The Secret Diamond Sisters, page 30
Rebecca went over a few more things—most consisting of them talking about their past as little as possible. They were supposed to keep conversation to general chitchat about the hotel, and make sure to ask the guests what they liked most about it so far. If Rebecca noticed any of them getting uncomfortable, she promised she would come over and rescue them.
“And before I head out to get ready myself, I want to discuss with each of you what you intend to wear,” she said.
“Why?” Peyton laughed. “Was Adrian not happy about what I wore to the dinner at the Gates?”
“No, he wasn’t.” Rebecca held her gaze with Peyton’s, surprisingly stern. “Mr. Prescott himself went out of his way to comment about his displeasure over your outfit.”
“I didn’t hear any comment,” Peyton said.
“It was said in private to Adrian and myself.” Rebecca shifted in her seat. “None of us want to tell you what to wear, Peyton, but we also don’t want Mr. Prescott to have any reason to reconsider his deal with Adrian. I’m sure we can find something appropriate in your closet that you like.”
“If you say so.” Peyton yawned.
Savannah, on the other hand, was grateful for Rebecca’s help. The two of them settled on a floral silk minidress by D&G with swirling colors of purple, turquoise, white and black. The thick black spaghetti straps gave it a sexy look, but it didn’t plunge too low. With her black Jimmy Choo pumps, it would be perfect for the event.
But she had given herself too much time to get ready, so while she was waiting around, she Facetimed Evie.
Evie’s face appeared on the screen, her strawberry-blond hair ironed straight and her freckles covered with foundation. She must also be getting ready to go out. “Look who finally has time to talk,” she said with a smile. “I’m getting ready for a party, but it won’t matter if I’m a few minutes late.”
“Good,” Savannah said. “Because I’m in serious need of advice, and you’re the only one I can ask.”
“Ask away,” Evie said, her light brown eyes glinting in anticipation.
And so Savannah spilled everything that had happened with Damien and Nick.
“I know I shouldn’t have feelings for Damien, because he was a total asshole, but I can’t help still liking him,” she said when she was done. “I think about him all the time. What should I do?”
“I think it’s obvious.” Evie smiled.
“Maybe to you,” Savannah said.
“Okay,” Evie said, as if she had some sort of master plan. “You need to flirt with Nick, and make sure Damien sees. If Damien was ever interested in you in the slightest, he’ll get jealous and stake his claim. From there, you should string him along—ignore him sometimes, and give him attention other times. After you have a good conversation with him, wait for him to reach out to you next. Whatever happens, don’t reach out to him first unless he reached out to you the time before, because it will take away the chase. This way he won’t think he can walk all over you.”
“And what about Nick?” Savannah asked.
“What about him?” Evie said. “It seems like everything is going well with him. Besides, it’s not like you have to pick either of them anytime soon.”
“What do you mean?” Savannah asked. “Of course I have to choose between them.”
Evie shook her head. “Are you dating either one of them?”
“No...” Savannah wondered where she was going with this.
“Then you don’t have to choose either of them, at least not yet,” Evie said confidently. “Trust me on this. Neither of them is your boyfriend, so if the plan works and Damien shows interest again, you’re free to flirt with both of them until you come to your decision.”
“You make it sound so easy.” Savannah sighed.
“Because it is!” Evie said. “But anyway, I have to keep getting ready, or I’ll be seriously late. Let me know how it goes, okay?”
“I will,” Savannah promised, although she couldn’t help feeling doubtful that this plan would work at all.
* * *
The poolside reception went well. Nick stayed by her side, and adults she didn’t know—friends of Adrian—introduced themselves. Savannah felt like a shining star with how well the conversations went. She followed Rebecca’s instructions and made it sound as if she’d lived in the high-end part of Northern California before coming to Vegas, and that she and her sisters had chosen to live with Adrian for the year so they could bond with their father. She pulled it off flawlessly. It was amazing how much could change in less than a week.
One thing that hadn’t changed was Adrian’s distance from them. Savannah remembered what Courtney had suggested—that he was hiding something from them, and that’s why he hadn’t talked with them much. But Savannah preferred to believe that Adrian was just busy. When the grand opening ended, he would get to know them. Right?
She tried not to overthink it at the party. When she introduced Nick to her sisters—for longer than thirty seconds this time—she could tell they liked him. But she also noticed how the adults asked Nick about his father, and how Nick grew tense whenever someone brought him up. Savannah suspected that something bad was going on with Nick’s family, but she wasn’t going to ask him about it in public. Maybe he would want to talk about it later. She liked Nick, and if something was bothering him, she wanted to give him whatever support she could.
It wasn’t like she came from a perfect family, either.
At dinner, Courtney and Oliver sat next to each other. Courtney replied politely to his questions, although her answers were short and she didn’t ask him anything in return. Savannah could tell she wasn’t interested in him as more than a friend. Brett was there with a girl with stringy brown hair and bad skin named Dawn. Dawn went to a public school called Palo Verde, and Rebecca didn’t seem thrilled that Brett had brought her to the grand opening. He also kept glancing at Courtney through the meal, and Courtney was looking at him, too. Savannah didn’t want to think Courtney would lie to her about her feelings for Brett, but it seemed like they were into each other. She definitely planned on asking Courtney about it when they got home that night.
Peyton hadn’t brought anyone, which surprised Savannah. Peyton always had a date. She had also worn an outfit that Rebecca hadn’t approved that morning. The leather minidress wasn’t formal enough, and she had on way too much black eyeliner. She looked like she was going to a rock concert in San Francisco instead of a grand opening of the most luxurious hotel in Vegas.
Adrian and Rebecca didn’t join them for dinner, but they did stop by occasionally. As the hosts, they were making sure their guests were having a good time, and Rebecca kept her promise by checking on them to make sure they were doing all right. They would also be announcing their engagement during the ribbon-cutting in the casino at midnight. Savannah was nervous about the announcement. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Rebecca to be her stepmother—Rebecca seemed nice—but it was happening so fast.
Dinner ended, and since the ribbon-cutting wouldn’t be until later, they all headed to Myst. The nightclub was packed.
“Drinks?” Nick asked Savannah, pointing to the bar in the back of the VIP section.
“Okay.” She tried to be casual when she charged the drinks to her room, since she didn’t want to embarrass Nick. Savannah had been poor her entire life. If Nick’s family was having money problems, she was the last person who would judge him.
They sat close to each other at the bar, their foreheads nearly touching as they chatted about her new YouTube channel, which already had two hundred views and a few positive comments. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder.
She turned to see who it was—Damien. His hair had the “just rolled out of bed but still looks perfect” thing going on, and he wore midnight-blue jeans, a black top and a matching blazer. Somehow Damien managed to look badass-sexy while still dressing appropriately for the grand opening of the Diamond.
She stared up at him and swallowed. She should tell him to get lost. Pour her drink over his perfectly gelled hair. Let him know that she wanted nothing to do with him and his stupid games. Instead she sat there, unmoving, waiting for him to speak.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked. “Alone?”
Savannah knew the right answer—no. He’d embarrassed her more than anyone ever had, making her cry in public, and she shouldn’t want anything to do with him. But simply being in his presence was making her heart beat so fast that she felt like it could fly out of her chest.
So she met his eyes and said, “Sure.” The word surprised her the second it left her lips. Nick stiffened next to her. What was she getting herself into?
Then again, wasn’t this how Evie had said it would play out? Maybe Damien realized what a mistake he’d made last night and was going to beg for her forgiveness. If so, Savannah wanted to hear it.
“Okay,” Damien said. “The balcony?”
She mumbled to Nick that she would be back soon and followed Damien outside. The balcony was relatively empty because it was so hot out, and it looked out to where the Palazzo Hotel loomed next to the Diamond. She remembered her first night here, which felt so distant now, when she and Damien had watched fireworks from the same location. Could that really have only been six days ago? He had held her hand then. She flexed her right hand at the memory and placed it on the railing, waiting for him to speak.
“I’m glad I ran into you.” He stepped forward so he was only inches away from her, the intense look in his eyes making her tremble.
She replayed the scene of him making out with Madison at Luxe. Despite how he made her feel when he looked at her like that, Damien was a total asshole. A complete jerk. Full of himself to no limit. She cursed herself for agreeing to go outside with him, but she was here now, and had to make the best of it.
Maybe he would even apologize.
“So what’s up?” she asked, hoping he couldn’t hear her voice shaking.
“You’re hanging out with Nick Gordon now?” he said, ignoring her question.
So Evie’s plan was working, but Savannah wasn’t sure whether to feel happy about that or pissed at Damien. He’d humiliated her to the point where she’d run out of Luxe crying, and he hadn’t brought her out here to say sorry? Her emotions felt like a jumbled mess inside her brain.
“Yeah, I’m hanging out with Nick,” she replied, doing her best to remain calm. “Are you friends with him?”
“He’s all right,” Damien said. “But he doesn’t seem like your type.”
“My type?” Savannah was astonished he had the nerve to say that. “How do you know what my type is? You’ve known me for, like, six days.”
“I have an instinct for these things,” he said simply.
“Well, my ‘instinct’ tells me your type is Madison Lockhart.” Savannah let out her feelings, done trying to contain her anger. “What are you doing out here with me when she’s inside?”
“That’s why I wanted to talk with you,” he said softly. “What you saw at Luxe... It didn’t mean anything. Madison was drunk, and she’s had a crush on me forever, and she decided to walk up to me and kiss me. She took me by surprise. By the time I told her I was there with you it was too late—you had already left. I’m sorry. I wish you hadn’t seen that.”
Savannah wanted him to be telling the truth. He stepped closer, resting his hand on top of hers, and heat rushed up her arm. It would be easy to believe him and forget about the pain he’d caused her.
Instead, she pulled her hand away. He’d kissed Madison back for a long time—she’d seen the entire thing—and he’d enjoyed it. She refused to allow him to play with her emotions.
“If that’s true, why didn’t you call me?” she asked. “Or send me a text, or a Facebook message or something. You have my number, and it’s been two days.”
“I should have,” he said. “But you were so upset. I thought you needed time to yourself.” Savannah opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted before she could say anything. “Listen, Savannah, I know we just met, and you have every right to never want to talk to me again, but I like you. I like you a lot. You’re different from the other girls around here, and I’ve thought about you every day since meeting you that first time at your condo. You’re sweet, and funny, and I like spending time with you. I want to get to know you better. I wish I could erase what you saw the other night, but I can’t, and I want to start over. We can go out sometime—dinner, ice cream, a movie, whatever you want. Just tell me when, and I’ll make it happen. I promise.” His dark eyes looked so soft and...vulnerable. No guy had ever said something so sweet to her. It would be so easy to say yes. He’d said it had been a mistake—that Madison was the one who’d put the moves on him and he wasn’t interested—and maybe he was telling the truth. She wanted him to be telling the truth.
Then she thought about Nick. With Damien it was all about attraction, with wanting to be close to him, and wondering why she—who had never stood out from the crowd—sparked his interest. With Nick, she had fun, and she enjoyed talking with him. He cared enough about her dreams to help her make them come true, and being around him made her happy. There was potential there. She wasn’t sure if she was interested in Nick as more than a friend, but he deserved a chance.
Why did this have to be so confusing? She didn’t know if she could choose between them. Instead, she thought about what Evie had told her to do: try to make both of them fall for her until she knew who she liked more and was ready to make the decision. Could she do that? It wasn’t something she would have done in California, but she was supposed to be starting over and becoming a new person. A better, more confident person.
“I’ll think about it,” she finally said. Another piece of advice Evie would have given to her—don’t be too eager. Savannah had been failing at that recently, but it was never too late to change.
Damien seemed taken aback—he must not be used to girls not jumping at the opportunity to go out with him. “So that’s a yes?” he asked slowly.
She wanted to say yes, she’d go out with him, but she’d seen him respond to Madison when she’d kissed him. If Savannah wanted to be real competition, she would have to play hard to get.
“It’s not a no,” she said, running her hand through her extensions so they tumbled over her shoulders. “But after what happened at Luxe, I need to think about it.”
“Okay,” he said. “I can deal with that.”
“Good.” Savannah’s voice was breathier than usual. Realizing that if she stayed out here with Damien for any longer he might kiss her—and that she wouldn’t stop him—she looked at the French doors that led back into the club. “I should go back inside,” she said quickly. “Nick’s waiting for me.”
“Right.” Damien stepped back. “Let’s go back inside, then.”
Savannah made her way toward the bar, stopping when she saw Nick. Sitting next to him—so close that her long, dark hair fell against his arm—was Madison. She reached out to him, her hand brushing his, and he didn’t back away.
The floor dropped out from under her. Why did Madison always have to mess up everything? Every time something good happened to Savannah, Madison showed up, dragging all of the attention back to herself. It wasn’t fair.
“They’re getting cozy,” Damien said, resting his hand on Savannah’s shoulder.
Savannah was too angry to respond—too angry to feel anything. Would she always be second best? At home the guys liked Evie better, and now it was the same thing again, but with Madison instead of Evie. The difference was that while Evie was Savannah’s friend, Madison was a complete bitch.
Nick looked over his shoulder and saw her, and Savannah had no idea what to do. On one hand, going out to the balcony with Damien and walking back in with him made her look bad. On the other, Madison and Nick were sitting so close together that they passed as a couple. And Nick wanted to get back with Madison—he had all but outright said it the night they’d met.
“Come on,” Savannah said, facing Damien. “Let’s dance.”
Damien took her hand and led her to the dance floor. It was packed. They got lost in the center, and Savannah kept Damien close. His hands traveled down her arms until he held her waist, and the two of them moved in time with the music. Savannah closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in the fresh smell of his cologne. Maybe she could make herself forget about the past few days and return to how things had been between her and Damien before he’d made out with Madison at Luxe.
But while that would be simpler, it wasn’t what Savannah wanted. She couldn’t make herself forget. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to.
Then someone’s hand wrapped around her arm.
She slowly turned around, her eyes meeting Nick’s. Damien stopped dancing, and if Savannah were living in a movie, this would be when the music stopped and everyone fell silent. But her life wasn’t a movie, so the music continued and everyone kept dancing, oblivious to the three of them. What was she supposed to do? Here she was with the two guys she was interested in, both of whom viewed her as a second choice to Madison, and she was about to mess it all up.
“Hey,” Nick said. He looked...guilty.
“Hey,” Savannah answered back, pulling her hair over her shoulder. She was vaguely aware of Damien saying he would see her later and walking away, but Savannah would deal with him later. Wasn’t this what she wanted—for Damien to see her as desirable to someone else? He looked upset, but if she gave in to him now, he would think she was weak. She couldn’t have that.
“You didn’t come back to the bar,” Nick said.
“I was heading over there, but you seemed busy with Madison.”
He was silent for a moment. “It’s over between me and Madison. She wanted to get back together, but I told her no.”
