One of Us Is Dead(77)

Olivia held up her cell phone, facing the screen toward me. A timer was clicking down. Three minutes, twenty-three seconds.

“Then I best not take these next three minutes for granted.” I grinned.

Jenny smiled while she curled small sections of Crystal’s hair into tiny tight ringlets. “What are you going as?” I asked Crystal.

She looked in the mirror at me. “Sandy from Grease.”

I nodded and gave her a warm smile, “Wonderful.”

I grabbed the bottle of red wine and champagne and walked around the room refilling everyone’s drinks. “Let’s get this party started, ladies.”

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Keisha cheered.

I got to Olivia. She held out her glass to me like she expected me to serve her. Her wrist limp, while her skinny fingers held on to it. I tipped the bottle and poured until the red wine spilled onto her lap. “Sorry.”

She scrambled, trying to wipe it off. One of the makeup artists handed her a towel. She dabbed herself dry, keeping composure in her face to ensure her makeup wouldn’t be ruined, but her eyes were like daggers. She wanted to hurt me. That much was obvious. She held up her phone. The timer read one minute. Was she trying to threaten me? I wasn’t scared of Olivia.

“What about you?” Crystal asked. “What are you dressing up as?”

“Corpse bride.” I spun around, facing the other women.

The timer went off. Olivia took a big breath.

“How fitting!” she said. “Heck. You don’t even need to dress up, Shannon. You’re already a single, alone, forgotten nothing—just like a corpse. The only difference is you’re not married . . . anymore.” Olivia cackled.

Everyone else looked around awkwardly. All that venom Olivia held inside of her for five minutes had erupted. She took a drink and swallowed hard, realizing she may have gone too far . . . even for her. “I’m just kidding,” she added. “I’m sure you’ll look nice, Shannon.” She took another drink.

“Anyway,” Keisha said, changing the subject. “Is Mark coming tonight?”

Karen nodded and didn’t say a word.

“Why? Do you have something to tell him?” Olivia asked.

Why was she being snarky to Keisha? Keisha never did a damn thing to her. Then again, none of us had. She was always toying with people. She thought she was the goddamn puppet master, just pulling the strings. Little did she know, she was the master of nothing.

“Oh, Olivia. Would it kill you to be nice?” I scowled at her as I threw up my arms. I walked over to the station next to hers and took a seat.

Olivia paused, then looked to me. “Yes, yes it would.” She curled her lip.

“I figured as much.”

“You would know, Shannon. You’re the queen of mean,” she quipped.

I gave her an odd look. I knew she was holding on to something, and if I didn’t find out now, I never would.

“Is there a problem, Olivia?” I asked. Honestly, I didn’t care what her issues with me were. But closure is powerful.

“One word: Nemo,” she said. Her constricted eyes paired with her skeleton makeup made Olivia look truly terrifying.

“Nemo?” Karen asked. “Like the Pixar movie?”

I thought for a moment and then it clicked. I knew what Olivia was pissed at me for.

“No, Karen. Not like the movie. Nemo. New money.” Olivia spat.

“That’s why you have it in for me? A stupid nickname from years ago. Are you kidding me?” I was nearly laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Among other things,” she said, dismissing me.

I took a drink of my wine. “Well, I’m sorry for that, Olivia. I hadn’t realized how much I had hurt you. But I’m not that person anymore.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Her eyes searched mine, then they went dark. “It’s too late for apologies, Shannon. A line has been drawn.” She raised her chin at me.

I rolled my eyes and took another sip of wine, feeling perfectly okay with that closure, even if Olivia wasn’t okay with hers.

Olivia got up from her seat and refilled her drink. She sipped it, while surveying the room, probably determining who her next target would be. She was one of those women who had issues with every other woman, most likely due to her own insecurities. Her eyes bounced around the room and, finally, they settled on Crystal. Hadn’t she been through enough?

“So, Bryce will be at the party tonight?” Olivia raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. Obviously, it’s his house,” Crystal said curtly. Jenny continued to curl her hair, paying close attention to Olivia and Crystal’s exchange.

“Good. We have things to discuss.” Olivia smirked.

Crystal pulled out her phone and busied herself with it.

“It seems you always have things to discuss with married men,” Karen cut in.

“It would appear someone is on a horse too high for their own morals.” Olivia eyed her up and down.

Keisha finished Karen’s makeup and helped her out of the chair. “It’s beautiful,” Karen said, admiring her freshly painted face. She walked over to the drink table where Olivia was standing. They stood only a foot apart, staring at one another, both wearing full skeleton makeup.

“I’d be careful with your accusations.” Olivia narrowed her eyes.