“You’re a goof.” I laughed. “But that’s not it. I’m not going. I don’t have anything to wear.”
“Puh-leeze. Of course you’re goin’. The whole family goes. We’re the hosts. Besides, I haven’t bought my dress yet. Mama’s takin’ me shoppin’ this week. You’ll come along and get your dress too. We’ll make it a girl’s day.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
I’d shopped with my mother, but shopping with Sissy and the Ross women was a sport. We traveled to Lexington to the Fayette Mall.
“This is the one.” Maggie stepped out of the changing room. She was wearing a skin-tight hot red dress that was so short it barely reached her upper thighs.
“Margaret, I hardly think that is appropriate for the Gala.” Aurora shook her head and sent her daughter back into the dressing room.
A few minutes later Maggie emerged in a very elegant and sexy floor length baby blue satin ensemble.
“Wow,” I said. “Move over Marilyn Monroe.”
“That is a beautiful gown,” Aurora smiled approvingly.
“Finally,” Maggie grinned. “I think I’ll wear my hair up with some danglin’ earrings.”
“Okay, Miss Cherry,” Aurora said. “Your turn.” She unloaded an armful of dresses we picked into my waiting arms, shooing me into the dressing room.
“What exactly is the Gala?” I asked as I stripped off my jeans.
“It’s the who’s who of the equestrian world,” Maggie chimed.
“It’s a party to raise money for the various charities we support,” Aurora added.
“It’s a big to-do for people to get dressed up, eat and drink too much, and gossip about each other,” Sissy griped.
“When is it?” I asked. In all the preparations no one ever said when it was.
“October 31st ,” Aurora answered.
“Oh.” I guess I’d be celebrating my birthday in style this year. I stepped into the dress, struggling a little with the zipper, but after a brief moment of contortionism it was on.
“Yep, Halloween, but Sissy wouldn’t turn it into a costume party like I asked her though,” Maggie complained.
“Too bad, it would’ve been easier to find a costume,” I said, stepping out of the dressing room.
Sissy, Aurora, and Maggie all stood there, their mouths hanging open. “What?” I looked down at the front of the deep plum colored gown, searching for imperfections or damage. All I saw were the tiny silver sequins dotting the border of the snug bodice and covering the short tulle skirt that fell to my knees, flaring out in tufts of sparkling confection.
“You look fabulous, sugar.” Aurora gestured with her finger for me to spin around.
“Cherry, you should totally get that one. It makes your eyes look smoky,” Maggie said.
Sissy snorted. “She’s eighteen, Maggie. This is the Gala. She ain’t Angelina Jolie walkin’ the red carpet.”
Maggie ignored her. “You look fab, my friend.”
I turned to look at myself in the mirror. The girl looking back wasn’t anyone I recognized. Not really. I saw the same long ebony hair and the same gray eyes above a perky upturned nose and too wide mouth. But she was different from the girl who just spent the last two years struggling to survive. The girl in the mirror looked... happy. She looked normal.
I wondered what Gideon would think as I turned from side to side. I had to stop letting myself think about him. I focused on something else. Maybe I should wear my hair up too.
“Alright, Gina Lollobrigida, time’s a wastin’. We need shoes.” Sissy propelled me back into the dressing room.
“Who?” Maggie and I said together.
* * * *
The night of the Gala was a typical fall evening, brusque and cold. The party was being held at the downtown Hilton in Lexington. Sissy arranged for us all to have rooms. I was sharing with Maggie while all the boys bunked together. Only Sissy got a room of her own.
I was shocked when the stretch limo pulled up to the house. No one wanted to drive home from Lexington after a night of excess, so Sissy hired a car and driver for two days. First things first. When we arrived at the hotel, Aurora arranged appointments for us girls to get our hair and nails done.
I was excited. I hadn’t told anyone it was my birthday. But I felt like we were celebrating it anyway since we were all dressed up and going to a party. I pretended it was all for me. Stewie hopped into the limo with kid-like curiosity.
“Wow, Cherry, there’s a TV in here!” I heard him say from inside.
Everyone climbed in, chatting animatedly and joking with each other. Cort and Maggie sat together, his arm draped casually over her shoulder. Across from them, JD and Aurora noticed this and smiled. Gideon sat opposite me. Every few minutes I felt the weight of his stare.
I hadn’t had the nerve to ask him to go as my date, but it didn’t matter. We were all going together. I was hoping to dance with him though. I bowed my head, stealthily shifting my gaze to him, making it look like I was adjusting my jacket. He caught me staring and winked. I flushed, fingers fumbling on the fabric. He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Sissy asked.
“Nothin’ Maw-Maw, just thinkin’ of tonight,” he said, tapping his fingers on his knee.
“I bet,” she said, lifting her brow.
Forty minutes later the limo glided to a stop at the front entrance of the hotel. There was a large sign welcoming the guests of the Gala. JD and Sissy checked us in. Bellboys loaded our luggage onto wheeled brass carts.
We rode the elevator to the seventh floor. Maggie and I had the last room down the hall, next to the boys. We dropped off our things and headed back down to the lobby.
The salon was adjacent to the hotel, through a set of ornate double doors. Sissy and Aurora were already there, waiting for us and talking to a pair of older women. The taller blond haired woman had that newly nipped and tucked appearance. Her shorter plumper friend looked like rawhide, a definite sun worshipper.
“My goodness, Aurora,” the plastic looking one said. “Is this your Maggie?”
“Yes, that’s her,” Aurora smiled proudly.
“She looks so grown up,” the lady said, with her big fake toothy grin. “My Stephanie will be getting some stiff competition tonight.”
She looked Maggie up and down then turned her cool gaze on me. “And who is this divine creature?” she cooed slyly.
“Arden,” I answered quickly.
I don’t know why I did it. I guess I cared what the Shepherd’s and the Ross’s thought, and I didn’t want to embarrass them. Cherry wasn’t a very sophisticated name. I glanced at Maggie who scrunched her face at me, clearly wishing I had shocked the condescending blonde. Aurora smiled just as proudly as she had for Maggie, which made me glad I hadn’t been snarky. Sissy though, well she was her old self. She raised a wrinkled brow and said, “It’s about time.”
“Well, Arden, it is a pleasure to meet you.” She flashed her fake smile at me.
I doubted she meant that. In the next breath she offered me even more reason to dislike her.
“My Stephanie has been chompin’ at the bit to see that handsome Gideon of yours, Corrine,” she said to Sissy.
Corrine?
“I’ll bet,” Sissy replied offhandedly.
The frosty blonde stiffened her shoulders, but kept her smile in place.
“Well, we need to be going.” She turned to her smaller chubbier companion. “Come along, Adele. See ya’ll tonight.” She absently wiggled her fingers in a prissy wave as they left.
“That woman needs to take the pole outta her butt,” Sissy grouched.
“You think she’s bad, you should talk to Stephanie,” Maggie cringed.
“I remember her. Two peas in pod, they are,” Sissy griped. “C’mon, let’s get dressed up.” She marched to the front desk, and we fell in behind her.
It’s hard to believe in this day and age that someone in the free world never experienced a salon before, but I was that one. My mom alway
s cut my hair, which was mostly just a trim every now and again. But as the stylist washed and dried and coiffed and spritzed and sprayed, I fell in love with the whole process.
When I was finished, she spun the chair around so I could see the final result. I was amazed. All my hair was artfully curled and gathered in a heap on top of my head. The girl had placed crystal headed pins here and there and when I turned my head they twinkled.
“You look gorgeous, sugar.” Aurora came up from behind the stylist. Her red hair was twisted in an elegant chignon.
“Thanks,” I whispered shyly.
“Time for the nails,” Maggie announced. I noticed she’d changed her mind. Her hair was a golden wavy mantle around her shoulders.
* * * *
Butterflies danced in my stomach. I watched Maggie through the mirror as she did my makeup. I warned her to use a light hand and she did, except for my eyes. “They need to be accentuated, hot and smoky,” she insisted.
At exactly 7:00 there was a knock on the door.
“Stud service,” Cort called from the other side.
“I got it,” Maggie said, sashaying to the door.
Cort whistled loudly when he saw Maggie.
“You look very nice, Maggie,” I heard Gideon remark.
And then he was in the room, just a few feet from me. He looked so handsome in his tux. The stark black and white contrasted nicely to his warm coloring.
“Whoee,” Cort hooted. “We got us some fine looking women tonight, Gideon.”
“That we do, brother. That we do,” Gideon said, staring at me. I grew uncomfortable after a minute. Why didn’t he say anything? Was he waiting for me to compliment him first?
“You look very handsome,” I told him, then quickly realized we were being watched. I looked at Cort and Maggie. They were wearing matching grins. “You both do,” I amended.
“Well, now, I think we need to scoot. This shindig started a half hour ago.” Cort offered his arm to Maggie.
I started for the door, but Gideon stopped me to offer his arm. I hesitated for a split second before wrapping my fingers around his forearm. Just for tonight I was going to pretend he was mine. Tonight I was going to be me—the me I always wanted to be.
We followed Cort and Maggie to the elevator. The soft swish of fabric was the only sound as we walked down the corridor. A muscle flexed in Gideon’s arm. I cocked my head to look at him. He was staring at me, his lips curled up in a generous smile.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered into the hushed hall.
“Thanks,” I whispered back, warmth oozing through me. I bowed my head, happy and excited and a little nervous.
“Hey, Cherry.” Cort pushed the button before turning around with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “In case you were wonderin’, Stewie left with Maw-Maw, JD, and Aurora. He was hungry.”
“Oh. Good. Uh, thanks for telling me.” I’d forgotten about Stewie! Lately he was joined at the hip to JD and Aurora. They’d pretty much adopted him, even made a room for him in their house.
“It’s Arden,” Maggie said.
“Huh? Who is?” Cort looked about the hallway.
“She is.” Maggie pointed to me. “Her name is Arden.”
“Oh.” Cort looked confused.
“My real name is Arden,” I said sheepishly, looking at my feet.
Gideon lifted my chin with the knuckle of his forefinger. His eyes were the color of warm bourbon, drawing me in and making me forget where I was.
“I like it,” he said.
“Ahem.” Cort cleared his throat. “Shall we?” He gestured to the open elevator door. Maggie giggled.
I had a flashback of Cass. “Your chariot awaits...” I squashed it down, fast and hard.
People watched us as we exited the elevator and moved through the lobby. An elderly couple waved to us. I waved back. I felt like a princess in a fairy tale, clinging to the arm of my prince as he led me to the ball.
There must’ve been at least three hundred people in the room. All decked out in tuxedos and gowns. Sissy and the others were seated a table beside the small stage near the podium. Sissy was cutting Stewie’s meat.
“Look at our beautiful babies.” Aurora greeted us. JD patted her arm, grinning like a proud papa bear.
“You look so pretty, Aurora,” I told her. Her shimmering green gown complimented her complexion, enhancing her glossy red hair.
“I’m sure I don’t hold a candle to you young women, but thank you all the same, sugar.”
“Don’t listen to her.” JD leaned over to kiss his wife’s cheek. “She’s as gorgeous as the day I married her.” Aurora blushed, swatting playfully at her husband.
Gideon pulled a chair out from the table for me before seating himself. A waiter came, placing a plate of food in front of us. I was almost too excited to eat. But I never passed up a meal. I chewed slowly, surveying the room.
A group of girls, about my age, were huddled together by the bar. Sipping champagne or ginger ale, I couldn’t tell. One girl in particular caught my eye. She was a platinum blonde, bottle job I was guessing. Her eyes were pinned on Gideon in a possessive way I really didn’t like.
Another girl whispered in her ear, making the blonde dart her eyes to me. She sneered at me, twisting her bright red lips into an ugly snarl. I quickly turned back to my food.
“How’s your chicken?” Gideon asked, forking a piece of beef.
“Good. How’s your steak?”
“Good,” he mimicked me. “Wanna bite?”
“Sure.” I shrugged. “Want some chicken?”
“That’s why I offered some beef. That chicken looks good. What’s inside of it?” He leaned over to study my plate.
“Crab,” I said, cutting off a big chunk for him.
“That’s really good,” he said around the bite in his mouth.
“Ditto on the steak,” I said, chewing.
Sissy excused herself to go to the podium. I watched her climb the stairs in her ivory silk gown, fascinated by her. What was she going to say? I imagined all sorts of outrageous things she might spout. But with Sissy you never knew. She was one coin with two very different sides.
She tapped the mic, and the crowd quieted. She was shockingly eloquent and well versed. I just about choked on an asparagus spear when she thanked everyone for their kind donations, making it possible to reach their goal of eight hundred thousand dollars. She then went on to congratulate certain people and organizations and handed out awards. One man was awarded for his sacrifice to help save abused horses. He was a mountain of a man who wept as he spoke of his rescued horses. His acceptance speech seemed to take forever, but everyone applauded him in the end, most likely because they were glad he was finished.
An hour later, Sissy returned to the table. I heard her mumbling about sagging pantyhose. I chuckled. That’s the Sissy I knew and loved.
The band started up, kicking off the party portion of the night.
“That’s my cue to leave,” Sissy said. Stewie looked bored to tears. His baby face pressed into his hands, elbows resting on the table. “C’mon, boy, let’s go see what’s on the boob tube.” She tugged on his arm. Stewie looked relieved.
“I don’t have the card to get in my room.” He fidgeted.
“You can stay in mine. I got two beds,” Sissy said, standing up.
Stewie clapped his hands.
“G’night all,” Sissy called over her shoulder.
“Goodnight,” we chorused. I smiled at Stewie, and he waved back.
“Well, my love...” JD pushed his chair back and stood. “How about a go around the dance floor?”
“Absolutely.” Aurora took his hand.
“Speaking of...” Cort took Maggie by the hand. “Let’s boogie, baby.”
Gideon and I were alone at the table. I expected him to ask me to dance. He didn’t. We sat there, watching Cort have seizures on the dance floor. Maggie was a good dancer though. She was in the midst of hysterics as she took Cort by the ar
m and showed him a few tamer steps.
“They’re quite a pair, aren’t they?” I said.
Gideon shook his head. “I still can’t believe they’re a couple. I never saw it comin’.”
“It’s easy to miss what is right in front of you. The familiar, ya know? You get used to the people and things around you.”
“Some things,” he said, fixing his eyes on me.
The heat of a blush washed over my face.
He leaned forward to say, “That’s such a lovely color.”
The band switched gears and slowed the dancing with a romantic love song. Gideon smiled, almost in relief I thought. He opened his mouth, getting ready to ask me to dance, I was sure of it. My insides quivered.
“Hello, Gideon.”
We both turned to see who it was. The platinum blonde. Inwardly, I groaned.
“Hello,” Gideon answered politely. I noticed he didn’t make a move to shake her hand or stand. This breech in his manners raised a red flag for me. Who was this girl? And what did she mean to him?
“Aren’t you going to ask me to dance?” she asked.
“It wouldn’t be polite to leave Arden all alone,” Gideon replied. I loved the way he said my name. I was losing focus again. Come on girl, pay attention, there’s a vulture in the room and she’s after your man.
“I doubt a nice girl like her will be alone for long.” The girl smiled. She never even looked my way.
“I don’t think so.”
“Hey, Gideon,” a familiar voice said.
I was very surprised to see Jesse Martin walking toward us in a lazy, sexy sort of way. He reminded me of a panther stalking its prey. “Well, well. Look who’s here,” he said, raking me over with his eyes. I felt half-naked by the time he brought his eyes back to my face.
I scowled at him.
“I came to see who ya’ll were hidin’ over here. Now I see it’s my good friend all dressed up Cinderella style.” He laughed. “How about dancin’ with me, beautiful?”
I was about to tell him where to go when blondie chirped up.
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