April answered the phone. “Hi, Lex.”
“April,” Lexi said. “Look, I’m sorry about yesterday. I was just in a bad mood, and I took it out on you.”
“It’s all right.”
“No, it’s not. I was being a jerk.”
“Seriously, it’s fine. God knows how many times you’ve had to put up with my bad moods.” April frowned. “Is everything else okay? You don’t sound too good.”
“I don’t feel too good,” Lexi said. “I think I ate something bad last night. I’ve been up since four a.m. puking into a bucket.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’ll live,” Lexi replied. “Look, I hate to apologize then ask for a favor, but I don’t have any other options.”
“Sure, what do you need?” April asked.
“The charity ball is tonight. I can’t go like this. Do you think you could go in my place? Please?”
April stifled a groan. The charity ball wasn’t her idea of a good time. The giant party was always full of insanely wealthy people who had more money than sense and spent the whole night getting dangerously intoxicated.
But she couldn’t say no to Lexi. “Sure,” April said. “I’ll do it.” It wasn’t like she had anything better to do with her Saturday night.
“Thank you so much,” Lexi said. “I promise you won’t have to do much. There shouldn’t be any surprises, but you can call me if you need help and I’ll do what I can.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve organized these things before, remember? Just rest up.” April walked over to her closet. She would have to find something to wear. Even though she intended to spend most of her time hiding behind the scenes, she would stand out unless she was in formal wear.
“You’re the best, April,” Lexi said.
“You owe me. Next time we get dinner after work, you’re buying.”
“Done. By the way, there’s a theme this year,” Lexi said. “You’re going to need a mask.”
April pulled off her black-and-red eye mask. She had borrowed it from Lexi, and it fit too snugly.
She had to admit, Lexi’s idea to make the event a masquerade ball was a good one. The ball was in full swing now, and the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves even more than usual. Sure, the ball was always one big display of hedonistic excess, but this year was different. It was like some kind of magic spell had been cast on the room, like the act of putting on a mask made everyone lose their inhibitions. It didn’t make sense. It wasn’t like the flimsy masks everyone was wearing provided any anonymity. Perhaps even adults liked to play pretend sometimes.
At the very least, rich, drunk people were extremely generous, especially in front of their peers. Someone had made a sizable anonymous donation. It was encouraging to know that all the money and effort put into throwing the ball was worth it.
Lexi hadn’t lied when she said April wouldn’t have to do much. She’d organized everything well, from the band right down to the stunning ice sculptures. Save for keeping an eye out for rowdy guests, and dealing with some technical issues during the speeches, April’s night had been an easy one. She only had a couple of hours before she would be back home in bed with a book.
April’s stomach rumbled. The ball had been going for hours, and she hadn’t eaten anything since she arrived. She spotted a waiter disappearing into the crowd, his tray laden with appetizers. Although she wasn’t a guest, no one could blame April for grabbing a few.
April slipped her mask back on and made her way through the crowd in search of the waiter. She attracted the odd stare, no doubt because of her dress. She had made the mistake of wearing a simple, vivid red gown, one that stood out in a sea of black and diamonds. But mostly, she passed through almost invisible, beneath the notice of the upper-class guests.
She found the waiter, grabbed some canapes, then made her way toward some chairs in the corner, stuffing the food into her mouth. As the crowd thinned near the side of the hall, April’s eyes landed on a familiar figure, a slender blonde woman leaning against the wall with her hands in her pockets
Vicki.
April froze. She hadn’t expected to see Vicki tonight. She wasn’t at all prepared for it. Despite everything, April still had a tendency to lose her mind around Vicki. And right now, April was losing her mind just looking at her. Vicki had a flair for rocking suits while still looking utterly feminine. Tonight, she was wearing a fitted black tuxedo, and heels which accentuated her legs and made her look even slimmer. Her soft blonde hair was swept back, and she had a red flower pinned to her lapel. Her mask was a delicate creation of black lace that covered the area around her eyes.
Vicki’s eyes met April’s, her gaze pinning April in place. April gulped down the rest of her canape as Vicki approached her.
“April.” Vicki flashed her a smile. “Don’t you look enchanting?”
April’s cheeks grew warm. “Vicki. I didn’t know you were coming.”
“What can I say, I enjoy a nice ball. It’s for a good cause after all.”