I wave at her, but she can’t see me. There’s a man talking to her now.
“Who are you waving at?” Aiden asks, following my gaze from our plush booth in the Pink Room.
“Linnea,” I say, pointing discreetly.
“Oh, that one.”
I recognise his tone. They don’t get along. He simply tolerates her when she comes by to check in, to keep the good work her company does for his clubs.
Aiden wrinkles his nose as he looks towards the bar. His costume, if you can call it that, is just him in his regular black shirt, but with vampire teeth and a touch of eyeliner. Which suits him strangely well, but he’s such a playful man, I thought he’d be something bolder.
I look back at Linnea and notice the man who has been talking to her has his hand on her upper arm, but the vibe is off. His fingers are squeezing her skin.
“Hey,” I yell, and get up, but before I can move, Aiden storms past me, thundering towards whatever scene was unfolding, which I’m sure now will get an abrupt and different ending. Aiden is the most protective man in thegroup. And I know he stood up for me, telling Mark off from the start, so he’s got a special place in my heart.
“Alright,” Mark says, standing up next to me. “While Aiden’s off doing his thing, shall we dance?” He wraps his arm around my waist, and I look up at him. “Or a private drink in the bookshelf room?” He wiggles his eyebrows under the hood.
“Both?”
As he leads me through the plush pink booths, I absorb it all. The melody of the music working its way through me, the smile spreading across his face when he turns back to me, the colours surrounding us in this marvellous room, and this tickle in my stomach. Pure happiness.
This is my birthday.
I turned thirty not still living in my brother’s guest room; albeit not in my own place with flatmates as I initially wanted, but with my boyfriend in his Mayfair flat, which I’d say beats my original plan.
And now we’re here, at my favourite place.
The love of my life has my hand in his, and he’s now twirling me onto the dance floor. I throw my head back, laughing hard, and he pulls me back into his tight embrace. I lean back in his arms, holding on around his neck and tilting my face up as he leads us around the dance floor. The oversized chandelier sparkles above us in the same way it did when he found me here in May. The light dances across the costumed crowd and my Robin’s face.
My very own fairy tale man.
Exceptmyfairy tale came true.
ONE YEAR AFTER BILLBOARD
“I can feel your eyes on me,” I say while struggling to fasten the belt on my forest elf costume. Mark chuckles, and I hear the thud of his footsteps on the parquet, then his hands cover mine.
“Here, let me help.”
His capable hands deftly pull the brown leather strap through the brass buckle. As he threads the end of the belt through the hoop, he brushes his fingers along the exposed skin below the leaf and gold bodice, leaving trails of fire on my hip.
“You look spectacular,” he says, eyes glinting.
I have to agree. This tailor-made two-piece bodice looks like it’s sculpted on me, as if the leaves are growing on my skin, except for the leather belt I’ve added to avoid a gap. I’ve had my fair share of costumes designed by someone who’s never needed to pee, so when I get to design my own, I get clever. This is an all-night costume, and I know I’ll need it. It’s the event of the year.
I sigh and look up at him. Mark is wearing curved Elven leather shoulder armour, fastened with straps across his chest, that enhances his rower’s physique.
Tracing a finger down the front of his naked torso, I relish the friction of his chest hair against my skin, and I need to bite my lip to keep from drooling.
My boyfriend, the sexy Elven warrior king.
“You look so hot right now you might have to take this thing off me again so I can jump you,” I say.
“Who knew I’d make such a perfect elf?” He flicks the greyish-blond wig over his shoulder, batting his eyelashes.
“You can joke, but I’m not. I’ve drawn you like this a few times.”
“Why haven’t I seen it?”
