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I shiver, feeling cold all of a sudden. My relationship with Andries had not been public knowledge except for our friends and family, and now that we had broken up in a shameful fashion, it was even more imperative that it didn’t slip out into the public sphere. If it got out that Andries had been dating the head of an escort service…
“I think you’ve got the wrong person,” I say quickly.
“Don’t worry, Ms. Feng, I don’t wish you any ill will.”
The use of my last name sets me on edge even more. “Who are you exactly?”
“Oh, me? I’m Kenneth, a journalist with RTL. I specialize in investigative journalism regarding prominent Dutch families.Maybe you’ve read some of my pieces featuring the Van Dierens?”
I quickly flip through the names that I know, finally making the connection. The Van Dierens were related to the Van Den Bosches, and Andries had briefly mentioned his uncle Alex Van Dieren being in the news lately.
Oh, shit, I think to myself.This is really bad.
“Never heard of them. Goodbye!” I try to slide past Kenneth, but he’s dropped the casual patron act and doesn’t move a centimeter, standing firmly in my way.
“I think you have. Your boyfriend's mother, Julia? Well, before she was Julia Van Den Bosch, she was Julia Van Dieren.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” I insist, but every time I try to sidestep him he gets in my way.
Kenneth has a look in his eyes that reminds me of nothing so much as a shark, his white teeth almost glowing in the dim room. “I have to admit, I’m surprised to see you here! I’d heard Elise and Andries Van Den Bosch were spending the holiday back on the family estate, and I just assumed you’d be there with them. Why aren’t you spending the holiday with your boyfriend, Roxanne?”
I’m well and truly sick of men tonight, and my anger drives me to shove Kenneth out of the way with both hands. He’s shocked by the physicality of it, and actually moves, but as I weave through the crowd, he’s right behind me, peppering me with questions loudly enough that I have to stop and shut him up. He’s nearly yelling these questions about Andries and me, and I see more than a few other guests turning to see what the commotion is.
“Shut the fuck up,” I hiss, but he’s relentless.
“Who are you here with, Roxanne, if not Andries? Could it be a business venture? Or if you don’t feel like answering that question, maybe you could tell me why that older man wasyelling your name when you came out of the VIP lounge. He seemed pretty distressed, almost as if—”
“Is there a problem here?” A shadow appears beside Kenneth, and I could almost fall to the floor with relief when I see it’s Charlie, maybe my only ally in this place that doesn’t have some sort of agenda.
“No problem, sir,” Kenneth replies, falling right back into that young, unsure persona he had worn to catch me off guard, but Charlie isn’t falling for it. He must have seen more of the interaction between Kenneth and I than I thought.
Charlie looks him up and down, raising a steel-gray eyebrow. “This party is invite only. I don’t recognize you, which means you aren’t on my guest list. Who are you, exactly?”
“Just a plus one,” Kenneth says with a self-conscious laugh. “But you just caught me on my way out.” He turns his attention back to me, holding out a thick, cream-colored business card that he seems to pull from nowhere, and hands it to me. “It was lovely to meet you, Roxanne. If you have fun stories you want to tell, you can always shoot me an email.” His eyes narrow, predatory. “My paper pays quite well.”
I’d like to shove the business card down his throat, but like a thief in the night, he disappears into the crowd before I can get a word in edgewise. Charlie is still standing with me while I slip the card into my clutch, knowing that I might need it for information later. At least to see who this Kenneth person is.
Charlie looks concerned as he grabs my shoulders to look me over, turning me this way and that like a marionette. “Are you okay? I feel horrible that some slimy journalist was able to bother you here.”
I wave him off me, but his genuine worry is the only warm spot of the past few hours. “I’m fine. Just shook up. You don’t expect strangers to know your whole name, you know? Or your personal business. It scared me a little.”
Charlie’s eyes dart to my clutch. “Do you want me to dispose of that card for you?”
I shake my head, the pieces of my hair that have fallen loose throughout the night brushing against my cheeks. “No, thank you. I’m going to do a little digging of my own.”
He doesn’t look convinced that I’m making the right decision, but thankfully he doesn’t try to prod me into giving him the card. Instead, Charlie just sighs. “Just be careful. Journalists like him publish these sensational articles as a way to get their own fame, and they don’t care if they ruin lives in the process. It seems like he already knows enough to be dangerous, so just watch yourself.”
“I will, I swear.” In an impulsive move, I hug him quickly, feeling like I’m eighteen again with the world against me. “Thank you.”
Unlike Karl, Charlie is happy to let me go, and escorts me personally to the exit.
Finally free of the New Year’s Eve party of many problems, I suck in lungfuls of chilly night air not tainted with smoke, sweat, or the stench of alcohol, before hailing a cab. Alone in the backseat, I pull my phone out and toy with the idea of calling Andries again. Wanting to avoid the inevitable sadness that comes every time he sends me to voicemail, I decide against it, but I can’t help sending a quick heart emoji along with the simple message,I miss you.
The shower I had been dreaming of is calling me as soon as I walk in the door, so I kick off my heels, pulling the dress over my head as I walk straight to the bathroom, my panties following not far behind. Under the scalding water, I wash away the sweatand scents of the night, along with the product from my hair, before scrubbing myself head to toe with my favorite sugar scrub.
I feel better afterwards, my limbs loose and heavy, but my mind is still buzzing from the last interaction of the night: Kenneth.
As much as I want to crawl between my sheets and try to get some rest, I think I need to do a little investigating first.
