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“Thank you.”
Then I turn on my heel to leave but she calls after me.
“Wait!”
I stop and glance over my shoulder. “Yes?”
She places a hand on her hip. “You do realize you need a gown if you’re going to a ball? Do you have anything to wear?”
“Um…”
Sylvia sighs. “I thought so.”
She grabs her purse.
“Come on. I’ll help you find your gown.”
~
I step out of the car in my lavender gown.
In the end, after an hour of going through various Grecian-styled gowns- Sylvia was adamant that I had to wear one to a Hellenic ball- she, Giselle and I all agreed on this one.
It’s a simple gown. The only embellishments are the braided gold belt below my breasts and the beaded leaves sitting atop my shoulders. The soft, pleated fabric flows all the way to my ankles, draping beautifully around my stomach and hiding my swollen legs. In contrast, my arms are bare and my breasts peek from the V-shaped neckline so that it’s not too conservative.
Alluring but not provocative. Simple yet graceful.
I draw a deep breath before walking to the entrance. I know I’m at the right place because I can see men in suits and other women in Grecian-styled gowns- bless Sylvia- walking in the same direction. Some of the women look at me with creased eyebrows and murmur. Some of the men study me with narrowed eyes and grin. They make me nervous, but I clutch my purse and walk on.
I came here to speak to Gavin and I’m not leaving until I do.
“You’re alone?” The guard at the entrance, a bald, burly man with dark skin, asks me curiously.
“Yes,” I answer.
He scratches his chin as he looks at me from head to toe.
“My name is Leah Adams,” I say. “It should be on the list.”
“There’s no list,” he says. “Where is your protector?”
“His name is Gavin Scotsfeld,” I say. “He’s coming here straight from the airport because he’s just come from a business trip. He told me to meet him here.”
The guard doesn’t seem convinced.
I open my purse and take out the invitation Sylvia printed for me.
“I have an invitation.” I hand it to the guard. “Ga- Mr. Scotsfeld printed it for me.”
The guard looks at it and gives it back but doesn’t show signs of conceding.
“He’s expecting me,” I add. “He’ll be very displeased if he doesn’t see me in there. I am his prize, after all.”
The guard I’m talking to consults with the one beside him. I can’t hear them, but I can tell it’s a serious conversation.
Why? I’m telling the truth. Would I be here if I wasn’t? I wasn’t aware that there were gatecrashers at Ambrosia. What? Do they think I’m some journalist sneaking in for a scoop?
“One moment,” the guard says.
Without warning, he takes a picture of me with his phone. He seems to send it, and then he makes a call. Finally, he turns back to me.
“That was one long moment,” I say impatiently.
“It’s just procedure. Mr. Scotsfeld knows it.”
I sigh. “So are we okay now?”
The guard narrows his eyes at me but steps aside. “You can go in.”
Finally.
I give him a nod before stepping inside. As soon as I’m in, I look around with wide eyes.
I know I’ve been here at the Warehouse before, but that must have been a different area, a different warehouse. This one looks much bigger. And grander. It may look like a simple warehouse from the outside but it looks like a palace in here.
Glistening gold and crystal hang from the ceiling and cover the walls. A midnight blue carpet adorns the floor beneath my feet.
A ballroom fit for gods and goddesses.
And the guests do look divine. The women seem to float around in their elegant gowns- all similar to mine, but thankfully I don’t see one that’s exactly the same. The men are all in tailored suits, all looking proud of themselves.
I search for one all in black, hoping that Gavin will wear the same suit he did for that masquerade party.
I can’t see one, though. There are just too many people. I’m starting to get dizzy and the gazes I’m getting are starting to make me feel uncomfortable.
I think of going to the restroom first so I can catch my breath and gather my thoughts. On the way there, though, I see Hannah dressed in red and gold. Her cinnamon hair flows past her shoulders.
“Hannah!” I call her name but she doesn’t hear me.
I run towards her, but just when she’s almost within reach, a man bars my path.
“Are you lost, fair maiden?” he asks.
I ignore him and try to walk around him so I can get to Hannah, but he won’t let me.
“What’s the rush?”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “But I really have to go.”
“To your protector?” The man clicks his tongue disapprovingly. “Are you sure he didn’t send you away to play?”
