He reached forward, his fingertips sliding behind her knee for a fleeting moment, forcing her to shiver. “And you’re as sharp as a blade.”
“An icicle, would you say?” Perdie laughed.
“Too hot for an icicle.” He winked. His face was boyish, wolfish, and sexy all in one. She had never stood a chance in the first place, had she? Fuckin’ A.
She closed her eyes and nodded. “Okay.” She scratched at the skin on her arms. “Make sure it’s all good with Aubrey though. I don’t want her abandoned at this shitshow party. Then again, I don’t think someone who looks like that probably spends too much time alone. But make sure she’s safe.”
He nodded, as if extracting a plan from his brain. “We’ll go inside. Slip into the bathroom, get straightened out. I’ll text Ferris from there.” He ran his hands through his hair and then down his neck. Once his jacket was on, he was right as rain. “Ready?”
“How do I look?” she asked.
His lids went heavy, the lights hazing behind him. “Like a goddamned dream.” He rubbed his brow. “I’ll tell Ferris I had an emergency. He’s so coked out he won’t care anyway.”
Perdie let out a huff of a laugh at the uncharacteristically cynical statement. “Now you get how I see them. All right then. Game on, Pretty Boy.”
An amused smirk crossed his face. “You talk like that and you’re asking for round t—”
His words were cut off by the decompressing door, voices following. She recognized those voices. Color drained from her face.
Carter’s expression was inscrutable. “Don’t panic,” he murmured.
And the echoing footsteps rounded the corner.
Chapter Nineteen
Don’t. Freak. Out. We’re two colleagues chillin’ outside who certainly did not fuck against a wall.
The sound of chatting and laughter neared the corner, and faced with the dead end of the alcove, Perdie and Carter had no choice but to await their fate. The flush on Carter’s skin could easily be explained by the crisp winter air, and his jacket was covering the splotch of tears and mascara. The way he looked like sex wrapped up in a penguin suit—well, there was no helping that. The only thing that could betray them now was Perdie’s own awkward blunderings.
We’re fucked.
Sophia was the first to appear, her hair in an afro and wearing a black satin dress with a deep vee and elbow-length gloves. How did she even own those?
Her husband, Paul, followed, a man with thick hair and puffed red cheeks, a cigar behind his ear. She’s too good for him. Somehow Perdie could just tell. Cupped in his hands were several plastic shot glasses squeezed together, and he walked carefully so as not to spill the liquor.
They stopped short at the sight of Carter and Perdie. Jennifer bumped behind them, steadying herself with Sophia’s arm, her hulk of a husband, Owen, in a black tux bringing up the rear.
“Oh.” Jennifer cocked her head, her row of Breakfast at Tiffany’s pearls swaying against her sheath dress. “We were wondering where you were hiding, Perdita. Been searching all over for you.” She tottered towards them, her gait swaying a bit on shiny black heels. She held a cigar between her index finger and thumb. “Saw you come in with Max earlier, then you—poof—disappeared like a ghost.”
Perdie wished she could poof disappear from this moment but instead forced a smile. “Too many lawyers in one room creates a lot of hot air. Needed a breather.”
Jennifer unsteadily rummaged into her black envelope clutch, dangling the cigar between her lips as she procured a lighter and flicked until it ignited. Her eyes shifted over to Carter as she pulled a drag. Then she passed it off to her husband. “Hold this for me, Owen.” She leveled her gaze on them. “You too, Carter? Out for a breath of fresh?”
Carter smiled, crossing his arms, cool as a cucumber. “Me too, Jennifer.” Of course Jennifer wouldn’t dare challenge a superior.
Perdie’s eyes darted frantically around the group. “We had to...um...bang out—” Nope. She cleared her throat. “Work out...the details of an argument I’ve been constructing.” She bit her cheek as the corners of Carter’s mouth twitched. “Two bores at a fun party, am I right? Also, Carter was saying he has to return to his date anyway.”
Perdie raised her eyebrows, hoping he would get the hint and leave. The more separation between them in front of Jennifer and Sophia, the better.
Paul wandered over to a ledge with a huge potted bush and arranged the plastic shot glasses in a row on the surface. “Yeah, dude. I saw her, blonde in the red dress? Lucky man.”
“Oh, shut up, Paul,” Sophia snapped. “Nobody asked you for your opinion.”
“Hey, don’t get pissed at me for making an observation, babe. You’re just grumpy ’cuz you can’t drink, but don’t worry, I’ll take a shot in your honor. I brought extra.”
Sophia shook her head, exchanging a knowing glance with Jennifer. Perdie had not been invited into their friendship circle, and she wasn’t doing herself any favors by fucking the boss.
Perdie elbowed Carter’s side while Sophia and Paul’s tiff distracted the others.
Carter rubbed his hands together. “Yep. Heading in, to see my date.”
She refused to meet his gaze.
As he turned to leave, Sophia touched Carter’s tuxedo jacket. He froze in place.
“Hey, there’s something on your jacket...” She plucked a tiny white opalescent bead from the stark black material and held it out in front of him between her index and forefinger. “Huh. Looks like some kind of bead.”
Perdie bit her cheek again hard, hoping to god the expression on her face wasn’t giving her away.
Carter let out a huff, took the bead from Sophia, and fisted his hand into his pocket. “Holiday decorations...a hazard of the festivities, I guess.” He nodded to the group and turned to leave. “I’ll see you all inside.”
Everyone was eerily quiet until the squeaking hinges indicated the door closing. Perdie had to stop herself from letting out a big sigh of relief.
She almost jumped at Jennifer’s voice. “Actually, I’m glad he’s gone. Sophia and I did want to talk with you about something important, Perdita. About some observations we’ve made recently at the firm.”
She went cold at the words, but then her clutch vibrated. “Hold that thought. Gimme just a...” She yanked her phone out. There was one new message from Carter. She nibbled her lip as she read.
C: Meet me by the coat check. Making sure all is good with Aubrey.
