Next Stop: Love

by Miranda J. Fox

  “You guys have really outdone yourselves this year,” Aileen remarked, which prompted me to look away from the decorations. Luis had joined us and was just giving her a kiss on the cheek.

  “One does what one can,” he replied, modest as always, before giving me a delighted once-over. “Well, I never. You match everything so perfectly, we could use you as decoration!” he exclaimed, running his hand along the material. “That dress is just enchanting, the first decent one I’ve seen today. You might even be able to convince the jury,” he mused.

  I furrowed my brow. The jury?

  “Oh, and you two look enchanting as well, of course,” he added, seeing the indignant looks on Aileen’s and her mother’s faces.

  “What jury?” I asked when he had moved on.

  “There’s a jury every year. They walk around all evening rating people’s dresses, and then at the end they announce the best-dressed female employee. Like a prom queen.”

  “Oh, so that’s what Mary meant earlier,” I said aloud.

  “I’m looking forward to seeing what she’s come up with this time around. I can’t stand that woman, but she sure does have a knack for glamorous entrances,” Aileen admitted, sipping her champagne.

  Before I could agree, a musical fanfare sounded, and all the lights were directed toward the entrance. We stood in the dark, watching the two people who had just appeared in the doorway. A tall guy was standing in my way, so I didn’t recognize them at first, but then I realized it was Luca and Mary, strolling in arm and arm with broad smiles on their faces.

  “Did I miss something?” I asked, checking out Mary’s dress. She really did look good.

  “Each year’s winner gets to arrive with the boss the following year.”

  “Arrive with him?” I asked suspiciously.

  “Usually he picks her up in a limousine and takes her to the party,” Aileen explained.

  I had to laugh. Okay, now I understood why Mary went all out every year. I felt a twinge and drowned it in a large gulp of champagne. Me, jealous? Never!

  “Where’s Mr. Marcs?” I inquired when the grand entrance had ended and the lights were back to normal.

  Aileen let out a derogatory snort. “He never shows his face here.”

  “And you have a ball every year?” I asked. “Doesn’t that get boring after a while?”

  “No way. There’s a different theme each year. Last time it was Halloween; the year before that, it was Famous Film Characters; and before that it was Glamour. The fashion department organizes the whole thing and suggests themes, and then the employees all vote.”

  I nodded and snuck a glance at Luca, who had released Mary and joined the HR manager. Her white dress looked like something out of a fairy tale, and her date’s vintage-style black suit, complete with top hat, was equally elegant. Compared to them, I really did feel sort of underdressed. My gaze landed on Mary, who was standing next to Luca, looking slightly lost and obviously not at all pleased that he’d moved away from her. Her dress was a billowing white and gold number that looked truly regal on her. A brunette in a purple gown came up and linked arms with her, pulling her away. Mary threw one last longing look over her shoulder, as though hoping Luca would notice her disappearance and call her back, but he was too engrossed in conversation. I snickered to myself. There sure were some dramatic scenes playing out. “Let’s go get a drink,” Aileen’s mom suggested, and we headed for the closest bar.

  More and more people filled the hall as the evening went on, and we ended up practically rooted to the spot. There was always someone new coming our way, and as chatty as Aileen was, the conversation never stopped. She also had a natural talent for bringing people together, so I met people from almost every department.

  Luca eventually joined us, and I discreetly tucked my hair into place as he walked over. Not for his benefit, of course, but a person didn’t have to walk around looking like a scarecrow, right? “Good evening, ladies,” he said with a charming bow. “I hope the champagne is to your liking?”

  “Oh, Mr. Marcs, I was wondering when you would finally come visit me,” Aileen’s mother responded, visibly taken with him.

  He turned toward her. “I’ve been looking for you this whole time, but I suppose I saved the best for last.” He grinned and kissed her hand. Oh yes, he could sure turn on the charm. I was almost going weak-kneed myself just listening to him. I had to say that, once again, he looked absolutely stunning. Even better up close. His black suit hugged his body perfectly, and tonight his hair wasn’t styled quite as severely—it had more of that rumpled look. And then, of course, there were his breathtaking eyes, which attentively followed my every move.

  “Well? Don’t you want to introduce me to your boyfriend?” Luca asked, nudging me lightly in the side.

  “Um . . .” I mumbled, but before I could continue, Aileen chimed in.

  “Boyfriend? You told me you don’t have one,” she said in astonishment, and I wished more than anything that the earth would open up and swallow me.

  “You don’t?” Luca echoed, playing Mr. Bewildered to perfection. That son of a bitch. “If I remember correctly, you told me a couple of weeks ago that you were in a relationship,” he went on.

  “And you told me you were single,” Aileen chimed in.

  I threw up a hand in resignation. “Fine. That was a lie. I don’t have a boyfriend,” I admitted with a sigh and avoided Luca’s eyes. I could just imagine the look on his face.

  “Why the lie, child?” Aileen’s mom asked before draining her next glass.

  I shrugged. “No idea, probably some kind of reflex,” I mumbled, taking a sip as well. It occurred to me that I was already on my second glass, and if I kept this up, I’d get rosy cheeks, too. That was the last thing I wanted, because nothing was more embarrassing than behaving inappropriately at a company party.

  My response earned me a sympathetic nod from Aileen. “I can understand that. If I were a looker like you, I’d be overwhelmed by all the attention, too.” I felt my cheeks getting hot and could only smile uncomfortably. Aileen took things one step further and said, “What do you think, Luca?”

  The intensity of his gaze weighed on me until I had no choice but to meet his eyes—anything else would have been impolite. “She’s definitely a looker,” he said, and maybe I was just imagining it, but his voice seemed to have gotten huskier.

  “Where’s your old man?” Aileen’s mother inquired, interrupting our eye contact. I had actually forgotten to breathe for a second there. “I haven’t seen Peter at a company party for ages now.” She sipped her champagne with pleasure, and when her glass was empty, Luca reached over the bar and handed her another one without prompting.

  “He sends his regrets. He’s not feeling well,” he said, and the gleam in his eye faded.

  Nobody seemed to buy the excuse. “Just like the last three years?” Aileen’s mother prodded him in a knowing tone. He smiled apologetically, although it didn’t seem to quite reach his eyes. I knew that expression, because I’d spent years doing it myself. Namely, every time my mother had ducked out of important events—my graduation, various birthdays, other moments in my life—and I’d had to apologize on her behalf. It just wasn’t her thing, and if she didn’t consider something important, she preferred to work instead. I didn’t know whether Luca’s father had similar motivations for his behavior, but it sure looked that way. Maybe, I mused to myself, he and my mom had a few things in common.

  Our eyes met again, and although I wanted to at first, I didn’t avert my gaze. The intense eye contact was just too captivating, so I only half noticed when Aileen’s mother cleared her throat and tugged at her daughter’s sleeve. “We’re going to the little girls’ room,” she declared, and the two of them set off together. With that, the magical moment was over, and I turned to watch them go.

  “You look beautiful,” Luca said, drawing my eyes bac
k in his direction.

  “Um, thanks . . . So do you,” I said, embarrassed. Somehow, compliments just made me feel unbelievably awkward.

  At that, he laughed. “Oh? I look beautiful?”

  “No! I mean, actually, yes, but . . . Can you even say that about guys? Um, forget it,” I murmured, wishing to God I could just strangle myself. What the hell was I blabbering on about this time? Couldn’t he even pay me one single compliment without me turning red? Surely I was used to it from him by now.

  “I see, so you just find me attractive, that’s all.” He grinned, and I nodded without thinking. I shouldn’t have let things go this far and taken his compliment to heart—it wasn’t likely that I was the only person he’d been romancing this evening. I mean, there were dozens of beautiful women around here. No, there was no way he actually meant it.

  “Well, hel-lo, that’s what I call a lovely dress,” Mike’s voice rang out behind me.

  Grinning, I turned to face him and let him hug me. “You look pretty chic yourself,” I said, admiring his dark-blue suit.

  “You hear that? She thinks I’m chic,” he said with a hard-to-place undertone to his voice, grabbing Luca playfully by the neck.

  “The suit, Mike. Your name didn’t come up,” he retorted with a laugh and freed himself from his grip. I found the two of them totally cute together. They seemed like they’d known each other since they were kids and had experienced a lot together. I decided I’d pump Mike for information if the opportunity ever arose.

  Seeing Mary and her friend slinking in our direction, I mentally prepared myself for her condescending remarks, which she always seemed to have in ample supply for me. I even faintly suspected that she made lists of them in the evenings, just so she could use them on me the following day.

  “Ms. Illinger, you look enchanting as always.” Mike kissed her hand.

  “Thanks, Mr. IT Specialist. I can only return the compliment.” As Mary spoke, her eyes flitted over to Luca, as though she was hoping for praise from him as well. But he only smiled politely . . . and then, weirdly, looked over at me. Why did he keep doing that? It was enough to make a person nervous. Or maybe that was just the alcohol, I thought, and quickly set my glass down.

  Visibly irritated, Mary followed his gaze. “Sophia, that’s a really . . . charming dress you have on,” she said, regarding me with an expression that suggested exactly the opposite. “A bit casual, but no matter. Where is it from?”

  “A secondhand store,” I replied and smiled coolly back. The atmosphere was so charged that if I’d wet my fingers and held them up between our heads, I’d have gotten an electric shock.

  “Oh, and that doesn’t bother you? I mean, you never know who wore it before, right?” she asked with an artificial laugh. Her friend joined in, and the two of them sounded pretty stupid giggling away. Mike and I exchanged a look, and Luca seemed a little perplexed by her behavior as well.

  “At least no animals had to die for my dress,” I retorted dryly with a glance at her fur-trimmed collar, then reached for my drink again and took an innocent sip.

  Her left eye twitched, probably out of annoyance, but then she put on her fake smile again. “Anyway,” she purred to Luca, “if you want to dance with the queen of the ball, let me know.”

  “I will,” he said with a slight nod. When she and the other woman had sashayed away, I looked over at him with raised eyebrows, but he only shrugged innocently.

  “Did someone just get her claws out there?” Mike asked, nudging me.

  “Why me? She’s the one who won’t quit,” I protested in my own defense, which made me feel like a child explaining herself to her father.

  For a while we made the obligatory small talk about the company and the other employees, but soon the conversation turned to hobbies and personal interests. Mike, for example, was a true adrenaline junkie who loved badminton, skydiving, and white-water rafting. He also thoroughly enjoyed traveling and was interested in other cultures, so when he had to go on business trips, he often brought Luca along, and they stayed for a couple extra days for some recreation. Luca himself wasn’t quite as hyper; he liked playing sports and went jogging regularly, but he preferred things risk-free and less dramatic.

  After a while, someone nudged me from behind, and I turned around to face a small gaunt woman. “Good evening, we’re the jury,” she said, gesturing to Luis and another woman. “And we noticed your wonderful dress. Can we ask what it’s made of?”

  “Silk and tulle,” I replied and let them touch the material, which they were doing, anyway.

  “Very nice workmanship,” she said, rubbing the cloth between her fingers. Meanwhile, Luis and his fellow jury members circled around me like hungry predators, and when I looked over at Luca and Mike, they winked at me in amusement. Well, at least they were enjoying this.

  “And it looks fantastic on you,” Luis added.

  “Can I ask your name?” the woman said.

  “Sophia Neumann,” I said. They thanked me and departed along with their entourage to find the next candidate.

  “What a circus,” I mumbled, but apparently not quietly enough because Mike replied, “Now don’t be a spoilsport; it’s funny!”

  I sniffed, unimpressed. “What do you even get if you win? A golden crown?” I scoffed.

  “A dance with the king of the ball,” Mike said and gestured to Luca.

  “For real?” I laughed.

  Luca shrugged. “I didn’t make the rules.”

  “And you’re the king of the ball every time?” I went on.

  Luca seemed sheepish about answering, but fortunately Mike spoke for him. “Good old Luca here got chosen so often that it’s turned into a company-wide gag, and now it’s just about choosing which lucky girl gets to dance with him.” He clapped Luca on the shoulder. Lucky? If he said so!

  We chatted for a while longer, and then I excused myself to use the bathroom. I kept an eye out for Aileen and her mother when I returned, and eventually I found them near the buffet. Perfect—I was starting to get hungry.

  “Well? What wonderful things did you and Luca talk about?” Aileen asked in a conspiratorial tone.

  “Nothing special, just the usual small talk.” I shrugged, piling three canapés, some smoked salmon, and fruit onto my plate.

  “Oh, come on, Sophia,” Aileen said. “You must have noticed that he’s totally into you.”

  “No, he isn’t,” I countered. “He’s just polite.” Honestly, I didn’t have the impression that he wanted anything from me. He obviously liked to flirt, and he did it with everyone else, too. Aileen and her mother exchanged a meaningful look, but I ignored them. They could imagine whatever they wanted. All I cared about was that I got along with Luca, and that my paycheck showed up in my account at the end of every month. Everything else was beside the point and could be ignored.

  At nine o’clock the lights in the room went out, then came back on, spotlighting a podium where the three jury members sat. The gaunt woman pushed her glasses into place, cleared her throat, and leaned in toward the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she said, and let her gaze sweep the room, whereupon the hubbub quickly died down and the crowd gave her their attention. “Tonight, just like every year, we’ve been on the lookout for our best-dressed female employee, and we’ve come to a unanimous decision.”

  At that moment, Luca stepped onto the stage and ceremoniously raised his glass to the audience, which earned him a round of enthusiastic applause. Yep, he sure was popular with his employees.

  “As always, our winner has the honor of dancing with our senior manager, and I’d like to welcome her to the stage now.” I spotted Mary, who’d positioned herself directly in front of the stage and was already making her way toward the steps. But suddenly they called a different name, one that sounded vaguely familiar and echoed in my ears. I saw Mary stop short and turn around to gape at
me in disbelief. Why was she giving me that weird look?

  “Well, go on, get onstage!” Aileen urged me, giving me a gentle shove. My legs began to move as though on autopilot, and I felt dazed from having so many eyes on me. Me? I was the best-dressed female employee? But I’d never won anything before, and Mary’s dress was way nicer than mine.

  “Congratulations,” Mike said as I walked by, clapping me on the shoulder. The others applauded and whistled loudly. Then I passed Mary, and the look she gave me couldn’t have been more I-promise-you-pain-and-suffering if she’d tried. As though I’d somehow cheated to win. As if I’d even wanted to win in the first place.

  All at once, the steps leading up to the podium seemed impossibly high, and I felt like Gus, the mouse who wanted to climb up to Cinderella’s tower room and found himself faced with a completely insurmountable set of stairs. I gathered my dress and started to climb, with Mary’s eyes wishing me “Break a leg” with every step. Why do you even pay her any mind? I berated myself. This whole event was just a joke, and if Mary took this contest so seriously, there was nothing I could do about it.

  Eventually, I reached the podium, but as I was walking up to Luca, my feet got caught in all the fabric at the bottom of my dress, and I pitched forward. The crowd held their breath, but Luca was already there to catch me. The audience broke out in excited applause, and he bowed, grinning, as though we’d practiced this Hollywood-worthy performance. When he didn’t let go, I glanced up at him to indicate that he was holding me longer than necessary, and then he released me, as though having just realized the same thing. I turned toward the jury, who draped a lettered sash across my body and congratulated me, then stepped back from the podium as a Viennese waltz began to play. I stayed where I was, unsure what to do, and then remembered to my great discomfort that as the winner, I had a dance coming. With Luca. In front of everyone.

  He seemed to have fewer misgivings as he approached me with determination. Leading me off the stage to the dance floor, he then placed his hand on my back and pulled me toward him. I gasped for air, and before I could protest, I found myself pressed against the length of his body again. It was so inappropriate on so many levels that I shrank away, but he strengthened his grip, which made me mad and was incredibly enticing. A man who took what he wanted. Oh yes, they were always the most attractive . . . but, unfortunately, also the most dangerous.