The Loudest Silence (Part One)

by Olivia Janae

  “If I’m Jack Frost, then who are you supposed to be?”

  Vivian laughed deeply and pulled an eyebrow into her hairline. “Why, you can’t tell? Darling, I’m the Ice Queen.”

  Kate’s jaw snapped shut and she bit her lip.

  Hard.

  18

  In the elevator, Vivian took Kate by the hand. “I hope you have fun tonight.” She affectionately rubbed her nose along her palm to protect Kate’s pale lips from her own gory black ones.

  Kate just squirmed.

  She couldn’t decide if she was nervous-excited or nervous-going-to-throw-up on the drive to the event. This was her first benefit gala ever, let alone her first time as the gay-ish arm candy of one of the biggest donors and social executives in the city.

  She couldn’t stop her mind from drifting through worst-case scenarios as they stepped out into the waiting car. What if she made an ass out of herself? She was sure such a formal event was not for her, so why had she agreed to come? She wasn’t equipped to represent anything except awkward, no-real-place-for-them single-mother orphans who just want their girlfriends to be happy with them.

  Pressure. That’s what she was feeling. A lot of pressure.

  Once settled in the backseat, Vivian reached over and gently took her hand, signing something that Kate didn’t know. Kate just nodded and turned, staring out at the passing city, her heart trembling painfully, the little hairs on the back of her neck standing at stressed attention.

  The Chicago Theatre was a beautifully iconic old building. Kate squinted out of the car window at the huge stone structure with its arching stained glass windows. It had been converted from its usual Prohibition era look, the intricate French Baroque style covered by a nightmare of cobwebs and ghoulish faces.

  The building had two marquees, one vertical that read CHICAGO in bold, golden letters, the other an old movie marquee that at one time must have read “Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh star in …” Across the marquee tonight, in bold black letters, were the words, The J. C. Kensington Foundation and Altman Enterprises present: Chicago’s 25th Annual All Hallows’ Eve Gala.

  Kate blanched a little. “Okay, so, you didn’t tell me that it was one of your foundations putting on the whole freaking event!”

  Vivian shrugged and cleared her throat. “It’s silly to say my foundations,” she reasoned.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yes. First, I may hold the position of president of the board for WCCE, but I am a mere board member at the foundation. Second, it’s only one foundation; J. C. owns WCCE.”

  Kate scoffed. “Oh, right. Of course.”

  It was becoming clear to Kate that she was in over her head with Vivian, who seemed to own or sit on the board for the majority of the arts community in Chicago. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal, and yet it was impressive and intimidating all at once.

  The fact that Vivian was technically Kate’s boss had never felt like a reality as much as it did in that moment. The new knowledge of Vivian’s foundation didn’t make her feel better. If anything, it made her certainty that she would do something that night to embarrass herself even stronger.

  Stepping from the car, Kate did her best to copy Vivian’s impressive demeanor, chin held high, a slightly impassive look on her face. If Kate stood any chance of getting through this unscathed, then she was sure she needed to fake her way through.

  She just wished that Vivian had told her the magnitude of the situation, then at least she could have prepared, made an excuse, faked an illness, or perhaps broken a leg.

  The four sets of gold embossed doors to the theatre had been flung open. People were milling in and out, drinks in hand, and yet, just past the marquee on either side of the building, stood local magazine and newspaper paparazzi flashing their cameras and calling to Vivian. She must have done it a million times before; she paused on the steps, turned and tilted her head in greeting while shots were snapped. Kate held lightly to her arm, doing her best impression of cool, collected, and remote. On the inside she wanted to run crying.

  “Ms. Kensington.” A man just to the left of them called as they entered the grand lobby. Kate wondered for just a moment if she should let Vivian know someone was calling her.

  She wished that Vivian had elaborated a little more about why she hadn’t brought Charlie. Was Kate supposed to interpret for her? The thought sent her into convulsions of panic.

  Softly she bumped her elbow into Vivian’s and nodded toward the silver-haired man shuffling in their direction. Vivian gave her one last twinkling smile before her face froze into the aloof deadpan, her hand reaching out for his. “Mr. Altman, how good to see you.”

  “Ms. Kensington.”

  “This is my companion, Katelyn Flynn. Ms. Flynn, this is Carlyle Altman of Altman Enterprises, as well as the general director of Lyric Opera.”

  Kate blanched.

  “Ms. Flynn.” The man paused, his hand still in hers, as if trying to dig something from the back of his memory. “Ah, yes, the cellist.”

  “That’s right,” Vivian said, when Kate couldn’t get her mouth to work.

  He openly appraised her. Kate couldn’t help but stare back, trying to come up with something to say. His hair was long, white, and slightly frizzy, his black suit well cut and tailored, the cane he was leaning on topped by a tarnished gold handle.

  His lip quirked the slightest bit as he finally released her hand. “I’ve heard good things about you.”

  “Thank you, sir,” she finally got out, thinking that perhaps saying as little as possible would be the best way to get through the evening.

  “How is your mother, Vivian?” he asked, turning back to Vivian when it seemed that Kate wasn’t going to offer any other conversational tidbits.

  “She is doing very well, thank you.”

  “Will she be gracing us with her presence tonight?”

  Vivian chuckled, dry and unattached. “Now, Mr. Altman, you know that my mother is a very busy woman.”

  “Right, right. Of course. Well, I must say, you two look lovely in your costumes.”

  Vivian thanked him with a nod of her head, but Kate just shuffled and watched him go. She wished she had been dashing and charming, positively reeking of talent. That man held her dream job in the palm of his hand; setting herself apart would have been useful. Instead she had been drab and ordinary, something of a life story for her.

  She didn’t have time to dwell on this long. Once Mr. Altman was gone, a line of people formed, waiting to greet Vivian. Kate watched closely as they mingled with the next few patrons. It only took her a few interactions before she understood why Vivian hadn’t brought Charlie; an interpreter would have sullied the executive persona she was wrapping herself in. Vivian would work hard tonight; playing her part and doing her best to catch every word so no one would remember that the representative of the J.C. Kensington Foundation had a disability.

  She followed Vivian, holding lightly to her elbow as they made their way through the crowd, stopping every few steps to smile politely, insist that yes, her mother was well, yes, Vivian’s companion for the night was the decadent Ms. Flynn, and no, her mother would not be joining them as she was so very busy, but thank you for inquiring.

  Kate entertained herself by watching the people around her. Each person in the crowd seemed to have stepped from the screen of a movie: there was Frankenstein’s monster, with what looked to be real metal bolts embedded in his neck; Elvis, with his face so contoured you would have thought the King was alive again in Chicago; mummies that seemed to be rotting from the inside out right before her eyes. It was almost as if she and Vivian had stepped into the land of make-believe. She wished that Max had been able to come as well. He would have enjoyed seeing it all.

  After the first swell of people had subsided, Vivian took two glasses of champagne and handed one to Kate. “I promise the night will become more exciting. As these codgers drink they become a bit …” Vivian blinked wearily before continuing. “Excitable. B
ut assuming you are not the target of their attentions, it can be quite funny.” The mask slipped for just a second, showing Vivian’s devilish smirk “Though, I don’t know if I can stop them this evening when you look like that.”

  “Ms. Kensington.” Vivian’s face hardened again instantly as she shook hands with the anonymous person who had just stepped into her line of vision.

  Kate’s guilt rose as the next hour passed. She tried, hand in the crook of Vivian’s elbow, not to yawn, not to seem as though she was in a long and elaborate daydream, but it was difficult. She was bored to tears and, what’s more, it was obvious that Vivian was just as bored. Kate’s mind drifted back out of focus, remembering the look on Vivian’s face that afternoon, and she had to pretend to cough to hide her chuckle.

  She tended to enjoy scenarios like that, teasing, playing, being slightly inappropriate, and Vivian had responded so well. It had been perfect. She wondered, as she watched yet another man approach, if Vivian remembered that she had promised to get revenge. She hoped she did.

  She nodded her greeting to the stranger, her mind beginning to drift through possibilities of exactly how Vivian would take her revenge. She couldn’t stop noticing the way that Vivian looked in that dress; there was something attractive about the way she stood with her back so straight, the air of authority radiating from her. Kate watched her lips purse, her eyes intently following the man’s moving mouth. Her hands were resting together just in front of her stomach as she nodded and insisted, “I’m sorry, but I can’t agree. The arts is one of Chicago’s defining qualities.”

  She liked to see Vivian in control like this, and she liked it even more knowing that just that afternoon she had taken that control from her.

  Deep in the pit of her belly, she felt something stirring to life at the thought and almost groaned. It was so not the time for that, and yet she couldn’t stop thinking about the way Vivian had bitten her palm, the way her legs had shaken, the expression on her face when she had stumbled into Max’s room, so shocked by what Kate had done.

  Kate swallowed a lascivious smile as she nodded in introduction to another person whose name would slip away the moment they were gone.

  She spent the next hour supplying Vivian with fresh glasses of champagne, and Vivian, so busy in her miserable land of polite smiles and drab discussions, drank them without notice. That in itself was amusing, but throughout, Kate’s mind lingered on that afternoon.

  She happily imagined what it would be like if she were to play that game again, even a few times, before the party came to a close. She pictured Vivian’s eyes, dark and hungry, she pictured the way that Vivian’s hands twitched as Kate touched her, as though she wanted to moan in sign as well as with her voice.

  Once that thought had occurred to her, she couldn’t let it go. It grew piece by piece until she disappeared from Vivian’s side and went to the bar, her mind calculating exactly how to get the best response from her girlfriend.

  “What can I make for you, madam?” Kate blinked, surprised by the formality. She didn’t often get “madam.” She supposed in her usual jeans and T-shirts she didn’t exactly look like a madam; she looked like a “miss” at best. However, right now, clad in an expensive get-up just like everyone around her, she didn’t stick out; that both thrilled and worried her. If she wasn’t careful she might begin to think she fit in.

  She ordered a whiskey on the rocks, her typical drink, and then turned, watching Vivian as she mingled, waiting for her to notice her absence, her excitement growing as she did.

  After passing through three groups of hands, all looking to swarm and charm her, her dark eyes began to flash around the room, a subtle confusion hidden there.

  Finally, they settled on her at the bar. Vivian frowned.

  “I was thirsty,” Kate signed clumsily slow with a grin, her teeth catching her lip. “You seem bored.”

  Vivian’s face flushed a little at the sight of her language, her eyes darting down to Kate’s caught lip and back to her eyes.

  “That dress,” she signed again, letting her eyes slowly trail her body and hoping her sign wasn’t too bad, “really is… wow.”

  Vivian seemed to notice the look on Kate’s face, and Kate knew she understood. A small, pleased lilt appeared at the corner of Vivian’s mouth, before she was distracted by a young couple. When she looked up again, she was met only with Kate’s empty glass sitting on the bar. Kate watched her search again. Their eyes connected just as she was entering the bathroom, a small smile playing across her lips.

  “Wanna make out?” Kate signed, an innocent smile on her face as she disappeared through the door.

  Kate knew she wouldn’t have to wait long. She stood at the sink, pretending to fix her makeup as a gaudily dressed old woman, the only other occupant, shuffled from a stall.

  Vivian blew through the door, eyes wild with anticipation, but halted just behind Kate as she saw the white-haired woman shambling to the sink beside her.

  She watched Vivian’s eyes flick to the empty stalls and smiled discreetly, leaning across the sink as if trying to catch something that was in her eye. Vivian let out a quiet gasp as Kate’s rear bumped into her, and her hands began to open and close, her long fingers twitching. The tension slowly built between them as Kate caught her eye, held it until it burned, then looked away, only to catch her gaze a few seconds later and bite her lip lightly. Vivian’s eyes flashed as she stepped a bit closer in response, giving a dismissive smile to the woman washing her hands at a snail’s pace beside them.

  Vivian was not to be toyed with. A wise woman would not provoke the angry tiger, but the fact that she was so formidable only made toying with her all the more fun. For the first time that evening, Vivian did not look as though she was going to fall asleep on her feet.

  Kate pulled a few paper napkins from the container on the wall and passed them to the old lady.

  “Thank you, dear.”

  “No problem,” Kate said with a smile, her eyes on Vivian in the mirror as slowly, matching the old woman’s pace, she headed for the door. Vivian looked dumbfounded, and smug satisfaction filled Kate, making her giggle as she followed the old lady out.

  “Hey, Captain Hook,” Kate called to a man standing nearby. She needed to find someone to talk to, sure that if she was unoccupied when Vivian reappeared she would simply drag her back to the bathroom by her hair – or perhaps out to the car, or the coat check room.

  The thought made Kate’s breath catch. She loved dating Vivian.

  She shook her head to refocus. “That’s an amazing costume.” He was a mix of Dustin Hoffman and Johnny Depp, his tangled hair large and curly, his mustache paper-thin and curled at either end.

  “Why, thank you, lass.” He gave a large bow, theatrically sweeping his hat off his head as she approached. “We all have to do our part in order to make this night enjoyable.”

  “I guess that’s true.” From the corner of her eye, she watched as the arctic and yet entirely delicious woman emerged from the bathroom, doing her best at casual and failing entirely.

  Vivian paused, her hand rubbing at her stomach as she saw Kate speaking to the pirate. Her mouth pressed into a thin line as she carefully walked behind Kate.

  “Ms. Flynn.” She nodded and paused, giving the pirate a disdainful look. “Mr. …?”

  With a goofy grin, he lifted the obviously fake silver hook. “Mr. Hook.” She gave him another leveling sweep of the eyes before she muttered, “Nice eyeliner,” and moved past them.

  Kate laughed.

  Vivian was caught just past them by an elderly man who quickly fell into a fumbled conversation, struggling to get his thoughts about the fall line-up across to her.

  Sucking her cheek, Kate caught Vivian’s gaze, doing her best to burn into her for a moment before looking away again. She wished she knew a little more sign that she could flash across the room, something that painted a picture but was not necessarily obvious to an eavesdropper.

  Kate greeted a man she
had met once or twice after concerts.

  “I hear the WCCE had a little accident as of late.”

  Kate paused, her eyes snapping from Vivian’s lingering gaze. “That’s right, sir.”

  “My, my,” he sighed. “Such an unfortunate happening.” His voice wobbled as he spoke.

  Kate smiled politely and glanced back up at Vivian.

  “The instrument in question?”

  “All fixed.”

  “That’s nice,” he wheezed and went into a long, rambling story about a tuba that had been dented during “his day.”

  Ten minutes later, Kate was regretting letting him catch her, worried that the game she and Vivian had been playing was lost.

  She saw Vivian at the bar, so she swallowed the rest of her drink and quickly made her way over. She pressed herself tightly against her, feeling Vivian stiffen as she calmly handed her glass to the bartender over her shoulder.

  “Can I help you, Ms. Flynn?” Vivian asked in a low, velvety rumble.

  She sighed, knowing her breath would ripple across Vivian’s ear, as covertly, under the bar, her hand slowly crept up Vivian’s draped thigh. “Just getting a drink.”

  Vivian let out a breathy snort that made Kate smirk. She thanked the bartender when her glass was refilled and then was off again, moving away before Vivian could get a tighter grip.

  In the center of the hall, under the purple and black streamers, a group of people finally started the dancing for the evening.

  A tall, beautiful woman was suddenly in her line of vision. “Hello.”

  “Oh! Hi!” Kate smiled and gave the best polite nod she could muster.

  “May I?” The woman held out a hand and, not thinking twice, Kate put hers in it. The woman leaned down and kissed it.

  “Um. Wow.” Kate awkwardly frowned at the gesture, letting herself be pulled back onto the dance floor.

  She knew this would drive Vivian wild, pitting her somewhat possessive side against her all-consuming professionalism. She was pushing the limits and loving it.

  As the woman swung her around the first time, Kate saw that Vivian was watching intently, her eyes glittering. She looked like a child who had just caught sight of another playing with her favorite toy. Catching her eyes, Vivian slowly quirked one eyebrow and Kate smiled brightly, daring her to interrupt the dance and take what was hers.