Chapter 251

With Julian on my arm, we returned to the ballroom. Nicholas noticed immediately, gaze zeroing in on where Julian and my arms were interlocked. I didn’t move away this time. After all, Bridget had her arm, at that very moment, wrapped around one of Nicholas’s too.

On stage, Tiffany and Jessica are performing a scene. From what I can tell, they are playing Bridget’s disapproving sisters. Since I hadn’t read that far, I could only guesstimate based on one-half of the current conversation.

I could only hear one half.

Tiffany was speaking too loudly, like she was talking to someone on the other side of the room. Jessica, meanwhile, was speaking too softly, barely a whisper. They would both wear microphones for the performance, but I suspected even then, Jessica’s voice would go unheard.

At the base of the stage, Bridget releases Nicholas’s arm to rub at her temples. “No, girls. We’ve talked about this. Tiffany, you don’t need to project your voice so much. But Jessica, I need you not to whisper.”

Beside her, Nathan nodded along. He looked tired too. This had clearly been going on for a while.

“I thought I was being quieter,” Tiffany said, and the people down the street might have been able to hear her.

Nicholas whispered something to Bridget and she heaved a great sigh.

“Everyone, let’s take a small break for water and snacks,” Bridget announced. “Then we’ll try again.”

Odd, how Nathan continued to take orders from Bridget and not the other way around. At this point, maybe I should have been used to it. It seemed strange no matter how many times I witnessed it.

“I’m going to get a drink,” Julian said. “Do you want anything?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Honestly, my stomach felt kind of queasy. I wasn’t sure I could even keep water down.

Julian shrugged, released my arm, and said, “Just come over if you change your mind.”

“I will.”

I watched Julian walking away, not noticing until it was far too late to make a casual getaway that Bridget was approaching me.

“Piper! How are you feeling now? Better, I trust?” she asked, her friendly disposition firmly in place. I couldn’t help but wonder if her approach had anything to do with Julian leaving, but then decided I was overthinking it. Surely she wouldn’t go out of her way to avoid Julian when she was still flirting with him.

“Better,” I said. “I’ll have your handkerchief cleaned before I return it. Thank you for lending it to me.”

Bridget smiled. “I’m glad I could help.” She clapped her hands together. “Listen, I have something to ask you. I was looking through the script, and I was thinking about your charming little girl Elva. I think I have a perfect part for her. Do you think she would want to take part in the play?”

To say that Elva would want to participate in the play was an understatement. She would be absolutely overjoyed. But I still hesitated to answer, remembering Elva’s talk with Nicholas, about how Elva can trust Bridget implicitly. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of the two being together.

“Before you say anything, let me put your worries at ease,” Bridget said. “She wouldn’t need to come to every rehearsal. The part I have in mind is small with no lines. She would simply walk across the stage and drop a few flowers. Our own little flower girl. Wouldn’t that be so sweet?”

It would be sweet. But I was still alarmed this idea was coming from Bridget.

Why was she being so thoughtful? What was she up to?

Or was I the one at fault here, being so suspicious of someone who just wanted to kindly make sure a small child felt included?

I felt like a right asshole after that.

“She would love it,” I said with honesty. “I’ll speak to her about it.”

“Wonderful,” Bridget said with an even bigger smile than before.

It was a beautiful smile, all pearly white teeth. She looked every bit the part of the a-list actress. Her makeup was on point. Even her hair was perfectly styled. I wondered how many stylists traveled with her. It wasn’t unheard of to have a team around here. Many other contestants did as well.

“I’m so happy that – oh.” Bridget’s gaze snags on where Nathan is speaking with Jessica. They both look terribly unhappy. “I better go deal with that. We’ll talk more later.”

She quickly walks away. As she approaches Nathan and Jessica, her presence immediately lightens the mood of both of them. Those frowns turn right into smiles.

Maybe it’s not such a wonder that Nathan is following her lead, after all. She really does know what she’s doing, in acting as well as deescalating situations. An impressive feat.

Nicholas approaches me next. I see him coming a long way off, but for Nicholas, I have no desire to run away, even with my heart still sore from the scene we shared together. That wasn’t his fault, and I was not about to blame him for it.

He stepped right up beside me, as we both watched Bridget work her magic over Nathan and Jessica. I expected him to restart our last conversation. We hadn’t finished talking when Bridget interrupted us.

Instead, he asked, “So what did you think of my idea?”

I pull my brow together, confused. “What was your idea?”

The corner of Nicholas’s mouth twitched into a frown. “Didn’t Bridget tell you? About finding a role for Elva?”

Wait – that had been Nicholas’s idea? Bridget had made it sound like she had come up with it all on her own. She hadn’t mentioned Nicholas at all.

“Oh, right. Yeah, she did mention that,” I said, unsure whether I should bring up Bridget’s blunder at all.

It was possible that it was simply a misunderstanding on my part. Maybe she did mention Nicholas and I just forgot. I’d have a hell of a time proving otherwise. And I doubted, deep in my heart, Nicholas would believe me if I went around accusing his best friend of trying to steal credit from him.

It could have been a misunderstanding. I had to hold onto that belief.

But try as hard as I could, I couldn’t quite get myself to believe it.

There was something off about Bridget. I kept trying to ignore my gut feelings but they keep piling up time after time.

Maybe we were just two different people with differing, incompatible personalities.

Or maybe she really was up to something.

No. I couldn’t go down that path. It had to be in my head.

“You don’t like the idea, then?” Nicholas asked, dragging me out of my circular thinking. I was getting nowhere fast like this.

“I love it,” I said, and smiled at him for good measure. “Elva will love it too. She always feels like she’s missing out. She’ll be so excited to take part.”

“I thought so too,” Nicholas said with a smile. “I’m glad you agree.”

“Of course I do,” I said. And then, because I couldn’t resist digging the needle further into myself, I asked, “Did Bridget like the idea?”

“Not at first,” Nicholas said. He dipped his head down a little. “But you know how she is. This play is her vision, she wants it to go a certain way. When I mentioned an unspeaking part though, something small, she turned around on the idea.”

“I’m glad,” I said. The sinking feeling returned at once.

Bridget had taken credit for an idea she didn’t even initially agree on.

Something just wasn’t right with her.

Was she two-faced? Was she genuine?

Somehow, I had to find out.