It was the girl from my reflection again. It appeared that she was here to stay.
The dress Marcus’ minions had made for me was the color of soft winter snow. It was actually rather simple, especially compared to some of the numbers I saw around me, but it was that understated elegance that made it stand out. It wound around my body like a second skin, flowing freely from my bodice to the floor. Two gauzy sashes hung down the back from beneath the shoulders, fanning out behind me like little wings as I slowly descended the stairs. Those and the diamonds glittering around my neck were the only accessories I’d opted for. From the looks I was getting from every corner of the room, they were more than enough.
“Rebecca.”
The second my feet touched the ground, Marcus wound his way through the crowd, smiling dismissively and moving people politely aside to get to me. When he made it through the last of them, his face broke into a shining smile, and he took my hand, pulling me closer.
“I don’t know what you think you’re doing,” he whispered in my ear, “trying to upstage me at my own party?”
I smiled and slipped my hand behind his neck, stretching up on my toes. “Tell you what, let’s head to a bathroom and we’ll switch. That way you can wear the dress.”
He chuckled. “Not a chance, Rebecca.”
I smothered a laugh as he slipped my hand through his arm and turned me to face the crowd. The eyes of every person in the room were upon us, poised as if they were holding their breath. A man came out of nowhere and handed Marcus a microphone which he held to his lips with a gracious smile.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to my humble little gathering.”
Humble. Only Marcus would think of this as humble.
“My special thanks to those of you whose donations made this evening possible.”
A group of tipsy-looking people raised their glasses in salute. They were mostly congregating across the room by the bar.
“So without any further ado, let the festivities begin!”
A bottle of champagne popped open and the party was away. But for me and Marcus, the night was just beginning...
He took my hand and guided me through crowd after crowd. Well over a thousand people, everyone from international dignitaries to NASCAR racing champions, had somehow squeezed into this one little ballroom, and everyone seemed to want to shake Marcus’ hand. And the second they were done with Marcus, of course, they all wanted to meet Mr. Taylor’s new girlfriend. In the course of just two hours, I think I shook the hands and kissed the cheeks of enough dauntingly powerful people to start my own army. And don’t think I wasn’t thinking about that possibility, by the start of hour two. The repetition was mind-numbing, and I honestly didn’t know how Marcus did it. But if he could manage, so could I.
I kept a smile plastered on my face as we swept from one side of the room to another, putting on a show. But was it a show? I wasn’t sure either one of us knew anymore.
The only thing I was sure of was that in this moment, in this crowd of people, with our fingers laced together like a life raft, there was only him and me.
And tomorrow, it would all be gone.
We clung to each other for dear life, smiling and laughing and toasting like we couldn’t be happier. Nuzzling into each other in “private” moments when we pretended no one was watching. Posing strategically for pictures and leaning my head affectionately against his shoulder whenever the CFO happened to walk by.
It was the performance of a lifetime. By the time we’d completed the rounds and spoken with everyone, I could honestly say that I might have believed we were dating. At the very least, I’d think we were fooling around...
“What do you say?” I murmured in Marcus’ ear as we finally detached from the last group of people and headed back to the center of the floor. “You ready to blow off this joint?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. I just...have a final announcement to make first.”
“Sure, honey,” I said.
He kissed my cheek. “Thanks for being so supportive
.”
I clapped his arm and grinned. “Go get’em, tiger.”
He nodded shortly and turned on his heel.
I stared at him, but before I could say a word, he’d disappeared once more through the crowd. I clapped politely as Marcus took to the stage. The band stopped playing at once, looking surprised, and I glanced at the minions, wondering what was going on.
“I’m sorry for the interruption,” he said, suddenly amplified as the same little man rushed forward with another microphone. “I just couldn’t let everyone leave without making one final announcement. As most of you know, I’m here tonight with a person who’s very near and dear to my heart. A person who’s new to my life, but has caused me to see things through a different perspective.”
Time slowed to a dead stop as he lifted his hand and beckoned to me through the crowd.