Page 8 of Scheme
“He doesn’tlookexcited, but I promise he is on the inside,” Violet laughed, wiping flour-stained hands on her apron, reminding me I was here for a reason.
“Put me to work,” I instructed with a clap of my hands. “What do you need me to do?”
The next couple of hours passed in a blur as we finished up with the finger foods and stocked the makeshift bar. Even with my snobby upbringing, I thought it was a little over the top, but Violet’s family had grown accustomed to her providing them with the finer things in life after she’d mated Nico—who had a fancy oil money job I still didn’t understand—and she was a chronic people pleaser.
It was one of the many things we’d bonded over.
While Violet disappeared upstairs to shower and change, I set up fairy lights in the main living areas downstairs and cleaned the beautiful modernised kitchen. The conservatory extension that led into the back garden showed the sky was well and truly dark by now.
At least it kept me busy. If I was at home, I’d be running over the events of the past week in my head a million times, trying to pinpoint the exact moment in time when my brother had become an unredeemable monster and wondering what I could have done to change things.
“Oh, it looks amazing down here,” Violet sighed, fussing with her boobs in the little black dress she had put on as she reentered the kitchen-dining space, undoubtedly eager for Nico to get back and ease her discomfort. “I’m so sorry you had to do so much on your own. Nico messaged and said they’re on their way back, but traffic is terrible.”
“It’s really no trouble. You and Nico have practically adopted me since I moved in down the street, this is really the least I can do.”
Violet waved off my gratitude as she always did. She and Nico were different from the other friends I had. They were always so conscious of my time and doing things for me, and never expected anything in return, or let me pay them back no matter how much I tried. If I thought about it too much, I got a little weepy.
Not that I minded doing things for other people. I didn’t. Really.
Sometimes, it was just nice to not have any expectations of me though.
“I can’t wait for you to meet Kit. It justfeelslike you should already know each other, you know? It really hammers home how long he’s been away when I think about the fact that the two of you have never crossed paths.” Violet shook her head, smiling a little sadly to herself. “Nico has so few friends that he genuinely connects with, it’s a shame that Kit is always on the road.”
“He’s unmated, right?”
It was only with Violet that I would dare to ask that question. Anyone else would have read something into it, but I’d told her about my history, and she understood my stance on mating perfectly. There was no needy, desperate omega within me, slavering over whatever single alpha crossed her path. Those days were long gone.
Besides, we attended the same fuckfests at Bryce and Kane’s house each month. Violet knew I was more than comfortable taking what I needed from an alpha then going home and getting on with my life.
“He is. Kit is very happily single by choice.” She gave me a significant look. “I really think you guys are going to get on great.”
The doorbell rang as the oven timer went off, and I gestured for Violet to go greet her guests while I moved to get the bacon-wrapped asparagus out of the oven.
“You’re incredible, Margot. Have I mentioned I’d be lost without you?”
“You’d have been fine,” I replied over my shoulder. “You’re such a natural hostess, I’m the one who has no idea what they’re doing.”
Violet had written out cooking instructions for everything on the menu, and I was following them to the letter. If I’d been in charge of food, everyone would be eating crackers straight from the packet with a wheel of brie, elegantly presented on the paper it came wrapped in.
Less cleanup.
“I’m glad you have one weakness or I’d wonder if you were even human,” Violet teased, heading down the hall.
It had taken me months to be convinced that Violet wasn’t mocking me when she said stuff like that. She was just so genuinely sweet that she didn’t seem to notice flaws the way regular people did.
I hung around in the kitchen as more people arrived, saying hello to those I recognised but very much using the excuse of restocking empty platters and filling drink glasses as an excuse to avoid getting pulled into conversations.
Usually, I’d be right in the middle of it, but I just couldn’t quite swing it today. I couldn’t swingAccomplishedMargot today. Sociable, organised, charming, put-together Margot who was always on top of her to-do list as well as everyone else’s.Tomorrow.
“Margot,” Nico said, eyebrows raising in surprise as he rounded the kitchen island and leaned in for an air kiss. “What are you doing here?”
Compared to the guests, he looked exceptionally casual in jeans and a polo shirt, his dark hair unstyled and a thick layer of stubble covering his jaw. It was always jarring to see Casual Nico since he usually lived in suits and hair gel.
I blinked at him in confusion, finally registering his question. “Helping Violet. Remember? I offered to help her out in the kitchen a couple of weeks ago at dinner—”
“No, I know—thank you for that, by the way—but I meannow. You should be relaxing, enjoying the party. What are you drinking? Go sit down, I’ll bring you a glass.”
“It’s really fine,” I assured him with a wry smile.Bossy alpha. Nico wasn’t much of a talker unless he was speaking to Violet, so he really must be concerned to string that many words together in a row. “I’m not in a super chatty mood if I’m honest. I’m happy right here.”
