Page 86 of The Wedding

“Hold still.” Cotton touched Jamie’s face. Whenever Eve moved it away, it became covered in more blood. Jamie’s blood. Ho, boy. “Let me get this cleaned up and see what we’re dealing with.Tch. I played soccer in high school and undergrad. You think I don’t know broken noses? Or how to take care of them?”

“I didn’t say anything…”

“Blood everywhere in soccer,” Eve continued to mutter as she dabbed Jamie’s face. “Skinned knees… bruised tail bones. Nobody gets out of it without a scar or two. See?” She pulled her leg up and pointed to a white line on one of her long limbs. “Sophomore year of high school. Some bitch shoved me so hard my father nearly sued the pants offherfather.”

Jamie didn’t speak.How the hell do I respond to that?She didn’t know anything about anyone suing anyone else anywhere.

“Sheesh, Kathleen sure fucked you in the face.” Eve laughed as she put some alcohol on a piece of gauze. “You’d think she was out to get you.”

There went Jamie’s gut. “What’s going on with her? She’s always so angry… lately.” To be fair, Kathleen always looked angry. Or unamused. Or bewildered that someone was talking to her. Did she realize she had a permanent bitch face? Or was she so rich and privileged that nobody stood a chance with her attitude? How did she get such a laid-back partner?Are they into stone-cold women?Probably. Kathleen was a known Domme – well, switch, Jamie supposed. She didn’t really keep up with the sexual identities of her fiancée’s fellow rich people.

“She’s not angry,” Eve said brusquely. The alcohol stung against Jamie’s skin, but she braved it, sucking in her breath as opposed to squealing like a pig. “She’s stressed out.”

“Oh. Why?” Anything was better than thinking about the dull ache on Jamie’s face.

Yet when Eve leveled a hard gaze at her, Jamie regretted asking anything. “Not that it’s any business of yours,” she began, tossing the bloody tissues into the trash, “but she’s running herself ragged with this charity she’s trying to start up. Nobody will help her since they’re all busy with their bullshit, or so they say. I mean, I’m not much better, right? I barely have time to come to the gym and work out.”

Jamie nodded. “Try planning a wedding.”

“Yeah, well, thanks to you I’m going to a wedding every month the first half of this year, and I hate weddings, so yours better be fucking brilliant.”

“I’m trying.”

“Good.” Eve sat back and admired her handiwork. “Your nose isn’t broken. It might bleed a little, but it’s not broken. Gonna hurt like hell for afew days, though. Oh, well, if anyone asks, tell them I smacked you. People expect me to be too gruff for my own good.”

“I guess.” Jamie was still hung up on the other thing. “Are you sure she’s not mad at me? I always feel like she resents my presence.”

“Dearie, she resents everyone’s presence. Even mine.”

“Really?”

“Sure looks it. You get used to it, though. She always has heavy shit on her mind. Leave her alone and she’ll leave you alone. Like a cougar. I think.”

“It’s… well, at the engagement party… her partner…”

“Her girlfriend is a dumbass and they get their jollies off making each other jealous. Except neither of them gets jealous.”

“They were…”

“That? She doesn’t care about that. Trust me. Kathleen’s probably forgotten already.”

“Really?”

Eve straddled the bench Jamie sat on and looked her in the eye.Whoa.She has a heavy glare.Speaking of bitch faces… “Unless she tells you – and me – otherwise, Kathleen doesn’t have anything against you. You gave her that damned cat, for fuck’s sake.”

“That’s true.”

“Honestly, she likes you more than most of the other women in our circles. She doesn’t hang out with a lot of people. It’s mostly me, her girlfriend, and their parents. She’s overworked and jaded. If you’ve never been invited to one of her parties, it’s because she doesn’t host any. If she does, then I haven’t been invited either… and I would crash that shit, anyway.”

Jamie wanted to snort, but her nose hurt too much. “Good to know. Thanks. I guess I worry too much about keeping people happy.”

Eve held her gaze for more than a few seconds but didn’t say anything. What was she thinking? That it was hopeless for Jamie,who came from fucked up stock? Or that rich women worried about the same things? What perspective did a woman like Eve Warner even have?I know she’s not popular with most of the rich snobs either, but they kiss her ass when she’s around because of her family.Jamie didn’t have that buffer. Eve, for all the “faults” that made snobs hate her, was still a type of royalty that left her untouchable. And undateable, if Jamie were to believe certain rumors.

“She’s also kinda pissed that some woman who just moved here might take her title of richest girl around.”

“You mean Adele Thompson?”

“Who else?” Eve shrugged. “It’s irrational, but Kathleen’s worth a billion fucking dollars. Adele’s merger with your fiancée’s company has made her filthier in Richtown. Speaking of her, though, are you going to her office anytime soon?”