Lexi’s glass hit the counter, hard. Vincent had snapped his jaw shut and glared at the back of Jade’s head but said nothing to defend Lexi. Irritated, Lexi took a deep calming breath and fought the burning desire to tell Jade exactly where she could go.
“Yes, I better get back to my ‘people.’ I don’t want to miss out on all the good gossip. You’d be amazed at the inside information I get to hear about jobs, campaigns, the latest scandals, what models are in and which ones are on their way out.” Lexi fixed her gaze on Jade as the corner of her lips turned up mockingly. Without a word to Vincent, she turned on her heel and left the two of them at the bar, stunned by her outburst.
Lexi stormed through the room and tried to get her temper under control. Part of her wanted to march back over to them and lay into Vincent for allowing Jade to be so rude. A larger part of her wanted to toss Jade into the fountain in the lobby and hold her head under the water until she turned blue.
Just when she was about to go back and give Vincent a piece of her mind, someone gave her a hug around the waist. “Lexi! I missed you. You look
pretty.” She glanced down and found Madison clinging to her with a huge smile on her face. Lexi’s spirits were instantly raised upon seeing her.
She looked like a tiny princess. Anna and Erik stood beside her, smiling at their daughter.
Lexi crouched down and gave Madison a kiss on the cheek, her bad mood forgotten. “Let me look at you.” She held out Madison’s arms and twirled her around so her dress could flow and flap in the breeze. “You have to be the prettiest girl in the room tonight.”
“Are you sure this dress doesn’t make me look short?” Madison asked as she stood self-consciously on her tiptoes and pouted.
Lexi glanced over at Anna, who rolled her eyes and mouthed the word ‘Jade’ to Lexi. “No, Madison,” Lexi reassured her. “Whoever told you that knows absolutely nothing about fashion. You look like you’re at least eight years old, honey.”
At those words, the small girl’s frown became a radiant smile. She ran over to Erik and hopped up and down. “Dad, Dad. Lexi said I look like I am eight years old! Can you believe it?”
The tall blond gentleman scooped up his daughter and kissed her cheek. His handsome features lit up when his daughter was in his arms. “That Miss Lexi sounds like a smart woman. Now, how about you introduce me to your new friend who I’ve been hearing so much about?”
“There she is! She’s the pretty lady over there.” Madison pointed at Lexi and giggled when Lexi waved back at her.
Erik strode over with his hand extended and a warm smile on his face. “Hello, I’m Erik Caldwell, Anna’s husband. It’s wonderful to finally meet you.
Madison hasn’t stopped telling me about the secret stash of cookies you have over there at the office. And Anna might have mentioned you a few thousand times in the last week or so, as well.”
“It’s very nice to meet you too, Erik. I had a chance to see some of your photographs in the recent Hunter campaigns, and they are absolutely spectacular.” Madison stretched her arms out to Lexi, and she happily picked the tiny girl up. “Madison, are you having fun with your mommy and daddy tonight?”
“Yes, but it’s almost bed time. Daddy says I have to leave before the car turns into a pumpkin like Cinderella’s did. I don’t like pumpkins.” She wrinkled her nose at the thought of sitting in a slimy pumpkin.
“Well, I’m glad I got to see you before you left.” She leaned in and whispered in the little girl’s ear. “Did you see the dessert table?”
Madison’s eyes grew huge. “Mommy! Lexi and I are going to get some dessert. We’ll be right back.” She wiggled out of Lexi’s arms and began pulling her toward the elaborate table full of sweets.
“Don’t get anything on your dress, Maddie!” Anna called after them.
Lexi and Madison considered every single dessert on the table and picked three to try. The chocolate mousse was the unanimous favorite, so they had another. They grabbed an extra one for Anna and made their way back to Maddie’s parents. When they arrived, Vincent and Jade had joined Anna and Erik. Jade had her usual scowl on her face as she pawed at Vincent. He, however, looked distracted as he scanned the room, appearing once again to be focused on business.
“Mommy, try this! Lexi and I ate two of them, it’s so good.” She thrust the little cup of mousse at her mother and smiled.
“Tsk, tsk,” Jade shook her head from side to side. “Two desserts? Really? Keep that up, Madison, and you’ll be big as a house.”
Everyone turned and gawked at her incredulously. Who on Earth tells a five-year-old she’s going to be as big as a house? Jade, the psychotic skinny bitch does, of course.
Without missing a beat, Lexi jumped to Madison’s defense. “Madison, you’re beautiful. Don’t ever let anyone tell you differently.” She gave Jade a dirty look and put herself protectively between the little girl and Jade’s vicious mouth.
Anna looked like she was ready to strangle Jade, but Erik quickly put his hand on her arm and gave it a little squeeze. “Thank you, Lexi,” Anna said quietly as she dug her spoon into the mousse and grinned. “You’re right, honey. This is delicious! You know what? I think I would like another one too, just like you and Lexi. Can you show me where they are?” Anna took her daughter’s hand and led her away, but not before she gave her husband a pointed look.
When Madison was safely out of earshot, Erik’s smile faded, and he focused on Vincent. “Vincent, I don’t know what the hell you are thinking,” he hissed in his ear loud enough that Lexi could hear. Jade had since flitted off to no doubt rub elbows with the next influential person she could use in some way.
Vincent tensed. “Erik, enough. She didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Are you nuts? She’s rude and obnoxious, as usual. Unless she does some amazing tricks in bed, I have no idea what you see in her.” Erik didn’t flinch when Vincent turned and the two stood nose to nose, the air thick with tension.
“Stay out of it, Erik. I’m tired of this conversation. If she says something you don’t like, ignore her.”
“My mother raised me to be a gentleman, but if she says one more rude thing to my daughter, your niece I might remind you, I’m going to forget everything I was taught and let her have it.”
Before Vincent could respond, Jade returned in a rush and kissed him, leaving a crimson stain on his cheek from her lipstick. “Sorry, I saw a casting director, and I think he’s going to call me with a part in his pilot. Isn’t that great?”