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“It was my vision, but I hired someone.”
“It looks amazing.”
Adelia smiled from ear to ear. “Thanks.”
A pathway of more trees and lights led to the sliding glass doors that opened to the patio, which looked even more exquisite with strings of round bare bulbs draped across the space above three long tables, all decorated with poinsettia centerpieces in crystal vases and gold accents everywhere. It was the most beautiful Christmas display Merritt had ever seen. Especially when she thought back to the modest celebrations she’d had growing up. She was lucky if they had one Christmas tree back then, let alone multiple trees.
Merritt moved toward one of the tables.
“Sit here.” Adelia guided her to sit across from Giovanni.
“Hello, beautiful.” Giovanni stood and leaned over the table toward her.
“Hey, Vanni!” She closed the distance, and he placed a kiss on each of her cheeks.
He leaned back to look her in the eyes. “You know you’re the only one I allow to call me that, right?”
“I know.” She smiled as she took her seat, and he returned to his. “Where’s Whit tonight?”
“Family thing.”
“Why aren’t you with her?”
“Maybe I should’ve said dysfunctional family thing.”
“Ah.”
Giovanni was one of the first people Merritt met when she moved to Los Angeles fourteen years before, straight out of high school, to attend UCLA. It didn’t really make sense that they became friends. She was quiet and studious, working toward her chemistry degree, while he studied art—specifically photography—and was a social butterfly, often dragging her out of her dorm room to mingle at this party or that. It was his extroverted ways and Italian charm that helped to move him up in the art world, landing him a gig with a magazine, where he became instant friends with Adelia while photographing her to publicize one of her movies. And it was Giovanni who had introduced Merritt to Adelia a few years back.
“Leeches. All of them.” Giovanni nodded toward the other guests, his dark brown waves falling over his eye. “I bet not a single one of them actually knows a thing about who she really is or even cares to know. They all want to say they attended Adelia Allen’s Christmas party. As if she’s their ticket to notoriety.” His voice dripped with disgust as he pushed his hair back from his face.
Merritt gave him an appreciative smile. “At least she has us.”
She scanned the crowd to see if there were any familiar faces, and her gaze settled on a man coming around the side of the house. He was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts and was holding his … elbow.
Her mouth fell open as she watched the man she’d almost hit with her car wander across the yard like he owned the place.
“What’s wrong?” Giovanni asked.
She nodded toward the man as Adelia approached him and pressed her hands against his chest, turning him around, and pushing him toward her pool house.
“Oh, that’s Gus,” he said. “You haven’t met him?”
She shook her head. They hadn’t exactly been properly introduced.
“He’s an old friend, staying in her pool house right now. Came from Michigan to get away from family drama, apparently.”
“I’m from Michigan too,” she replied, finding their commonality interesting.
“That’s right. You are.” He lifted his chin toward Gus. “His family owns Schultz Chocolate.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you serious?” Schultz Chocolate was one of the biggest chocolate companies in the world. Her heart skipped in her chest as she realized she could have killed one of the heirs to the Schultz fortune. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach.
Adelia returned to the party several minutes later and approached the table with a sigh. “He fell while running and scraped up his arm.”
Merritt tensed.
“Is he okay?” Giovanni asked.