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Chapter 17
Ifelt like I was stepping onto the set of a movie, or perhaps, I was stepping back into the past. Men and women alike strode by wearing the most outrageous of dresses and suits. I felt like they were all dressed in costumes. I looked down at my floor length blue and pink silken dress. The top had been multiwear and I had chosen to adjust it to be strapless. Next to everyone else, though, I felt almost plain—like I didn'tbelong.
Grayson's arm touched mine, drawing my attention up. "Would you like to dance?" heasked.
Hesitantly, I lifted my hand and let him take it. I wasn't much of a dancer, but I would rather do anything else than stand on the sidelines gawking ateveryone.
Grayson took my hand and led me out to the dance floor as a new song started. My heart pumped in my chest as he pulled me close and the music began. "Relax," he whispered in my ear, causing me tostiffen.
"I'm fine," I assuredhim.
He shook his head. "You look like you're going to run at anymoment."
I glared at him. "I do not." I knew that I didn't. I wasn't that bad at hiding my emotions...wasI?
"Okay," he conceded, "maybe not, but I can read you like a book, Babydoll. Relax. I don't want it to seem like my date doesn't likeme."
"Sometimes, I don't," I saiddryly.
He chuckled. "You always likeme."
"That'sdebatable."
But he was right, I needed to relax a bit. I let him twirl me around the dance floor, and noted that he actually wasn't a bad dancer. He lifted and spun me with a natural ease of someone who had been dancing his entire life. I envied him that, especially because I felt like a calf just learning to walk half the time. Give me a solid floor and I was good—dancing felt like torture. I had to pull on all my previously acquired knowledge—most of it from Ms. Enders' Etiquette Camp—to keep from embarrassing myself. I must have been doing something right because Grayson picked up the pace, spinning me faster as the song came to a conclusion. I felt dizzy by the time westopped.
"That was interesting," he commented as he led me back to the side of theroom.
"What was?" I asked,curious.
"I think that might be the first time I've stolen you away like that and the others weren't upset byit."
"They're getting used to you," I assured himgently.
He shook his head. "They're being nice to me. There's adifference."
"What's thedifference?"
He shrugged. "They feel bad forme."
"I don't think that's what it is," Isaid.
"No?"
I wasn't given a chance to respond because in the next moment Bellamy was approaching and Grayson nodded to him without saying anything as he handed me over and walked away. I wondered if he was upset by my disagreement or just feeling down because we were here to deal with his mother. I didn't blame him for what she was putting us through, but I could certainly understand if he wasn't entirely comfortable with beinghere.
"She's been sighted," Bellamy said, making me go on high alert. I felt myself stiffen even after just trying to relax as I danced. I turned my head, searching the crowd at hiswords.
"Where?"
"She was talking with a few men around the lounges on the other side of the ballroom," Bellamyanswered.
My eyes strayed across from us where several lounges and couches in a deep velvety red had been placed for attendees to relax. There were several men over there as well as several women, all dressed to look like they were someone else obviously. The men wore pinstripe suits and women wore feathers and glittering jewels. I realized that I was out of my depth here. But it made me feel like we were back at the beginning, too. It was nostalgic. I found myself moving closer to Bellamy despite the fact that I should have been looking for Teddi. I let my hand graze his and he took it without hesitation orcomplaint.
I looked up and started when I realized that his eyes were not across the room like mine had been. They were centered squarely on me. The bronze colored mask I had chosen for him hid the upper half of his face, but there was no mistaking the intensity of that gaze. I swallowed as heat rose withinme.
"Sweetheart—"
"Do you think we should go over there?" I asked, interrupting him before he could say more. I didn't know what he was going to say, but I didn't think now was the time to getdistracted.
