AVERY
The party is at one of the cityâs most exclusive venues. I canât help but marvel at the sparkling crystal chandeliers overhead as we traverse the gleaming marble floor.
We pass through a pair of grand double doors that open into a ballroom. Every table is adorned with a floral centerpiece, each one a riot of color and variety.
âWow,â I breathe, taking in the opulence surrounding me.
Iâve never been to a place this extravagant before. This feels like something out of a dream.
âYeah, itâs quite the place.â Reed grins, guiding me down the aisle of tables with a hand on my lower back.
âItâs something, all right,â I laugh, spinning around to take in the grandeur. âRemind me what you do again?â
He chuckles in response. âI train young fighters mostly, but I also work a couple days a week at a marketing firm. I used to work there full-time. This is their gala.â
âIs that something you enjoy?â I ask.
âWell, not particularly, but Iâm good at it and it helped me pay for my MMA training back in the day.â He shrugs. âLetâs go meet some of my coworkers.â
We approach a group of people who greet Reed warmly.
âEverett, didnât think youâd make it this year,â a man in a sharp, navy suit with blond hair says before turning his attention to me. âAnd who is this delightful lady?â
âAnd where have you been hiding her?â adds a woman with stunning, red hair twisted into an elegant bun.
She flashes a dazzling smile my way. Her dress is gold, shimmering like a waterfall down her slender frame.
~Is this her? Reedâs dream girl?~ ~Sheâs beautiful, much more attractive than me, and she carries herself with a grace that could balance out Reedâs rough edges.~
Reed laughs. âHey, Beth. Blake. This is Avery.â
He introduces them as I pay close attention to his interactions with Beth, the stunning redhead, looking for any signs of attraction between them, but I see nothing unusual. They seem like theyâre just friends.
A man with shoulder-length, brown hair approaches me, his gray eyes lighting up with interest.
âHey, Reed. Mind if I ask your friend to dance?â
I feel Reedâs hand tighten in mine. âI do. Sheâs here with me, Nick.â
My pulse quickens at the possessive tone to his voice.
Nick frowns at him. âShe can speak for herself, canât she?â
âI can,â I interject. âAnd Iâm not interested.â
Reed laughs heartily and shrugs. âYou heard the lady.â
Nick slumps off as the four of us settle at a table where another brown-haired man named Harrison is drinking rum and coke. Blake, Harrison, and Beth are warm and welcoming.
I learn that Blake and Beth are married with a newborn girl named Sophia, which puts to rest my earlier assumption about her being Reedâs mystery woman. I also find out that Harrison is married, but in the midst of a messy divorce.
âYeah. So, take my advice. If you ever feel like getting married, donât. Just donât fucking do it,â Harrison rambles after his second rum and coke.
The conversation at the table continues and I try to engage, but I keep noticing the rest of the women in the room.
A gorgeous blonde in a purple velvet dress walks by, staring at our table.
~Could she be the one?~
A brunette with sultry curls in a cream satin dress stops by for a word with Reed, placing her hand on his arm.
~Is she the one whoâs captured Reedâs heart?~
A fiery redhead in a striking red gown gives Reed a fleeting glance as she waltzes past with another guy.
~Is she the mystery girl?~ ~Ugh! It shouldnât matter this much. I shouldnât care about what she looks like or who she is.~
But I do. I canât help it. I want to know what color her hair and eyes are. I want to know what she wears to events like this. I want to know what her name is, and if sheâs funny or bold or shy.
I want to know everything about her because if I know all these things, maybe I can figure out why Reed is crazy about her.
~Enough, Avery. Youâre going to drive yourself insane.~
Feeling deflated, I excuse myself from the table to find the bathroom. Reed stands to show me the way, but I decline.
âItâs okay, I can find it.â
I eventually do, but it takes a while. Once inside, I lock myself in a stall and pull out my phone to text Olive.
Avery
I donât know why I thought this was a good idea.
She responds almost instantly.
Olive
Relax. Breathe. Now whatâs wrong?
Avery
I shouldnât have come here, thatâs whatâs wrong.
Olive
Did something happen?
Olive
Avery, do I need to come over there and kick Reedâs ass?
Avery
Reedâs not the problem. Heâs been nothing but wonderful⦠It's me. I canât seem to escape my own thoughts.
Olive
Itâs about the other girl, isnât it? Youâve seen her, havenât you?
Avery
No! I havenât, or at least I donât think I have. Reed hasnât given me any reason to believe sheâs around.
Olive
But youâre constantly wondering if every girl you see could be her.
Avery
Yes. Thatâs pathetic, isnât it? I know itâs pathetic.
Olive
No, itâs not. Youâre just curious, Avery. Thereâs nothing wrong with that.
Avery
But I donât have the right to be curious.
Olive
Of course, you do. This thing with Reed is the most daring thing youâve ever done, and itâs okay to feel lost. Do you think he knows what heâs doing all the time? I can assure you he doesnât. Heâs just as lost as you are. The only difference is that heâs better at hiding it.
~Iâd never considered that before. Could Olive be right? Could Reed be just as lost and confused as I am?~
Feeling a bit better about the situation, I take a deep breath, exhaling all the negative thoughts that are clouding my mind, and ready myself to rejoin the party and face Reed again.
Avery
Okay, that makes sense. Thank you, Olive. I love you so much. Youâre always saving me from myself.
Olive
Happy to help, beautiful. Now, go out there and own this nightâor else Iâm coming over there to kick your ass.
Chuckling to myself, I put my phone back in my clutch and head to the sink to wash my hands. As Iâm rinsing, the door swings open and a woman walks in.
âHello,â she greets with a friendly smile, pausing to check her reflection in the mirror next to me.
Iâm admiring her dress of gold-and-navy tulle when I look back up. Her eyes flick to mine in the mirror and I instantly know itâs her. Reedâs mystery girl.