Page 65 of RAKEish

“Yes?”

“Mark has to remain our secret. Queen Mildred made it quite clear she’d banish him to a black cell where he’d never see light again if any hint of a rumor surfaced regarding our love. Please, promise me you’ll tell no one…at least not until he’s released, and we have a path forward.”

“There’s one person I need to tell—”

Rose’s face went white as she shook her head. “It’s not safe. Promise me you won’t.”

Scott’s heart ached so much at the idea of what Rose was asking of him. A heart that couldn’t love, shouldn’t ache. Scott had no doubt Lux was his one. The one he was meant to love.

CHAPTER 21

At ten after nine, Lux stood outside the bustling comedy club, the neon sign casting a colorful glow on the busy street. She’d dressed carefully for the occasion—a pair of Judy Blue Jeans hugging her figure, a crisp white blouse that whispered of fresh starts, and black Chelsea boots, grounding her. Her hair was once again restrained in a ponytail—a symbol of the control she yearned to exert over her chaotic emotions.

Her face, though, told a different story. She hadn’t stripped back to the bare essentials with her makeup. If she was to walk away from Scott, she wanted her departure to signify the confidence with which she chose to leave. Which meant she held her head high and her dignity intact. An image for her brain to replay to her heart when it tried to confuse Lux with thoughts of having walked away from the best thing in her life.

“Where in the hell are you?” she muttered, her phone offering no solace. His multi-hour delayed response to her first text, now coupled with his tardiness, gnawed at her. It would serve him right if she shucked the showbill with the antidote recipe written on it, along with the freshly baked cookies in the trash and left. Then again, giving them to him was more for her than for him. They were her one-way ticket to never having Scott return her love.

With a resolve that belied her turmoil, Lux pushed open the club’s door, bracing herself against the wave of recognition that would follow. In the #TeamDoc vs #TeamPrince drama, she was the current favorite, though the internet’s memes continued to paint a less flattering tale.

Pausing first to square her shoulders and lift her chin—an armor against the scrutiny—she marched toward the bar. Halfway to her destination, she found her path thwarted by a towering drag queen, wearing a tiara that rivaled the club’s neon for brilliance.

She attempted to sidestep, but the patron’s exuberant squeal stopped her.

“Dr. Lux Stone, in the flesh!” With a flamboyant flare, a hand flopped in front of her, sparking memories of the day she’d met Ziggy.

“Umm. Hello,” she stammered.

“Eddy’s the name, but you, doll face, may call me Eddy,” he declared. “He, him.”

Lux, confused by the privilege, nodded her thanks. “It’s nice to meet you, Eddy.”

“The pleasure is mine to wallow in,” Eddy cooed. “Your show lights up my Mondays better than a disco ball at a drag queen bingo night.”

“Thank you.” Lux glanced around. There were both smirks and smiles aimed her direction from the onlookers listening to the exchange.

“You and your sass are all the rage with the Manhattan Knitters,” Eddy said, unperturbed by the attention he drew. “We love to hate on that devilishly charming Scott Landshire.”

“The Manhattan Knitters?” Lux asked, ignoring the mention of Scott.

Eddy turned and pointed to a table in the back corner where three ladies sat, all wearing tiaras that matched Eddy’s. They greeted her with enthusiastic waves that seemed oddly charming amidst the comedy club’s cacophony.

“It’s always a pleasure to meet my listeners,” Lux replied, her words feeling strangely hollow as she waved at the Manhattan Knitters.

“Is he here with you?” Eddy asked, his voice booming with curiosity.

“Who?” she asked.

“The Prince. The Rake. The deliciously handsome man you’re schooling on the finer points of relationships. Just between you and all of Manhattan,” he continued in a conspiratorial whisper, “we’re rooting for you to win the challenge.”

“Oh. You know about that.”

“Honey, it’s all Manhattanites are talking about. Which of you will stay in the limelight. Which of you will go.”

Lux swallowed hard. It would be her who faded away. “We’re hoping it doesn’t come to either of us giving up what we love.” She’d meant to say that to herself but must have said it out loud because Eddy gasped and slapped a hand over his mouth.

“I insist you come sit at our table and spill all the juicy details on the rake,” Eddy ordered. “He’s, like, our favorite character to dissect.”

Feeling a mix of amusement and curiosity, Lux nodded. “I suppose I can join you for a bit while I wait for him.” If Scott didn’t want to be the topic of tonight’s conversation, he should have shown up on time. The least he could have done by now was send her a text.

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