Method Acting: An opposites attract, found family romance (Center Stage Book 2) Adele Buck (e novels to read .TXT) 📖

dress was sheer black net from the nape of her neck to her waist and the black silk of the skirt skimmed smoothly over her bottom. The slit showed a tantalizing glimpse of leg ending in a provocative red shoe. Clearing his throat, he turned back to Brandon, who looked amused.

“Can I get either of you anything from the bar?” Colin asked.

“I think maybe you need a bucket of ice,” Brandon said, grinning.

Alicia stepped out of the bathroom stall and washed her hands, nodding at the woman next to her. Silver-haired and regal with incredible bone structure, the other woman was aging with a grace that Alicia aspired to.

The woman’s light blue gaze drifted down Alicia’s body and seemed to freeze at her shoes. “Interesting footwear, my dear.” Turning back to the mirror to dab pink lipstick on her lips, she added, “My mother used to say that only whores and children wore red shoes.”

Alicia’s spine stiffened, and her head snapped up. She had let her guard down, gotten comfortable. And sure enough, someone had found her out. Her heart thudded, and her mouth was dry.

“Oh, I'm a year or two older than I look, but thank you for the compliment,” Alicia said with a tight smile. Picking up her bag from the counter, she sailed out of the ladies’ room with what she hoped looked like confidence. Back in the ballroom, she clutched her purse with both hands to disguise their trembling.

Finding Colin and the others, she accepted a glass of wine from him and realized her hand was still shaking. She took a large gulp and tried to appear calm.

Apparently, it wasn’t working. “What’s wrong?” Colin asked, his brows drawn together and his dark eyes serious.

Alicia lifted her chin and gritted her teeth. “Just some silver-haired witch in the washroom.”

“What did she do? Or say?” Mari asked, meeting Alicia’s eyes for the first time.

Fighting back a wave of humiliation that threatened to overwhelm her, Alicia said, “Oh, she told me that only whores and children wear red shoes.” Alicia lifted one foot, pointing at the offensive footwear.

“Filthy cow,” Colin said, scanning the room, as if to locate the insulting woman. “Who does that?”

“Did you respond?” Mari asked, her hazel eyes filled with sympathy. Alicia felt her pulse settle a bit, the kind reactions soothing her.

“Yeah. I told her I was older than I looked and thanked her for the compliment.”

The other three hooted with laughter. “Clever, clever woman,” Colin chuckled. Alicia sipped her wine and shrugged one shoulder, the tension subtly ebbing at their reaction.

“I was mad. What can I say?”

Mari tugged at the full skirt of her floor-length, navy evening gown. “Wonder what she’d say to these?” she asked, displaying the toes of what were, unmistakably, matching blue Chuck Taylor sneakers.

Alicia snorted. “Well, they’re not red, so she probably wouldn’t care. That seemed to be the sin I was committing.”

“People who make up rules are the worst,” Mari said. “I’m glad you had a comeback. I would have just been tongue-tied.”

“Normally I would have been too,” Alicia said. “I don’t know what got into me.”

Colin winked at Alicia. “Whatever it was, I approve.”

A light touch on Colin’s arm and the sound of his name caused him to turn, and he groaned inwardly. “Ah. Mrs. Lloyd-Hudson. How are you this evening?”

The older woman opened her mouth to respond, then her gaze fell on Alicia, who had previously been hidden from her view.

Mrs. Lloyd-Hudson looked like she had been turned to stone. Wealthy, very white stone. Carrara marble, perhaps.

Glancing at Alicia, he saw that she looked almost as stiff. Comprehension flooded him.

This will be awkward.

“Mrs. Lloyd-Hudson, I don’t believe you have met my friend, Miss Alicia Johnson,” he said.

A tight-lipped smile flickered over the woman’s well-bred face. “No, I haven’t had that pleasure. Miss Johnson.” The tiniest of bows of her silvery coiffed head was both greeting and instant dismissal.

“Alicia, this is the wife of our senior partner, William Lloyd-Hudson. I haven’t seen Will this evening, is he here?”

Mrs. Lloyd-Hudson’s cool, pale eyes fixed on Colin’s. “He is. He has gone off to get himself a drink, I believe.” Turning to Brandon, she said, “Lovely to see you Mr. Oberst, Miss Ashford. I was delighted to get the save the date card for your wedding. I am so looking forward to it.”

Brandon nodded, and Mari’s gaze darted from Mrs. Lloyd-Hudson to Alicia and back again. An awkward silence stretched like taffy in the little group.

“Don’t you think Alicia’s shoes are fantastic?” Mari blurted.

“Excuse me, dear?” Mrs. Lloyd-Hudson’s face froze again. Oh, bless you, Mari, he thought as he prepared to dive into the conversational hole she had left open. He set his arm around Alicia’s waist, hand resting on her hip. She stiffened, and he squeezed her gently.

Trust me.

“Indeed. I’ve admired them all evening. Can you believe that someone was rude enough to insult her to her face? Over her choice in footwear. The most ill-bred thing I have ever heard of, I believe.” Colin kept his eyes averted from Alicia’s. If he looked at her now, he would start laughing and not know how to stop.

“Is that so?” Mrs. Lloyd-Hudson’s voice seemed to have developed a crack and anger flashed in her eyes. The harpy must be furious, but she could hardly come back at him without claiming her own rudeness.

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s certainly interesting to see you with someone new,” Mrs. Lloyd-Hudson said, her jaw tight, then clipped her lips closed as her husband approached.

“Oh, Will. Jolly good to see you this evening.” Placing his drink on a high table nearby, he shook the senior partner’s hand and introduced Alicia.

“Everyone having a nice time this evening?” the older man asked. Nods and murmurs of assent went around the little group, followed by another awkward pause.

“Will, I’m afraid I am developing a most wretched headache,” Mrs. Lloyd-Hudson said, her hand drifting to her forehead.

“That’s too bad, my dear. I would take you home, but I