Page 7 of King of Deception

“You should be a professional. That’s all I’m saying.” She smacked her lips. “Why am I even giving you advice?”

“Because you’re thankful. Yet for some reason, you just won’t say ‘thank you’ to me.”

Tilting her head, she fixed her gaze on my face for a moment. “Thank you. I’m sorry. Now, would you point me to the bathroom? I must look like shit.”

“It’s that way,” I pointed with a slight smirk.

What I really wanted to say was that she looked phenomenal.

three

The Longest Wedding in the World

Ella Rose

The bathroom was nothing short of a hotel establishment, with three stalls and center sink islands surrounded by mirrors on all four walls. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I was grateful that the place was empty.

Leaning over the sink, I put my hands under the faucet, and the warm water automatically ran over my skin. It felt nice, although I knew I couldn’t wash my face. An hour’s worth of makeup-prep would be a complete mess if I did. Instead, I grabbed a towel and ran its tip under the water before gently patting it under my eyes. Black mascara stained the white fabric.

“Great,” I strained from between my teeth before dipping my fingers in my clutch, searching for my tube of concealer.

The door flailed open, and three women walked in, each of them looking more glamorous than the other in their four-figure heels and even more expensive dresses.

“I’m telling you, Sasha saw him here,” one of them giggled. “Said he was talking to a woman, though.”

“It must be his sister. Someone said they came in together,” another answered as they all glanced at me and turned away, taking their spots in front of the wall-length mirrors.

“Well, if neither of you wants him, I’ll make a move,” the third shrugged as she suggestively flipped her hair.

“Knock yourself out,” the first smirked. “They say he doesn’t do casual anymore.”

“Who said anything about casual?” the third one raised an eyebrow. “He’s worth billions. I’d follow him to the moon if I had to.”

“Forget the billions,” the second one chuckled, adjusting her earring. “The man is a God!”

“Oh, those eyes,” the first dreamily crooned.

“And that skin! I’d spread him on a cracker!”

They all giggled while I was nearly done fixing the concealer under my eyes, almost returning everything to its presentable state. Suddenly, my stomach turned, reminding me of how much I had to drink. So, I quickly leaned over and cupped my hands, drinking as much water as I could from the faucet.

The three women turned to me and stared, frozen in place.

“What?” I wiped my mouth. “Look around you. This is probably cleaner than bottled water.”

They scoffed and jeered, pushing each other toward the door as if to get away from a leper. When the door slammed shut behind them, I heard them laugh loudly before their voices faded.

Drawing a deep breath, I fished the lipstick out of my clutch and applied some, rubbing my lips together before exhaling slowly. The wedding wasn’t over yet—in fact, it felt like it was going on forever—so I still had a chance to fix what Jude had so expertly damaged.

As I stepped outside, I was relieved to learn that Jude wasn’t anywhere to be seen. They must have really gotten him out of the mansion. Walking back toward the venue, I saw the waiter from before coming toward me. I pressed my lips together, unable to believe my luck.

“Are you alright?” he smiled, handing me a glass of water.

I stared at it for a second, perplexed. “Don’t you have to be making rounds or something?”

“Please drink this. I have plenty of experience with—”

“Well, I’m not a drunken damsel in distress,” I clicked my tongue. “So… thanks.”

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