Love's Masquerade Page 10

  “Yes, but...” Auden frowned. “I know I love you, and I’ve never...well...”

  “Wanted to jump my bones?” Gayle offered helpfully.

  “Uh, right.”

  Gayle laughed. “Maybe I’m just not your type.”

  “How would I know?”

  “You’ll know when someone makes you feel what you need to feel.” Gayle gave Auden’s shoulder a little nudge. “Like the things that turn you on in your homework.”

  “You of all people know that fiction is far from real life.” Auden stood, shook her head, and smiled ruefully. “I think what I need is to concentrate a little more on real life and accept that fiction is just that. A fantasy.” She held out her hand, pulled Gayle to her feet, and gestured with her chin toward the door. “Come on, finish getting dressed and let’s go to the party.”

  “Yeah,” Gayle said as she went to her dresser. “I want to get a look at the woman who’s turned your head. You will see that I meet her, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Excellent.” Gayle dabbed a touch of scent behind her ear. “I can’t wait.”

  Auden didn’t reply, but the idea of Gayle anywhere near Hays bothered her unaccountably. Yet another new sensation she wasn’t certain how to explain.

  *

  When Auden and Gayle stepped out onto the small marble stoop, both of them murmured in dismay at the rapid accumulation of snow on the streets and sidewalk.

  “I feel like I should carry you to the cab,” Gayle quipped. “You’re not going to make it in those heels.”

  “What we won’t sacrifice for fashion,” Auden said with a sigh as she followed in the depressions made by Gayle’s dress shoes through the snow to the cab that idled, double-parked, in front of their building.

  Settled inside, Gayle gave the driver their destination and asked, “How are the roads?”

  “Terrible, and getting worse,” came the gloomy reply. “Radio says this is going to keep up all night. This city goes to hell with less snow than this.”

  “Thank God I’m not on call tomorrow.” Gayle leaned back in the seat next to Auden. “It’s going to be a bitch getting anywhere if this keeps up.”

  “I hope we’ll be able to get home,” Auden replied, glancing out the window. The city already seemed eerily deserted. There were no pedestrians and very few vehicles moving in the snow-covered streets.

  “Well, at least we’ll have four-star accommodations if we can’t.”

  “There is that,” Auden agreed.

  The trip should have taken ten minutes even at rush hour, but it took nearly forty. The cabbie had to detour down several side streets to avoid cars stuck in the snow or to make room for emergency vehicles working to clear the drifts. When they reached the Four Seasons on Logan Square, it was almost nine p.m.

  “Thanks,” Auden said as she leaned forward to pay the driver.

  “I’d promise to come back for you ladies,” the cute young woman in the Phillies baseball cap said, “but I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it.” She winked. “And I hate to disappoint a lady.”

  Auden searched for an appropriate comeback but couldn’t think of one. She simply smiled and said, “I’m sure you never do.”

  Beside her, Gayle moaned, “I hope they have food left. I’m starving.”

  “I have a feeling there’ll be plenty,” Auden replied as she exited the cab and watched it move carefully off down the street. She turned and took Gayle’s arm to steady herself as they crossed the slippery, snow-covered sidewalk. “With this weather, I’d be surprised if everyone who sent an RSVP actually shows up.”

  They checked the bulletin board in the lobby, verified that the gathering was in the Independence Hall banquet room on the second floor, and rode the escalator upstairs. Upon entering the large room lit by a number of chandeliers in the high vaulted ceiling, Auden was surprised to see the number of people present. Somehow, she had expected a small, intimate business gathering. Instead, there were close to seventy-five people present, a preponderance of women, most in stylish evening clothes. A jazz combo played in one corner.

  She recognized almost no one and cast about, searching for a familiar face. She saw Abel Pritchard in conversation with one of the women she had interviewed for the position as her assistant, but she couldn’t find Hays anywhere.

  Next to her, Gayle stood gracefully, surveying the crowd. “Where’s the woman in question?”

  “I don’t see her,” Auden said worriedly. Maybe Hays is ill. She seemed herself this afternoon, but she did miss the last few days at the office.

  “There are a lot of good-looking women here tonight,” Gayle noted with approval. “This should be fun.”

  Auden laughed; Gayle’s enthusiasm was always contagious. At that moment, someone called her name, and she and Gayle turned in the direction of the voice. An attractive, athletic-appearing blond with sparkling blue eyes approached, smiling brilliantly.

  “Auden! I’m so glad you made it. I was starting to worry.”

  “Liz, hello,” Auden said, pulling Gayle forward with a hand in hers. “Gayle, this is Liz Nixon. She ran WomenWords and hopefully will be our new head of marketing.”

  Liz cocked her head, grinning. “Is that a job offer?”

  Auden lifted a shoulder. “Let’s say it’s not quite official but very close to a done deal.”

  “Just tell me when and where to sign,” Liz replied. Then she turned her attention to Gayle, her eyes sweeping from Gayle’s striking profile down her tight, compact body. Then she extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure.”

  “Likewise.” Gayle took the offered hand and squeezed firmly, noting that the other woman held the handshake just a moment longer than was probably necessary. Well, here’s a lesbian for sure. And she’s a knockout.

  “Will you promise to forgive me if I talk business with Auden for just one minute?”

  “No problem at all.” Gayle leaned close to Auden and murmured, “I’m going to find a waiter. I’ll bring you back the fruit of my hunt.”

  “Thanks.” Auden squeezed her friend’s forearm gently. “I’d really appreciate it.”

  As Gayle moved away, Liz followed with her eyes for an instant, then turned back to Auden. “Girlfriend?”

  “Friend,” Auden said gently.

  “Hmm,” was all that Liz replied.

  *

  From across the room where she was leaning against a pillar and watching the activities, Hays saw Auden and a striking tuxedo-clad woman enter. Her heart leapt at the first sight of Auden, who looked beautiful in an off-the-shoulder black silk dress that subtly draped her figure, accentuating her graceful curves. Auden’s companion was cover-model perfect, and she appeared to relate to Auden with the casual comfort of long acquaintance. They made a gorgeous couple. Hays could look nowhere else, noting the small intimate gestures between the two and the way that the woman in the tux leaned into Auden when she spoke close to her ear. Every touch was painful for Hays to observe.

  Eventually, she forced herself to look elsewhere and noted the approach of another woman she had been observing from a distance for the last hour. Tall, close to her own height, but more heavily built and ruggedly good-looking, the brown-haired woman approached her with a directness that spoke of utter confidence. When she was within conversational distance, the newcomer extended her hand to Hays.

  “Thane Cutlass, Ms. Palmer. One of your new acquisitions.”

  Hays knew who she was because Thane always put a recent picture on the back cover of her books. She also made frequent public appearances and was a very visible personality in the small lesbian romance-writers community. Hays took her hand. “Haydon Palmer, Thane. Most people call me Hays.”

  “Thanks. This is a nice shindig.”

  “I’m happy to see that the snow didn’t keep you away.”

  Thane shrugged. “I live in Wilmington, practically your backyard. I came up last night, before the storm really got going.”

  “Palmer Publis
hing has booked rooms here. You’ll want to stay tonight, our compliments.”

  “I won’t pass up that offer,” Thane said with a wide grin. “It will give me more of a chance to make some connections. I’ve already talked to several reviewers and scheduled a signing at Giovanni’s Room.”

  “Glad to hear it. I had hoped that, in addition to all of us getting acquainted, this gathering would provide some networking opportunities for the authors.”

  “It’s working.” Thane nodded approvingly. “I haven’t yet met Auden Frost, the new director, but I’m looking forward to it. Is she here?”

  Hays indicated Auden across the room. “She’s talking to Liz Nixon. You know Liz, of course.”

  “Oh yeah. Liz and I go back a ways.” There was an unmistakable note of familiarity in her tone. “She’s quite a writer in her own stead, you know, but she decided that she prefers business ventures to fictional adventures.”

  Hays laughed. Thane was every bit as vigorous and direct as Hays had imagined she would be from their e-mail association. In time, probably not long hence, she would need to tell her about Rune. But this was not the place or time.

  “So,” Thane said appreciatively, “Auden Frost is the blond?”

  “Yes.” Hays watched Thane study Auden, saw the way her eyes moved slowly over Auden’s face, then drifted down her body. She saw the appreciation flare in Thane’s dark brown eyes. Is everyone here tonight going to be attracted to Auden? Well, even if that’s true, it has nothing to do with me.

  Abruptly, Thane turned her attention back to Hays. “It was nice meeting you, Hays. I hope that we will be very happy with each other for a long time.”

  “I have a feeling that we will be.”

  Watching Thane walk away, Hays recalled the last vignette Thane had sent her—the heat and the lust in the passionate images. Hays wondered, too, if the sensual scenes Thane wrote were a product of her imagination, or her experience. She had a feeling that Thane Cutlass would be an inventive and adventurous lover. That idea bothered her quite a bit as she followed Thane's unerring course directly toward Auden.

  Chapter Ten

  Auden’s attention drifted from Liz, who was telling her about an upcoming writers’ convention, as she sensed a feather-light touch on her skin. There was no one nearby, but her gaze was drawn across the room to where Hays leaned with a shoulder against an enormous marble pillar—in the crowd, but not part of it. Even from a distance, she was singularly striking. Her black hair was untamed and her pale complexion as flawless and still as the stone at her back. Her dark suit cast her figure in stark relief against the alabaster column. Auden’s lips parted in a soundless murmur as their eyes met. A smile twitched at the corner of Hays’s mouth and was just as quickly gone. Auden took one step forward, and then, as so often happens in dreams, Hays had vanished.

  “Auden?”

  Liz’s voice beckoned, and Auden, struggling with the lingering sense of unreality, brought her mind back to the blond at her side. “I’m sorry? Where did you say the convention would be held?”

  “The next big one’s in Manhattan in a few weeks. All the major publishers and most of the popular authors will be in attendance. I think it’s essential that Destiny have a presence there.”

  “I agree. We’ll need to start putting something together next week.” Auden’s eyes flickered back to the spot were Hays had stood. Where is she? Could I have just imagined her there?

  “Here you go,” Gayle said as she rejoined them, handing Auden a champagne flute filled with the golden wine along with a small plate of assorted bite-sized delicacies.

  “Thanks,” Auden replied, smiling at Gayle. She sipped the champagne and held the plate out in Liz’s direction. “Help yourself.”

  “I’ve had my fill already. Thanks.” Liz turned her attention to Gayle. “Are you a fellow writer?”

  “No. Just a rabid fan.”

  “Ah, even better.”

  “I thought WomenWords had some of the best authors around,” Gayle remarked. “I’d kill for a few autographs.”

  “Oh, we can’t have you committing a felony.” Liz laughed. “I’ll see if I can help you avoid arrest.”

  Gayle grinned. “Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

  “Anyone in particular you’d like me to rustle up for you?”

  “Well, just about any of them—Stevenson, Elliot, Cutlass, Dyre...”

  “Margo Elliot is here tonight, and Thane. You can forget Rune, though. She never makes public appearances.”

  Auden’s curiosity was immediately piqued. “Never?”

  “Not as long as I’ve known her.” Liz looked past Gayle into the crowd and smiled—a slow, fond smile. “Well, here’s one of the infamous crew now.”

  “Ms. Frost?”

  Auden turned at the sound of the deep alto voice and found herself looking into eyes the color of rich, fertile earth. Charmingly tousled dark brown wavy hair, a rakishly arched brow, and a smile to light the darkest night completed the attractive visage. “Yes?”

  The full, sensuous lips curved seductively. "Thane Cutlass."

  “Hello,” Auden said, pleased. She balanced the small plate along with the champagne flute in her left hand and extended her right. “I’m delighted to meet you.”

  “Believe me, the pleasure’s mine.” Thane smoothly enfolded Auden’s fingers in her palm.

  Thane’s handshake made Auden’s skin tingle. Embarrassed, she pulled her hand back as soon as she could without appearing too obvious. “I’m so happy you could be here.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.” Thane tipped her head in Liz’s direction. “Hello, Liz.”

  Liz moved closer, lifted her face, and kissed Thane fully on the lips. Drawing back, she murmured, “Hello, Thane.”

  Witnessing that greeting, Auden recognized that the women were more than friends. Or at least, they had been once. When Liz and Thane moved apart, Auden continued the introductions. “Thane, this is my friend, Gayle.”

  “Gayle,” Thane said softly, extending her hand with another penetrating smile.

  “A pleasure to meet you,” Gayle replied in a tone of voice that Auden had rarely heard. She sounded the way Auden imagined a great jungle cat would sound if it could purr a greeting.

  “I promised Gayle an autograph,” Liz explained.

  “Of course.” Thane hadn’t taken her eyes from Gayle’s.

  “Unfortunately,” Gayle replied, “I don’t have pockets big enough to carry a copy of Hungry Kisses, but—”

  “Ah, have no fear,” Thane said lightly. “I never leave home without a few copies.”

  “Oh God,” Liz interjected with a snort, “don’t tell me they’re upstairs with your etchings.”

  “No, actually there’s a signing table across the room with some of our titles.” Thane managed to look affronted, but she was grinning. “I’d be happy to inscribe one for you, Gayle.”

  “Wonderful.”

  For the next few minutes, the four women spoke companionably of the event, new releases, and Destiny’s imminent launch. After a polite interval, Auden turned to Gayle and inquired quietly, “Will you be all right for a few minutes here?”

  "Go ahead." Gayle gave her a little push, watching Thane intently. "Don’t worry about me, Aud. I’m sure I’ll find something, or someone, to occupy my time."

  *

  Auden worked her way through the crowd, skirting groups of people who were drinking and chatting, heading for the point where she had last seen Hays. Several times along the way, she stopped to greet individuals she recognized from Palmer. When she finally reached her destination, Hays was nowhere to be found. Another familiar face, however, was nearby.

  “Good evening, Mr. Pritchard,” Auden said with a smile.

  The militarily erect man inclined his head infinitesimally in her direction. “Ms. Frost.”

  She had come to recognize the distant expression and dismissive tone of voice as Pritchard’s modus operandi and took no offense at his cool wel
come. “From what I can see, this launch party is a great success. So far, I’ve talked to about half of Destiny’s new authors plus any number of retailers and representatives from the media. Destiny won’t be an unknown quantity when our first books are released.”

  “It does seem to be going well.” He met her gaze squarely. “How are you doing in terms of filling the positions in your division?”

  “Alana has been a great help in setting up interviews. I’ve met with a number of people in the last several days.” She thought he had placed just a little too much emphasis on the term your but didn’t intend to be baited into a power struggle. She was the division head, and that’s how she intended to proceed. “I’ll have a list of my choices to you by noon on Monday.”

  For the briefest instant, he looked surprised. “That was fast.”

  Auden shrugged. “Hays isn’t the only one who’s efficient.”

  “Apparently.”

  “Is she still here?” Auden tilted her head, still meeting his very direct stare. “I saw her earlier.”

  “I wouldn’t know.” For the first time he looked away, then, as if catching himself, quickly back. “It’s usually her habit to put in an appearance at affairs such as this and then slip away as soon as possible. She has a great deal of work to do.”

  “Yes, I know.” Auden heard just a hint of warning in his voice, as was so often the case when Hays was the subject. He was protecting her, or isolating her, but Auden had yet to understand why. Whatever his motives, she didn’t intend to be deterred. If Hays was still there, she wanted to see her.

  “The weather outside is deteriorating rapidly,” Pritchard informed her. “I’m about to make an announcement that we’ve reserved a block of rooms here for anyone who wants to spend the night. I’ve taken the liberty of getting you and your companion a suite.”

  “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” Auden said quickly. “I’m only a cab ride across town from here.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of your residence. However, the mayor has declared a snow emergency and soon only official vehicles will be allowed on the streets.”