Page 74 of Absolute Certainty
Miles walked back in with Tulip cuddled in his arms.
“Mrs. White, in the library, with the revolver,” she declared, then turned to face Jay.
He shrugged his shoulders. The rest of the table couldn’t give her anything either. Sahar picked out the contents of the envelope and flashed them on the table, indicating her win.
Grabbing her glass in hand and taking the final sip, she declared, “Victory tastes divine.”
Sahar averted her gaze to Jay. “I feel like I can’t even ask you for anything. You’re changing your whole story for me.”
That’s right. His screenplay. Sahar’s new favorite story.She wondered if anyone else at the table could tell what was happening, and knowing how they’d all reacted to her and Ethan, she assumed theydid.
“Rules are rules. Your wish is my command,” he promised.
Precious, Willa thought again.These two.
“I’ll have to think about it,” Sahar replied.
Miles shook his head then. “Nope, we need to go another round. Sahar can still be a winner, but someone else deserves a shot.”
“And I’ll probably win again,” Sahar said.
“Let the record show that if Sahar hadn’t taken me out of the billiard room early on, I would’ve had this,” Ethan added.
Sarcastically, Sahar pouted and lowered her voice. “Sure, mate. If you need to believe that in order to sleep better at night, go on, keep telling yourself that.”
Willa looped her arm around Ethan’s neck and pulled him closer to kiss his cheek. “You’re still a winner to me, babe.”
He smiled, squeezing her thigh underneath the table.
“Aw, man, I miss my fiancé again,” Christian said, looking at them with his head tilted.
“I also miss Dan,” Sahar agreed. “Only one day of hanging out wasn’t enough. He needs to be around more.”
“End of September can’t get here soon enough,” Christian said.
Sahar faced Jay. “Dan’s in LA filming a series. He’s also a director.”
Jay looked at Christian then. “Wait, it’s not Dan Westley, is it?”
Christian’s eyes grew wide. “You know him?”
Adjusting his glasses, Jay smiled. “Yeah. We worked on a short film together for a class project in NYU, and then again, for shits and giggles a few years back.”
“Huh, it must be amazing to be off social media and not realize how many mutual connections you have,” Sahar noted.
Willa sighed. “Oh, I’m so envious. I wish I could get off social media.”
In a reassuring gesture, Ethan squeezed her thigh again.
“This is so rad. I need to text him and tell him,” Christian said, then picked up his phone to do so.
Miles gently put Tulip down and came to where Sahar sat. “You can text him after,” he said to Christian. “Let’s get back to the game first. Everyone, switch seats,” he added.
“It’s not my spot that’s lucky, mate. I’m justthatgood,” Sahar volleyed.
Willa’s eyes darted back to Jay. Once more, he was looking at Sahar like she hung the moon. As though he couldn’t believe she was real—beside him. Did he realize he wore that look often around her? Did he know that a softness eclipsed his prickly edges every time she was around?
“Move,” Miles repeated.
