Chapter 103: The Other Woman?
** Harper **
"You guys know each other?" Chelsea gasped. "How funny, we were just talking about running into college acquaintances! Company parties are always surprising that way. You went to DU too, right Vanessa?"
The tall woman chuckled. "I did, but that was not how Eli and I met." She placed a hand casually on Eli’s shoulder. "You said you’d be busy this weekend. Why didn’t you tell me it was for the game? I would’ve been so thrilled to hear you’re a Chickadees fan too! And look at this facepaint you did — it’s so adorable."
"Actually, that credit goes to my friend Harper here." Chelsea made a gesture toward Harper. "Apparently I’m the only one who thinks the drawing looks like a chicken," she added jokingly with a shrug.
Vanessa’s gaze darted to Harper, and suddenly the look on her face changed. She narrowed her eyes, studying Harper with an odd scrutiny before turning back to Eli. "Well, now that Chelsea has mentioned it ... I do see a bit of resemblance. Maybe you should consider letting me do it instead next time? Paint and sip style. And I promise I won’t make it look like a chicken." She chuckled again, this time not so humorously.
It wasn’t until then that Harper realized how sweetly and intimately this woman had been speaking to Eli before, utterly different compared to the hostility dripping from her voice right now. The stark contrast was made even more obvious by the fact that Eli hadn’t said a single word since she showed up ... and he seemed to have gone completely stiff in her presence, even more so than during their earlier conversation about his father.
But why? It couldn’t be that Vanessa was ... his girlfriend?
The thought caught Harper off guard. Back when Eli told her about those dates he occasionally went on, the idea of him potentially seeing someone for "real" had bothered her a little. But the vague thought at the time was nothing compared to ... actually seeing the possibility standing right in front of her eyes. And judging from the way this Vanessa looked — tall with sexy curves, blonde hair permed into glam waves, immaculately done makeup with bold red lips and dark eyes — she was just like Eli’s ex from college, a hundred percent his type.
Harper swallowed, her hands growing cold.