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Bedroom Diplomacy(43)

By:Michelle Celmer


Cara gasped. “You found it!”

“I spent the past two hours in my storage unit digging around for it. It was literally in the very last box.”

“Have you looked at it yet?”

“I didn’t have time. I had to run a few boxes to the post office to ship home, then catch a cab here. I’m still all dusty from crawling around in there.”

“Well, then, let’s take a look,” Cara said, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

They opened the book and paged through it until they found the B’s. But as they went down the line of photos, Madeline wasn’t there.

Cara slumped back in her seat, perplexed. “She did exist, right? I mean, we didn’t make her up in our heads.”

“No, she definitely existed.”

Rowena was beginning to wonder if they’d both lost it when Cara bolted upright. “Oh! I know, look after the Z’s. Where they put the names of the people who weren’t photographed.”

They flipped all the way to the end, after Deirdre Zimmerman, and there Madeline Burch was, in the “Not Pictured” list.

“Well, shoot!” Cara sat back in a huff, then suddenly brightened. “Hey, maybe she’s somewhere else in here. Did she play in any sports? Participate in any extracurricular activities? Debate Team? Drama Club?”

“I recall her being a total loner, to the point of being completely antisocial, but it can’t hurt to look.”

They went through the entire book, page by page, carefully skimming for anyone who even remotely resembled Madeline, which was no picnic, considering that every girl pictured was dressed in the same school uniform.

After all that searching, they came up empty. She wasn’t in the yearbook anywhere.

Cara sighed. “Darn it. Looks like you came all this way for nothing.”

No. She was glad she’d come. She and Colin needed this time alone.

“So,” Cara said, and Rowena knew exactly what was coming next. “What’s his name?”

Rowena couldn’t suppress a sappy, lovesick smile. “His name is Colin Middlebury.”

Cara blinked. “Oh. Would that be the Colin Middlebury who has been lobbying a certain senator to support the International Tech Treaty?”

“I didn’t know you knew him.”

“I know of him. I know that he’s an earl and he’s loaded. I also know that you’ve met men like him before. Men who needed Daddy’s help.”

Rowena’s heart sank just a little in her chest. “He’s different,” she said, the protest sounding hollow and pathetic.

“How long have you been seeing him?”

Knowing exactly what Cara would think, she said, “A couple of weeks.”

“So how well could you really know him?”

Cara’s obvious suspicions tanked her warm, fuzzy feelings from last night. “I know what you’re thinking. But it’s not like that. We’re not even a couple. We’re just having some harmless fun.”

“Oh, honey.” Cara reached across the table and grabbed her hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I’m just worried about you. I know you’ve had it rough. I don’t want to see you hurt again.”

“When you meet him, you’ll know he’s different.”

“Is he coming?”

“He should be. He’s in a meeting with my father right now.”

That fact had Cara looking even more suspicious. But Rowena knew she would feel differently if she met him. Not that it mattered what she thought. By the time Rowena saw her again, her fling with Colin would be long over.

Their salads were delivered and they ate in awkward silence for several minutes; then Rowena’s phone chimed that she had a text message. She pulled it from her bag and checked the display. It was from Colin, saying he was held up and wouldn’t make it to the restaurant, but he would see her at the hotel later.

“He can’t make it,” she said, shoving her phone back in her purse, hating that she could be so easily persuaded to doubt him. When it didn’t even matter in the first place. They were having sex. She had no claim on him. They had never, ever agreed that it would be exclusive. For all she knew he could have another woman right here in Washington. Or maybe one in England. Or even two or three.

“Rowena, I’m sorry,” Cara said. “You obviously really like the guy, and I’ve made you feel terrible. What do I know, anyway? I’ve never even met him. I’m sure he’s as wonderful as you say he is.”

Rowena appreciated the apology, but Cara had already burst her bubble.

*

When she returned to the room to find that Colin hadn’t come back yet, Rowena was even more depressed.