He releases me. “What are brothers for?”
Once I’m secure in my dress, I take one more glance in the mirror. My bodice is covered in black lace and beads, an intricate corset that hugs my body like a glove over a nude sheer panel. It gives the illusion I’m bare beneath.
Turning around, I glance over my shoulder at the plunging back that falls into a long soot skirt of lace and tulle cut into jagged pieces that cascade to the floor where black feathers peek out from the bottom like an old Hollywood movie. Beautiful chaos, elegance with edge, is what I thought when I saw the design. I ran out of time to pull my hair up, so it’s going to stay down this evening. Grabbing my clutch, I do one last mental run through to make sure I’m not forgetting anything.
Teddy stands at the door, tapping his fancy watch.
“Being annoying and rushing people,” I answer his question with a laugh, and he just shrugs. “Okay. I think I’m ready.”
“Let’s go, shall we?” He offers his arm as we step out on the walk in front of my flat.
“We shall,” I reply as we climb into the back of a black car.
“Wendy would be proud too,” he whispers, looking out the window.
“She certainly would, of us all.” I pat his arm, then look out my own window. “I miss her.”
“Me too,” he whispers, his voice barely audible.
Chapter Sixteen
Scarlett
I step onto the midnight-blue carpet with Teddy by my side looking very dapper in his traditional tux, crisp white shirt, and black bowtie. Both our masks are black, though mine also has silver beads and some lace. We’re quite the pair, us outcasts, who came from nothing.
We arrive just behind Piers and Willow. She looks stunning in a sleek silver dress, though I can’t bring myself to admit it out loud. I hold my head high and plaster on a smile as I stand between Piers and Teddy, posing for photographs. As the flash of bulbs go off all around us, I switch angles and expressions, noticing how overwhelmed Willow seems.
“Piers! Great timing! You look dashing.” I nod in Willow’s direction. “Willow.”
“Scarlett,” she replies flatly.
“Hello, Scarlett.” Piers takes her hand, and off they go through the massive wooden doorway, away from the glare of the lights. “Are you okay?” They stand together, talking in hushed tones as he searches her face.
“Why wouldn’t she be?” I ask, stepping around him to a large gilded mirror hanging on the wall, checking my wine colored lipstick. She needs to see this is all a part of his life. A very important and public part. They can’t stay hidden away on her blessed estate forever.
“That kind of press is intimidating for anyone, especially someone not expecting it.” Piers sticks up for her, turning his attention away from me. “Willow, you remember Theodore Stone?”
Teddy steps forward, moving his mask aside. He pulls out tortoise shell specs and puts them on. “This might help.”
She studies him for a moment. “Teddy!” She wraps her arms around him in a hug, which earns them a growl from Piers. Stepping back, she catches up with him, while I continuing pretending to check my makeup in an attempt to avoid looking at her. “How are you? You look fantastic!”
“Hello, Willow. You look lovely.” He smiles bashfully in true Teddy fashion. “Yes, it’s me, but I go by Theo these days.” He and Piers exchange greetings as I turn around and look at my childhood reincarnate standing in the entry hall.
“So, you and Scarlett?” she blurts out, looking at him, then me.
“Oh, God no!” I jump in, wrapping her arm through his. “He’s much too busy with his books and doing whatever it is anthropologist’s do to actually talk to women. I needed a date when Piers dropped me last minute to bring you.” I attempt to smile without showing contempt, but the look on her face tells me I’m failing miserably. “Teddy was kind enough to come along. He was on the list anyway, so it wasn’t an entire seating chart nightmare rearranging everything for Piers’ last minute change of heart.”
Piers gives me a heated look, and taking the hint, I wrap it up. “He never brings dates anyway, so I knew he would be available,” I offer, and suddenly feel bad when I feel Teddy go still beside me before looking away and fiddling with his mask.
“No need to be rude, Scarlett.” Piers takes Willow’s arm and continues walking. “Theo, I owe you a drink, mate,” he calls after them.
“I’m sorry, Teddy. I didn’t mean it like that.” I put my head down in shame, so many emotions still raw.
“It’s fine,” he cuts me off.
We walk farther into the venue and down a large, sweeping staircase. My back straightens in pride as Willow oooh’s and ahhh’s to Piers over the large ballroom glowing in shades of pink and purple, blue and green. Tables are adorned with miniature flowering trees that house what looks like tiny, floating globes with candles inside. Little fairy wings act as place card holders. I’m rather impressed myself. I’ve poured my life into this and the Anderson deal alone over the last few months. A dreamlike room for a dreamlike evening. But someone else is living my dream.
“Underglobe is directly beneath the Globe Theatre. In the daylight hours, it houses Globe’s Shakespeare exhibition, but at night, it comes alive as one of London’s exclusive hidden events spaces. It’s really a unique space and very different from the Town House at Kensington where we usually host our more intimate events. This called for something a bit more dramatic,” Piers explains as she holds his arm tightly, hanging on his every word.
The ceiling is covered in thousands of tiny white, twinkling lights. “Oh, Piers! Look!” she exclaims, pointing out two acrobats moving gracefully on large streamers suspended from the ceiling.
I snort, which earns my arm a gentle tug as Teddy clears his throat. “Scarlett,” he scolds under his breath. “Best behavior. You promised.”
“So I did,” I agree. It’s the large glass of chardonnay I had before he picked me up that has seemed to loosen my tongue.
“It seems we got the dramatic part down.” Piers smiles. “We came in the secret river-side entrance, which, thanks to Scarlett’s PR team, wasn’t so secret. And hopefully, news of tonight’s event will be splashed all over the papers come morning, bringing attention to London Lost. That’s what it’s all about, for me anyway.” Hearing him praise me makes me stand a little taller, even if he can’t say it to my face. And my heart swells hearing him talk about London Lost. That is what it’s all about. I’ll do my best to keep my cattiness in check. I’ll try.
I mentally do last minute checks over everything in my head, my stomach filled with butterflies.
“Welcome to A Mid Summer’s Night Dream Gala for the London Lost,” Shakespearian dressed men and women greet us as one blows fire up into the air.
“It’s fantastic, Scarlett. You should be very proud,” Teddy leans over and whispers in my ear. I’m so grateful he agreed to be my date. I knew he would be here, but walking in on his arm, rather than trailing behind them like the third wheel—or worse, a shadow—would just be too much.
I focus on the wonderful cause we’re supporting and the incredible night ahead of us. It’s hard not to get caught up in the whimsy of it all. This venue really is perfect.
Piers finds our table and we all take our seats just as he’s called up to give the opening remarks.
Teddy goes to grab us a drink, so I take the opportunity to have a little girl talk with Willow.
“He’s fantastic, isn’t he?” I comment, earning a cautious glance from Willow. “He was made to be a leader, but we’ve both always known that. He needs someone who can support him on that. Not hold him back.” I need her to understand she can’t force him away from everything he’s built.
“What are you saying, Scarlett?” She glares at me. She thinks she has so much right to hate me. But what did I ever do to her? I was only trying to protect the man we both loved when she ran away and crushed him. That old fire creeps back into my veins, despite my attempt to cool
it down. My earlier trip down memory lane has left me raw and my filter shredded.
“Nothing he hasn’t already thought himself. You’re his past. You need to let go. I protected him from you then, and I’m trying to do it now. I can help him be the person he was meant to be.” There is venom on my tongue, and I loathe the taste, but I can’t back down once this dam bursts open.
Applause erupts around us. Piers. He’s just finishing up his speech.
“You will only hold him back. You make him soft…weak,” I say, only loud enough for her to hear. She sits there looking so innocent, so wounded. I’m always the villain; she’s always the victim. Guess I’m just playing the part I was cast.
Piers calls my name from the stage. “Looks like he needs me.” I smile, knowing it’s nothing more than a formality. The gesture is all business. He doesn’t need me. He hasn’t for some time. I smile as I join him on stage to thank everyone for coming and explain the rules of this evening’s silent auction before turning it back over to him.
Just as I’m about to walk down, my skin tingles, and I scan the crowd, until my eyes lock with a deep blue pair hidden behind a sleek black mask. Cohen.
#####
Cohen
Our eyes lock, and that same feeling of electricity whenever she is near zaps through me. It’s almost like the static charge that hangs in the air before a thunder storm.
Piers praised her for her work on the event, which is more than an event. It appears to be the event.
Hearing him talk about her and seeing her face light up at his complimenting irritates me. I’m glad to know she’s appreciated, but I want her smiles, all of them, to myself, and knowing he gets to work so closely with her makes me feel something a little like hate and a lot like jealousy. And I don’t get jealous. Ever.
That dress should be illegal, all sheer and lace, hugging her the way I want to be. I know what lies beneath that fabric, but she doesn’t know I know. She doesn’t remember. I wish she did.
So I wouldn’t have to chance ruining it all by telling her.
Tangles and twirls of black lay at her feet like a dark cloud and her lips are painted a deep red, the shade of blood that has hit oxygen. Loosening my tie, I take a deep breath as I lead her in. She is the epitome of temptation.
A sweet seductress complete with a jeweled mask.
My hand slips into my trouser pockets to discreetly adjust myself as I sweep my gaze back up her body just as her eyes find me.
Hello, gorgeous.
Our gazes remain locked. Her on the stage, me near the back at the room beside the bar. It’s as if only the two of us exist in this ballroom full of people.
Applause rings out and the moment is broken. Turning, she exits the stage as Willow approaches the bar where I’m standing to order a drink.
“I’ll have a club soda with raspberry, please,” she tells the barman.
“Rough night?” I ask with a chuckle, careful to keep my masked face at an obscure angle.
“Something like that,” she offers as her drink is placed neatly in front of her. Taking a sip, she explains, “I don’t drink. My parents were killed by a drunk driver, so it’s not a political statement. Just a choice,” she rambles, clearly upset.
I’m sure it’s just as difficult for her, seeing them on stage together. Seeing what they could be. Before she came back and before I showed up, what could have been. It won’t be now.
She starts to say something else, but I miss it because I quickly step away into the shadows as Piers approaches, wrapping Willow in his arms.
It’s easy to see what he feels for her is real. I may not have experienced it myself, but I’ve seen that look. It was the way my mother looked when she talked about my father.
It’s the kind of love wars are fought over. I just never met anyone worth fighting for. Until her.
Walking back to her seat alone, she glances around, but I can’t go to her just yet. Looking deflated, she takes her place next to Theo, the other friend, the one I might actually like. He’s there for her tonight in a way I can’t be. I use the moment to grab some fresh air as the anticipation of being near her builds.
Even across the room, I could see desire in her jewel-toned eyes. I’m not sure what the evening will bring, but I’m hoping to pull her away for a dance. It’ll be the perfect excuse to hold her in my arms, to feel her body pressed up against mine.
Chapter Seventeen
Scarlett
Once seated, Piers jumps right into conversation. Thankfully, there are three other couples at our table.
He introduces Willow, as an old friend, but the way his lips linger, kissing her cheek, he’s not fooling anyone. She flushes at the attention, and I stare past her in search of Cohen. Now would be a good time for him to step in and rescue me. Theo picks up on the awkwardness and moves the conversation along.
Piers steps away from the table to talk with a few guests, and Willow catches the women at the table staring at Piers when their husbands aren’t looking, the way women often do.
“So, Willa? What is it that you do again?” one asks her.
“I’m, uh…” she fumbles over her words. And this is why I doubt her ability to back him the way he needs. In this elitist society you either become part of by birth, wealth, or looks, you can’t show weakness. She needs to put them in their place and stop cowering to me.
If she wants him, as much as he wants her, she needs to be willing to fight for him. I need to know she’s not going to walk away again.
“She writes children’s books,” I interject, raising my glass of champagne in toast to Willow to show her this is how it’s done. “Little fairy stories.” The last part slips out a bit snarky, but the champagne combined with the wine I consumed earlier is making my head swim with memories.
Before long, I’ll be drowning in them.
Teddy shoots me a warning glare. Got it, Teddy Bear. I’ll play nice.
She flits her gaze to me like a wounded lamb, now knowing Piers told me about her hidden profession. He was proud. I heard it in his voice over the phone as he asked me to find everything she had ever published and order copies. Which I did.
The stories were quite incredible and the artwork was breathtaking.
Taking a deep breath, she turns back toward thing one and thing two. “Yes, I’m a writer and illustrator of children’s books.”
“Like picture books?” one asks, and I stifle laughter. Half-wit.
“Yes, picture books. Do you have a particular favorite?” Willow smiles sweetly, and Theo nearly chokes on his drink at the exchange. That’s the spirit. Maybe she does have what it takes.
“Reginald would never let me work outside the home,” number two chimes in.
They shoot their dirty looks and resume whispering amongst themselves. Either that, or the fact that Piers sits back down draws their attentions elsewhere.
“I think that’s fantastic, Willow. Good for you! Cheers!” Theo raises his glass to her, ever the peacekeeper.
“Thanks, Theo. That’s very kind of you to say. I’m sure it’s nothing near the caliber you’re used to reading at University.” Her voice waivers again.
“What are we toasting?” Piers asks, reaching over and taking her hand while my own empty palms rub together in my lap.
I need something to hold onto. I wish I could leave the table and just go find Cohen.
Surely I didn’t imagine him. I felt him.
“Willow’s success as a children’s author and illustrator,” Theo fills him in, and Piers narrows his eyes at me. Busted.
I look away from his angry green gaze, desperate to find a cool blue one as I scan the room once more. Across a sea of tuxedos and glittering ball gowns, fragrant flowers and twinkling lights. Nothing.
Rolling my eyes, I excuse myself from the table. “I need another drink.”
Another drink is really the last thing I need. My head is already swimming. After dinner and endless schmoozing, what I really need is some fresh air. But
first, a quick visit to the toilet.
Walking to the marble counter, I set my bag down, right next to a silver mask—one that looks a lot like the one I had Harrods drop off for Willow.
Just what I need. A girl’s chat in the most dangerous place of all: the lou.
Before I can make my escape undetected, I hear the door open, and a group of women walk in, talking loudly.
“Can you believe her dress?” one asks, sounding horrified.
“Seriously. It had to be off the rack. Who does that? At the event of the year,” another chimes in.
“She should have requested the vegetarian plate. With hips like that, she should avoid beef.”
“Totally,” they agree.
My stomach drops. I know exactly who they are talking about. I also know she’s only about ten feet away occupying a stall.
“And red lips with red hair? No class. Who does that?”
Fresh meat, that’s all she is to them. New competition.
“Someone desperate enough to hold the attention of the most eligible bachelor in London, that’s who.” They go on and on, their words swirling in my mind with all the alcohol I’ve consumed tonight. Old insecurities are rubbed raw by the harsh judgment. Instead of a powder room full of jealous woman, the harsh words come out in my mum’s voice.
“Piers won’t stay with her. I know. I’ve been there, done that. Literally. He never comes back for seconds.” The lot of them, catty as ever. Thankfully, all the years I lived in Piers’ shadow, I was also under his wing and therefore protected.
“Best I’ve ever had,” another purrs, though I’m fairly certain he would have never went there.
“Ladies, ladies. Play nice,” I say, trying to get these daft cows to shut it as I head for the door.
“Oh, she’s just jealous because she hasn’t had him yet,” catty bitch number one throws her opinion in, and salt seeps into my wounds.
Never Say Never (Written in the Stars Book 2) Page 14
