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Connor follows behind hands in his pocket.

“Well, hello, you two.” Mary tilts her head, eyeing us. “What have you been up to all alone in here?”

Elijah’s gray eyes never leave mine. “We were discussing Gemma’s new fashion brand and my investment in it.”

What? My eyes widen. How did he find out about it?

“Bash mentioned her designs to me, and I wanted to take this chance to get to know her better.” My stomach flips. A few seconds ago, his fingers were literally inside me.

“An investment, huh? How generous of you,” Mary says.

I glance at her. She clearly doesn’t buy it. Why should she?

“Indeed, I really like what I’ve seen so far. It would be a good fit for our fashion label.” Elijah places his hand on my back.

Lil elbows Mary. “That’s good, right? Gemma’s amazing at what she does.”

“Yeah, congrats!” Mary says.

“I have no doubt. I look forward to discussing the details.” Elijah turns to me. “I’ll message you.”

A part of me yearns to believe in Elijah’s sincerity, while another warns me not to let my guard down. Elijah is engaged, and I’m still wounded from my failed marriage. Getting involved would only end in heartbreak.

“Sure,” I manage to choke out, my fingers fidgeting with the slit of my dress.

He leans in. “And this time, don’t ignore it.”

I have to clench my hands at my sides to avoid reaching for him. To pull him close and—

He steps back and gives a polite nod to Mary and Lil before following Connor out of the room. What is Elijah doing to me?

“Are you going to tell us what’s really happened in here?” Mary asks.

“There’s nothing to tell.” I shrug. “We… talked.”

“Talked. Admit you want him.” Lil points at me.

“It’s not that simple.” I sigh, raking a hand through my hair. “He is engaged, remember? Although he said it’s fake, I don’t know. And now he wants to invest in me?”

“It’s fake? Good news, right?” Mary nudges me. “You deserve to find happiness again. And if Elijah is the one to help you rediscover that part of yourself, then you owe it to yourself to see where this leads.”

“I know you mean well. But what if it is a game to him?”

Mary exchanges a glance with Lil. “So, why don’t you two keep it casual? No strings attached. He could be your rebound.”

“Yeah…” My gaze drifts down. Maybe it’s not a bad idea? The more I think about it, the more appealing it sounds. Could it be that simple? After what happened with Oliver, it could be better to live my single life to the fullest.

Lifting my head, I notice Lil’s dress has a large wet spot down the front. “Lil, what happened to your dress?”

She glances down and chuckles. “Oh yeah, total klutz move. I was trying to grab another glass of champagne from a passing waiter and ended up like this.”

Mary clicks her tongue. “Champagne is so sticky, too.”

“Tell me about it.” Lil picks at the wet fabric. “I tried to clean it up in the bathroom… but no luck.”

“Let’s get home then,” I say.

The next day I wake with a throbbing head. After a few moments, the ache dulls to a bearable level. I sit up on the edge of my bed and rub the sleep from my eyes, recalling the events of last night. The charity gala. Elijah.

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