Page 23 of The Favorites
He stood back with his hands in his pockets while I loaded up a plate with enough for both of us. To anyone else, his expression looked blank, but I knew him well enough to pick up on the disgust in his eyes.
Wealth like the kind the Lins had seemed incomprehensible to me, so I could only imagine how appalling it was to someone with Heath’s background. That enormous house for only three residents, more money than plenty of people made in a year blown on a single party, piles of gourmet food that would probably be tossed in a dumpster at the end of the evening.
Still, we were guests. There was no need to be rude.
“Hey.” I set the plate down and took Heath’s face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. “Don’t be like this.”
“Like what?”
“Cranky.” I kissed him. His mouth stayed stiff and unyielding. “Broody.”
“You knew I didn’t want to come here, Katarina.”
I dropped my hands. “Then you shouldn’t have come. No one forced you.”
I was no longer sure whether we were talking about the party, or about Los Angeles in general. Either way, I’d had about enough of his bad attitude.
Garrett reappeared with a crimson drink in a sugared-rim cocktail glass. “Virgin daiquiri for the lady.” He produced a small bottle from his jacket pocket and held it out to Heath. “And I grabbed you a water, just in case. Hope sparkling’s okay.”
For a moment, I felt sure Heath was going to dash the bottle against the floor. Instead, he took it with a toothy, sarcastic grin. I’d never seen him look that way at anyone but my brother.
“Sparkling is splendid, thank youeverso much.”
Garrett’s friendly smile faltered. “Well, uh, let me know if I can get you anything else.”
As soon as Garrett was out of earshot, I dug my nails into Heath’s wrist. “What’s thematterwith you?”
“What’s the matter withyou? The Katarina I know would be making fun of all these stuck-up assholes, not sucking up to them.”
“You’re the one who’s being an asshole right now, not Garrett. He can’t help his upbringing any more than you can help yours.”
I knew that would hit a nerve, and I said it anyway. Heath wrenched out of my grip and slammed his sparkling water down on the nearest table.
“Heath.”
He turned, the heels of his sneakers squeaking against the polished floor, and stalked out into the yard.
“Heath.”
I’d raised my voice loud enough that two women—actresses I vaguely recognized from a prime-time drama—turned to stare at me. I dipped my head toward my drink to hide the flush spreading across my face.
“Where’s he off to in such a hurry?”
Ellis Dean sidled up, holding his own cocktail. Heath was so far away now he looked like a smudge against the sky. I wasn’t sure whether he was going to cool off and come back, or leave the party—and I told myself I didn’t give a damn either way. He could walk back to the Grange for all I cared.
“He’s…not feeling well,” I told Ellis.
“Sure.” Ellis held out his elbow. “Shall we mingle?”
I linked my arm through his, and for the next hour, we made therounds together. Ellis was fearless in a crowd the way I was on the ice. As he insinuated himself into conversations with famous strangers, I watched and learned—and clutched my drink close, terrified I might spill sticky red slush all over Sheila Lin’s immaculate decor.
Around sunset, I finally spotted her—and Bella. They stood side by side on the patio, backlit with burnished light. Sheila wore a white gown with an intricately twisted Grecian goddess neckline, while Bella’s dress was pale blue with delicate white embroidery, in a similar bias-cut slip style to the one I’d borrowed from Arielle. On her, though, the fabric skimmed over her body instead of clinging. She and her mother looked so alike. Not only their features, but their gestures, their posture, their practiced smiles.
I thought about nudging Ellis in that direction—approaching Sheila seemed less nerve-wracking with him as a conversational wingman—but the Lin women were already occupied, talking to an older lady with tightly coiled red hair.
“Who’s that?” I asked. She looked familiar, but I couldn’t place her.
“Jane Currer,” Ellis said.
