Page 27 of Pursued By My Grumpy Fiancé
She rolls her eyes and dips her hand into the fountain. Before I can react, she’s splashing water at me. My jaw drops.
“Seriously? This is Dries van Noten!” I say in shock.
“Sorry, I don’t know who that is, being a part of the common rabble and all.” She twitches her nose in satisfaction.
“That’s it.” I cup both my hands together and toss some water at her. Her jaw drops.
“Hey! This is your sister’s!” she mocks me, laughing.
I join in, and it feels good to laugh with someone like this. I haven’t done it in a long time. Hailey shakes her dress off and goes to sit on the bench between the palms. It’s dark enough that I can’t see her very well.
“Truce,” she calls out. “This is a no wet zone.”
“That’s a shame,” I murmur as I move to sit next to her.
The bench is small, and I can feel her hip pressed against mine.
“So, what do you plan to do with the necklace then?” she asks as she turns to me.
Our legs bump together, and my knee is on fire from the brief contact. I look at her thoughtfully.
“I don’t know. I could donate it. Or, maybe I’ll save it for someone special.” She sucks in a breath at my response.
The night is still as I stare into her eyes, and the only sound is the water running through the fountain. I lean forward to see her better in the dim lighting, and she leans forward too. Our lips are inches apart at this point. I caress her chin with my hand and bring her face up to mine.
“Oh my god, give me that! I need a smoke.”
The moment is broken, interrupted by the shouting laughter of two gala goers coming out for a break. Hailey clears her throat and stands up.
“We should probably get back in. People will almost certainly be wondering where you are.”
I nod and place a hand on the small of her back. I guide her back to the door that will take us back into the winery. I turn back and glance at the fountain, letting the feeling of the water soaking my clothes solidify the memory in my mind.
Chapter Thirteen
Hailey
Afterwecomebackinside, Landon is quickly dragged away by Albert.
“Sorry, little lady,” he says, “I’ve got to borrow your fellow for a moment or eight.”
They disappear across the room, the crowd swallowing them whole. I take a look around the room, and for the first time tonight, I feel a slight panic coming on. Eleanor is standing with Mrs. Renalteux, a person that I definitely do not want to cross paths with again. Maureen and Sloan are talking to Mr. Langley, laughing at something he’s said. I wonder if they’re sizing him up as an eligible bachelor.
I touch the wet spot in the middle of my dress. Maybe I can sit under the hand dryer in the restroom for a moment. I make my way through the crowd to the women’s bathroom.
I open the bathroom door to find Norah snorting a thin white line off the counter with another woman about my age. They turn as I enter through the door. Norah shoots up straight.
“Oh, Hailey! This is embarrassing…I don’t do this often. It’s just that events like this can get boring for me so easily, you know? They aren’t really geared toward the younger crowd, like us.”
Her friend nods, while her stick-straight brown hair brushing away little bits of the powder. “I trust you won’t tell Eleanor...”
She trails off, waiting for my response. I shake my head.
“I won’t tell,” I say, and she smiles with relief.
“Oh, thank goodness. I knew you were all right. Do—do you want some?” She hesitates. Even if I did want some, it’s clear to me that she doesn’t want to share.
“No, I’m okay, I’m going to get a drink.” I exit the bathroom, and I wonder if they’re questioning why I even went into the bathroom in the first place.
