Her hands are shaking. Why don’t more women’s clothes come with pockets? She should pretend she’s gotten a chill, steal her date’s jacket. That might help, and might excuse her shaking hands a bit, too. Oh, please, oh, no, no, no… She clings tightly to her clutch, hoping to hide the shaking. She tries to ignore his approach.
“Mazie? Mazie… Stengaard, right?”
A litany of swears echo in her head as she turns and offers a tight smile. “It’s been a while… Bradley?”
“Bradley Scott,” he confirms. “University, right?”
Her stomach curdles. “Right.” Where was her date when she needed him…
“I’ve never seen you at one of these before,” Bradley continues. “What are you up to now?” Without waiting for her answer, he continues, “Got up to some wild fun in uni, though, I remember that.”
Of course you do. “I don’t do that anymore,” she says firmly. “I’m… a business owner, now. No time for wild fun.”
“Oh, there’s always time,” he says, sliding closer. She takes a half step back instinctively, curses herself for it. “Especially when you make your own rules.”
Just being around him makes her crave something stronger than the cheap champagne being served. Like vodka. Or morphine. She tosses a glance around for her date, hoping she doesn’t look as desperate for rescue as she feels. No dice. She looks back to Bradley. “Still in the early stages, you know, have to make sure everything’s going as it should be. Want it done right, and all that.” She feels tense enough to snap.
He laughs. “You never struck me as the responsible type, Mazie.”
“Some of us grew up after uni, Bradley,” she spits back.
His chuckles die, but the smile remains. “Maybe so.”