After pulling his clothes back on and fussily making sure everything was tucked or buttoned as it should be, he turned to her. “All right,” he said, “Let’s get you ready for your debut.” The Fairy Godfather walked around her appraisingly. “Hmm, I don’t see you in white. Too pale to really pop. Black, however, would be too severe. Hmmm.” He spun his finger in an indication for her to twirl, and she did, feeling only slightly silly despite still being fully naked.
He clapped his hands together. “I’ve got it! Stand still.” Pulling a wand out of thin air, he waved it in her direction and mumbled some words under his breath. Cinderella felt her body tingling, and when she looked down, she saw she was swathed entirely in light pink. The strapless dress had a sweetheart neckline, and the bodice was completely covered in sequins. The full princess skirt was made of tulle and frothed delicately about her legs. When she lifted the skirt, she glimpsed a pair of absolutely gorgeous dainty silver stilettos on her feet.
“Okay,” he said, “Let’s do something about that hair.” Another wave of the wand, and Cinderella felt her hair lifted off her shoulders and twisted about around her head. “I think a French twist will be just the thing. And maybe a few loose curls to frame your face.” After a few more hand motions, he stepped back to admire his work. “Yes, that is perfect. You look amazing. Wait a moment, isn’t this a masquerade?”
She nodded, and his hands flew quickly once more. A delicate eye mask of silvery lace and ribbon formed on her face. “Of course, it hides the beautiful shape of your eyes. But, a masquerade is a masquerade, after all.”
Cinderella stood there for a moment, reveling in her finery. Then she noticed the sun had almost gone completely down. “Oh, I must get going!” she cried.
“But of course,” The Fairy Godfather said patronizingly, “The limo is around at the front of the house. Shall we?” He offered her his arm, and not even bothering to question it, she took it and they made their way through the house and out the grand entrance. True to his word, a sleek black stretch limo complete with costumed driver waited there for her. He kissed her quickly on the forehead, and said, “Well, beautiful, this is where we must part. One quick word, at midnight, the magic will end. So you must be home before then, unless you want to end up naked without a ride. Got it?” With that, he pushed her to the limo. The driver helped her in, and when Cinderella turned to look out the window for the Fairy Godfather, the sweet, strange man had already disappeared.
Chapter Four
Devon was positively bored. These parties were always the same: girls throwing themselves at him, his parents pushing him to find someone acceptable to get to know, and everyone watching him. Ugh, I am so tired of this. Ever since the magazine article came out naming him the state’s most eligible bachelor, he hadn’t gotten even a mere moment’s peace. His appearance alone would have been enough to make girls swoon, with his brown haired, blue eyed, All-American good looks, and a body that he maintained with a rigorous gym schedule. The real fuel to the fire, however, was definitely the article, most notably where it listed what his family’s net worth was. Of course, the prestige of being the governor’s son never hurt, either. Years ago, in his teens, he had enjoyed the perks that came with such notoriety. Even through college, he capitalized on his looks and family name, but it grew old once he became a full-fledged adult.
The problem now was that these girls were never what he wanted. Sure, they were all beautiful, most educated, some extremely wealthy, but when he revealed his true self to a woman he was seeing, she usually ran the other direction. It wasn’t even that he was so outlandish, but rather that the women he met tended to be overly sheltered or just plain mediocre when it came to life experiences.
He had just managed to shake off the last girl his father introduced him to this evening, a Cassandra Van Housen. She was an absolutely striking girl, but she didn’t smile the entire time they were talking. And he could feel her mother watching them like a vulture, ready to fly in and pick from his financial bones if he showed even the slightest interest. That was, after all, the rumor around the city of how she managed to get her own fortune, marrying some wealthy widower and waiting until he died. It made complete sense that she was hoping the same for her own daughters. His old friend from school, Blake Stillfield, had been dating Cassandra’s sister, Missy, for quite some time. Devon always chuckled and shook his head when he thought about the claws that must be in old Blake.
“Devon, my boy!” he heard someone cry from behind him. Oh, Lord, again? He sighed inwardly, as he turned around. Drake Bennett, his father, was coming at him with another young lady on his arm. “Here he is, dear! Devon, this stunning young woman is Evelyn Willgood. Of the northern Willgoods. You know, her father runs Willgood Publishing.”
Devon made an attempt to smile warmly, as annoyed as he was. It wasn’t the young Miss. Willgood’s fault that he couldn’t stand being where he was. “Of course, Father. I believe she and I met once at a charity event a few years ago.” He turned his attention to the lady. She was indeed striking, even with the Venetian mask that covered half of her face. She had gone for a peacock theme, and her dress, mask, and shoes were all blues, golds, and greens. “Hello, Evelyn. How do you do?” he asked, with a slight bow.
She returned his bow with her own slight curtsy, and said, “Very well, thank you. Your father was just telling me about your latest project. Perhaps you can elaborate for me?”
Drake chuckled to himself and slapped his son on the back. “All right, I’ll leave the two of you to talk. I believe there are some people your mother wants to introduce me to.” And with that, the older man took off across the ballroom at a quick clip. Thanks, Dad. At twenty-seven, one would think that Devon would be a bit smoother at small talk, but he wasn’t. He rarely hit it off with anyone, and if he didn’t feel an instant connection, he floundered awkwardly until something brought about a close to the conversation.
“Well, would you care to dance?” he asked her as he adjusted his own simple black mask after they had stood next to each other without saying anything for a few minutes.
“Oh, I would love to, thank you.”
Devon led her to the dance floor, as the band segued into another mellow tune. He took her hand in one of his, and looped an arm around her waist. They spun gracefully without speaking, and finally she stated,
“If I may be so bold, you don’t seem very interested in the evening’s festivities.”
“These aren’t really my thing.”
She peered up at him through her mask, then smiled playfully. “You mean dancing, beautiful women, and flowing drinks?”
“Not that, necessarily. Just the fact that it’s always the same people, the same types of people. You know, I’ve been doing this stuff since I was 18. It’s gotten old.”
He could feel her stiffen in his arms. “Same types of people? I am assuming that I would fall into one of those categories?”
Since he couldn’t really argue, all Devon did was shrug. Evelyn looked up, stared at him for a moment, and then stepped back.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to the ladies room.”
With that, she disappeared into the crowd of other dancing couples, leaving Devon awkwardly standing alone. Fantastic, wait ‘til Dad hears about this. Drake was forever on his son, trying to figure out why he was the way he was. In the court room he was aggressive and unstoppable, and with friends he was always the leader of the pack. However, with girls, he tended to be unsure. Devon certainly couldn’t explain it. He just wanted something, someone, different. And until he found that person, there was no way he could be his true self.
As he made his way off the dance floor, he happened to glance up at the grand staircase that led down to the ballroom, and a blonde girl in a pink gown caught his eye. In fact, most of the men in the room were looking in her direction. She was breathtaking in a way that made even Evelyn, the undeclared belle of the ball, look plain. As the girl stepped gingerly down onto the hardwood floor an
d let her skirt fall in a graceful sweep, Devon could hear the whispers of “Who is that?” begin.
He watched his father’s portly, but imposing form shuffle through the crowd to welcome the mysterious beauty. The girl nodded as his father said something to her. Then, Drake laughed as though she had said something hilarious. They both turned and headed in Devon’s direction. Well, he certainly wastes no time.
“Devon!” called Drake cheerfully, “This beautiful creature said she doesn’t know a soul at the party. Surely you’ll take good care of her?”
The girl’s green eyes caught the light, even from under her silver mask, and something in them warmed Devon. “Of course, Father.” He promised, as he offered her his hand. She took it, and Drake backed away into the crowd with a smile on his face.
“May I ask your name?” Devon asked while they began their first sweep across the dance floor.
The young woman ducked her head shyly. “That’s not important.”
“Of course it is. Why haven’t I seen you around before? Are you new to the city?” There was something about this lovely girl that brought out this inquisitive side in him. He couldn’t even remember the last time he willingly spoke more than a few sentences to a woman.
Not answering, Cinderella glanced nervously around the room, her eyes flitting from masked face to masked face. It seemed like she saw someone she knew and startled. He glanced in the same direction, but only saw Cassandra Van Housen, who was glaring with undisguised envy and bitterness.
“Well, what do you do?” he asked, trying another question.
She started, as though she was surprised he was still speaking to her. “Oh, I’m a student. Political Science.”
“Fascinating,” he cried, “That was my undergraduate major.”
“Undergrad? Do you have a master’s degree, then?” Obviously, this was one topic he could get her to talk about.
“I went to law school. I work in my uncle’s firm downtown. Bennet and Baxter?” He noticed her attention was once again on the other people in the room.
“Are you okay?”
Her eyes returned to his face, “No. Yes. I’m just, I mean, there are so many people here.”
“We could go someplace quieter. The library has an excellent view of the city lights. Would that be all right?”
She nodded, and Devon offered her his arm. She placed one delicate hand on him and he led her through the crowd of astonished onlookers. No one more surprised than his parents, who they passed on their way to the stairs. His father, obviously pleased, nodded and gave a quick wink. Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Devon merely smiled.
Chapter Five
The library was perhaps the most impressive room in their opulent home. The back wall was all floor-to-ceiling windows, except for the fireplace, and they faced out over the valley of the town below. One could see for miles during the day, and at night, just lights stretching out as far as the eye could see. Both the right and left walls were made up entirely of shelves, and had books from every genre and author imaginable. His father kept the most precious and priceless first editions in a specially made locked cabinet in the center of the room, with overstuffed armchairs and chaise lounges casually circling it.
As they stepped inside, Cinderella raised a hand to her chest, and looked as though she might stop breathing. “This is just incredible!”
Devon closed and locked the massive oak doors behind them and sprawled out on a chaise, feeling surprisingly at ease. “Thank you. My grandfather started collecting books when he was just a boy. In fact, the first book he ever bought with his own money is that Robinson Crusoe in the cabinet. It’s not worth much, of course, but it has sentimental value to our family.”
Cinderella kept her hands tightly pressed to her body while she peered over the titles of the books displayed, as though she wouldn’t be able to keep herself from trying to touch them.
“Are you a book collector or something?” Devon asked, surprised at the rapt attention the girl was paying. He had never seen anyone outside of his own family or visiting enthusiasts act in such a manner.
She glanced up from the section of Dickens she was poring over, and he thought he saw a flash of pain come across her face. “My father. He used to collect books as well. He had quite the library at one time. Charles Dickens was his favorite.”
“Used to? Why did he stop?”
Snapping out of her reverie, Cinderella backed away from the books and sat on a chair near him and said, “He died. Of cancer. And then my stepmother sold his collection and turned the library into a sauna for her and her daughters.”
Devon sat up, and reached a hand toward her knee. “I am so sorry to hear that.”
Shrugging her shoulders, she simply said, “It was a long time ago.”
Not knowing how else to comfort this beautiful, sad girl, Devon asked, “Would you like to hold one of the Dickens?”
Cinderella’s eyes widened. “Really? I mean, I would love to, but wouldn’t your father mind?”
As Devon stood and dug for the key ring in his pocket, he smiled. “My father says that half of the value is being able to enjoy the book. Even when I was a kid, he let me flip through them. Of course, that’s how the copy of The Swiss Family Robinson got some pages torn. I definitely got a stern talking to about that one.” He found the right key, and slid it into the lock protecting the row of Dickens. “Do you have a preference?”
“A Tale of Two Cities?” Cinderella asked, still holding her hands tightly to her body as though she couldn’t believe it was true.
He ran his hands along the row of books, found one, and then pulled it out. “Sure. This one was my grandfather’s, too.” Devon walked over to her, and held it out.
Gently, she took it from him and balanced it on her knees. She ran her hands along the cover, then lifted it again and sniffed it as she thumbed the pages. “I love the way old books smell.”
Devon smiled. “Me too. My grandfather said it was like the book sharing its own experiences with you. Where it had been, who had read it. You know.” He continued to watch her as she explored the book, loving her visibly deep respect that was so different from any other girl who had ever seen the library. His first girlfriend, at age sixteen, was so shocked at the size of the room set aside to hold just books that she asked, “Are they here to hide a secret passageway?” He still chuckled over that memory.
“It’s in beautiful condition. Thank you for letting me see it.” Cinderella stood and carefully passed the novel back to him. As he reached to take it from her, their hands happened to touch, and Devon felt as though he had been zapped by a jolt of electricity. It was the oddest thing. No girl since puberty had even had a similar effect on him. He turned to set the book back in its rightful place and took a deep breath to steady himself.
Devon faced Cinderella again, slipped one hand behind her ear and into her hair, and pulled her head to him. As she leaned up, he leaned down, and their mouths met. He softly pushed his tongue into her mouth, and she met him eagerly. Teasingly, he ran his teeth over her bottom lip, then broke the kiss.
“You’re really beautiful, you know that?” he asked her, bringing his hand tenderly to the side of her face. She turned her head to the side, but Devon couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or shame.
“Look at me.” He commanded, a bit more sternly than he had first intended.
Cinderella complied immediately, her clear green eyes staring seriously into his.
Encouraged by her reaction, Devon nodded to the chaise lounge nearest them and firmly said, “Sit down.”
Again, she did just as she was told. Something inside Devon began to stir. She was able to reach not only his hormones, but his heart. Is this the girl I’ve been waiting for? Moving to sit next to her, he slipped on arm behind her back and pulled her close. Cinderella stayed silent, eyes still searching his face.
“You like to be told what to do?” he asked.
She nodded.
Devon s
hook his head.”Say it.”
“I like it very much,” she whispered “Perhaps even too much.”
He placed two fingers under her chin and leaned his face in as close to hers as possible without touching. “Your own desires, if met by a willing party, are never too much. Understand?”
Looking at him with an indiscernible expression, her eyes began to fill with tears.
“Kiss me.” He said simply. And she did.
Chapter Six
Devon slowly slipped the zipper down her dress’s back, and then gently tugged the front of her bodice away from her skin. Then he kissed his way down her neck to her breasts, finding her left nipple and sucking it into the warmth of his mouth. She gasped with pleasure, and leisurely turned her head to the left. In doing so, she happened to glance at the time on the clock. 11:30. “Oh my God!” cried Cinderella, gently but firmly pushing Devon off of her, “I have to leave!”
Devon sat up, rather baffled. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just, I have to leave before midnight.”
Laughing, he said, “Do you need a ride home? Or you can stay here. Come on, princess.” He smiled warmly as he tried to pull her back into his arms. She almost gave in. But if I stay, the magic will wear off, my clothes and shoes will disappear, and I will be back to plain old me. At this thought, she hurriedly stood up and held the front of her dress to cover her breasts as best she could.
“I’m sorry, I really can’t stay. I enjoyed our time together. Please, zip me up?” He confusedly did, and then she ran as fast as she could go in her stilettos to unlock the library doors. Struggling with the lock gave Devon time to reach her, and put one hand on the door above her head.
The Silver Stiletto Page 3
