Into the Darkness

Charlie

We arrived at the ball at six on the dot. The street was crowded, lined with limousines. Flashes were going off right, left and center; the paparazzi were scurrying around like rats up a drainpipe snapping away at those who posed on the red carpet. Excitement hung in the air, as well as in our limo. As we climbed out, Bull’s, Emma and I were careful not to flash any lady bits as you could guarantee we’d be on page six first thing in the morning. The last thing we needed was a Britney Spears reenactment.

As we walked through the large doors, we were blown away by the sight of it all. The grand ballroom was enormous. Its size was enough to hold all of the elite in New York City and then some. The tall ceilings were covered in rows of draped sheer organza fabric, creating a medieval feel—with a modern twist of course. A large chandelier hung from the middle, its crystals reflecting the light which shimmered on the dance floor. Scattered across the room were artificial trees with all the branches draped in fairy lights. There was a band dressed in black and white suits. They were perfectly positioned on the stage playing soft swing music, their hums and beats drowning in the noise of the growing crowd.

More and more people entered the room, their gowns becoming more exquisite as they strutted in. I was in heaven. One after another I would name the designer in my head. I knew Eric was doing it as well, his mannerisms mirroring mine. I spotted the head organizer of the charity ball, Mrs. Clyde, almost immediately. She reminded me of Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada—only in her appearance mind you, as she was the sweetest lady you could possibly meet. Her generosity never ceased to amaze me.

“Oh em gee, you guys, this is amazeballs,” Eric said as he looked around in awe. He grabbed his cell and typed away.

“What are you doing?”

“Just taking a pic of the ballroom. There’s a hash-tag charity ball trending,” he squealed.

I grabbed the phone off him¸ placing it in my purse. He needed to enjoy the night without being glued to his cell. I could see the withdrawals already, his left eye twitching.

“Oh c’mon, Charlie!” he whined, sporting his pouty look.

“Uh uh, I’m confiscating this from you tonight. You asked Emma out on a date, albeit fake, and you need to show her a good time.”

Emma laughed. She knew Eric would only last five minutes before hijacking my purse. Eric sulked but immediately snapped out of it as a young hot waiter stood in front of us offering champagne.

We took in the amazing view before we were ushered to our table. We sat ourselves down, and Julian put his arm around my chair and drew me in closer. He smells fantastic, swoon.

“You look amazing tonight,” he whispered in my ear.

“Not so bad yourself, Batman. Are you going to abandon me tonight with some emergency that needs to be taken care of on the roof?”

“Unless it’s you up there naked, no chance in hell, gorgeous.” He placed a small kiss on my neck.

My body was shivering, my mind wondering how I could get on the roof… Was there some secret exit? Damn, he looked fine in his tux. Tim Gunn knew his stuff.

Mrs. Clyde took to the podium to begin her speech as the room started to quiet down. She spoke about the cause and what we as a society could do to help the kids live a better life. We applauded her, then everyone got up to start mingling as the music continued playing.

People were lost in diverse conversations. Occasionally I would smile and nod but my head felt like it was in a cloud of fog. Two days and it was just getting worse, questioning my sanity. Did that really happen? Did I run into Alexander Edwards after seven years or was it just a figment of my imagination? It was bound to happen once. Taking a deep breath, I remembered that I promised myself I would have fun. Forget the past, enjoy the night with my fiancé.

I was standing with Julian, talking to Mrs. Bennett who was one of the committee members. Julian had his arm around my waist, talking passionately about a story he covered in a Hungarian orphanage. I couldn’t stop watching him as he spoke; his face showed compassion, a truly amazing man. Batman had nothing on him. He was everything I wanted in a man. I deserved someone like this. Breaking me from my daydream, Eric and Emma came up behind me, champagne in hand.

“Charlie, have you seen the eye candy around here?” Emma was in heaven and I had to admit from what I had seen so far, there was a lot to look at.

Rocky and Bull’s joined us shortly, arguing as usual. I wondered what it was about this time. He probably left the toilet

seat up.

“Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, what is wrong now?”

“You remember that girl I dated in college when Nikki and I broke up that first semester?” Rocky spoke cautiously as Bull’s stood there, arms crossed, tapping her foot.

“What do you mean dated? You screwed her once behind the bleachers after you won that game against Yale!” Sometimes my memory was too clear. This time it worked for me, but usually against me.

“THANK YOU!” Bull’s blurted out.

“Oh well gee, I thought we dated. Anyway, she is here and Miss Drama Queen over here has a problem with it.” He rolled his eyes. Bull’s ignored him, still looking jealous yet absolutely glamorous in a gold Versace gown.

“Aww, is Mrs. Romano jealous?” I mocked. “Please Bull’s, you are one hot piece of ass. You can run circles around these chicks, plus you’ll be the one tapping it tonight, not her.”

“THANK YOU!” Rocky rejoiced.

A small smile appeared on Bull’s face, prompting Rocky to lean in and whisper in her ear. She turned to face him, locking lips as his hands wandered to her butt, grabbing it porno-style.