I sighed and yanked a hand through my hair. “Just go without me. I’ll catch the bus.”
“You sure? It’s getting late.”
I was way sure. Although I didn’t want to deal with the multiple transfers I’d have to make, I was less inclined to spend therest of my night listening to Riya moan about her damn car. Complaining ran in the family, and she was more seasoned in the art than Asha.
“Definitely,” I told her. “Say one last good-bye to Michael James for me. He’s been a semi-faithful companion these past few years.”
“Text me when you make it home,” Asha said in response. “I want to hear about this guy.”
I bit back a smile. So she had heard me mention Aaron. “Sure thing. Talk at you later.”
“Peace, Fel.” And with a click, she was gone.
I returned to the bench and scooped up my clutch. I had roughly fifteen minutes to find my way back to the ballroom, grab my bag from coat check, and reach the nearest bus stop. If I didn’t, I’d have to wait another hour before the next bus came through.
“Is everything okay?” Aaron asked.
“My ride had to leave,” I explained. I didn’t want to say good-bye like this, but like Cinderella, I had to catch my coach home before it was too late. “If I don’t go now, I’m going to miss the bus. I’m super sorry. It was nice meeting you, Aaron.”
His face hid it well, but I caught a flash of disappointment in his eyes. “Wait,” he said, standing quickly. “I was planning on leaving early anyway. How about I give you a lift?” I blinked, and he must have realized how forward his offer sounded because he added, “Only if you want one, of course.”
Ishouldhave said no. Aaron was a stranger, and for all I knew, he was some dangerous gang leader or mass murderer. But at the same time, I wasn’t ready to let go of tonight. Sure, there was the wholesoda-on-my-dress incident, but besides that, my time at the ball actuallydidturn out like I wanted. Better even.
I opened and closed my mouth a few times, trying to decide what to say. Aaron was holding his breath, and when a couple of seconds passed without me giving an answer, he deflated. His gaze cut away from mine, and he shoved his hands in his pockets. All it took was seeing that look on his face, and I made up mind.
“All right,” I said. “But just to warn you, it’s almost a forty-minute drive to my house.”
Aaron’s smile was filled with relief. “That’s okay. I have plenty of music for us to listen to.”
***
Five minutes later, after taking a wrong turn by the gazebo and losing our way, we emerged from the garden. I immediately came to a halt. Not far from where I’d left my shoes, there was a couple sitting on the edge of the fountain. They were wrapped in each other’s arms and much too busy making out to notice us. Aaron followed my gaze, and we exchanged grins before tiptoeing around them, grabbing our things, and scurrying up the stone steps.
“Good thing we got out of there when we did,” I said, slipping into my heels again. As much as I wanted to cross the ballroom barefoot, shoes dangling from my fingertips, I knew Sandra would be mad if she caught me disregarding the dress code. “Any later, and we would’ve caught them in significantly less clothing.”
This made Aaron chuckle as he pulled his tuxedo jacket back on, and after adjusting the sleeves, he gestured toward the door that was still cracked to the festivities inside. We fell in stepbeside each other as we crossed the terrace, and when we reached the back entrance, Aaron moved aside like a gentleman and let me go first.
As I reentered the ballroom, the sudden temperature difference was shocking—from dry and scorching to cool and crisp. I felt like I’d stepped into the walk-in freezer at the diner. I surveyed the room as Aaron stepped in next to me. The shortest route to the lobby was by using the grand staircase, and even though we’d have to navigate the dance floor, I turned in its direction.
“Felicity,” Aaron said. He must have had a different route in mind, because when I looked back at him, he shook his head and pointed away from the staircase. I let him take the lead, and we hugged the perimeter of the room, flittering around the edges of the party. Finally, we hit a side entrance, one we could have reached much quicker if we cut through the thick of the crowd, but Aaron seemed intent on avoiding as many people as possible. The door led out into a narrow hall.
“Shouldn’t you tell your dad you’re leaving?” I asked as we made our way down the long corridor.
“No. He already showed me off tonight.” As he said this, something shifted in his eyes. “He won’t notice I’m gone.” I wanted to ask him what he meant, but Aaron’s voice was tight, and I could tell it was a subject he’d rather not discuss.
I stayed silent until we reached the lobby. Someone was locking up the coat check room. “Can you give me a second?” I asked Aaron. “I need to grab my stuff.” I dashed across the shiny marble floor. “Hey, wait!”
A custodian glanced at me over his shoulder before returning his attention to the door. There was a ring of gold and silver keys in his hands, and he appeared to be looking for the right one. “Can I help you, miss?” he asked, his tone bored.
“My bag is in there. Mind if I grab it?”
He stopped searching and turned to face me. “I was told I could lock up because none of the guests checked coats this evening.”
“I’m a volunteer,” I explained. I pulled my CCA employee lanyard out of my clutch to show him. “See? I left my belongings inside when my shift was over.”
The man examined the plastic badge like he was a bouncer checking IDs at a nightclub. “All right, go on in. You’re lucky you had such good timing.”
“Thank you!” I slipped into the dark room and found my way over to the counter where I’d stashed my bag.
