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This wasn't happening. Just when I thought the night couldn't get any worse, it absolutely did.
I stood up to see Miranda Sterling née Keith giving people air kisses as she moved about the room. She looked, as ever, like a movie star, dressed in a red column dress that fit her long, lithe form like a glove. Her thick brown hair was pulled back at her neck to reveal a massive wreath of diamonds that paired with the ones at her ears. Her full lips were painted a bright red to match the dress. She looked like she had walked off a Vogue cover, like money, charm, and confidence. Everything I wasn't.
"Bran, darling, I made it after all!"
By now the room had gone completely silent, as everyone looked to where Brandon stood, still surrounded by Cory and several others. I was never so glad that I was watching Brandon the moment she spoke, as I was able to see the look of complete and utter shock on his face. He hadn't known she would be here. He never would have invited me; perhaps he wouldn't have come himself.
I started to edge my way around the perimeter, wary of Maurice's curious gaze as I did. Miranda and I were two of only a few women in a room full of men. We stood out just by virtue of our dresses in a sea of black tuxedos. I needed to get out of here before I was noticed.
As Miranda continued to chatter, I wove through the room, doing my best to take advantage of my short stature. The study, unfortunately, wasn't crowded quite enough to hide me. Miranda Sterling's sharp gray eyes zeroed on me just as I was about to reach the door.
"Oh, hello!" she crowed with a wicked smile. "If it isn't our little red-haired Calypso!"
To an outsider, her tone might have sounded friendly, as if she were complimenting the Grecian style of my dress, but at least three people in the room knew exactly what she was referring to: Calypso was the Greek nymph who had tried to steal Odysseus from his wife, Penelope.
My face flooded the same color as her dress. Brandon tried unsuccessfully to elbow his way through the group that had cornered him.
"Miranda, that's enough," he called, but his voice only brought more attention to the situation.
"I...I'm going to go," I said to them both, eager to escape the prying eyes surrounding me.
Thank God that most of them didn't know my name. The confrontation between Miranda Sterling and her husband's anonymous, red-haired mistress was bad enough.
"That's probably for the best," Miranda agreed with a critical nod. Her eyes flashed, hateful and bright. "No one here likes cheap goods."
"Miranda!"
I didn't stay to see Brandon's reaction. With my face turning hotter at Miranda's ugly words and the hum of the gathering picking up behind me, I stepped out of the room. As soon as the door closed, I picked up my skirts and ran.
~
