Page 42 of Pity Present

It’s clear by just glancing around that the machinations have already begun. Excitement hovers in the atmosphere like a cloud of mustard gas. Comparing these events to an act of war might be a bit extreme, but after this afternoon, there’s a real feeling of do or die in the air.

Krista spots me almost immediately and hurries to my side. “Blake, you look very handsome!” She boldly leans forward and kisses me somewhere between the cheek and the mouth.

“Krista, how are you?” I step back, ostensibly to admire her dress, but I really just want some space.

“Good, now that you’re here,” she purrs.

I try to remember at what point she became so forward. I think it might have been when Kyle’s companion said she thought she knew me from somewhere. At any rate, Krista changed, and not for the better.

“Have you seen Thor?” I ask her.

“I haven’t looked for him. I was waiting for you.”

“Why don’t we look for him together,” I suggest.Maybe Krista will think I’m interested in Thor and back off.

As we walk around the ballroom, I nod to several people I’ve already met. Kyle is talking to a new woman, Olivia and Ronald are cozying up together, but Thor is nowhere to be found. A weird hush momentarily takes over the room, and then I hear Krista say, “Is that Molly?”

Turning around, I follow the gaze of the masses and nearly swallow my tongue. What in the world happened to her? Molly looks like another woman entirely. Not that she wasn’t beautiful before, because she most definitely was, but this version of her is positively mind blowing.

I feel a pull toward her like we’re opposite sides of a magnet and the only scientific possibility is for us to come together. Krista follows closely beside me. When we reach Molly, Krista says, “What have you done?”

Molly inexplicably asks, “Is it horrible?”

“Not at all!” Krista seems disappointed when she says, “You look stunning!”

Molly’s shoulders relax slightly. “I got my hair done this afternoon.”

And while it’s clear her hair looks great, it’s the dress that’s caught my eye. Or the lack of dress if you’re looking at it from behind. There’s so much bare skin I can count the vertebrae on Molly’s back.

“That dress is to die for,” Krista tells her, sounding sincere.

Molly glances at me briefly before leaning in and whisperingsomething in Krista’s ear. Krista’s eyes widen before she says, “That takes guts.”

Inserting myself into the conversation, I announce, “You look very nice, Molly.” I sound like I’m complimenting her yard maintenance or something equally mundane.

She offers a pained smile in return. Then we all stand there like we have no idea what to say next. Luckily, that’s when Thor finds us. He’s with two new women.Boy, this guy really gets around.He says, “I’d like you all to meet Brooklyn and Emily.”

I shake their hands before introducing Krista and Molly. Meanwhile, Thor nods his head at Molly in a friendly manner and tells her, “I like your dress.” He doesn’t appear to be nearly as dazzled as I am.

Molly barely makes eye contact with him while mumbling, “Thank you.”

The air between them is weird. It makes me wonder if things didn’t go well for them after Krista and I left. Turning to Thor, I ask, “What did you do this afternoon?”

“I worked out in the gym and then went for a long walk.”

“Alone?”

Emily, one of the women he brought over, announces, “I went with him. We met at the gym.” I can’t for the life of me figure out why he and Molly didn’t spend more time together, but I clearly can’t ask him here.

Before things get weirder, Trina taps on a microphone at the front of the room. “Welcome to our second event! I’m guessing some of you might have already found some interesting prospects, but it’s early days, so I’m going to continue to make suggestions. Ladies, take the hand of the man who’s standing at your right side and lead him out on the dance floor. Don’t hesitate, just do it.”

Despite the fact that I’m on Molly’s left, she reaches out for my hand. She practically pulls me away from our little group before demanding, “What’s wrong with me?”

Absolutely nothing. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, what’s wrong with me?” she repeats. Luckily, she doesn’t ask why I didn’t invite her to join me in the hot tub, but it’s clear that’s what she’s thinking,

The music starts to play, so I open my arms to her. The problem is that I’m not quite sure what to do with my hands. Molly’s entire back is bare, and as much as I want to, I should not touch her like that. I quickly readjust my position and take her hands before answering, “There’s nothing wrong with you. He just wanted to work out.” Then I slowly try to lead our dance which is not easy while also trying to keep her at a distance.

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