“Rose, can you please pass me the ketchup bottle?” Georgiana asked, her tone so viciously polite, she might as well have said, “I know what you did.”
Rose lowered her gaze. Georgiana’s razor sharp blue eyes were too much for her now. “Sure.” She took the red plastic bottle and handed it to Tyler’s girlfriend.
Two weeks later, and not only had her “situation” with Tyler not resolved—or improved, or changed at all—now she was also having lunch with the happy couple in a cafeteria on campus. The fall semester hadn’t started yet, but it was orientation period, and the campus was already buzzing with students. How in hell did this lunch happen? The three of them eating burgers together was too weird.
Tyler’s text, “lunch 2gether,” had been innocent enough; it didn’t say, “Georgiana the Ice Queen will attend too,” anywhere, not even a hint. Since their affair, Tyler had avoided any unnecessary contact between mistress and girlfriend. Rose suspected Georgiana must’ve orchestrated the lunch trapping them here.
But, why? Did she know? That had to be it. Georgiana knew about her and Tyler, and now she would slowly torture them until they confessed. No matter how many fake smiles Georgiana shot Rose, they never reached her cold, calculating eyes. That freezing blue gaze sent Rose a clear message, “I hate you.”
Rose studied Georgiana as she sat possessively next to Tyler, eating all his fries. Did she know Rose loved eating his fries? Was her dominion over his French fries a metaphor for their love triangle? Rose hated that out in the open Tyler belonged to Georgiana, and that she, the other woman, was powerless about it.
“Rose,” Georgiana said, still all sweetness, “do you have any plans for this coming Friday?”
“No, nothing in particular,” Rose said cautiously.
This had to be an ambush or some kind of plot—Georgiana never asked about her “plans.” Not to mention she was still being uncharacteristically nice. Had Tyler’s girlfriend decided to kill her with kindness? Rose wasn’t a fan of this sudden change; it was easier to sneak around with Tyler behind her back when Georgiana was being a bitch to her. If she considered Georgiana a nice, normal girl, then Rose’s guilt would overwhelm her. The Ice Queen almost certainly had an ulterior motive.
“Oh, that’s perfect!” Georgiana exclaimed. “I’m having a dinner with some friends for my birthday. I want you to be there. Will you come?”
Rose couldn’t think of a polite way to say no. “Um… yeah, sure. Where?”
“Great.” Georgiana’s lips parted in a cruel grin. “I haven’t decided yet. But you can come with Tyler straight from your house. I’ll meet you there.”
“Okay.”
Even more peculiar. Georgiana not bugging Tyler to pick her up and instead suggesting he chauffeured Rose. Something was definitely up.
Tyler followed the exchange, at a loss for words. He pushed his plate away, his stomach churning. What was Georgiana planning? She’d already thrown him a curve ball impossible to catch. He was trapped; what else did she need?
He should’ve left her when he had the chance. He should’ve known Georgiana wouldn’t stand idly by while he was having his way with Rose. That his conniving girlfriend would fight. And she had. She’d fought and won, at least the first battle: make sure Tyler and Rose didn't share a roof. Heck, make sure they didn’t live in the same continent!
Tyler smiled a bitter smile. He had to give it to Georgiana. She was resourceful. Even without proof, he was sure she had orchestrated everything. Scholarships abroad did not reopen out of the blue. Georgiana’s doing or not, the damage was done, and Tyler was left with no other choice other than when to tell Rose. No turning back time at this point.
He looked at his best friend with longing. He’d have to talk to her soon, but Tyler couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. And after talking to her, he’d consider himself lucky if she ever spoke two words to him again.
***
Friday night, on the way to the restaurant, Tyler still hadn’t spoken to Rose. He’d vowed to do it tonight after they got back home, but maybe it had been a mistake to wait a week. It’d only make Rose angrier. And the prospect of Rose and Georgiana in the same room for a whole dinner made him nervous. An ominous feeling about the party crept up his back and settled heavily on his shoulders.
Rose sat in silence beside him, staring out the window. She was holding a tiny gift-wrapped package in her hands. He’d told her it wasn’t necessary to buy Georgiana a present, but Rose had insisted. Thinking about it, he had no clue what was in the box. Something poisonous? Tyler could only hope.
At home, Rose had stunned him again. She’d emerged from her room dressed in a tight black jumpsuit with cutouts around the waist, and an almost bare back. She was also wearing black heels and a furry-leathery jacket thingy. The outfit looked like a Catwoman costume. Rose was only missing the ears, whiskers, and tail. Again, he’d never seen these clothes before. He was discovering an entirely new side of her she’d kept secret all this time. And even if it was great to see Rose in a different light, sometimes Tyler wished he were still oblivious. His life would be much simpler without the temptation.
This sort of gear must’ve been reserved for Marcus. Jealousy made Tyler swallow hard. He still hated Rose’s ex with all his guts, but tonight the sexiness was for him, or to compete with Georgiana. To be honest, he didn’t know which one.
Tyler’s skittish mood worsened as they entered the restaurant. Georgiana and some of her guests were already there, sitting at a long, rectangular table laid for at least twenty people. Georgiana sat at the head of the table with an empty space on her left, followed by a couple of nicely dressed girls. On her right sat a rather plain guy followed by two other girls and another arrogant-looking dude who seemed older than everyone else. Fifteen or so empty places were left at the table.
The older guy fixated his gaze on Rose the moment she entered the door. Noticing the competition, Tyler felt an immediate, irrational surge of hatred for the stranger. For no other reason than the way he was looking at Rose, Tyler wanted to punch the dude’s face.