Page 8 of The Player

For tonight only. Tonight, she was in the mood for celebrating, because finally being able to shed her old life felt amazing.

‘Why did you agree to have a drink with me?’ The waitress deposited their drinks and he raised a martini glass in her direction. ‘You seemed to be in your element at that party.’

‘Haven’t you ever faked it?’ She clinked her glass to his. ‘What you see isn’t always what you get.’

He stared at her over the rim of his glass, a slight groove between his brows. ‘I must say, you’re an intriguing woman and I can’t figure you out.’

‘What’s to figure out? We’re two people who wanted to escape that party and now we’re having a drink, end of story.’

‘Is it?’

His gaze locked on hers, potent and smouldering, and her breath hitched.

She took a sip of her martini, needing the alcohol to loosen her tightened vocal cords. ‘You’re expecting an epilogue?’

‘A guy can always live in hope,’ he said, downing his martini and placing the glass on the table in front of them. ‘Honestly? I’ve had a crappy six months, my dad’s business is under threat, and I haven’t met anyone as captivating as you in a long time. So excuse me if I don’t BS you.’

Liza valued honesty. Most people didn’t know the meaning of the word. How many times had friends who’d hung around under the misguidance she’d take them places because of her lifestyle vanished when they learned she had a disabled sister? The stupid morons acted as if cerebral palsy were catchy, and they didn’t hang around to be educated either.

Even Jimmy had been awkward and stilted around Cindy, despite Liza explaining cerebral palsy was a physical disability caused by injury to the brain before birth. Cindy had a milder form, with only the left side of her body affected by the debilitating spasticity that left her hand, elbow, hip, and knee clawed, and some speech problems. She had been lucky in escaping ataxic—or uncontrolled—movements, and athetosis, the writhing movements.

Sure, the spasticity in Cindy’s elbow, wrist, and fingers made daily tasks like eating, dressing, writing, and manipulating objects difficult, but they’d learned to cope best they could. Countless occupational therapy sessions had seen to that, and the ongoing physiotherapy to prevent deforming contractures made Liza eternally grateful for the job she’d had for the last few years.

After tonight, not anymore.

Having Wade clearly articulate what he wanted impressed her. Scared the hell out of her, but definitely impressed.

‘Want to talk about the crappy six months or the business?’

‘Hell no,’ he said, loosening the knot on his tie and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt to reveal a hint of deliciously tempting tanned skin. ‘The only reason I’m in Melbourne is to sort all that stuff out, but considering I arrived this morning it can wait until tomorrow.’

‘Then why show up at the party at all?’

‘Because sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to.’

His frown reappeared and she had a feeling he did a lot of that. He’d been frowning when she’d first seen him on the balcony, deep in thought and incredibly serious. It was what had made her approach him.

Because she used to look like that all the time when she didn’t have her game face on, the one she donned along with her makeup before a public appearance. She’d frowned a lot over the years, worrying about Cindy. About her care long term should anything happen to her, about her sister’s health, about her financial security.

The latter had driven her to go to great lengths. Heck, she’d tolerated posing as Henri Jaillet’s girlfriend for twelve months when most people couldn’t stand to be in the egotistical soccer star’s presence for longer than a few minutes.

But those days were over. She’d invested wisely over the years, and tomorrow, when her investment matured, financial security would give her the peace of mind she needed to get more carer help, leaving her more time to sort out her own future.

Why wait until tomorrow?

The thought wasn’t exactly out of left field. She wouldn’t be sitting here if she hadn’t already contemplated celebrating her newfound freedom tonight.

But how did this work? She couldn’t take Wade home; she’d never expose Cindy to that unless the guy meant something to her. Even Jimmy had hardly visited and she’d known him since high school.

Though that had been more due to Jimmy’s unease around Cindy than not wanting to see her. She hadn’t pushed the issue with him, content to protect Cindy from any vibes she might pick up from Jimmy. But it had hurt, deep down, that her boyfriend wasn’t more open-minded and didn’t care enough about her to accept Cindy as part of the package while they dated.

‘Another drink?’

She shook her head. ‘No thanks. After the champers I had upstairs, any more alcohol and who knows what I’ll do?’

‘In that case, maybe I should insist you try every martini mixer on the menu?’

She smiled, glad his frown had disappeared, but a little intimidated by his stare, a probing stare that hinted there was intention behind his teasing quips.

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