Free A Christmas Affair by Adrianne Byrd Page B

delivered a quick kiss. “I’m excited about the party.”
    “And the wedding?”
    She swallowed and had trouble pushing up a smile. “And the wedding.”
    An hour later, Corona and Rowan smiled and mingled through a swarm of guests offering them congratulations and well-wishes. Since it was the holidays, the decor was a combination of white Christmas and romantic soft pinks. It was a rare event when she was the center of attention in a room of so many celebrities and industry elite. Usually, she was promoting a client, not herself. Nights like tonight reminded her why she liked being behind the scenes. The whole process was exhausting and overwhelming. It was nothing like things were back home, where there was just a natural ease in talking to people you’d known your entire life.
    She frowned at that last rogue thought. How many times have she been thinking about home lately?
    “You two must be sooo happy,” Danica Foxx said, appearing out of nowhere.
    Corona blinked, surprised to see her fiancé’s ex at
her
engagement party. “As a matter of fact, we are.” She tightened her hold around Rowan’s waist for support.
    “Good.” Danica’s lips thinned into a flat line. “After all, it’s all I’ve ever wanted for Rowan—for him to be happy.”
    “You could’ve fooled me,” Rowan snickered, then lifted his drink and downed the contents in one gulp.
    The woman’s red lips smiled, but her faux mink lashes blinked one time too many.
    Back off, bitch,
Corona tried to convey the message telepathically through her own narrowed gaze. “Excuse me, but what in the hell are you doing here?” she asked with her old southern-charm voice.
    “Oh, I guess Wahida didn’t tell you?”
    “Tell me what?” Corona asked.
    “Oh, there you are, dahhling,” Wahida James cooed. She plowed through her guests like a Mack truck and didn’t bother to see how many bodies she left in her wake. “I thought that you would never get here.”
    Danica turned with a bright Hollywood smile and greeted the woman with a dramatic embrace and an exchange of air kisses. “Of course I made it. Who could say no to one of your fabulous parties?”
    “How about when you’re not welcomed at one?” Corona challenged.
    Wahida pretended to be offended. “Why, Chloe, where are your manners? Danica is a close friend of the family. I only invited her because I knew that she didn’t hold any ill-feeling just because things didn’t work out between her and Rowan.”
    Danica bobbed her head, but the smile on her face resembled a Cheshire cat. “Absolutely. I didn’t mean to offend or upset you. I thought that since Rowan and I will be working together in London next week that everything was good between us.”
    “What?” Corona turned toward her fiancé. “You didn’t tell me that she was in the movie.”
    Danica laughed while Rowan tried to take another gulp of his drink, only to be reminded that it was empty.
    “Ah. Ah. Ah. Looks like someone is back to his bad boy ways,” said Danica.
    Rowan cleared his throat. “Didn’t I? Maybe I just assumed you knew since it had made the trade papers.”
    “You assumed?” Corona repeated, feeling heat rush up her neck and face.
    “I, uhm … “ Rowan finally caught sight of a passing waiter and launched at him like a NASA rocket, trying to get at another drink.
    Left standing alone in front of Wahida and Danica, Corona sucked in a deep breath. “Well, at any rate, I find extending an invitation to an ex-girlfriend highly inappropriate, Wahida. In the future I’d appreciate it if you’d check with me before inviting any more of Rowan’s ex-girlfriends to parties that we’re attending.”
    Without missing a beat, Wahida shrugged. “If you’re trying to avoid women that my son has slept with in this city, or in any other town, then you’re going to leave me with hardly anyone to invite.”
    “Ain’t that the truth.” Danica snickered.
    Great. These two heifers were a tag team.