Stop. Thinking. About. Carter. Ugh, but she couldn’t. Suddenly, she needed to escape.
“Sorry, I, uh...” Perdie pointed to a corner. “Frank. I have to... I have to talk to Frank about a deadline. I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”
“Sure, of course.” Max’s eyebrows went up, but he downed his drink and straightened his bow tie. “I should do some hobnobbing with the rest of the Charleston folks anyway. Don’t want them to forget my face.”
She gave a smile, squeezing his shoulder. “Nobody could. I’ll see you later.” She rushed off to a crowded corner beyond the stage, offering polite hello how are you Merry Christmas Happy Hanukkah Joyous Kwanzaas to the other attorneys and staff along the way.
Phew. She sidled up to a corner bar with only a few people lingering in a makeshift line. She knocked back her champagne and plunked it onto an empty tray next to the bar.
“Dirty vodka martini, please.” She leaned against the counter, scoping the room as the bartender mixed her drink. Frank at her nine o’clock, Charles Joy to her right, managing partner Minnie Martinson beyond the third bar, and Jennifer and Sophia hanging on the arms of their boring husbands on the perimeter. Drink in hand, she fished out the toothpick, scraped the olive off with her teeth, and took a big pull from the wide-rimmed glass.
Right, time to rub elbows.
On her way, the dessert bar caught her eye. You weak-willed woman, she chastised herself as she shoved a pink macaron in her mouth, coupling it with another big swig of her martini. Not the greatest combination of flavors of all time. As she chewed, she spun around and—
Smack. “Whoa...” Her mouth was full. Her martini wobbled as she teetered on the points of her heels from the impact. A hand shot out and caught her elbow so she could recover her balance. She barely avoided a spill down her cleavage.
But then she swore to herself as her gaze slowly ascended up the body in front of hers to the familiar laser-cut jaw and kissable lips. Her brain zeroed in on that hazel eye with the little blue patch in the iris. She gulped down the macaron as his hand trailed from her elbow to her forearm and then dropped to his side.
“Hey, you,” she eked out. Carter’s shawl-collar tuxedo was crisp, black, and perfectly tailored to his muscular and tall form. He might as well have been accepting an Oscar.
And he wasn’t alone. The pert blonde in a red off-the-shoulder bandage dress was the same one who had called him Carter darling outside of a large house on a sunny winter day not so long ago.
Aubrey.
“And...and hello, you,” Perdie stammered out, nodding towards Aubrey.
Aubrey smiled brightly, her voice laden with a Charleston lilt. “Oh, I’m sorry, have we met before? This is my first time at one of these, meeting so many new people. I swear I forget everyone’s names as fast as I learn ’em.”
Aubrey tucked her hand into the crook of Carter’s elbow, and a wave of nausea swept over Perdie.
She closed her eyes for one brief moment. Doesn’t matter. He’s not yours.
Carter straightened out his arm, dropping Aubrey’s clasp, and cleared his throat. “Perdie, I should properly introduce you—”
Oh hell no. She couldn’t stand there in front of them for one more second. “Ah...sorry...gotta Frank, I mean catch Frank...” She gestured with her martini glass towards a spot in the distance, as if Frank were an elusive gazelle. “Have a deadline...so...yeah...” Her voice trailed off and as she brushed past them, Carter craned his neck to watch her go, brows furrowed. Nope, not tonight, Pretty Boy. She couldn’t pretend to be friends right now.
Perdie trotted away, cheeks hot and chest tight. If she could physically distance herself, she could neutralize her memory. Tame the feelings.
She elbowed her way through the crowd when she spotted Frank in a navy and black suit with Ferris Joy. Frank spotted her too, winging an arm to invite her into the circle of conversation.
“Perdie, good to see you looking so...well...” His hand landed on her lower back and she forced her face to remain fixed in a smile. He turned to Ferris Joy. “Perdie here has been a busy little bee with your good friend Carter. Got herself a little patent case to work on.”
Perdie grimaced at the condescending tone—how did he always manage it, like some kind of special skill. But no matter, she could small talk with these two men for a few minutes at least.
“Yeah, Carter’s been busy lately. House shopping and all,” said Ferris, shifting his eyes back and forth, sniffing and rubbing at the bottom of his nose. Oh great, he’s coked out. His eyes darted around the room for more important people to talk to. He sipped from a tumbler of scotch. “You in the market for a house? Lots of houses for sale right now. Lots and lots of houses.”
Perdie scrunched her nose in question. “I’ve got a condo off the Sullivan’s connector.”
Frank clapped Ferris on the shoulder with a nervous laugh. “He’s asking because his sister recently got her real estate license. Always a good networker, this one.”
Perdie inwardly rolled her eyes. Frank was such a kiss ass, never forgetting for one moment that Ferris Joy was the son to Charles Joy.
“Let me introduce the two of you, she’s at the party. Nice to make friends, isn’t it?” Frank said. “And you never know when you might need to upgrade that living situation of yours. Kids and marriage and all that. Can’t put it off forever. May as well help a fellow attorney out too. Kill two birds with one stone. Ferris, we’ll catch up at the after-party.” He grabbed Perdie’s elbow and led her towards the bar.
“Let me give you a little advice.” Frank spoke close to her ear. “If you want to stay in good with this firm, you gotta do business with its family. You’ll thank me later.”
With that, Frank pulled Perdie through the large ballroom. The band played a jazz cover of BLACKPINK’s “How You Like That.” A chill prickled her skin. Frank was returning her to Carter and Aubrey.
Oh no.
Just as he’d done with Ferris, Frank clapped a hand on Carter’s shoulder, turning Carter around to their attention. “Carter, my boy. Came by to introduce our Perdie here to your lovely date. We were discussing the importance of networking at our firm.”
Perdie attempted a smile. “Oh, we’ve met—”
Frank placed a hand on Perdie’s shoulder. “Perdita Stone, Aubrey Joy, Ferris Joy’s sister and hopefully our associates’ new go-to house shopper.”
Carter nodded, keeping an eye on Perdie. “Yes, that’s right. Aubrey is my real estate agent.”
Aubrey swatted Carter’s biceps. “Well, I’m your date too, sweetheart.”
Carter smiled tightly, running his hand through his hair, one lock falling errantly in his eye.
Perdie clenched her fist to her side. When Aubrey laughed, Perdie’s proverbial vampire fangs sharpened to deadly points but she endeavored to keep her cool. “A real estate agent. Fun. How’s business?”
Aubrey adjusted the cleavage of her dress. Perdie watched both men to see who was creeping. Frank, of course. But Carter’s eyes were straight ahead, drilling into Perdie’s soul. She forced herself to pay attention to Aubrey.
“Well, it was real scary at first, but when Ferris told me Carter was moving here, I was so excited because I knew he could be my first big sale. This guy’s not hurtin’ in the wallet department if you know what I mean.” She elbowed him playfully. Perdie avoided his eyes. “And well, now I want to be the number-one real estate agent in the Lowcountry. Put my picture on a bench for people to sit on. I just think that’d be great, don’t you? Ferris isn’t the only talented Joy kid!”
