“It’s perfect,” I whispered. “Thank you.”
“I think this is one of our best yet,” Lydia remarked.
“I would agree.” Gunner smiled and nodded his head. He frowned slightly and checked his phone. “Your ride is here.”
“My ride?” I asked.
“You were planning on riding the bus?” Gunner asked. “You have the senator’s limo. We’ll follow you out.”
I noticed then that their trunks were already packed up and ready to go. They really were good at this.
“Thank you again,” I told them when we reached the bottom of the stairs. “How do I return all of this?”
“Someone will be by to pick up the dress and the shoes tomorrow afternoon,” Gunner replied. “But the mask is yours to keep. The Senator said you should have something to remember the night.”
My hand went to the pretty mask tied to my face and I sent a silent thank you out to Faye.
“Be careful of the skirt,” Gunner said, helping me into the limo. “It’ll catch if you aren’t careful.”
I nodded, paying special care to the fabric as I sat down. Once inside, I rolled down the window.
“Thank you both,” I told them. Gunner and Lydia smiled.
“Good luck!” Lydia called as the limo pulled away.
I waved through the open window until the limo pulled onto faster traffic. Then I rolled it up so that the wind wouldn’t mess up my hair. I was on my way to the ball.
I was on my way to Henry.
Chapter 23
The limo pulled up alongside one of the older buildings downtown. The building was a private club, so I’d never been inside, although I’d heard of the extravagant parties that were often thrown here.
The building took up the entire corner. Rich tan stone with large windows glimmered in the fading light. A red carpet lined the sidewalk on the corner, and the police had the intersection completely blocked off.
I took a deep breath and stepped out of the limo and onto the red carpet, clutching my invitation and a small purse with my ID and phone.
Act like you belong here, act like you belong here, I whispered to myself. I was positive that one of the police officers was going to call me out. This was a party for high society, not some low-level government employee. They would see right through me.
I held my head high as I walked along the red carpet, keeping my eyes open for any sign of Henry. He was supposed to meet me inside, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t run into him outside of the building.
Cameras flashed as I walked along the red carpet to the entrance of the building. Security was everywhere. It seemed like every other person in a dark suit wore some sort of ear piece and sunglasses. It reminded me of all the events the president attended, only with more security.
The closer I came to the door, the more nervous I became. I appeared to be one of the later guests to arrive. Despite Gunner and Lydia’s amazing skill, it took time to get me ball-ready. I bit my lip, and then immediately stopped knowing I would damage Lydia’s lipstick.
“Invitation and ID.” It wasn’t a request from the huge man guarding the entrance. I handed him my envelope and ID. He carefully scanned each one, checking to make sure they were authentic. He waved them under a black light while a female guard did a pat down on my dress. I didn’t know that security was going to be this tight.
The man handed me back both and stepped out of the way to let me pass. Inside I could hear the soft sounds of classical music combining with laughter and gentle chatter. I followed the soft sounds down the brightly lit hallway to the main ballroom.
A man stood at the entrance to the main hall announcing guests as they arrived. Beside him stood Andre in a black uniform that matched the security outside. I smiled and waved to him, wondering what he was doing working security.
“The Lady Emma and Lord Jack,” the announcer called out to the ballroom. The blonde woman in front of me smiled at her date, and together they walked in.
I’d never met a lord or a lady. I took a deep breath and tried to look like I was supposed to be here. This was a ball for royalty, and I tried not to look out of place. I just hoped that I could find Henry among all the guests.