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He wore a quizzical, I’m-not-amused expression. Like I cared. What reason did he have for that look of censure? I was the one being led on, the one being kissed, then dismissed, and on top of that, having to take lessons from the goddess girlfriend.
“I’ll pick you up at about eight-thirty.”
“No.”
“No?” One dark eyebrow shot up as he pushed into my space.
I don’t think so, Mr. Hotness.I backed to the door.
“Mindy and I were supposed to have a girls’ night tonight, so I’ll have her with me.”
“That’s not a problem. I’ll pick you both up.”
“No, Jude. Listen, Tartarus is only a ten-minute drive. If you really think me completely incapable of making that short jump without your constant guardianship, then, by all means, follow us, but I’m drivingmycar withmybest friend.”
I sounded snippy and petulant. I didn’t care. I needed space. Badly. He must’ve seen something in my eyes, because he stepped away from me.
“Fine. Nine o’clock sharp. Don’t be late,” he commanded, low and menacing.
I opened and closed the door in his face just about as fast as I’d done to Malcolm the night before. I doubt that had ever happened to him. Ha!
I stormed into my room and tossed my net-o-daggers on the table.
“Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod!”
A little blonde cannonball launched into my room and knocked me to the bed in a tumble of squealing excitement.
“What, Mindy, what!”
Thankfully, she was laughing, or I would’ve thought something was terribly wrong. She waved a black-and-gold embossed square of cardstock in my face so fast it was a blur.
“What is it?” I asked, still stewing from Jude.
She stood up on the bed, hiding the expensive-looking invitation behind her back. Clearing her throat and straightening her shoulders, she gave me her best British accent, which was horrendous.
“Ms. Drake, you and I shall be shopping for very expensive formal gowns, as we are cordially invited to”—she paused, taking a deep breath, and screaming the last— “the Crescent City Masquerade!”
She squealed again and thrust the invitation in my face, bouncing to sit beside me while I read. I scanned to the date and place—October 31st, Oakwood Plantation.
“What! How did you get this?”
“It so happens that my mom’s boyfriend, Bill, who I thought was pretty worthless up until now, had an extra invitation, which counts for two. So, hello, my lovely date. We’re going to the freaking Crescent City Masquerade!”
This was one of the poshest balls in town outside of the elite Mardi Gras balls. A formal masquerade at a plantation house with full orchestra, the rich and beautiful of old New Orleans glittered of an elegant bygone era. Mindy had shown me pictures of the last time her mom went with a friend a few years ago. Extravagant, lush, and gorgeous.
“Can you believe it, Gen? First, your dad offers the trip to New York, and now this! It’s like we’re blessed or something.”
Blessed? Doubt that. My jailer hadn’t said if I could go to New York yet. Of course, that’s because I hadn’t asked his permission. And now I’d have to ask him to go to this. I wanted to scream.
And though I was the one withholding my thoughts about him and Kat and that bone-melting make-out session that wouldn’t stop replaying in my mind, I couldn’t stop being pissed off. He shouldn’t be coming onto me when he is with someone else, and I needed to make that abundantly clear.
“So, how should we celebrate?” Mindy asked excitedly.
“You know what?” I finally returned her smile, pretending to be thrilled as she was. “Let’s go out to Tartarus.”
Mindy was the one always dragging me out, not the other way around. Tonight, I had a few demons to hunt, and I planned on telling Jude no more touching or kissing. The she-devil inside me whispered that it couldn’t hurt to look my best when I gave him the news.
As tough as I pretended to be, my ego wasn’t unbreakable. And I knew that as much as I wanted Jude, I wouldn’t ever be theother woman. When I gave myself to a man, I wanted to be his only one.
