“I did,” I said. “And it was worth it.”
“Well, perhaps for you,” Richard groused. He launched into a diatribe about his company, and how his employees were growing unhappy and restless. I could barely keep listening as we inched forward in the coat check line.
By the time I’d handed over my coat and Hanna’s wrap, almost half an hour had passed.
“Richard, I’m so sorry,” I said. “But I really need to find Hanna. You still have my card, right?”
Richard nodded. “Yes,” he said. “Terribly sorry, James. We’ll catch up later. I can’t neglect my other guests.”
I pushed my way through the crowd to the spot where Hanna and Harry had been standing. Harry was still there, talking to a pack of blondes. But Hanna was nowhere in sight.
“Harry,” I said. “Where’s Hanna?”
Harry turned to me and shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. He smirked. “Maybe you should keep better tabs on your woman, West. She was pretty popular with some of the girls here.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What happened?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Harry said. He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Come on, let’s get you another drink.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “I should really find Hanna,” I said.
Harry rolled his eyes. “Forget about her for a minute or two,” he said.
I frowned. “Fine,” I said. “But just for a minute. Then I need to find her.”
“James, she’s a big girl – what, you’re afraid she’s going to get lost in the little girl’s room?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s not what I’m afraid of at all.”
Chapter Ten
Hanna
As soon as I watched James walk away, I felt my heart sink. His friend, Harry, leaned in and gave me what I could only describe as a lecherous smile.
“James is practically obsessed with you,” Harry said. He narrowed his eyes and smirked. “And I wouldn’t say this to most women, but for once, I actually agree with him.”
I frowned and stepped away. “Good for you,” I muttered under my breath. I knew it was a dangerous game to be playing – disagreeing with James’s best friend – but Harry was such an obvious creep that I couldn’t stand it.
“What? You don’t like me or something?”
“I need a drink,” I said. “Where’s the bar?”
Harry chuckled. The sound alone was enough to grate on my nerves. “You’ve already got a drink, remember?”
Tilting my head to the side, I stared him right in the eyes. “Yeah, I do, and I need another one after talking to you,” I said shortly.
Harry held his hands up in the air and whistled. “Geez, okay, I get it – you’re not so friendly after all.”
Turning on my heel, I stalked away from Harry and into the crowd. What was it with men – why did they always blame women when their advances weren’t welcome? And what kind of a person was Harry, anyway? Why was James friends with someone who was such a prick?
Thankfully, I found the bar after just a moment or two of looking. Like everything else in the crowded museum lobby, it was packed, and I had to elbow my way through just to wave down the bartender.
“What’ll you have?”
I fumbled in my clutch for a wad of cash. When the bartender saw me, he waved his hand.
“No need,” he said. “It’s all paid for.”
“Oh,” I said, flushing hotly and shoving my cash away. “Thanks. Um, I’ll have a vodka tonic. With lime, please.”
The bartender nodded. He darted off and in a matter of seconds, a fresh drink was in my hand. I hopped onto a barstool and glanced around the room. There were three tables at the edge of the room, lining the museum lobby. Each one was piled high with the most delicious-looking food I could imagine. Lobster thermidor, oysters Rockefeller, tons of different cheeses and meats and exotic olives.
“Impressed?”
The sound of a female voice made me jump.
“Sorry,” I said, whirling around. “What was that?”
A blonde woman was standing in front of me – very close to me, in fact – and smiling in a stiff, frozen way. Her teeth were bright white and her blonde hair was practically silver.
“You must be with James West,” she said.
“I am,” I said. I swirled my drink in my hand and took a long sip. Then, remembering my manners, I added: “I’m Hanna, by the way. Hanna Parker.”
The blonde’s smile didn’t budge. “Emily Welsch Harrington,” she said, offering her hand to me. When I reluctantly took her fingers in my own, I realized that her grip was surprisingly strong.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, although I didn’t mean it. “I was just wondering where James had gone to, I should probably find him.”
Emily clicked her tongue against her teeth and shook her head, laughing softly. “Don’t be rude,” she said. “Stay and chat with me for a bit.” She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. “I’ll bet you’re getting hungry with all that food over there.”
“What?”
Emily rolled her eyes. “I can tell you needed some grease and fishing line to get into that dress,” she said. “You may as well just eat. It’s good, or at least, it should be. Langdon always uses the best catering company in Boston.”
“Excuse me,” I said slowly, stepping back and dashing the rest of my drink down my throat. “I don’t think you have a right to comment on my appearance.”
Emily gave me a wide-eyed look. “Oh, don’t I?” She giggled again – an infuriating small sound, like the twinkling of tiny bells. “I used to date James, you know,” she said confidentially, leaning in close. “And personally, let me give you a little bit of advice, Hanna – he doesn’t like fat girls.”
“I’m not worried about James liking me or not,” I said coolly. “And if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find him.”
Before Emily could open her artificially-enhanced lips again, I pushed past her and stalked off. But I’d barely made it across the room when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“James?” I whirled around, hoping to see his handsome face and tousled, dark hair. But instead, it was Emily. She was flanked by two more women.
“You can’t just run away from me,” Emily said crossly. She wasn’t smiling now – her face was twisted into an ugly grimace. “I have a right to know what James is doing…or should I say who he’s doing,” she added. The other two women laughed and I rolled my eyes.
“I don’t have time for your bullshit,” I said.
“No, I know,” Emily simpered. “You’re just after James’s money – honey, I understand. But you really should’ve worn something more…flattering. You look like an escort in that hideous dress.”
I glanced down at the gold dress I’d borrowed from Danielle. Sure, it was a little tight – but it had zipped perfectly, and Danielle had said I’d looked great. Suddenly, I regretted ever accepting James’s invitation.
“I think I look fine,” I said coldly, crossing my arms over my chest. “And for that matter, so does James.”