Page 94 of Backhanded Compliments

THIRTY-SIXLUCA

Remi Rowland’s boat is much like her tennis game. Sleek, graceful lines, large, and powerful, with a bit of character in the strobing lights.

Luca trails behind Juliette, their hands lightly tangled to keep from getting lost in the crowds around the other boats. Camera flashes pop, and Juliette’s hand jerks away. Luca sticks her hands in her pockets and diligently ignores the stinging hurt in her chest.

Claudia leads the way, a bottle of champagne held over her head like a beacon as she boards Remi’s boat with Octavia and Leo not far behind. It seems that the entire men’s and women’s tours have been invited, and once onboard, Luca is swept into the mushy waves of conversations in a dozen different languages.

“Hey, look who decided to finally show up!” Remi bounds over and relieves Claudia of the champagne.

“And we brought sparkly!” Claudia says.

“Bubbly, Claudia, bubbly.”

Claudia blinks, dumbfounded.

“Never mind.” Remi passes the champagne bottle off to a waiter flitting by. Then, she pulls Octavia and Claudia into a hug. “Thanks for coming.”

Claudia kisses her cheek. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Now, when do we get to meet the soulmate of the hour?”

“We have a bet to resolve,” Leo says. His arms sling around Octavia’s hips, drawing her close and hooking his chin against her shoulder. Hot jealousy at their easy intimacy flares in Luca’s chest, and she is tempted to take Juliette’s hand, but she’s looking off into the distance.

Remi groans. “Let me get you all drinks.” She has the telltale sparkle of a woman already a couple drinks deep. Luca assumes it’s a necessity, since the last time she saw Remi, she was buzzing with nerves.

“What a terrible host you make, my love,” a familiar voice purrs from behind Octavia.

Luca leans into Juliette. “Told you,” she whispers in her ear, and Juliette flinches.

Xinya Chen swivels into their little circle with a tray of drinks. Luca grabs a vibrant blue cocktail adorned with a sparkling orange umbrella. Juliette doesn’t take one, simply crossing her arms.

“Thank you, baby,” Remi says as she hands off the now empty tray to someone. Xinya grips her glass with white knuckles, betraying her nerves despite her easy smirk.

“I would say I’m surprised, but I’m not,” Luca says, and Remi chokes on her drink. “Come on, you were in her box at Wimbledon. Not hard to connect the dots.”

Xinya surprises Luca by taking it in stride and laughing. “I tell her to keep it in her pants all the time. I’m surprised we even need… this.”

Remi, having recovered from her coughing fit, throws her arm around Xinya’s shoulders, dragging them together. Remi’s fingers curve against the slope of Xinya’s neck, and Xinya’s arm winds around Remi’s slender waist, causing their hips to bump. It is an easy and intimate move. Remi is affectionate like that to most people, but to see Xinya lean into her, tension easing out of her shoulders… it’s telling.

“All right, go on, mingle!” Remi shoos them farther onto the boat, so they don’t keep blocking the passerelle.

Luca drifts, wandering across the deck. Juliette is withdrawn, pulling away and forcing distance between them that Luca doesn’t understand. Ever since a few photos of them on the boardwalk made a few more waves online than they expected, Juliette’s been jumpy, but Luca can’t parse why that’s bothering hernow.

Luca leans against the railing, looking over the Miami harbor and the lapping black waves frothed with skyscraper light. It’s warm and humid, but nerves nip at her like an unpleasant chill.

“Lou!”

Luca turns into a hug that is more of a tackle. She gets a mouthful of ginger hair and is smothered by the scent of spice, sandalwood, and tequila. It’s such a different reception from the previous afternoon that she doesn’t even hug him back.

“Nicky, how much have you had to drink?” she asks, catching Nicky’s forearm to keep him from falling on his ass.

“A couple of these?” Nicky hoists a drink, and it sloshes dangerously. Luca draws him closer to the railing before the cocktail ends up all over a woman’s back. “I just needed it tonight, y’know. Thought if I acted like the best friend, people would treat me that way.”

Luca’s stomach kicks bile into her throat. She takes both of their drinks and sets them on the floor. “You don’t talk to me anymore,” Nicky continues, swaying against Luca, close enough to be able to count every faint gingery freckle on his face.

“I’m sorry, Nicky,” she says, but Nicky pushes her away and throws himself dramatically against the edge of the railing.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Luca glances around. Dozens of eyes are on them, curious and sharp. “Come on, let’s dance. You love to dance,” Luca says, reaching for her best friend. This time he doesn’t flinch away, and he lets Luca wrap her arm around him and guide him away from the edge of the boat to the dance floor. The music radiates through the soles of Luca’s shoes and through to her very bones. It’s too loud for her to think and almost too overwhelming for her to enjoy.

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