Page 30 of Sweet Wicked Vows
My attention was instantly captured by one of the paintings on display. Contrasts of light and dark merging into one twisted around the bodies of the two faceless people. Right in the center of the piece was a beat of bleeding red, dripping through the darkness into the light.
The whole piece was breathtaking.
“I wasn’t sure about that piece.” Violet emerged from the depths of the gallery. “The painter is pretty new to the art world. I promised myself that I wouldn’t take any bets with this place, only stick to established artists. Only the people I know will attract buyers with deep pockets. This venue is too precious to me to take any risks with.”
“Then why did you agree to showcase this one?”
“Still undecided,” she laughed. “The artist, a young Italian girl, must have caught me on a good day. She convinced me to take a chance on her over a couple glasses ofShiraz. You know me andred wine. I’m pretty much anyone’s after one glass.”
Violet took her coffee and dived on theSweet Cravingsbox like a woman starved. “These cupcakes, I swear they put drugs in them.”
“Thanks again for letting us use this place for the party,” I said. “Now all I have to do is find an event organizer who is willing to try and sort out a party in such short notice. That shouldn’t be difficult.” I groaned. “I wonder if everyone would be happy with burgers and chips from one of the fast-food restaurants nearby.”
Violet nearly choked on her cupcake. “You aren’t bringing that greasy stuff in here. Over my dead body, Evelyn Reynolds.”
“Are you dying? Because if you are, I have just bought the cutest black dress I can wear to your funeral,” Lola announced, walking through the door. “I was planning on wearing it to your wedding party, Evie. A way to commemorate your single life and freedom now you’ve tied yourself down to a man.”
Rushing across the gallery, I threw my arms around her, Violet’s arms appearing around mine as we embraced our friend. Having them both here, together at the same time, was like witnessing a solar eclipse.
For a brief moment in each other’s arms, all the other shit that was going on in my life melted away.
It’d been too long.
Lola buried her face into my neck. “I missed you both, too.”
Lola’s career as a professional ice figure skater took her all over the world, and unfortunately for us far away from her friends. Her skill and talent had finally been recognized a year ago, and it meant she spent very little time at home. She refused to give up her apartment in New York, even though she spent only a sliver of time there. She always wanted a base to call home.
Plus, she gave me and Violet a copy of the keys offering it as a safe space if we ever needed.
We texted and called regularly, but it was never the same ashaving her here with me.
She was my oldest friend.
‘From diapers to dentures’,as Lola always said.
“When did you get back?” I kept my arms firmly around her. “Why didn’t you tell us that you were coming back? Last time we talked, you said it wouldn’t be for another two months.”
“That’s the benefit of having your sister as your manager.” Lola grinned. “I get to boss her around and not feel bad about it. When I heard that one of my best friends had for some bizarre reason decided to get married without anyone there, to some random dude who none of us have even met, I told Lilly that I was heading straight to New York the second I could.”
“I’m sure Lilly is close to killing you at this point.” Violet broke away first. “Between the latest news about your fuck buddy, and now you fleeing back to New York, let’s just say you’re lucky I’m not your manager.” Violet went straight back to her sugar-filled cupcakes. “Don’t you have a competition next month?”
Lola waved her off, snatching the remains of the cupcake from her and devouring it in a single bite. “You have no idea how good sugar and carbs taste when you’ve been denied them for so long.” She hummed in delight, licking the frosting from the corner of her mouth. “Seriously, it’s better than good sex. Great sex, even.”
“Have you seriously ditched training because I got married when you have a competition next month?” I scolded.
“Sort of.” Lola’s smile faltered. “I know it’s irresponsible of me to come back when I should be getting ready.” She pointed a glare at Violet when she scoffed. “But I needed a break. You getting married, well, as fucked up as that is, it’s only the half-truth of why I came home.”
“What’s happened?” I reached for her arm. “Whatever is going on, you know you can tell us.”
“It’s like you said, Vi, all that shit in the press and those stupidfucking gossip magazines about me and Mickey,” Lola snarled. “I know you guys don’t like him. Hell, most of the time I don’t like him either, but I always fall for his bullshit that sucks me right back in.”
Mickey was her on-again-off-again, and then on-again boyfriend.
Perhaps boyfriend was too generous of a word, more like intense and open sex buddy. He was an ice hockey player, a pretty good one, and had recently signed with theIcelandic Giants.The pair met before their great jumps to success, having trained with the same coaches.
Mickey’s sudden leap into the ice hockey stardom was turning him into a bigger dickhead than he already was.
He was pictured constantly leaving clubs with various women and had been on everyone’s lips the day one of the women he slept with published a ‘tell-all’ about his fetishes and the fact he enjoyed being choked and degraded by his sexual partners.