‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to get me hammered,’ Alex said.
Rain forced a laugh. ‘Me? As if.’
Alex playfully nudged Rain with her shoulder. ‘Just kidding.’
As their fresh drinks arrived, Rain decided to take a chance to steer the conversation towards her sister.
‘Speaking of drama,’ Rain said, ‘what’s the deal with the last person who had my job? The one who left so suddenly?’
Alex froze, her beer halfway to her lips. Slowly, she lowered the bottle back to the bar. ‘Who told you about her?’
‘Mr Larkins mentioned in my interview that she just up and left. I was just wondering if it had anything to do with what you said about secrets.’
‘Oh, right. Nah, not much to say about her, really,’ Alex said with a guarded tone. ‘She was an outsider, not much for mingling with us commoners.’
‘Really?’ Rain asked, genuinely surprised. That didn’t sound like Fay. She was the most down-to-earth person she knew and happily mixed with people from all walks of life.
‘Yeah, she had a habit of rubbing quite a few people up the wrong way,’ Alex said, her expression suggesting it wasn’t a rare occurrence. ‘Heard she got the boot, rather than quit.’
‘Any idea why?’
‘You’re a nosy one, aren’t you?’ Alex said, raising an eyebrow.
‘Not at all. Curiosity just gets the best of me sometimes. Forget I said anything.’
Alex drained the last of her beer and set the empty bottle down with a decisive thump.
‘You know,’ Alex said, her voice dropping an octave as she leaned in close, ‘there are much more interesting things we could be doing than sitting here.’
Rain’s pulse kicked up a notch at the blatant invitation in Alex’s eyes. There was no denying the attraction that simmered between them, the electric pull of possibility.
In another life, Rain knew she would have taken Alex up on her unspoken offer without a second thought. Would have let herself be swept away by the thrill of it. But now, with Lauren’s ghost lingering in every corner of her mind . . .
‘Yeah, like sleeping,’ Rain sighed, finishing her own drink and pushing back from the bar. ‘I think I’d better call it a night.’
Disappointment flickered across Alex’s face. ‘Can’t blame a girl for trying.’
‘No, you certainly can’t.’ Rain stood, shrugging into her jacket. ‘See you tomorrow?’
‘Bright and early,’ Alex said, turning back to the bar and signalling for the bartender’s attention.
As Rain stepped out into the crisp night air, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. Alex was gorgeous, funny, exactly her usual type. In any other circumstances, they’d probably be tumbling into bed together right now, lost in a haze of pleasure and abandon. But circumstances were what they were, and as much as Rain might wish otherwise, her heart had already made its choice.
Lauren. It always came back to Lauren.
Deciding to walk, Rain turned in the direction of her flat.
Her life was already complicated enough without inviting more trouble. She needed to focus on finding Fay, on getting the answers she came for.
Anything else was a distraction she couldn’t afford. No matter how tempting it might be.
Chapter Fourteen
Lauren sat at her desk, a sense of restlessness thrumming through her veins. The papers scattered before her – seating charts, floral arrangements, menu options – blurred into meaningless scribbles. Once, the role of event planner had filled her with a sense of purpose, a joy in crafting perfect moments for others to cherish. But now, as she stared at the tasteful colour swatches and elegant font choices, all she felt was a hollow ache in her chest.
Was this what she really wanted to spend her life doing? Obsessing over trivial details, forcing smiles for guests who would forget her name the moment they checked out? It all seemed so . . . pointless. A never-ending cycle of artificial pleasantries and manufactured magic.
It felt as if she were trapped in a monotonous cycle, suffocating under the weight of expectations placed upon her by some predestined plan that was set out for her before she was even born. She couldn’t shake the feeling of discontentment, the longing for something more, something that truly ignited her passion.
I need to do something that actually matters to me. But what?
Lost in her contemplation, Lauren barely registered the gentle knock on her office door before it creaked open. Mr Larkins stepped in with an air of authority that matched the polished gleam of his shoes.
‘Good morning,’ his voice carried a hint of formality. ‘I’ve done as you asked. Rain Thomas had her training yesterday and is starting her duties today.’
‘Thank you,’ Lauren said, hoping her voice masked the turmoil churning within her.
Rain was now a silent player in her complex game, and Lauren couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that she might have brought the storm closer than she’d intended.
‘I’ve also had Fay Thomas’s locker cleared out. What should we do with her belongings?’
‘Burn them for all I care.’
Mr Larkins nodded before retreating. As the door clicked shut, Lauren pushed herself to focus on the tasks at hand, determined to stay on track with her schedule for the day.
First up was her meeting with Sydney.
‘That’ll be fun,’ she muttered sarcastically.
