jaw clenched tight.

Has something happened?

In tune with the music, we dance in silence for another few seconds.

“Are you?” I ask. “Enjoying yourself?”

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