Page 10

Erica

Marcus scrubbed up well, it had to be said.

Judging solely on Sophie, she thought he’d be a lad’s lad, dressed head to toe in tacky named brands, and far too into his looks with bleached blonde hair and fake tan.

Instead, he was… Well, in all honesty, he was pretty gorgeous.

He reminded her of an English Professor, studious and intelligent, which she found an incredibly attractive quality.

Taller than her (which was a rare occurrence), it was clear he took care of himself. He wasn’t a gym bro by any means, but she wouldn’t be surprised to find abs underneath the smart black suit he wore.

Perhaps it was his dark hair, slightly longer than the average man’s, complemented by his neatly groomed facial hair, but there was a certain ruggedness that gave her… well. It gave her complicated thoughts.

Long lashes framed deep blue eyes which twinkled under the light, emanating warmth and kindness as he rested with his arm around Sophie’s waist, talking to more of their guests.

The party was in full swing, and the representatives of the London Group shmoozed and taken care of. She had been glued to Alex’s side, playing the dutiful wife as she greeted his guests and whispered reminders in his ear.

She had yet to officially meet Marcus.

It might have been her imagination, but she was certain Sophie was avoiding them. Not that she could blame her.

Erica and Marcus had spent days planning for this event, and he had given her all the tools to make sure Sophie would be green with envy .

“Have I mentioned how utterly beautiful you look tonight?” Alex murmured in her ear. She forced herself not to recoil, turning her head to smirk at him.

“Multiple times,” she replied, kissing the corner of his mouth. “But I never tire of hearing it, so keep it up.”

He chuckled, taking her waist, and pulling her closer. “It is taking everything in my power not to ravish you right here in front of all of our guests.”

“As tempting as that sounds, I don’t think it would give off the right impression, would it, my love?”

“And that’s the only thing stopping me,” he growled playfully before straightening up as Sophie approached.

Erica’s eyes found Marcus, winking at him as they closed the distance between them.

She’d found her gaze drifting to him at various points through the evening, unable to look away.

But of everything about his appearance, it was his hands that really caught Erica’s attention. They had fascinated her for most of the night, admiring the way his long fingers curled around his wineglass. Surely those fingers belonged to a creative type, someone who really knew how to use…

She shook the thought from her head, spreading a smile as Sophie leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

“Erica, you look incredible,” she said, her voice full of false friendliness. It was her eyes that gave her away, they showed her disdain.

“You’re too kind,” Erica said, leaning forward to kiss her cheek and whispering against her ear. “You forgot to remove the price tag.” Tucking it once more into Sophie’s dress, she straightened up, speaking normally again. “You put me to shame.”

That statement might have been true any night but tonight.

Sophie had gone all out and to her credit, she looked beautiful. Her dress sparkled under the lights above, hugging her trim figure as it fell to the floor.

With a strapless bodice that tied around her back, it was a miracle that it stayed in place, skimming over her hips to fall to the floor in a shimmer of silver and sparkles, the slit up her leg bringing an edge of sexiness to an otherwise elegant dress.

She looked like the belle of the ball. As though she belonged in Alex’s arms, hosting this party alongside him.

Sophie was staring daggers at her, her face red underneath her make-up. Erica knew the label was there. Marcus had texted her in the car after Sophie had warned him they couldn’t damage the dress in any way.

It was because of Marcus that Erica had also upstaged Sophie’s dress completely. Her bodice was made of sheer black lace, her neckline plunging to her stomach. Long lace sleeves pulled all the focus on her exposed skin, her breasts keeping the dress held in place. The skirt floated to the ground like a waterfall, a shimmer of delicate beading and diamantes set upon the deepest of black fabrics. Paired with a pair of heels she didn’t need, Erica towered over Sophie.

And more to the point, her dress wasn’t rented.

“Who is this you’ve brought with you?” Erica asked, turning away from Sophie.

“Oh. That’s right, you two have never met. Erica this is—”

“Marcus,” he said, cutting off Sophie. He took her hand, bringing it to his lips. Erica suppressed a giggle, keeping her eyes on his. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Charmed, I’m sure,” she murmured, using her tone to convey her attraction. It wasn’t like she had to pretend too much.

“It’s nice to meet you again, Marcus,” Alex said, clearing his throat. “Thank you for coming.”

“Sure,” Marcus replied, his eyes still on Erica. “Where have you been hiding your lovely wife, Alex?”

“Oh, here and there,” he replied, his fake laughter ringing in Erica’s ears. Pulling her into his side, he held a possessive arm around her. “I can’t bring her out too often, otherwise I’m fighting the guys off her for hours.”

Erica rolled her eyes. “Darling, you’re being silly. And far too possessive.”

“I agree,” Marcus said, ignoring the thunderous look on Alex’s face. “With that said. Erica, will you honour me with a dance? ”

“I’d love to,” Erica said with a smile. She took the offered arm and the two of them walked towards the dance floor, ignoring their seething partners.

“I think Alex might kill me the first chance he gets,” Marcus said cheerfully.

“It’s okay, I’ll make sure the cops know he did it.”

With a smirk, Marcus pulled her into his arms. “Appreciate it.” Pulling her a touch closer than would be appropriate, he winked at her.

“You look incredible tonight, Erica,” he murmured. “I don’t know if that’s okay to say.”

“More than okay,” she assured him. “What lady doesn’t appreciate compliments?”

“Well. In that case, let me tell you, the most beautiful woman in the room award goes to you tonight.”

Erica felt heat rise in her cheeks as she flushed with pleasure at his compliment. She was painfully aware of his arms around her, the hand on the small of her back.

She smiled up at him, muttering her thanks as they danced in perfect sync with one another. Looking over his shoulder, she caught Alex and Sophie watching on.

If looks could kill, she would be a dead woman.

Alex’s lips were set in a hard line, his eyes never leaving them as they navigated the dance floor. His fingers gripped his tumbler, turning white with the pressure, and even from this distance, she could feel the anger radiating from him.

Sophie did an even worse job of hiding her displeasure.

She stared daggers at Erica, her arms across her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently. Erica dropped her gaze to hide a giggle, moving closer to Marcus for dramatic effect.

“Are you sure Sophie won’t be bothered?” She asked. “She looks pretty annoyed.”

“There’s plenty of reasons she might be annoyed,” Marcus said, spinning them so he could get a look for himself. “None of them have a thing to do with jealousy.

“Either she knows this doesn’t look good, and you have to remember appearances mean everything to her. Or she’s annoyed that your dress is nicer than hers—”

“And thank you for sending pictures so I could make sure my dress was nicer. ”

“You’re welcome,” he replied with a smirk. “But I think the most likely reason she’s upset is because Alex is giving her shit about this.”

“Maybe it’s all of the above.”

“And reasons I can’t even fathom,” he agreed. “Either way, I think stage one of the plan is working, don’t you?”

“I’d say so,” she agreed. “The kiss on the hand was a great touch.”

“Oh, well in that case.” As the song came to an end, Marcus lifted her hand to his mouth, brushing his lips over her skin. “Is he looking?”

Erica grinned at him, risking a glance towards Alex. “Shit, he’s coming over.”

Marcus straightened up as Alex walked up behind him.

“Mind if I steal my wife back, pal?” Though he smiled, there was no ounce of friendliness on his face.

Marcus stepped aside making a sweeping gesture towards Erica. “Of course.” He squeezed Erica’s shoulder as he passed. “Remember what I said, Erica.”

She widened her eyes as she scrambled for an answer to a question Alex was inevitably about to ask.

Damn, she had to work on her improv skills.

“What did he say?” Alex asked as he pulled her into his arms closer than was necessary.

“Oh, that? That was nothing.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek to stop her laughing at his expression. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

Alex’s lip curled, his nostrils flaring. “I’d like to know, please. I don’t like the bloke. He gives me bad vibes.”

“What? Why? I thought he was perfectly lovely. I think you were just jealous.”

“Jealous of what? Of him? Please, Erica, don’t insult me.”

The amount of venom in his tone surprised Erica, making her pull back a touch. She knew the dance would rile Alex up, but his reaction was still shocking.

They hadn’t even done anything yet!

“Forgive me. Only, he seems to have got under your skin.”

“Because he was pawing my wife, not because I’m jealous.” He scoffed and met her gaze. “As if I’d be jealous of a man who has rented a suit a size too small for him, and forces his wife to wear a dress with the label still attached because his failing business is not enough to provide for her.”

Erica stayed quiet, keeping her expression stoic. Alex was revealing a side of himself she rarely got to see.

It was amazing how quick the rose tinted glasses faded once someone cheated. Before, Erica would have found a way to defend Alex’s vicious side.

Now it just repulsed her.

“And how do you know all that?” She asked, raising her eyebrow.

“Sophie told me.”

For a brief moment, his eyes widened as he realised his mistake. That was a lot of very personal information for a boss to have.

“I think that’s quite inappropriate,” Erica said, glossing past his mistake and playing the concerned wife. “After our conversation the other day, you really need to be careful getting too close to her.”

“You’re right,” he said, clearly relieved she had given him an excuse. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And as for Marcus,” she said, getting the conversation back on track. “I think you’re being unfair to a man you don’t know, based on the word of a woman who has a crush on you.”

She shook her head, sighing as the song came to an end. “That kind of venom is a bad look on you, and I’m quite disappointed that you’ve allowed one dance to turn you into a green-eyed monster.”

Pulling away from him, she squeezed his arm. “I’m going to go make the rounds. Maybe get yourself a drink, yeah?”

Walking away, Erica suppressed another urge to giggle. Adrenaline raced through her body making her giddy with glee.

That could not have gone any better had she tried.

She’d never really seen Alex jealous before.

Possessive, sure. But never jealous. But she supposed she’d never given him reason to be before now. It showed how well she and Marcus were playing their parts .

It was Marcus she made a beeline for as he stood off to the side. Sophie was nowhere to be seen and Erica was sure if she turned around, she’d find her glued to Alex’s side.

“I find it very interesting how unbothered I am by seeing them together,” Marcus said as she approached, confirming her suspicions. “Does a broken heart mend itself that quickly?”

“Absolutely not,” Erica replied, following his gaze. “But it’s easy to keep yourself in check when you’ve got a focus.”

He turned to look at her, tilting his head curiously. “You’re very calm about all this.”

“Like I said, it’s good to have a focus.”

If Erica let herself wallow, or gave Alex’s infidelities even the smallest amount of attention, her carefully built walls would crumble.

She wasn’t usually the kind of woman who wanted to hide her emotions. Quite the opposite, in fact.

By not allowing herself to feel everything, she believed she was doing herself a disservice. How would she know the good days from the bad if she did not embrace both feelings equally?

As much as she hated Alex right now, and god damn did she hate him, she also loved him desperately.

He was the man she had planned forever with.

And now their future was nothing but dreams left in the dust.

It was all such a waste. Such a stupid, fucking waste.

“Oh, nice parting words, by the way,” she said, forcing herself to refocus. “It really threw him.”

“Yeah?” Marcus grinned, clearly enjoying himself too much. “What did you say?”

“I kept it vague. Told him not to worry his pretty little head about it.”

Marcus laughed, a sound that made her stomach flip. “You’re some woman, Erica. You’d hardly know you were grieving.”

“I could say the same to you,” she replied. “You’re having far too much fun. ”

“I think it’s better for everyone involved if I continue enjoying myself with our ruse. I’ve gone past feeling sad, and now I’m angry. I want to punch Alex, and toss Sophie out on her ass.”

Erica reached for his hand, giving him a reassuring squeeze. “Hey, you know you don’t have to play my silly game. You’ve got to do what’s best for you.”

“This is best for me,” he assured her with a smile. “It’s been very cathartic planning this revenge.”

“As long as you’re sure—”

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention?”

Erica looked up as the sound of feedback from a microphone interrupted her.

Alex stood front and centre, commanding attention as he smiled at the guests who gathered around him. Erica rolled her eyes and turned back to Marcus.

“He’ll thank everyone for coming,” she whispered. “And tell them how overwhelmed he is by their support.”

“First of all, I want to thank you all for coming. The amount of support you’ve shown tonight is overwhelming.”

“Uncanny,” Marcus whispered back to her. “Not very genuine, is it? So what happens next?”

“He’ll mention a few important people by name, saying he is really happy to see them.” She smirked as Alex mentioned various members of the London Group by name, showering them with compliments.

Marcus was right.

Nothing about this speech was genuine, every line was perfectly picked to shed Alex in the best light. She used to think it was important that he was prepared, but now she saw it for what it was.

“He’s going to tell everyone how none of the night could happen without his brilliant wife,” she said with a sigh. “So I think we—”

“Of course, tonight wouldn’t be possible without the help of my brilliant wife. Erica, where are you, darling?”

Not giving herself time to think, Erica squeezed Marcus’ arm, laughing loudly at some imagined joke.

He moved his arm around her as though holding her up as he laughed with her, catching up fairly quickly .

She could feel the tension in the room change as a few whispers ran through the gathered guests, but she paid them no mind.

Her eyes met Marcus’ as they shared a look, and she knew that this moment had bonded them for life.

There were certain things you can’t come back from and having an entire room gossip about you based on a brief glimpse into your life was one of them.

“Um, Erica?”

She finally looked up and covered her mouth as though she was fighting to control herself. She had never heard Alex sound so unsure as he did at that moment.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, covering her face. “I’m so embarrassed. Sorry, darling.” She broke away from Marcus, rushing to Alex’s side.

But not before she made one more show of defiance. Turning her head to catch Marcus’ gaze, she smirked.

“I’ll catch up with you later,” she said in a loud whisper.

The look in his eye made her heart leap as he nodded in response. “I’ll hold you to that, Erica.”

She didn’t dare look at Alex as she joined his side and he continued his speech. But she didn’t need to.

Her little display had the desired effect, and the seed of doubt had been planted in Alex’s mind.

All that she needed now was to nurture those seeds until they blossomed into full-blown paranoia and heartache.

It wasn’t any less than the cheating bastard deserved.