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“Shit, how many others do you think are trying to find your dream girl tonight?” Niko whispers, having heard what I did.
“I’m not sure, but he did say there were other contenders. I don’t like this at all,” I confess.
“Well, we already knew the mayor was a prick. Let’s kick him where it hurts by finding Sophia and hope and pray she says yes.” Niko’s light-hearted pep talk spurs something inside and my eyes start searching the crowd. There’s easily over three hundred people here tonight. Half of those are women. This is going to be an amazing feat if I can pull it off.
“Champagne?” a waiter asks, as he passes by juggling a tray with champagne flutes on it.
“Thanks,” I say, carefully taking two and handing one to Niko.
“Here. You go enjoy yourself. I’m gonna walk around for a bit and see if I can’t feel her out or something.”
“Well, if you insist. Let’s hope you don’t find me kissing your girl when you see me next,” he laughs.
“Don’t kiss anyone until I find her,” I grunt, which increases his laughter.
“I can’t promise anything,” he taunts, as he takes a sip of the fizzy liquid and stalks off in the opposite direction.
I take in my surroundings as I walk slowly through the ballroom. The low hanging chandeliers give the room a magical ambience. Black hair and dresses surround me everywhere and the chatter between different groups of people passes by me as I step around them, making my way through the crowd.
When the lights blinded me, they distracted me, so I didn’t manage to get a look at where Holden’s voice was comingfrom. I don’t know what mask he is wearing but I would love nothing more than strolling up to him so I can give him a piece of my mind.
My heart sinks a bit at the thought that my night isn’t going to turn out the way I envisioned. Every woman I pass seems a replica of the one before her. Slight differences are there in the details. Different shades of skin colour are the main one as well as a distinction of different lip colour shades. The different masks add another layer of confusion along with the jewellery their skin is adorned with.
I manage to make my way around the room twice within the next hour but I’m no closer to finding her as I was when I first entered, and we stood in the dark. I’ve spotted Niko a few times, mainly at the bar getting a refill. I’ve grabbed myself a few champagne flutes as the waiters have passed by me on my endeavours.
Without seeming too obvious or getting too close to random women, I’ve tried to inspect them as closely as possible. They are all starting to blur and roll into one so I’m not making much progress. The black velvet box is starting to feel like a weight pulling me down. This is my one shot to get her, and I feel it slipping further through my fingers as the clock ticks on.
Music plays as people dance but I haven’t taken notice of those people, assuming she wouldn’t be one of them. But maybe she is, and I need to change tactics. I’ve tried homing in on some Spidey senses to see if I can feel her presence, but that’s not the case. I think the harder I try, the more I feel like she’s not in the room.
Deflation fills me as I round the room for what I think is the fourth or fifth time but then fate steps in to help.
“Ally, come and dance with me?” The man’s voice has me spinning so fast I nearly knock over a lady walking past me.
“Sorry,” I tell her, steadying her before I release her arms and follow the man.
“One dance and that’s it Eric,” Ally says, and I can’t be sure but it faintly rings a bell. I wonder if this is Sophia’s best friend from that night eight years ago. I’ve got nothing else to go on, so I watch as Ally dances with Eric. My eyes don’t leave her because I’m hoping wherever she goes, she will eventually lead me to Sophia. I doubt she would listen if the mayor told her she couldn’t hang out with Sophia tonight. I wouldn’t put it past him not to tell his daughter to keep her friends away even though it is her birthday.
The song finishes but they keep dancing, so I keep watching, not moving an inch in case I lose the only lead I’ve had all night. It isn’t until a few songs pass that she kisses him on the cheek and they part ways. I’ve memorised her black lace mask. It has white flowers outlining the eyes so I know if I lose her, I should be able to find her easily enough. Well, I hope that’s the case.
I keep a safe distance but follow as she moves through the crowd and heads towards the bar off to the side. Niko has moved on so isn’t there now. Hopefully he hasn’t found my dream girl and disappeared somewhere with her. Ally takes a seat at the bar and orders from the bartender. I’m too far back to make out what she orders but she sits there with empty seats on either side of her, tapping her fingers against the bar top.
I don’t want to encroach on her space, so I sit a few seats down and wait until the bartender serves her before I order myself a glass of water. I need to clear my head, plus it’s starting to get sweaty underneath this mask. Glancing at Ally, I notice two drinks in front of her. One looks like a colourful cocktail of some sort and the other is a neat brown liquor. My heart pounds in my chest because I feel it in my bones this is Sophia’s friend.
That’s when I feel it. A lightness radiates from the top of my head down to the back of my neck and it’s at that exact moment, a woman takes a seat a couple over from Ally, missing a seat in between them. Ally slides the tumbler with the brown liquor along the bar and the woman catches it effortlessly, before she picks it up and takes a sip. Her long black hair shields her face so I can’t see her features or get a good look at her mask from this angle. I don’t know how to explain it, but I know it’s her. It’s Sophia.
Ally doesn’t say a word. She stands with her cocktail in hand, sipping on her straw before she turns and walks away. Not even a backwards glance to her friend. It’s then I realise I was right. Holden would keep his daughter’s friends away from her tonight. It’s her birthday for fucks sake. All that does is make me vow to not leave here without this woman saying yes to me. Who cares if it’s crazy. I must get her away from the selfish prick. She deserves the world and I intend to give it to her.
Out of the corner of my eye I notice she finishes off her drink, studying the now empty glass as she turns it back and forth in her hand. Her bright red nails catch my attention. An act of defiance, I’m sure. And a way for me to find her again if I lose sight of her. Placing her glass on a coaster, she pushes her seat back about to leave but I stop her.
“Can I buy you another drink?” I say, making my voice deeper so she doesn’t recognise it, hopefully. My question at least halts her movements, and she sits and turns to me face on. Looking at her now I don’t think I’ve passed her at all tonight.
Seeing her close I catch sight of the freckles she tries so hard to hide with her foundation. Her black wig is well done and if I didn’t know her hair was red, I would think this was her natural hair. Her eyes shine brightly at me from behind thick black makeup that flows into the mask covering the upper half of her face. It’s beautiful. A bird. Its beak covers her nose thenfeathers fill the rest of the mask around her eyes until they fan out into wings that flutter around her face and head.
Her lips pull up in a slow seductive smile, drawing my attention.
“You do know the bar is paid for, so technically you can’t buy me a drink?” she says, and with that I know it’s her. I recognise the voice. I can’t stop the smile she pulls out of me.
“Have a drink with me then?” I ask, moving a seat closer but leaving a couple empty between us.
