Page 3 of One Weekend in Sydney

Anne dabs foundation all over my face. “Are you catching the ferry to the Olympic Park?” she asks.

“No. The VIP ticket includes private transport by chartered boat. It’ll pick up city-based attendees from King Street Wharf and head straight to the Olympic Park Wharf. Then a bus will take us to the venue. The Dome, I think it’s called.”

Odette taps my shoulder. “Speaking of pick-up, maybeyoucan pick up tonight. Remember you said it’s about time you get laid again? She’s been single for four years,” she adds for the benefit of the other women. “There’s just not enough single guys at Moonstruck Cove for our picky friend here.”

“Tell me about it,” I say ruefully. I don’t even see myself as having a boyfriend in the foreseeable future because no one at Moonstruck Cove strikes my fancy. And casual dates with men in the region aren’t a good idea either, because in a small town like ours, everyone tends to know about everyone else’s business. As someone who aspires to be the mayor, I’m very careful about my reputation.

“Well,” Kelly says, “no one knows you here in Sydney, so tonight is the perfect time for a one-night stand—especially when A Musical Night in Masquerade is known to attract people looking to hook up.”

My brows rise. “Really? I didn’t know that. I don’t think Gia knew that, either.”

Odette chuckles. “There’s even a company that offers a guaranteed way to meet people who are into anonymous sex. They make an event of it, starting with A Musical Night in Masquerade. Then they enjoy other activities during the weekend.”

A nervous laugh escapes me. “That’s not my scene, I’m afraid.”

“It’s a membership-only group called Masks On,” informs Kelly. “The company ensures that everyone has passed health checks and that no one has a police record. They’ll be sticking to each other, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally mingling with them. I think they wear special bracelets for identification. But you can also meet someone at the masquerade party itself who won’t get insulted if you ask for your masks to be left on during sexy times. In fact, that’s the drawcard for some.”

I blink. “Wow. I bet some married cheaters would be out in force, too.”

Odette grins. “But you’re an expert in drawing the truth out of men. You’ll be able to smoke out the cheaters.”

“Really? How do you do it?” asks Anne.

I chuckle. “My method is not foolproof. I just surprise them with an unexpected question, then I try to read from their response and body language if they’re lying. For example, if someone flirts heavily with me tonight, I might flirt back and get him thinking I’m into him, too. Then, out of the blue, I’d ask something like, ‘Are you sure your wife won’t find out about us?’ A cheater is likely to get nervous and trip up because he’d immediately wonder how I knew about his wife.”

“Ooh, I like that!” Anne says.

Kelly nods. “Me, too! That’s why it’s always a good idea to have a long chat first. So, Tara, you’ll have some sexy fun tonight, right?” She winks at me.

“That’s not part of my plan,” I say with a laugh. Frankly, I won’t even know how to go about it. I haven’t dated much and have never had a one-night stand.

Odette brushes my hair. “The election is in two weeks, and everyone expects you to win. I’ll bet my bottom dollar that you’ll win again and again in subsequent elections. Before you know it, you’ll be middle-aged and have no fun memories of your younger years. Use this weekend as your own kind of bachelorette party before you dedicate yourself to your mayoral duties. And remember that there’s no one in Moonstruck Cove that you’re interested in. Unless the town suddenly has a deluge of attractive, single men, you might be in for a prolonged dry spell, which already startedfour yearsago.”

A future full of responsibilities and never meeting The One flashes before my eyes. I push away the fear that Odette might be proven right.

But a one-night stand with a total stranger?

Excitement zings throughout my body. Being in a big city where hardly anyone knows who I am is a stark contrast to being back home, where practically everyone knows me. The opportunity to enjoy a night of passion with a stranger might never come again.

But, no. The repercussions are high even if the probability of being recognised is low. I don’t want to do anything I might regret.

ChapterTwo

TARA

“Isee our boat,” Anne cries.

My jaw drops. “Wow, look at the lines of people!”

Several medium to large-sized vessels are docked along the King Street Wharf precinct at Darling Harbour, the majority seeming to be party boats. The area is very crowded, but gaiety permeates the atmosphere. I don’t see anyone wearing masks yet, and I don’t want to stand out like a sore thumb, so I keep mine in my shoulder bag. Plus, if Eric’s spies are around watching us, at least they’ll see me here with Odette. It would help if they assumed that I was going to board the Wild Boys showboat. Hopefully, they won’t be watching when I try to sneak away?—

Ugh, seriously, this paranoia is getting too much! Even if they see me board another boat, they won’t be able to follow because they don’t have a ticket to the sold-out A Musical Night in Masquerade. Ha!

Now I feel a lot better.

“What wharf do you need to go to?” Odette asks as we stop at the end of the long line at Wharf 8, where the big showboat is docked.

“Wharf 2.”

---