Page 27 of Ice Cold Hearts
My eyebrows pinch together “I’m assuming you mean Oliver?”
She forces a laugh, “Yes, of course. All his closest friends call him Ollie. Since you were at his table, I thought you would know that. You must be a new friend. At least I’ve never heard of you.”
I realize she has no clue who I am. Relief and anxiety fight for dominance in my head. I guess it’s true when they say the axe forgets but the tree remembers.
“So, how do you know Ollie?” she presses. “Where did you meet? It can’t have been at one of the A-list parties or team events because I would have met you too. You look too” —Liza pauses, raking her eyes over my curvy frame— “healthy to be one of the sick patients he visits as part of his charity work. What am I thinking?” She laughs. “I schedule those too.”
I try to sidestep her, but she shifts into my path.
I sigh. “Mutual friends.”
She raises her perfectly shaped eyebrows. “Interesting. So is it Alexei or Ian that you came with?”
I hate that the best way to deal with her is to answer, but it doesn’t seem like I have a choice.
“We’re here as a group. Strictly friendly.” My voice is terse.
“You must have a lot of friends if you dance with them all like that,” Liza remarks snidely.
This cat and mouse game continues for what feels like an eternity. When I finally think she’s given up and will leave me be, she changes tactics. If I weren’t so terrified, I’d be impressed with how fast her face changes.
“I’d be careful if I were you,” she says, wielding her wine glass like a weapon.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’m a grown woman. I can handle myself,” I insist.
I try to sidestep her again, but again she shifts into my path. If I dash past or push her out of the way, she wins. If I signal for one of the guys, she wins. There’s only one option. I hunker down behind a shield of indifference and mentally prepare to wait out the siege.
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. Alexei and Ian have a massive fanbase, but Ollie’s is the biggest by far. His fans are insane. You have no idea how hard I have to work to protect him from them. If you keep going out with them, him especially” —she gestures toward Oliver expressively with her wine glass— “you will be under scrutiny like you’ve never experienced before. Unless you’ve been running in these circles for your whole life, you’ll have no idea how to keep yourself safe from them. They’ll dig through your trash, follow you everywhere, try to hack your information and dox you, and bombard you with all kinds of invasive questions at all times of the day and night. If they manage to find your phone number or address, it’s game over.” Liza sighs. “That’s why I usually insist that anyone who tries to get to Ollie goes through me, but his heart is bigger than his brain so he never listens. You know how men are.”
She touches my shoulder affectionately, and I have the overwhelming urge to bite her hand.
Either I’ve been spending too much time watching nature documentaries or I’m more violent than I thought.
“I’m sure Oliver can handle himself. He seems perfectly capable to me,” I say.
“Not with women. Honestly, if it weren’t so good for his career for him to be single, I’m sure he would have settled down with someone” —she blushes and smiles at me slyly like we’re sharing a secret— “close to him who knows the business and is used to all this.”
I look over her shoulder at the men waiting for me at the table across the club. I wish I could teleport there or at the very least force my terrified legs to move. My entire body aches from existing in this clenched panic state for too long, but I can’t make it stop.
Oliver must feel my eyes on him, either that or miracles are real, because he turns his head and meets my eyes. He seems confused that I’m not making my way over to them until his eyes shift over to Liza and he frowns slightly. Impatiently, Oliver beckons to me. I think he might be a witch because that little gesture breaks the spell I’m under. My motivation shifts from self-preservation and preventing a public panic attack to wanting to please him by getting to the table as fast as I can. Somehow, it’s easier to do it for him than myself.
Save it for therapy, Emily. Just get over there.
I force a smile. “I’m glad he has people looking out for his career. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve been away from my friends long enough.”
I step forward purposefully, my eyes locked on our table, and I’m jerked back by Liza. I’m grateful the water is still in my hands because I think I might have actually hit her this time.
“Can I help you with something?” My voice is sharp.
She lets go like I’ve burned her. “No need to be so testy. I just wanted to make sure you understood my warning.”
Which one? That Oliver belongs to you and to back off or the one you actually said about the crazy fans?
Her eyes widen to the size of dinner plates and she adopts a childlike expression.
Are men actually attracted to that?
“I just am so worried about you.” Her voice takes on a whining tone. “There are just so many people out there who could hurt you, and I just want you to be careful. You’re not used to any of that attention, and I’d just hate myself if anything happened to you.”