Just One Night (The Kingston Family #1) - Carly Phillips Page 0,50
the chair next to Aurora.
“Of course.” Willow smiled and put a hand on the back of the chair where the baby slept.
Jordan followed Aurora out of the room, then pointed her in the direction of the ladies’ room. She passed the main dining room, where normal lunch activities were going on, and the loud chatter sounded as they walked by.
Once inside, she and Aurora closed themselves in their own stalls. Jordan was quick, then washed her hands before heading to the outer sitting area. She placed her bag on a shelf below a wall-to-wall mirror and pulled out her lip gloss.
Glancing in the mirror, she was shocked by how pale she appeared. She didn’t have blush with her, so she had no way to put life back in her cheeks. With a sigh, she opened the gloss stick and applied it to her lips, as the sound of women’s voices and laughter alerted her to incoming women.
They entered, continuing to talk to one another, and Jordan grasped her purse and stepped aside to wait for Aurora.
“Jordan?”
She turned at the sound of her name and forced herself not to visibly cringe. “Angelica. Hi.”
“I take it you’re here for Linc’s new sister’s baby shower. My mother is there, too.” Her fake smile grated on Jordan’s nerves.
“Yes, I saw your mother.” Carol Winston was a good friend of Melly’s. They all ran in the same social circles.
Angelica’s friends disappeared into the other room, and Aurora had walked in, standing behind Jordan.
Jordan had no intention of introducing them. “Well, it was nice to see you, but I need to get back inside.” Jordan turned toward Aurora, but Angelica tapped her shoulder and Jordan spun back around. “Yes?”
“Since we’re both here, I thought I’d give you some advice. You know, woman to woman?” Angelica said, fake kindness oozing from her voice as she twirled a long strand of her black hair around a finger.
Oh, this ought to be good, Jordan thought. “Aurora, why don’t you go ahead, and I’ll meet you back inside.”
“That’s okay. I’ll wait.” She stepped up to Jordan’s side.
Angelica looked at her but didn’t spare her a thought, her gaze zeroing in on Jordan. “You’re not his type. You know that, right?”
“Whose type?” Jordan opted for playing dumb. Let this bitch spell it out for her.
“Linc. Everyone knows you want him. It’s been obvious since you were a kid and your mother was cleaning his house. I looked into the party room and saw his hand on your shoulder, touching your hair. When no one was looking, of course.”
Jordan kept her face blank and let Angelica spew her venom.
Her face had contorted into an ugly expression, revealing who she really was inside. “But let’s face it. If he’s sleeping with you, it’s temporary. You don’t belong in his life. You can’t fit in like I can. And as soon as he realizes that, he’ll come back to me.”
Jordan’s cheeks burned, but she otherwise refused to let Angelica see she’d hit a nerve. “Are you really sure? Because according to Linc, he was never with you in any way that mattered.” Turning, she looked at Aurora. “Let’s go.”
Aurora shook her head. “One minute.” She walked over to Angelica, who’d begun to reapply her lipstick. “I haven’t known my brother long, but I know he’s a good man. And he would never be with someone who has a soul as ugly as you do.” She glanced at Jordan. “Now I’m ready.”
Together they walked out of the ladies’ room. Jordan’s insides were trembling. She didn’t like confrontation, but she wouldn’t let anyone treat her like shit. Even if the things Angelica said were the same words her mother had tried to teach her. Words she was being force-fed from all sides, it seemed. Even from herself.
“You didn’t have to stand up for me, but I appreciate that you did,” Jordan said.
“I grew up in foster care. I learned how to stand up for myself and the few people I cared about.” Aurora met her gaze. “You know she’s wrong. You and Linc are perfect for each other.”
Jordan grasped her hand. “I know you care and I am so grateful. I care about you, too. As far as Angelica, she might have been hateful when she said it, but she wasn’t far off base. These people look at me and see the maid’s daughter.”
“But Linc doesn’t see that! And if you don’t fit in with them, then I don’t either,” Aurora said, her tone adamant.