“So, that’s how you’re going to play it?”
No. No please God no! Of all the people to have walked into that cubicle, my cubicle, at this time, on this night, you had to send your nemesis, the devil incarnate? WTF? Twice in one night?
I pivot on my heel with exquisite slowness, and plaster that fake smile across my face once again. “Sorry, did you say something, Toni?”
“You heard. You know that you can’t keep Sebastian, so you’re trying to trick him by getting pregnant or pretending to be, which one is it?” Her badly fake-tanned palm hides the test window from me but she’s happy to wave it in the air to emphasis her point.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
“Of course you do, Luchheea- its what women have done since the middle ages. In fact I’m rather annoyed I didn’t think of it first. God knows, I’ve done it before with other men.”
You’d have to sleep with him first you silly woman.
I retract my lipstick from my purse and apply an unnecessary coat of moisture rich red, watching her in the mirror. “What are you blabbering about, Toni?”
If she could just move her pinky finger a smidgen I’d be able to read the result and put my mind at rest - it’s been over three minutes now - surely that would be enough time to have a true reading?
“We’ll if this isn't yours, you won’t be needing it will you?“ She glances at the test with narrowed eyes and then throws it in the direction of the small swing bin, scoring perfectly - just my luck it appears tonight. “It’s negative anyway, so you’ll have to come up with a better way to snare him.”
It’s negative. It’s negative - that’s all I can hear and I can’t tell whether I’m thrilled or devastated. I’m not carrying Sebastian’s baby. It’s much easier this way but somehow now I feel so much emptier.
I can hear her chelping away in the background, nastily buzzing around like a wasp, ready to sting at at any moment and I decide enough is enough. “Have you made it your mission tonight to follow my every move Toni? It appears that every time I enter the Ladies, you are two steps behind - then again that seems to be your mantra. I suggest that you find a new muse as this one is just not interested.”
She finished washing her hands and primping herself in the mirror before smugly looking back at me directly. “Lucia, I feel sorry for you. You are becoming quite desperate. Enjoy your fun whilst you can, as before long, you’ll be back to boring old Bodley and being mumsy again. Sebastian will get tired of you soon - he’ll be onto the next challenge. You’re only a challenge as long as he’s chasing you. Once you’ve been fucked in every which way, he’ll be ready to dip that monstrous wick of his in a new pot of honey and mine is exceptionally runny.”
Ugggjhh! She really is disgusting and with such a high opinion of herself. I’m wasting my breath even defending my honour and to be honest, I know that she gets off on my attempts, so I remain quiet.
“No sharp retaliation, now you haven’t any friends to fight your corner?”
“I’m just not interested, Toni.” I return to the mirror where I begin to reapply my eyeliner.
“No, you just know I’m right bitch. You watch your back, I’m on to you.”
Her clatter of heels on the tiles is a warm relief and I sink against the console unit and exhale the breath I’d unknowingly been holding. Thank fuck for that. God, I hope she doesn’t tell Sebastian. I most certainly wasn’t about to mention this, not now it was negative.
I run to the swing bin and rummage amongst the paper towels, before locating the small white plastic test. I then shove it inside my purse, without a second thought. Grabbing the drugstore carrier bag, that thankfully Toni’s shrewd eyes hadn’t located, I head out towards the lift, to place the offending articles in my room. The sooner they were in my day bag and away from prying eyes, the better.
“Where have you been, hun? Seb’s been looking all over for you?” Abby meets me halfway back into the ballroom.
“I bumped into Toni in the loo’s… again.”
“Are you OK - I knew I should have come with you - has that cow-bag got eyes on you or something?”
I smile at her immediate defensive mechanism going into overdrive “I’m good - honestly. She’s just a nutter. Where’s Sebastian now?”
“Right here, baby.”
I spin and feel his arms enfold me, warm and strong and just what I need at that moment and I relax into his body. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
His sexy smile makes me want to kiss him into oblivion and I feel my body reacting to his touch immediately; the tell-tale thrum begins to heat between my thighs and shivers run down my back and I ache to have him lift my dress and bury himself inside me, right here and now. Last night had felt so illicit at the Barracuda club I am finding it hard to switch back to being on my best behaviour.