Throughout the cocktail hour, she always knew where Smith was. He lingered on the fringes of the crowd, looking comfortable in the group.
She was staring at him, thinking that he fit in well in the elegant atmosphere, when he shifted his eyes to hers. He lifted his eyebrow and sent her a nod.
And that's when she realized it was too late.
Staring at him across the room, seeing the light falling on his hard face, she knew that she was falling in love with him.
That, more than even the passion, was the reason she'd decided to go to bed with him.
Grace looked away quickly, in case he could read her thoughts. Flustered, she escaped the small group she was talking to on the pretext of putting on more lipstick.
As her mind churned over the whys and whens, she knew the jumbled searching was just mental gymnastics. It didn't matter when it started and knowing why wasn't an answer she needed. The truth was in her heart, not her mind.
She was in one of the bedrooms, bending toward the mirror with her lip liner when Mimi Lauer appeared in the doorway.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," the woman said with a smile.
Grace froze as their eyes met in the mirror. She thought of Cuppie and Suzanna before turning and opening her arms. Mimi was in that article, too.
"Mimi, I’m so glad you came! I figured we wouldn't see you because tomorrow is your big night."
Grace hadn't known the Lauers for very long but she'd liked both of them immediately. They'd moved from the West Coast four years ago because their son suffered from a bad case of juvenile arthritis and the treatment options for him were better in New York. Mimi's warm personality and flair for entertaining had served her well in her new environment and she'd risen quickly up the social ladder. For the past two years, she'd been chair of the ballet's annual event.
As they pulled back, Mimi said, "The performance tomorrow night is going to be splendid. They're doing a series of Balanchine favorites, just quick sketches of some of his best."
Grace frowned. "I'm sorry that I won't be going this year."
She and Smith had discussed her going to the big party. He didn't think it was a good idea for her to be in large crowds if she could avoid it and she'd taken his advice.
"Please, don't worry. You'll be missed, of course, but I can understand the kind of pressure you're under,"
Mimi's eyes narrowed, as if she was tempted to bring up the very thing that was on Grace's mind. The killer. Their lost friends.
There was an awkward pause.
"So how are you holding up?" Grace said. "I imagine you have every detail taken care of."
Mimi shook her head. “On the contrary, things are a mess."
"Good God, why?"
"Fredrique has become a bit of a problem." Distaste flickered across the woman's face. "It's gotten so bad, I’m thinking of firing him even though the event is less than twenty-four hours away. He wanted to feature a shark in a tank at the party. A shark. "What does Jaws have to do with ballet?"
Grace smiled and put her lipstick back in her clutch. "He wants to make a big splash, evidently."
"Well, he can do it somewhere else. Maybe Long John Silver's is looking for a party planner," Mimi replied dryly. “On another topic, what's going on between you and Lamont?"
"Why do you ask?"
"He called me today and said he was looking to make a change."
Grace pursed her lips. "Doesn't surprise me. He and I have never gotten along and I know he's approached a couple of other people."
"Well, I told him that I didn't think we had anything to offer him but I think he knew the real reason. You've been very supportive of me. Neither the ballet nor I would ever take one of your key people away."
“To be honest, I wouldn't mind if he went."
Mimi smiled." In that case, we really wouldn't want him. If he can't get along with you, he must be impossible."
"That's a kind vote of confidence," Grace said with a laugh.
There was a pause as Mimi glanced downward.
"Grace ... may I ask you something?" The woman's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Of course."
"What are you doing to... be safe?"
Grace felt her heart sink as Mimi looked up. There was naked fear in her eyes, the same thing Grace felt whenever she thought about what had happened to their friends.
"I've hired a bodyguard." Grace reached out for the other woman's hand. "Are you protecting yourself?"
"I've got a plain clothes man following me around and Marks has been really supportive, but I don't know. Ted and I were thinking about heading back to San Francisco for a while until this whole thing passes, except we really can't. Our son needs to stay with his physical therapists." Mimi paused. "Do you know if Suzanna had any help?”
"Marks has been pretty vague with details. I've been wondering whether whoever's doing this is following that article's sequence."
"You're lucky then. Because you were the last one mentioned."
"So Isadora is next."
Bo appeared in the doorway- "Am I interrupting something?"
Grace forced a smile. "Not at all."
Mimi gave an awkward laugh. "I don't mean to be hogging the guest of honor. I better go say my hellos to everyone."
"I'll call you," Grace said. "We'll have lunch and you can tell me all about tomorrow night's success."
"I'd like that. I'd really like that."
They shared a meaningful look as Mimi left. Grace had tacked on the party bit for Bo's benefit and they both knew it.
"So I have to ask," Bo said with a grin- "What does Ranulf think about you being squired around on the arm of that handsome man out there?"
"John's just a professional acquaintance."
"Business? Really? He Looks more like a military man to me. He has the same quick eyes and broad shoulders my father did. And Daddy, as you know, was a general."
Grace tried to muster a casual smile and say something that wasn't a lie. Before she could reply, however, they were interrupted by one of the waiters who said dinner was ready to be served.
Bo grinned. “Well, I hope you don't mind, I've seated him next to me. Seemed only fair since I haven't been around a man like that for a long time. Those politicians I'm with daily, I don't know. They tend to be soft around the middle and in the head."
Grace smiled weakly and Bo frowned. "What's wrong?"
"I’ll tell you all about it later."
Her friend's face took on an obstinate cast and Grace had the distinct impression that dinner or no dinner, Bo was prepared to lock them in the bathroom until the story came out.
"Don't go hitting me with Mother-vision," Grace retorted. "You save that maternal concern for your little boy. You've got twenty people out there ready for dinner and I'm rather hungry myself."
Bo shot her a look. "We'll finish this later, you hear?"
"Yes, ma'am."
They rejoined the party and Grace accepted another glass of wine, drinking it quickly as they went into the dining room. She was seated down the way from Bo and Smith and, as dinner arrived, she watched them. Bo was a consummate conversationalist and, even though Smith didn't say much, he seemed to be enjoying himself.
Or at least that's what Grace assumed and seeing his eyes flash toward her friend was hard to witness.
The man who had been a stranger only weeks ago was capturing her heart.
But he only wanted her body.
When Bo dropped her napkin and Smith bent over and picked it up for her, Grace asked for another refill of her wineglass.