Page 28 of Nobody's Girl

Fergus started to read the business plan. “Sounds well thought out.”

“It is,” she said, “There’s a whole culture that isn’t being exploited.”

Her father looked up at her. “Young professionals with disposable income in New York? Isn’t that who every club is aimed at?”

Tamara gave her father a chilly smile. “Not this exclusive. I want to move into attracting only the very elite, the very…discreet.”

“What kind of club is this, Tamara?”

Her mouth hitched up. “Somewhere people can meet and, let’s just say, enjoy each other without judgement.”

Fergus glared at her. “A sex club?”

“Nothing so crass, Father, more like somewhere people looking for a high-class hook-up can meet. The club is just a club. A safe space for the elite, if you like.” How easily the lies rolled off her tongue.

Fergus sighed. “Whatever.” Tamara saw him glance back at the magazine clipping. She had to admit: her hated ex-step-sister looked beautiful. And now she was going to be a big star in the art world. Tamara studied her father. It wouldn’t hurt to soften him up, stop him asking too many questions.

“If you want to contact Sofia, just do it.”

Fergus looked at her askance. “Did you hit your head in the last few minutes?”

Tamara shrugged. “If it makes you happy to see her, what do I care? It looks like she’s pretty entrenched in Paris so she may not be as easy to persuade to come home as you think.”

Fergus’s eyes darkened and he looked away from her. “We’ll see.”

Tamara wanted to get out of the cub now. “So, you’ll sign the papers?”

“What? Oh, yeah. Go, open your club. I am glad you’ve finally found something, Tam. I’m sorry if I seem a little distracted.”

He really was almost out of it, Tamara thought as she kissed his cheek. “Love you, Daddy.”

“Love you too, sweetie.”

As she drove away, back to the city, Tamara should have been thinking of her new club, so much more than what she’d described to her father. It would be the most debauched club in the city if she had her way, and behind the scenes, she and Grant could play their blood games. She did consider her club, but now she was thinking of someone who she would absolutely love to take there. Someone who she wanted to destroy, corrupt and finally, kill. The one person she hated, the one person who knew her darkest secret.

Sofia.

Chapter Eleven

They had been back in Paris for a week and the grand opening of the La Galerie Desiree was less than twelve hours away. Sofia glanced at her watch. Actually, eleven hours and forty-three minutes. She felt nauseous. At the last minute, an artist had pulled two canvases from the opening, and Desiree had commissioned two abstract pieces from Sofia. Working furiously, she had got them done but now was having trouble deciding how to hang them. Desiree had moved her pieces from the relatively low-key alcove area to a more prominent position and Sofia felt overwhelmed.

She stepped back and studied her work. The two abstracts, wild blocks of color, clashing and vibrant, were some of her best work, she knew, but she still loved the painting of Ivo best. She’d finally managed to capture the essence of him. Her lover. The man who was in love with her. She couldn’t believe it, somehow.

She forced herself to make the decision to say she was done, that her exhibit was ready, and went home to Desiree’s apartment. Desiree was out, working through an exhausting schedule of pre-opening interviews. Sofia thought about Elli’s profile – Elli had kept her word, the profile was sleek, an introduction without prying too deeply into Sofia’s personal life. At her request, there was no mention of her relationship with Ivo – both of them knew that he being the son of movie stars, interest would be high and neither wanted to navigate that just yet.

They had talked about moving in together. Ivo told her he was looking at apartments in Paris, had asked her to go with him after the opening, when she wasn’t so busy.

“Although, I anticipate your door will be beaten down by gallery owners worldwide,” he added with a smile and she kissed him.

“You’re biased.”