Page 85 of Secrets & Lies

“I don’t, but more power to you,” I mumbled.

“I could have sworn you and Alek would have been up all night. No?”

Something was off. Her words felt calculated. I realized quickly it was a deliberate attempt to elicit a response. She was wondering exactly what my connection was with Alek and how deep it might run.

And again, I was coming up empty with a reason why she even cared. The thinly veiled hostility was getting old. I knew one thing for certain: she was fishing for something, and I wasn’t about to take the bait. Sarah saved me from having to form a response, although I wanted to punch her in the arm.

“Kinsley likes to play hard to get. It works for her. She has two guys in dance class who follow her around like lost puppies,” Sarah teased.

“I don’t play hard to get. I’m not interested, is all.”

Jenna’s eyes narrowed, a cunning smile playing on her lips as she directed her words toward me. “For someone who isn’t interested, you sure did a great job of presenting yourself for inspection. Perfect form, by the way. You’re a little on the younger side of things, but I guess that means you’re teachable. But word of caution, and a freebie for you, don’t get too attached.”

Feeling a mixture of unease and defiance, I took a deep breath and turned my gaze toward the window, as if finding solace in the passing scenery.

Sarah, sensing the tension, broke the silence with a curious tone. “What do you mean?”

Trying to deflect the conversation completely, I stated, “Jenna can fill you in. If you’re going to be hanging out with Ivan, you’ll need to know. She knows them better than me. It’s not my scene.”

Jenna clicked her tongue, and her voice dripped with superiority. “Really? Does Alek know? You might want to let him in on that. He hates it when girls play games with him.”

A faint gleam flashed in Jenna’s eyes, and she let out a small chuckle of amusement. She was having a blast here and was going to relish in the moment, it seemed. It hit me suddenly, this was a power play of sorts. Each word she uttered was carefully crafted.

“For someone who is involved with his brother, you seem to be overly concerned with Alek. Might want to dial that back a little. It might come across as if you’re interested in him.”

“Oh, youareyoung, aren’t you? You’ll learn,” Jenna said with a smirk, her eyes scanning me up and down as if sizing me up. “If you can manage to stick around long enough, that is,” she added, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Once more, she was being rude, and for what, I had no idea. This woman confused me on every level. I tuned her and Sarah out as they chatted about the different things the spa offered. Twenty-five minutes later, we pulled in, and Charles let us out.

The attendant greeted us and was giddy with excitement.

“Ladies, this way, please. Welcome to paradise. I’ll show you to your rooms, where robes and slippers await you. Get ready to be pampered like royalty.”

We were asked to undress and were each given a robe that felt like a dream. It was reversible, with silk on one side and the softest terrycloth on the other. It even had pockets.

“Can you believe this?” Sarah asked in awe.

I shook my head, astounded. The slippers were equally heavenly. We filled out some health-related questionnaires, and then we were taken to the spa’s entrance.

“Welcome to Euphoria Resort,” another attendant greeted us. “Your own fairy godmother will be here to make sure you are pampered, indulged, and leave feeling like the glamorous women you are.”

I looked around in awe.Is this how the other half lives? Every detail was so purposeful. We were taken to a wishing well, where we lit a candle and made a wish.

My breath caught in my throat as I thought about the day I wanted to make a wish in the village for me and Pasha to win our competition. That was so long ago. I blinked back tears as I hastily made the wish that he would succeed in whatever he did in life.

It wasn’t long before they pointed out the secret garden we could retreat to at any time throughout the day. I already wanted to head that way, but I turned my attention to the schedule of events instead.

Our pampering started with a thirty-minute champagne body scrub that was so decadently luxurious I thought maybe I’d died and gone to heaven. My skin had never looked so perfect, and the warm champagne oil they used at the end was sinful.

What followed was the most soothing ninety-minute massage I had ever encountered. I literally fell asleep and woke up feeling so relaxed I didn’t want to do anything else. The facial took an hour, and by that point, I was beginning to feel anxious.

It was too much touching, back-to-back. After it was over, we took a break and had something to eat from the spa’s café. Then we were taken over for mani-pedis. When it was time to pick polish, I was given a limited selection to choose from.

“I’d like to see some of the other colors, please,” I told my attendant.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Taylor. Mr. King was adamant that these are the choices for you.”

“What?” I asked, my face burning as Jenna studied me closely.

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