When I got out, we switched places. “My clean-up time will take a lot less time than yours. Go get spoiled by Elvie. She’ll love it. I’ll see you down there.” He kissed me quickly, and I went to do just that.
The dress fit like a glove. I had many dresses like this in my closet from my time with Arsenio. He would buy me these things, take me out, and then I’d never have use for them again as he’d do it again the next time. But this one felt special for some reason. Maybe it was because I’d get to dance with Desi in it?
I slipped on the heels that fit perfectly and joined Ludovica downstairs, where she had a hairstylist and a makeup artist ready to go. I felt like a celebrity.
The music began playing halfway through our primping. In the other room, the ballroom, they continued to set up. I couldn’t wait to see the finished product. What I had seen already had been so stunning it was hard to imagine it getting any better. Ludovica and I rose, and all the staff disappeared besides those directly involved with tonight’s festivities. We could hear guests already in the grand ballroom dancing and laughing and chattering away. She reached for my hand and squeezed.
“Are you ready?” she asked just as the stroke of midnight hit.
She shoved the double-sided doors open, and everyone paused to look. She dropped my hand and threw her arms up, spinning into the room with her massive lilac dress. The room erupted as their host entered, and the party resumed.
Instantly she seemed to forget about me as hordes of people begged for her attention. Which was fine for me. I could take in the scene, get a drink, and find Desi.
The scene was something to behold. It truly felt like I was inside a unicorn’s nightmare. Everything was pastel and childlike, but the masks some people wore, and some random decorations were almost- horrifying. It was confusing, and after having a few glasses of the blood being passed around on trays by butlers with bunny heads, I was starting to think the blood had been spiked.
I was dizzy and being spun around and invited to dance with everyone who smiled at me.
“Have you seen him?” I asked people. They would turn their blurry heads and laugh.
“Who, dear? Who?”
“Desiderio.”
“Who?”
“The one with the mismatched eyes.”
Desi was nowhere to be found, and panic started to set in. I was drugged, trapped, and in a stranger’s world.
Finally, after an eternity of spinning around with strangers, I saw a figure dressed in all black with his hair slicked back. He refused a glass of blood with a smile. I called for him, but my voice was lost between the loud music and the happy guests.
I started pushing through people. He appeared to be talking to someone I couldn’t quite see. He was nodding and acting engaged in whatever the topic was. Then, he swung his head in my direction sharply. Our eyes connected, and his expression shifted to one of concern.
He stormed over, pulling me from the savage dancers. They didn’t even seem to notice my absence. Instead, they filled the gap and continued their party.
“Are you okay?” he asked quickly. Holding my shoulders, he assessed me up and down. “Are you high?”
“I’m not sure,” I said and stepped further from the dancers. “I need air.”
He nodded and grabbed my hand. Confidently, he took me down the hall and found a glass door. He tossed it open and escorted me out onto a balcony. When did we get onto the second floor?
I closed my eyes and breathed in and out, but I felt like my brain was still working overtime.
“Just relax. God, Scout. I didn’t know you were out on the dance floor.”
“What do you mean? It’s a party. Ludovica took me straight there. Where else should I have been?”
“Ludovica—I don’t know. She said you weren’t there. She promised that you wouldn’t be dancing with them. How much did you have to drink?” he demanded. I opened my eyes and stepped toward the white iron railing. He reached for me and pulled me back. “Stop. You’ll—”
I ripped myself from his grip and latched onto the rails. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing up here, but I knew I needed to get down. I put my foot up on the elaborate design on the railings and lifted myself up.
“Scout! Stop!” He shouted and grabbed my middle. I wiggled and tried to climb the railing completely.
“Let me go!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “I need to get out!”
“I know. Let me help you. I’ll get you down. Just, stop fighting me.” He held onto me tightly as I squirmed and beat my fists into his arms. I wanted to jump down and run.
No, that wasn’t right. Why did I want to do that?
