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The stall behind me opened and Piper walked out. Her smile faltered and then brightened when she saw me.

“Sorry,” I said. “It got a little loud out there.”

“Eli’s about had it,” she said. “He’s really an introvert. He can hang for a while, but by the time I get him home, he’ll be jelly. Plus he’ll sleep all day tomorrow and complain he’s got a headache.”

Piper opened her clutch purse and pulled out her compact. She dotted her nose and cheeks.

“That really is a fabulous dress Lock put you in,” she said. “Is it couture?”

I took a step back from the mirror. I wore a royal blue off-the-shoulder silk number. I laughed. “I don’t do couture,” I said. “This is off the rack from Nordstrom’s.”

“Oh, honey,” she said. “That man of yours can afford to fly Christian Siriano himself out to the house for a private fitting.”

“He’s not like that,” I said. “Lock’s happier spending money on nights like this.”

“Sure,” Piper said. “I’ve seen that car you drive.” She dropped her compact back into her purse and clicked it shut with gusto.

I opened my purse and dropped my lipstick back inside. My magnetic watch band caught on the metal clasp. It fell onto the counter. My red ribbon slipped down and Piper saw it. In the mirror, she stared at me wide-eyed. Then she grabbed my arm and pulled at the ribbon.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she said. Then she threw back her head and laughed.

I wrenched my arm out of her hands and snapped my watch back over it.

“Is he still running that scam?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said.

“Did he tell you it made you special? Oh, honey. There were more than a few girls on campus running around with those things around their wrists. Eli and I used to call Lock the Red Silk Romeo. He’d give these red ribbons to women. Cooked up some story about how it was a symbol of how much he cared for them. Told them to wear it so he’d know it meant something to them too.”

I was speechless. Piper wasn’t.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just surprised. I haven’t seen one of those for a long time, is all. I had no idea Lock was still doing that. Or that anyone would fall for it.”

I felt like my lungs had just flattened. Piper had such disdain in her eyes when she said it. She knew she’d hit a nerve and seemed to relish it.

“Ugh. I’m sorry. I’m sure it was different with you. He put that hunk of ice on your finger. Just ignore me.”

She scooted past me, her face ashen. I don’t know if that was genuine remorse for being so rude, or whether she was scared of how angry Lock would be if I told him what she said.

The room spun. The ribbon around my wrist seemed to burn through my flesh.

TWENTY-THREE

Lock hired a driver to bring us home. He needn’t have bothered. I was stone cold sober.

Cooked up some story about how it was a symbol of how much he cared for them… I had no idea Lock was still doing that. Or that anyone would fall for it… I’m sure it was different with you…

“You were great tonight,” Lock said as the driver slowly pulled around the circle. They both tried to get to my door, but I opened it and got out on my own, brushing past them. I left Lock to say goodnight to the driver and give him a generous tip.

I braced myself against the door and slipped off my heels. I left them where they dropped and worked on taking off my earrings. Lock was a few steps behind me. I heard him close the garage door as I headed up the stairs.

I stood at the entrance to my closet. Lock came and unzipped my dress. “You really were amazing.” He kissed the nape of my neck as my dress pooled at my feet. I stepped out of it. “They couldn’t stop looking at you. You blew them away. You always do.”

I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t even think about my political future or any of the people I’d met tonight. I could only think about Piper’s comments. About the Frères Célestes. About the ribbon itself.

“You okay? You’ve barely said two words since we got in the car.”

“I’m fine,” I said. “I’m just tired. I need to decompress. Grab a shower. I’ll come to bed in a while.”