“Ah, oh well.” A slightly embarrassed laugh touched Tara’s throat. “Hey, I’ll be back soon. I see someone else I need to say hi to. It’s crazy how many people I know here!”
As soon as she took off, Sam sidled up behind Bianca. “Do I want to know what she meant by ‘available’?”
“Do you want to join a lesbian orgy? Because I’d bet the fifty bucks in my purse that’s what’s up.”
Sam waited until Bianca tipped back her champagne glass before saying, “What? You don’t want to join?”
Bianca almost choked on her champagne. “I’m a one-woman gal. Besides, like you’d be into that. You’d get all jealous and drag me out of there by my hair. And I bet lesbian orgies ‘aren’t in your contract.’”
“Let’s pretend I’d be off the clock.”
“Off the clock.” Bianca sighed. “If only…”
Sam studied her face. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. It’s just that tonight is making me wonder what it would be like to have met you normally. You know, when you weren’t working as my bodyguard. We could just date like regular people.”
“It would certainly be simpler.”
“I guess it wouldn’t all be sunshine and roses. I mean, we’d still have to deal with my mom freaking out about me dating a woman.” Bianca glanced toward her mother. She was at the bar now. She’d spent half the evening there. “Maybe I should try talking to her.”
“Now probably isn’t the best time,” Sam offered. “With so many people around, if the conversation gets messy…”
“You’re right.” Bianca shook her head. “It’s funny. While I’m still upset about how she reacted to me coming out to her, I’m also kind of worried about her. She just seems so… defeated. This whole security situation must really be weighing on her, too. I was a lot less worried about it when it was just Mom who was concerned, but now Dad is worried as well. It seems like things are pretty serious…”
“Hey.” Sam glanced around before touching her hand to Bianca’s briefly. “I know this is scary. Just remember, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Bianca smiled. “Like my knight in shining armor.” She peered up at Sam from underneath her eyelashes. “Just do me a favor and don’t take that suit off the moment we get back to my place.”
Sam tugged on her collar. “I’ll stay in this suit if you stay in that dress.”
But before their flirtations could escalate, Sam’s attentions were suddenly turned to her earpiece.
“Sorry,” she said. “I’ve got something to deal with up front. Will you be okay? Trevor is over there. I’ll tell him to keep an eye on you.”
“Sure. I need to sneak off to the ladies’ room, anyway. Don’t worry, I won’t drown in there.”
But Bianca had to admit, she wasn’t used to losing her shadow. Because that’s what Sam had become over the past few weeks—a shadow she could rely on. And, occasionally, sleep with.
The restroom was empty when Bianca entered it. After checking her blood sugar, she took her time at the mirror, fixing her hair and touching up her makeup. She was almost finished when a woman entered, slapping her purse down at the same counter Bianca occupied.
“Oh, hello.” Bianca took in the prim platinum hair and wizened face. Why did the woman look familiar? “Have we met before? I feel like I’ve…”
But when she smiled at Bianca, a tube of lipstick in her hand, it became clear.
“You were at Bar Rainbow.” In the bright lights of the bathroom, the woman’s hair was more silver than the blonde it had appeared to be in the bar.
She extended her hand to Bianca for a soft but impactful shake. “Ellen. Pleasure to make your official acquaintance.”
“I’m Bianca.” She pulled back her hand and fussed with her curls. “Bianca Black. My sister and her girlfriend are the ones running this show. Do you know either of them?”
“I’m more interested in you, really. Bianca Black, you said?”
Bianca nodded. It was impossible to escape her family name. “My father is Phillip Black.”
The corner of Ellen’s mouth twitched. “As it so happens, I know your mother, Vivi.”
“Vivi?” Bianca had never heard anyone call her mother that before. Viv, yes. Everyone but her children would call her that sometimes. But Vivi? It was… quaint. Cute, even. Two words that would never describe Vivianne Black.