Everyone at the party got drinks, mingled, and started having fun. Except for me. I observed the fun taking place. There was a buffet of all of Amy’s favorite finger foods: chicken fingers, quesadillas, fried mushrooms, nachos, brownies, tiny cheesecakes. I eyed it all with equal parts envy, since I couldn’t partake without throwing up, and disinterest, since my stomach didn’t growl at the sight of food I couldn’t have anymore.
The sound system kicked it, the lights dimmed, and the strobe light started spinning. The first song started belting out and Amy led everyone onto the dance floor. She dragged me up next to her. I went up for one dance. Then I had to focus on everything else.
“You should have told me,” she scolded.
“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise.”
Her expression wilted. “I shouldn’t have doubted my Barry. He’s so wonderful. We’re lucky to have found each other.”
She looked at me expectantly. Like I was going to make a jab at her husband. An insult.
I just nodded. “You’re right. You’re lucky. Both of you. Now remember that the next time Mr. Doubt comes a-knocking.”
She beamed at me. “I will. I promise.”
“Good.”
“Now you need to findyour perfect man. I know he’s out there somewhere for you, Sarah. You can’t let yourself give up hope. Don’t let all the other drama in your life get you down. Just go after what you want, and you’ll get it. I have faith.”
I nodded and stopped dancing and turned away from her. “You’re right.”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to take care of something.”
Without waiting for a reply, I left the dance floor and walked slowly across the club, past the bar, to the hallway leading to Thierry’s office. His door was closed.
I took a deep breath and knocked on it tentatively.
“George?” his deep voice said after a moment. “I already told you I don’t want to wear the hat. I wish to be alone.”
I pushed the door open. “It’s not George. And the hat would look cute on you. Are you sure?”
He sat behind his desk surrounded with computer printouts and other papers. He looked up at me but didn’t say anything for a moment.
I raised my hands. “Surprise!”
He regarded me for a moment longer. “I am surprised. I would have thought you wouldn’t wish to speak with me again after . . . earlier.”
“I didn’t, but I changed my mind.” I smiled at him. “I wanted to see if you were okay. Let you know there were no hard feelings.”
“I’m very glad you feel that way.”
“So you didn’t tell me where you were going when you leave the city.”
“ToFrance .”
I nodded and had to force my voice to remain light and carefree. “Wow. So you’re not just leaving the city, you’re leaving the whole country. When are you going?”
He looked down at his papers and I saw his throat muscles work as he swallowed before speaking.
“I’m leaving tomorrow.”
The warmth left my body in a rush. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“You’re leaving tomorrow. ForFrance .”
“That’s correct.” He looked up when I didn’t respond. “Nicolai has left town.”
“He has?”
He nodded. “This morning. So the threat he presented to you has also left. I wanted to wait until he was gone before I, too, made my departure.”
Nicolai had left town already with Gideon just arriving? What the hell?
He broke the silence after a moment. “Was there anything else, Sarah?”
“I . . . ” My chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it. A fatter-than-normal elephant. What was I going to say? He’d obviously made his decision. “Will you be coming back?”
His face held no discernible expression. “I have no plans to.”
I nodded. “I see. Is that why you’re here in your office while the party’s going on out there? Because you didn’t want to see me before you left?”
He moved closer to me. “I wouldn’t have gone without saying good-bye to you first.”
I laughed. “I’m such an idiot. I actually came in here because I wanted to convince you that, despite what everybody else says, we’re right for each other. That we can work things out if you just give me a chance. But now I see that I was mistaken.”
He let out a long breath, which hissed between his teeth. “Sarah—”
I shook my head. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll go find Quinn, who by the way has been keeping far away from me because I told him that I wanted to be with you. But maybe I need to find him and beg his forgiveness and hope he’s still interested in me. Then he and I can be together. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“I think it would be for the best.”
I slapped him. Right across his left cheek. My eyes widened. I hadn’t planned to do that.
He didn’t flinch. “I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you, Sarah.”
“I didn’t mean to hit you.”
He smiled. “Yes you did. And an excellent blow, too. Your strength is increasing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I am, too. For everything. I never should have given the idea of a relationship between the two of us room to grow. It was very wrong of me.”