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Silence fell between us. I looked up from my soup, noticing Ian’s disappointed gaze, and instantly felt guilty.It’s only a dance, so why not?
“Oh. Okay. Sure.”
A grin spread across Ian’s face. “Good girl.”
“Never call me that. Please,” I huffed.
“Alright.”
He laughed and I laughed, too. When I stopped, he held a fry to my lips and a pang went through me at the thought of Jonas feeding me.
I took it in my hand. “Thanks.”
I plastered on a smile and ate it.
His gaze lingered on my mouth then met my eyes. “So, it’s a date.”
CHAPTER SIX
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“You can fitit,” Natasha said.
Her tone ebbed with surprise, as I easily zipped up the back of the black and silver gown I had borrowed from her for the gala event. I had spent most of that morning at Bliss Spa getting a wax, manicure, and pedicure. Since Dee was on vacation, I was able to get his second in command, Marco, to put my hair up in a beautiful French twist. He had even managed to cover my dark circles with “Tim Burton-esque smoke eyes.” I was called every gorgeous, gothic woman Marc could think of on my way out the door. It didn’t give me the full esteem lift I would have gained from Dee, but fitting easily into one of Natasha’s designer dresses certainly helped.
The black-jeweled gown accentuated my curves, but was modest enough to make me comfortable, except for the lace thong that I wore underneath. The thong was still better than Natasha’s recommendation of nothing at all. My favorite part of the outfit was that my mother’s diamond and silver necklace still looked fine with this dress.
As I stared in my mirrored wardrobe, I couldn’t help but recall the symphony Jonas took me to a couple weeks back. I had spent that night in his piercing blue gaze, with rapt attention on every little thing I did. His lean muscular arms had comforted me whenever I needed him. God, I miss him.
The front bell rang.
“Get your coat and clutch. Put on the heels,” Natasha barked out her orders. “You should have bought a new pair of shoes. Did you see the salt on the sidewalks, silly? These are black silk,” she scolded.
“I’ll be careful,” I promised as I slipped them on.
I exited my bedroom and sought out my handsome escort, Ian Unger. He had on a black tux. His hair was neatly styled back from his face, showing off his high cheekbones. His eyes glimmered and a smile spread across his face as I came into the room.
“You look beautiful,” Ian said.
I blushed. “Thank you. So do you.”
He surprised me by leaning down and placing a light kiss on my cheek. “Let’s go. Nice meeting you, Natasha.”
“Likewise,” Natasha purred.
She frowned when Ian’s focus returned swiftly back to me. He clasped my hand and we walked out of the apartment building, climbing into the waiting limousine that took us to the New York Pavilion for the gala event.
As we pulled up to the curb, I was in awe. The three story neo-Romanesque building lit up like the night sky. There were three rings of fire with light sparkles set in front of a large sign displaying the years dance theme: Finch Fanatic’s Shimmy-ring Stars. We moved across the stone walkway. Once we handed over the golden ticket, we entered the star-studded foyer where celebrities and socialites mixed with the wealthy and elite. I clasped tightly to his arm, as Ian walked with confidence to the table seating area for the dinner and introduced us to the two other couples at our table.
Despite initially feeling out of place, I eased a bit as the food and drinks were served and we all settled into polite conversation.
After the meal, we watched a dance group dressed in clothing replicating the last fifty years of dance crazes. It culminated in Mark Ronson’sUptown Funk,at which point we were all invited to join in. I was surprised when Ian grabbed my hand, and we danced together with those few willing souls that stepped out in the center.
Dancing was always a good stress reliever for me in the privacy of my bedroom. I wasn’t as sure of myself in public, but what I found was that I needn’t have worried. Ian had moves that surprised me, expertly maneuvering us around the dance floor. The crowd gave us room and encouragement. At the end of the song, Ian pulled me against his hard body as claps exploded around us. It was the perfect moment for a kiss, which he went for. With the pressure of the captive audience, I accepted by offering pressure against his lips, but not deepening it. I then moved my head and took a step back.
Ian lean next to my ear. “I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment I met you.”
I touched my lips in surprise, though I knew Ian wasn’t hiding anything from me. I also knew that he was moving too fast and far ahead of me. Walking in front of him, I felt the faint trace of his hand along my lower back as we made our way to our seats. Too much indeed.
