The Lying Season (Seasons #1) - K.A. Linde Page 0,48
you’re flourishing.”
“How have you been?”
“Wonderful, of course.” Katherine shrugged. She didn’t have to say what she was really thinking. Penn and Natalie staying in Paris for the summer made it easier for her to stay on top of her social life. But her falling-out with Camden was making her fall back into all of her dirty habits. If there were a separate entity that was Bad Katherine…she was coming out this summer.
“Of course,” I said softly. “I’ve missed you. Sucks not having the crew all together.”
Katherine glanced around at our fledgling, new group. “Looks like you’ve found a sort of replacement.”
I laughed. “Nothing replaces the crew.”
She frowned. “Maybe it should.”
I didn’t even know what to say to that. We’d been together through it all. I’d never wanted something different. But it was true that things were different. And this new group might just help make that okay.
“Oh god,” Katherine said under her breath, barely audible.
“What?” I asked and then saw why she’d said it.
Camden had arrived. And on his arm was Fiona Berkshire.
“I cannot believe that he would show up with her,” I ground out.
Katherine just tilted her head up higher. She was the queen. Nothing bothered her. Except I knew it was all a lie.
Camden approached then. He released Fiona and pulled Katherine toward him. He pressed a possessive kiss to her lips. “My beautiful wife.”
“Hello, Camden.”
I didn’t know how she kept the break from her voice.
“Hi, Katherine,” Fiona said with a knowing smile.
Katherine said nothing to her. Didn’t even acknowledge her. It might as well have been the wind.
“I hope your bed has been as warm as mine,” Camden said like a taunt.
Katherine’s expression never wavered. “I would expect yours to be frigid. All things considered.”
Then, she glanced at Fiona. Just once. Just briefly.
A challenge.
Damn. She was good. I was ready to punch them both for acting like this. But still…I could recognize good game when I saw it.
“Hey!” Fiona gasped.
“Come. We should be photographed together,” Camden said. “Wouldn’t want anyone to think anything was wrong with the Wicked Witch of the Upper East Side.”
I wanted her to say no. But if I knew anything about her, it was that appearances mattered more than reality.
“Tell your pet to heel,” Katherine said.
A strange look crossed Camden’s features. It wasn’t anger. It was hunger. Like a predator trapping its prey. And then he took her arm in his hand and guided her away from Fiona, who promptly pouted.
I whirled away from her as quickly as possible to avoid having to have an uncomfortable conversation. As far as I was concerned, Fiona had gotten everything that was coming to her.
“Hey, it didn’t work out with Caleb?” English said, materializing as if out of thin air.
I shook my head. “He called Leslie a bitch.”
English’s eyes widened. “Uh, yeah, that wasn’t in his profile. Guy number two?”
My eyes flicked to Sam, who was laughing with Court and Gavin. It’d be so much easier to just see him. But then again, it would also be slow torture as well.
“All right, one more guy,” I agreed.
“Excellent. This is Danny Park. He owns a pharmaceutical company. Every year, he donates millions of dollars to help the poor combat medical expenses. He’s, like, the opposite of every greedy Big Pharma company you can probably name off the top of your head. Also, he went to Brown. So, yay!”
“Brown, huh,” I said in surprise. “Normally, these types went to one of the big three Ivy’s. Okay…Danny.”
English made the introduction again, but this time, I tried to be more open-minded. Danny was cuter than Caleb. He looked like the lead from Crazy Rich Asians, if only he had the British accent.
It wasn’t until I realized that I was on my third drink with Danny that I was feeling a bit tipsy. I’d even given him my number. What the hell? It was so unlike me. I had no time to date. Giving out my number made no sense.
“I’ll get us another round. Champagne still?” Danny asked with his award-winning smile.
“Yes. That’d be great.”
He stepped away to grab a drink from a passing waiter, and then suddenly, Court Kensington was there.
I jolted in surprise. “Hey, Court!”
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Um…just talking to Danny. Do you know Danny Park?”
“No,” Court said, “I don’t. Why are you talking to him?”
My brows furrowed. “English introduced us.”
“What I mean is…are you purposely trying to make him jealous?”
This time, my eyebrows rose to the ceiling. “Make who jealous?”