With This Ring

His were hard, unflinching… and angry

I was so startled, I nearly choked on my drink.

“You alright?” Aldie asked.

I turned red with embarrassment as I nodded and tried not to choke to death in front of everyone. I was in a bad way because that wrong turn of the drink down the wrong pipe was anything but comfortable. I needed to cough in the most unladylike, uncivilized manner possible to clear the blockage. Leaping up to my feet I hurried off to the bathroom.

In there, I coughed as hard as I needed to clear my throat. Finally, when I got myself back in control, I stared at my flushed cheeks and restless unhappy face in the mirror.

As I gazed at the sad woman in the mirror I stopped lying to myself. The realization of what was really going on was striking, and a thousand times as devastating. I wasn’t just at that party because I wanted to confirm he was okay. I was there and scared to even meet his eyes because I wanted Maxim. Wanted him to the point of obsession.

His icy gaze came back to mind, and I felt a zap through my body.

It had always registered in my brain that he was handsome, but tonight especially, he seemed to outshine every other man I had ever come across. How had I ever hoped to be able to resist such an aggressively profound and effortless sexuality?

I was starting to realize just how terribly blind and dumb I’d been all along.

I pushed my hair out of my face, and decided I had had enough. The longer I stayed the more the profound the need for him became. It was not even like he returned the feeling. Hell, the way he looked at me, was as if he hated me. I squeezed my eyes shut. It could have all been so different. I had done everything wrong and now it was too late to go back or make amends. I had nearly killed him, for God’s sake. I opened my eyes. In the mirror I looked like a woman defeated. The red dress that I had agonized over and paid too much for seemed like a joke. I was ridiculous. Coming here after what I had done.

It was time to go home, with my tail tucked between my legs.

Exiting the restrooms, I grabbed my coat from the hatcheck girl, and made it to the exit without being spotted. I stepped out onto the steps feeling a little guilty for leaving in the middle of dinner, but I couldn’t go back. I sent a text to Aldie to tell her I’d left because I wasn’t feeling too good and I would speak to her in the morning. Then I descended the stairs onto the main road and stood on the sidewalk, breathing in the slight chill in the October air.

Cars zoomed past on the busy street, and horns blared in the distance, the night alive with lights from the innumerable skyscrapers that soared into the sky.

I should have taken the subway home. The walk would help clear my head, and I’d save money, but the alcohol and a strange heaviness in my heart made the journey seem troublesome. So I put out my hand to hail a taxi.

A black town car stopped next to me. Absent minded, I moved ahead to continue my search for a taxi, and felt annoyed when the car moved forward again to halt in front of me.

I frowned at the window. Then the glass was rolled down.

“Get in,” he said, and my heart dropped into my stomach.

For a second, I hesitated, but then I couldn’t let this chance, whatever it was, and whatever would be the outcome of it, go. Time with him had been all that I’d wanted for the last several weeks. I pulled the door open, and stepped into Maxim’s car.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Maxim

Where had the feisty woman I had known for so long gone?

She was like a frightened kitten, although she remained still and tried to hide it, but I knew Freya. And right now she was frozen. She barely breathed. Had she become afraid of me?

“Where to?” I asked.

She nearly jumped out of her skin.

It would have been amusing if it didn’t sadden me. This was never what I wanted from her.

“A-anywhere would be fine,” she responded, still refusing to meet my gaze. “Sorry for making you leave the wedding. I mean you probably didn’t do it for me, but uh… I mean because of me uh…” She shook her head in exasperation with herself, and turned towards the tinted windows. I could tell she wished the ground itself would open up and swallow her whole. I was perplexed. Was it guilt? Why was she so … lost?

“I’ll take you home,” I said.

She only nodded.