I stood in front of the mirror, holding my dress up to see how the ensemble would come together. My dark hair was curled and pulled back in a half-up style that was soft and feminine. I loved my makeup- not too much, but enough that my brown eyes looked big and my lashes could start a small windstorm. I felt pretty, and with my hair and makeup done, I just needed to get dressed, but I wanted a sneak peek of the final product.
“Not too shabby, Char,” I said quietly. “Not too shabby.”
Even on the hanger, the dress was beautiful. It was an off-the shoulder gown of royal blue and cut to hug the top half of my body before ending in a subtle mermaid tail at the bottom. The color was my favorite part, as well as the secret pocket where I could keep my phone without having to carry a purse all evening.
Ava's dress was perfect for her and this one was perfect for me.
I stared at the woman looking back at me for a moment. Sure, she had the same dark hair and dark eyes, short stature and same curves, but she didn't look like me. I'd done a thousand fancy galas, yet every time I looked in the mirror, I still saw the scrawny, terrified little girl with a runny nose.
Who would have thought that little girl would grow up to work with billionaires? I thought. Let alone own enough company stock to be set for life herself. It was a long way from the past she had left behind.
I was stronger now.
I smiled at the mirror, imagining tonight. The blue glinted in the light and shimmered, bringing out the highlights in my hair. I would look stunning in this dress. Maybe even stunning enough for Leo to finally notice and give me a chance.
Leo would take me in his arms, guiding me around the dance floor as if we were the only two people there.
“Why, Charlotte, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen,” Leo would say, his eyes darkening with desire. “I can't keep my feelings for you hidden any longer. I must have you.”
“Finally, Leo,” I would whisper, breathless and happy.
He'd tuck his hand behind my neck, dipping me as the song ends and then leaning down, bringing his lips closer to mine until they finally...
A knock on the door shook me from my daydream.
“Can I come in?” Bastian's voice came through the door. Leave it to my older brother to ruin my fantasies about boys.
“Come on in,” I called out, hanging the dress back up on a hook on the wall.
The door pushed open and my brother stepped into the room. He was already wearing his tux for the evening and looking handsome. I smiled. We weren't actually brother and sister, but as far as I was concerned we were.
Bastian and I were both foster children. When I came into the system, Bastian was the one who took care of me. My foster family had done their best to make us both feel welcome and loved, but it was Bastian who was my real family. We may not have shared genetic material, but I couldn't think of Bastian as anything but related to me.
“Can you fix my tie? I can't get the damned thing to do what it's supposed to do,” Bastian growled, holding out the tie in frustration.
I chuckled. I knew he could tie his own tie, but it was now a ritual. Whenever Bastian had a formal event, he would have me tie his tie. I wrapped the silk tie around the back of his neck and went about knotting it.
“Do you have a jacket or something you can wear with that?” Bastian asked, his voice low and dangerous.
I looked up and followed his gaze to the dress hanging on the wall. “We're in the Caribbean, Bastian. I don't need a jacket.”
“There's no way you're going out in that,” he said gruffly, frowning as I slid the tie over and under itself. He put his hands on my shoulders, looking down sternly at me. “It's too revealing. No.”
I rolled my shoulders, trying to loosen his grip. He didn't relax and his blue-gray eyes were serious. I knew he meant well, but I wasn't a little girl needing his protection any more either. Besides, this wasn't prom or a date. It was a billionaire's gala and the dress was perfectly acceptable. He was just projecting his heartbreak over his fight with Ava onto everything else.
“Sorry, Grump-face. This is my dress. Deal with it.” I finished knotting and pulled the tie up tight, choking him a little. The gold threads in his tie would complement Ava's dress nicely.
Bastian glared at me, pulling down on the tie knot so he could breathe. His shoulders were tensing and I could already hear the big-brother lecture coming. “Charlotte-”
“I don't want to hear it, Bastian,” I warned as he opened his mouth. “As much as you'd like to, you do not control everything. I'm a big girl and this is my dress. And put a smile on your face. You have investors here tonight.”
Bastian's frown deepened, darkening the scar that ran along the top of his eyes. I knew there were other, deeper scars, but that one was almost as good as a mood ring with him. Right now, it was telling me that he was far too wrapped up in his emotions.
“I do not try to control everything,” he replied sullenly after a moment.
“Just keep telling yourself that,” I told him. I stepped back and nodded at my work on his tie. He looked ready for Ava. “Now, unless you want to help me with my dress, you should get downstairs. The guests should be arriving and you're the main event.”
Bastian sighed and turned for the door. His hand paused on the doorknob. “Have you heard from Ava?”
There was a quiet desperation in his voice that almost made me tell him she was here. But, that would ruin the surprise, so instead I simply asked, “What do you think?”
“Of course not.” Bastian's shoulders slumped slightly. “She has someone else now.
“Bastian?” I asked, taking a step toward him. “Ava doesn't have someone else.”
He looked back at me, his gray eyes clear yet broken. His face was calm, but there was a soft heartbreak in his voice. “It's not important.”
“Bastian, she doesn't have someone else,” I repeated. I was about to tell him that she was here, that she had come for him, but then he put on his business smile, the one he only wore for meetings that betrayed none of his true feelings.
“You sure you can't at least wear a scarf or something?”
“No, Bastian,” I replied, shaking my head. He smiled, a hint of his usual humor shining through. I grinned back at him. He'd be with Ava in just a little bit. “I need to get dressed now.”
He opened the door and closed it firmly behind him.
“Good lord, that man needs to get laid,” I said under my breath. I thought about Bastian's “someone else” comment and shook my head. If that auctioneer had said anything, there were some hungry sharks that would get a free meal tonight.
After putting on my dress and shoes, I glanced in the mirror one last time and smiled at my reflection. This was definitely one of my favorite dresses so far and, as silly as it was, I hoped Leo thought so too. It irritated me how much his opinion mattered to me, especially considering that we weren't anywhere near being a couple. Someday, I would stop caring. Someday, I would find someone else to love and I would finally put these feelings for Leo aside. Someday, I would be smart and let him go. Just not today.As it was, I suspected he would just tell me to put on a jacket, too.With a shrug, I tossed my hair over my shoulder and went into the adjoining room to find Ava. She was standing in front of the mirror, mesmerized by her appearance.“Holy crap. I do good work,” I said, taking her in. Stunning didn't even come close to describing her. The dress was even better with her dark hair freshly curled and pulled back with a golden comb.“You look gorgeous, Charlotte,” Ava replied, he
I realized I was still holding Leo's hand as we came to the glass door leading out to the porch, and I quickly dropped my hand from his as we positioned ourselves to peek out on the couple. I was trying hard to keep my distance and not touch him. Touching Leo only let my heart hope for things it couldn't have.The night was dark and the porch unlit, but there was still enough light for us to be able to watch. I pulled on the curtain, hiding us further from their sight.We huddled together in the dark, peeking through the small space available to see, and I couldn't help but notice how he was pressed into me. Or was I pressed into him? Either way, we were touching and it was making it hard to think. I took a deep breath to try and center myself, but succeeded only in taking in his scent instead. Pure, clean and male. My heart skipped several beats before I could force it to start again.“What's going on?” Leo asked again, a chuckle in his voice. His muscled arm was strong under his sui
Leo still had my hand wrapped up in his and it was doing strange things to my heart. He'd never touched me for this long, at least not on purpose. With every moment, I knew I was falling just a little more in love with him and that I would crave his touch for days after this. It was almost cruel to know I wouldn't get it.Outside on the porch, the night was calm and beautiful. A cooling wind came in from the ocean, bringing the scent of salt and sand with it. The waning moon's small crescent shape was a silver glitter against the dark water of the Caribbean sea.Just before Leo closed the door, I heard the soft rumble of applause as Bastian began his speech inside. The door sealed with a soft thud, separating Leo and me from the rest of the world. It was warm and dark out here, and still thrumming with the magic of Bastian and Ava's reunion. I wanted to be in a world with just Leo, even if it was only for a moment. Even if I couldn't really have him, I wanted this moment.“Charlotte?”
The kitchen was on fire.Or at least, it had been.The acrid scent of smoke lingered in the kitchen despite the open windows and the industrial fan sucking up as much of it as possible. Luckily, the scent had remained contained and wasn't frightening the guests.The chicken however, was very frightening.“I'm so sorry Ms. Page- the chicken flambé, it wasn't supposed to do that!” The poor caterer looked to be about two seconds away from bursting into tears. This was probably one of the biggest events on the island, and definitely not how she had planned on making an impression on our guests. “I've done this a thousand times and-”“Are you okay?” I cut her off, putting my hands on her shoulders. “Are you or any of your staff hurt?”“I'm okay, the staff is okay,” she sniffled, not meeting my eyes. I could smell the scent of burnt hair lingering around her, and upon closer inspection noticed her eyebrows were singed. A single tear rolled down her flushed cheeks. “But the dinner isn't.”I
Everyone was seated in the party tents to the back of the mansion. Despite the massive size of the mansion, there just wasn't a good place to seat one-hundred and fifty for a formal setting. Especially not with the unparalleled view of the ocean that the tents offered. Tomorrow, these tents would be used for some of the smaller, more durable pieces being auctioned off.White linen and stringed lights gave the dinner a very Caribbean flavor that managed to look both comfortable and elegant at the same time, especially with the perfect ocean view. The tent doors were open to allow in the breeze, but the steady hum of the air conditioners kept the room comfortable. Camera flashes went off at regular intervals as the rich and powerful mingled over cocktails and appetizers.I immediately located Bastian, Gabe, and Leo all sitting at the head table. Ava sat next to Bastian, positively glowing with happiness. There was an empty chair next to her and the final two seats contained two friends,
Leo led me to the open dance floor, spinning me expertly into the music as a fresh song began. I fit into his arms like I was made there. Leo was an excellent dancer and following his lead into a waltz was easier than breathing. Cameras flashed and zinged as we danced, and as I looked up at my prince charming, I felt like a princess.“So?” I looked up at him, half expecting him to tell me it was all a mistake, or even worse, that I would wake up and find this all a dream.“So.” He grinned at me and spun me around, making my skirt flow out in a shimmer of blue fabric before pulling me back into the safety of his arms. “I wish we could get out of here. I'd like to kiss you some more, but-”A camera flash interrupted his words and accenting how public our setting was.“-But the auction should be front page news. Not us,” he finished, spinning me away from the camera. “I'll just have to be content with holding you until later. Then I want to kiss you again. And again.”Happy bubbles fille
Leo reluctantly let go of my arm to pull out my chair for me. I tried not to shiver as he brushed his hand along the bare skin of my back as he left to take his own seat. Heat built in my core at the slightest of his touches.In the center of the table was a beautiful bowl full of meringue covered ice cream. The caterer gave me a nervous smile as she cut an orange peel into a long thin string. After pouring liquor on the meringue, she dipped the string of orange peel into a saucer of Grand Marnier. With a deep breath, she lit the orange peel on fire.The sweet scent of alcohol and orange filled the tent as she set the pretty dessert danced with blue and orange flames. The caterer carefully made sure nothing burned, definitely hyper-aware of the danger of the flames. It was a beautiful dessert and as the flames slowly died, the scent of sugar hit me.The caterer let out a small sigh of relief as everyone clapped. She grinned at me before carefully placing seven small cups of perfect cr
Present Day“And that concludes our auction. Thank you to all of our bidders and to Mr. Sebastian Belrose.”I leaned against the back wall and let out a huge sigh of relief. The auction was over. My work here was done. Everything was now in the hands of the auction house and Realtor, so I could go back to my normal job and not be doing double duty. For the first time in weeks, I was free. After the gala last night, and the auction all day today, I was beat. But, with everything finally finished, I could finally relax.My sigh turned into a yawn, which I quickly stifled. I'd been up since before dawn making sure that everyone and everything was ready for the auction today. Luckily, the auction house run by Ava's aunt had their act together. Even my least favorite auctioneer in the world managed to show up on time and do a good job.My stomach rumbled, reminding me that the last meal I ate was coffee and a granola bar sometime around sunrise. I needed to eat soon or I'd be chewing on th