AllFreeNovel
Share Us
1
Charlie
I reachout to grab another flute of champagne from a passing tray. I really shouldn’t. I’ve already had one. After skipping lunch to make sure this event went off without so much as a petal out of place, the alcohol is going straight to my head. I raise the glass toward my mouth, the blush pink polish on my nails sparkling under the ballroom lights.
The angel on my left shoulder debates with the little hot pink she-devil on my right.
Who’s here to stop you?the little she-devil whispers, tipping the glass against my lips with her golden pitchfork.You’ve lost every man that you’ve ever loved. Cursed them all with a death sentence.
Their only crime?
Loving me.
I’m being dramatic. Little she-devil wins. I tilt the glass, sending the cold bubbly liquid down my throat. Half a flute in one swallow.
A gorgeous couple walks by, the husband’s hand casually lowering from his wife’s waist to cup her curvy ass in her silky black gown. She sighs, leaning into her man with blissful contentment. So.Sexy.My core aches with jealousy. I tip my unquenched desires back with the glass, polishing off the champagne.
Food and drink are the only swallowing I’ve been doing these past seven years. I’m practically a born-again virgin. Is it possible for cobwebs to grow there? I start to giggle.
Now I really am tipsy. Time for making bad decisions. I glance around the room at the elegant couples celebrating our annual Winter Ball. Like most of our family functions, almost every single man is attached. There’s a cluster of ridiculously good-looking younger brothers at the bar, their heads leaning toward one another as they joke over their shots of expensive whiskey. Gorgeous but not my type. There is no one here for me.
Who am I trying to kid anyway? I’m a good girl. Even two glasses of champagne can’t change that major character flaw that resides deep within the core of my being: I almost always do the right thing. The most my little she-devil ever convinces me of is to overindulge in chocolate or champagne, hence the battle I got into with the zipper of my dress earlier this evening.
I won, but I am moving very gingerly tonight.
There’s a flower wall of chocolates across the room. The brainchild of me, a chocolate addict. Poking out from the real, green leaves and lush heads of multicolored roses are little shelves, each holding a different treat from New York’s current hottest chocolatier,Lush.
If I can’t make mistakes with a man, I can at least inhale too many sweets. That should satisfy this naughty streak that seems to be running through me as of late.
My Christian Louboutin Kate pumps click across the polished wood floor as I make my way over to my magnificent creation. They’re turquoise with sparkles to go with the aqua dress I’ve chosen for tonight. I went with a mermaid-feel, leaving my floral prints behind. The aquamarine silk slides against my skin as I move, as smooth and cool as a current of river water.
Just eyeing the little rosettes of candies makes my mouth water. I know there’s a rich, creamy caramel hidden inside the shiny chocolate shell. I reach for one but before I can wrap my greedy fingers around it, Emilia’s whispering in my ear.
Her blonde curls bounce, the signature scent of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle swirling around me as her words tickle my skin. “Don’t look now, buthe’shere.” Just the way she pronounces “he’s” in that honeyed tone makes my knees go weak.
“Him?” I stare at her. Her eyes sparkle as she nods. “I didn’t even know he was in New York. He wasn’t supposed to come.” My gaze darts around the room, looking for his massive frame. I can’t find him.
Emilia grabs my hand, tugging me behind the leafy wall. My eyes go to the wiring that snakes through the back of the frame.
“How did they do this?” I take a quick second to try to figure out the magic of their craft. I file away the craftsmanship for the next party, determined to create my own. “Isn’t it incredible?”
“Yeah. It’s great.” She peeks out from behind the wall, looking forhim.
Am I stalling or really curious about the display’s construction? “Almost an illusion, isn’t it?” I reach out, tugging at a wire, not quite ready to discusshim.Subject change. I gesture at the wall with my full arm, like a game show attendant, flashing Emilia a bright grin. “Amazing how they took my simple vision and made it real.”
“Huh?” Emilia’s light brow knits as she stares at me. “What are you talking about?”
“The dessert wall,” I say. “It’s just amazing how they made the chocolates look as if they’re floating among the flowers.”
Her dark lashes flutter toward the wall. “Oh, yes. It’s very nice. But did you hear what I said?” She grabs my arm, her fingers digging lightly into my skin in her attempt to bring me back to the moment. “He’shere.”
There’s that tone again, making the little hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. A tickle rises in the back of my throat. My fingers flutter at my clavicle, heat rushing under my skin. I try to avoid revealing my curiosity in the tone of my voice. “I haven’t seen him. Haven’t thought about him… really.”
Emilia rolls her eyes. “Haven’t you? Anyway… I heard that he was asking about you after the fundraiser at the Hamlet—”
“There you both are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Kylie pops behind the wall, tossing her long dark hair over a bare shoulder, the straps of her sparkly red gown no more than beaded threads. She grabs my hand in hers, tugging me toward her. “Did you hear?He’shere. I thought for sure he’d have come over to you by now, the way he was asking about you back in Connecticut—”
“Well, he hasn’t. And to be honest, I’m glad.” The heat creeps upward, burning my cheeks and tingling at my hairline. “I really am not looking to get involved with anyone.”
