Page 56

May Sim.

Just yesterday, he told me he wouldn’t be back for several days.

Is this another twisted game? A lie? A simple omission?

Our eyes remain locked. Despite the clamor surrounding us, I can hear my heart pounding in my temples.

I should pretend not to care, put on a poker face and save what little dignity I have left. But that’s not me. I’m dying to get up, walk over there, give him a few hard truths, and throw his contradictions right back in his face.

Niels waves his hand in front of my face, and I manage to look away for a moment.

“Alma! Is that who I think it is? Is it really him?”

“Yes, it’s him.” My voice alone could kill.

“What’s he doing here? And that woman… Isn’t that the actress you were telling me about? Maya, Mina, Mara?”

“May. Her name is May.”

A familiar ping comes from my phone. A text from Vadim.

[Vadim

I love seeing your bare neck. I dream of trailing my lips along it…]

Excuse me?

I should ignore him, but my fingers are already tapping out a reply. I type without thinking, driven by my rage.

He takes me to the brink… and it turns me on.

He forces me to push past my limits, and it sets me free.

[Alma

I hate seeing you with another woman. It makes me want to throw my drink in your face.]

Across the room, I see him smirk.

[Vadim

I dare you. Come on, throw your

drink at me, and then I’ll be able to kiss you.]

[Alma

I’m warning you: lie to me one more time,

and you’ll lose me.]

This time, when he looks up from his phone, it’s to fix his steel-gray eyes on me. They’re hard. Intense. Bewitching. His actress is speaking to him, trying to get his attention, but he no longer sees her, no longer hears her.

I break eye contact first and turn toward Niels. Engrossed in the wine list, he seems to have already forgotten what’s unfolding.

“I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

Without a glance in the other direction, I cross the room. Once inside the sparkling clean and elegantly decorated women’s restroom, I head to one of the sinks that sit beneath a huge mirror. I splash a little water on my cheeks in an effort to calm myself down.