by Amber Heart
Chapter 9
When Organic Chemistry rolled around again, Rosalie was going to ignore the offer that Eric had made for her to see if he was telling the truth. Part of her, the larger and more logical part, said that there was no way in hell that he could be, and that this was just a trick to make her look gullible and stupid. She took her usual place, set up her notebook, and waited for the lecture to begin. She couldn’t keep her eyes from glancing at the door every few minutes, however, because Eric wasn’t here yet. When the door opened, her heart skipped a beat. When she saw that it wasn’t him, her shoulders sagged in defeat, and she felt like the rest of the day was going to be gloomy. No one had ever affected her like this before. Could it really be some true feelings that she had for him? Infatuations and crushes meant nothing, and she’d had a crush or two, but this was different. Should she open her heart to him? As the professor walked in, she quickly pushed those thoughts out of her head. Besides, just because she was feeling this way didn’t mean that he was. She started to take notes and highlight in her textbook. Twenty minutes later, Eric came shuffling in, looking for all the world like he was just trying to be fashionably late. He failed, however, because the professor was too engrossed in his own lecture to notice him slink in.
“Hey. Thanks for not saying anything about what I told you.” She was confused. Oh, right. The social royalty thing.
“I highly doubt anyone would have believed me anyway if I had. Besides, how do you know I didn’t?” She didn’t know if she liked him to assume things about her, but then again, she was the type of person to keep a confidence, so she was caught in a catch twenty-two.
“Because the first person you would have told would be Vanessa, and she would have told the rest of the school.” Ok, so he had a valid point. So? That still didn’t mean that she believed him.
“So, about the cotillion? Do you want to go?” He brought it up. This must be some elaborate joke he was trying to pull off.
“I wouldn’t have anything to wear.” There. Not a yes or a no, just a nonchalant excuse. He grinned at her, and the impish nature of it brought a sparkle to his blue eyes that made her breath catch in her throat.
“I think I can help you there.” For the first time, she noticed that he had a large bag with him. That was strange in and of itself, because he never came to class with any supplies. He started to rummage around in it for a few minutes, as if he was checking to make sure everything was there, then pushed it behind her chair. “I wouldn’t want that to stand in the way of you believing me.” She was dying to dive into that bag and see what was in it, but she refused to give him the satisfaction. She’d do it between classes. When he wasn’t around. She went back to taking notes, and he reclined in his chair, as was his usual, giving the slacker impression he was so known for. Rosalie rolled her eyes. It became a game to her then to see just for how long she could ignore him before glancing his way. Whether he knew what she was doing or not, he never let on, but when the professor dismissed them, she heaved a sigh of relief.
“Um, thanks for this. Whatever it is.” She added the last part hastily so that he wouldn’t know that she was dying to get into that bag. He shrugged.
“See you at six in front of the library.” He straightened the collar of his leather jacket, then flipped it up as he walked down the stadium seating to exit the class. She waited for a few minutes after he was gone before taking the bag and heading back to her dorm room. She still had time before her next class, so she could look through the bag in peace. Usually, when she got home, she stacked her books up nicely and swapped everything out. This time, the books got tossed haphazardly into the corner of her desk and she flopped onto the bed with the bag. She took a deep breath, steeling herself in case there was a snake or a frog or some other slimy gross creature in the bag. The first thing that she pulled out was a shoe box. She frowned. This reinforced her idea that something gross and alive was in the bag. She didn’t see any air holes poked into the lid, though, so maybe it would be alright. Wincing, she lifted the lid slightly, trying to peek in without actually taking the lid off. It was a pair of shoes. A pair of soft pink, satin shoes. They had a little heel to them, but by no means were they hooker heels. They were beautiful.
What was he thinking giving these to her? She had nothing to go with that. Reaching back into the bag, she pulled out a small pouch. Inside of it was a rose gold necklace with a single pearl in the middle. Not exactly a choker, but a little more loose. There was no way this could be real gold…right? It was a thin band, and if it were real, somewhere on it the carat would be stamped. She flipped it over until she found an engraved section. It was 14k gold. Her eyes almost popped out of her head. Was he really giving her all of this? Could he be telling the truth about having all that money? If he was, then she would never cut it as an interest to him because there was no way that she could keep up with him in that respect. One more thing lay in the bag, and it was a garment bag, folded carefully in the bottom. Holding her breath, she pulled it out and hung the bag from her closet door. She unzipped it slowly, watching as pale pink satin in the exact shade as the shoes spilled out of it. It had one shoulder strap, leaving the other bare, and an A line shape with a small sash around the middle. The skirt flounced out like a princess dress, with little roses picked out in gold thread all along it. Tears came to her eyes at the beauty of the dress.
He couldn’t go all out for just a cruel joke, could he? If he was giving her all of this expensive stuff, just to embarrass her, people would ask where a slacker would get the money for it. If he had been telling the truth, he wouldn’t want anyone to dig into that question very far. She put her head in her hands. He was giving her all this proof that what he was saying just might be real, and yet she was doubting it. No one had ever been that nice to her before, and she was just too gullible for her own good. Ugh! What was she going to do? Meet him at the library, or calmly return it all in the next class they shared? She was staring around the room, looking for some kind of inspiration as to what she should do, when her eyes fell on the clock. Shit! She was going to be late for her next class! She threw the right books in her bag, locked the door behind her and tore out of the dorm at a run.
Eric had been just outside the dorm, waiting to see when she’d come back out. He knew that she wouldn’t take the bag with her to her next class, and he knew that her innate curiosity would make her rifle through it as soon as she could. When he noticed that she came out at a run, he patted himself on the back…figuratively. He’d made her late for class. He considered that a point on his scoreboard. She was so tight lipped with her head stuck in her studies that he couldn’t really see himself with her mousy type of person, but if he could get her to loosen up a little, then she just might be a great girl for him. He hadn’t really thought about it before, but when he’d been taking her home from the party, he’d seen some glimpses into her that he’d never seen before, and he’d liked it. Maybe he should start getting rid of the slacker reputation and start going after her for real. He shook his head. No, it couldn’t be that serious. He barely even knew the girl.
He saw Blaze and Vanessa heading towards the dorm out of the corner of his eye. Ducking behind the tree he’d been leaning on, he hid himself as best he could. Blaze was annoying. No matter how many hints he gave her that he wasn’t interested, she just wouldn’t stop. He wasn’t sure whether or not she’d picked up on the possible, maybe, kind of attraction between himself and Rosalie, but if she had, he knew that she would make the poor girl’s life hell. She was the type of girl who didn’t care about anyone but herself, and when she wanted something she went for it. The pushiness was really getting old, and he’d even canceled on his friend Rob a few times, just because he knew she’d be there. It was like having a stalker that he couldn’t get rid of.
As he walked back to his car, he couldn’t help but feel some excitement towards his sister’s stupid party. He’d been dead set on not going, but now that he had an excuse to get Ro
salie out with him, he really should do something nice for her to let her know. Maybe some flowers or something. She was one of those romantic saps that loved flowers. He headed towards the little mom and pop flower shop at the edge of campus.
Rosalie managed to get into her seat just before the professor walked in, and as she sat there breathing like a winded rhinoceros, she managed to get her notes out and ready, like she did for every class. Unfortunately, this time her mind was nowhere near anything that even remotely resembled the topic of the chapter they were studying. She was thinking about that beautiful pink dress, hoping against hope that it would fit her, and that she wouldn’t look like a sausage in it. She was blushing, even as she thought about it. If he had taken the time to know her size, get her something that she would like, and buy her expensive jewelry, then it had to mean that he was noticing her, right? Unfortunately, this wasn’t exactly something she could talk to Vanessa about, because it would blow his cover. The cover that she was beginning to believe more and more. Furthermore, it would just cause more animosity between her and Blaze, and that wasn’t something that she needed. That girl had a stare to her that would curdle milk, and she wanted to make sure it was never aimed at her. Her daydreaming must have translated to her face, because the professor chose that moment to ask her a question that she didn’t even hear.
“I’m sorry, could you repeat the question, please?” Her cheeks flamed as she listened to the laughter of her fellow students. The professor indulged her, however, and when she heard the question, she breathed a sigh of relief. That one she actually knew. Answering it quickly and with more detail than necessary, she felt a little more than just satisfied when the giggled stopped and the rest of the class went back to what they were doing. Ha! I can still pay attention, thank you!
Chapter 10
The nigh of the cotillion was warm, and just slightly breezy. Rosalie had done her best to twist her hair into an elegant knot at the back of her head. It had taken her more than an hour, but she was finally happy with it. After that, she’d put on the dress, shoes and necklace, gave herself a look in her mirror, and frowned. She still couldn’t like what she saw. She just felt like she was a little mouse dressed in silk, but still a mouse nonetheless. She’d dabbed some makeup on her face, and that was the best that she could do. Part of her was still a little nervous that this was all a setup, just a joke that he was going to play on her, so she took an overcoat with her that hid most of her elegant attire. It was almost time for him to pick her up, and she still needed to get to the library. She put her ear up to the door, listening for Vanessa. The silence in the front room told her that it was safe to leave. Coming out into the living room in front of her roommate, dressed to the nines as she was, would take some explaining, and she’d been so busy getting ready that she didn’t have a cover story. Even if this was a joke, she would never tell the secret that Eric had confided in her. That wasn’t who she was.
Leaving the dorm, she felt the breeze on her face, and she welcomed it. The coat covered her, but it really was too hot under it for the night. She took her time, walking slowly to the library. Not because she was having second thoughts, but because she didn’t want to rush there and end up being all sweaty and gross before she even got to the cotillion. She hid between the pillar and the corner of the building, still feeling a little silly for trusting this guy that she didn’t even really know. Twenty minutes of talking in a car on the way home from a party didn’t really qualify for the romance of the century. Rosalie’s head perked up as she saw headlights swinging her way. Her hands started to sweat, and her breathing grew rapid. Was this Eric? She drew back a little farther into the shadows, hiding, in case it was someone else. The car came and parked in front of the ornate steps that lead up to the front door. The car turned off, and someone got out. This was it. The moment of truth.
“Rosalie?” Eric’s voice reached into the darkness, like a tendril crawling towards her, wrapping her in its warmth. He passed under the light of the street lamp in front of the building, and she saw that he was dressed up as well. He wore a tuxedo, the creamy black material showing off the angles of his body to perfection. His bow tie was the same pink color as her dress, and it made her feel instantly better about the situation. She took a deep breath and walked out into the light.
Eric was nervous. He had no idea if she would really show up. He didn’t understand why he was so nervous, but he knew that the thought of her not going would upset him more than he cared to admit. The stairs of the library were empty, and he was starting to berate himself for hoping that she would be there. Ever since the first time he saw her, that day she was moving in, she’d been in his thoughts. Not very often, but lately, more and more. He heard a commotion up by the pillar, and he turned just in time to see her walk into the light from the street lamp. She was a vision. Her hair had been pulled up into a twist at the back of her head, not a single strand out of place, and the dress he’d bought her hugged her every curve. It looked like liquid rose gold flowing over her body. The light was weak, but he could see that she’d even put on some makeup. It wasn’t clumped on like a lot of girls seemed to do, no, it was a natural look that was just enough to highlight her natural beauty. His mouth fell open, and he didn’t even realize it.
Rosalie watched Eric’s reaction to her, and she couldn’t help it. She smiled. His mouth had dropped open when he’d seen her, and she took that as a good sign. She’d been worried that she wouldn’t look good enough to go to one of these fancy parties, and the way he’d looked at her reassured her.
“You look beautiful.” He’d finally closed his mouth and found his tongue.
“Thank you. You clean up pretty nice yourself.” She meant it to be teasing, since she’d only ever seen him in jeans and leather, and now it was his turn to blush a little.
“I don’t usually dress like this. I prefer not looking like a walking opportunity for a mugging.” She laughed. He seemed to be very pleasant tonight, without the usual put downs, or smart remarks, and she decided that she was going to enjoy the night. Even if it was the only nice time she would ever have with him. He bowed her into the car and she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face if she tried.
“So, I don’t know if you knew this, but I’ve never been to a cotillion, and I’m not even sure what it is.” Rosalie turned her head out the window, so she wouldn’t see the snigger that she was sure would be coming her way. She lived under a proverbial rock, and things were simple and good there.
“It’s boring really. It’s an old French tradition where the debutants were presented to society. Unfortunately, my mother likes to keep her social calendar full, and that means that we have these boring parties quite often. I usually can’t get out of them because she’s trying to play matchmaker with me and the daughters of every woman she knows. Some days I feel like she’s trying to pawn me off to someone else so she doesn’t have to deal with me.” At first, Rosalie thought that was a joke, but when she peeked at him from under her lashes, she saw that his jaw was clenched, and that it might be the truth after all. She’d read books of romantic stories from France, and she knew about debutants and everything that went with it, but she had no idea that those types of things still existed in the world. That fantasy world that she read about seemed romantic in the stories, but it couldn’t really be a way of life. She felt bad for him that his mother was trying to marry him off to some richer young woman. Her heart sank a little. That meant that she would never have a chance with him, even though she found herself liking him more and more, the longer she spent time with him.
“Well, I’ve never been to one, or anything like that, so I’m excited. I hope that I don’t embarrass you.” When the words left her mouth, fear gripped Rosalie’s gut. She’d never even thought that she might embarrass him. She didn’t know how to act at one of these things, and she could just see herself making some kind of mistake that would get her kicked out. Her shoulders slumped, and she lapsed into silence.
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nbsp; “I want to apologize ahead of time for my mother. She’s a social butterfly with a screw loose. Scratch that, screw missing. If she starts to bother you just tell me and we’ll leave.” He cleared his throat, and now it was Eric who was nervous. “The cotillion is at my parents’ house, and it can be a little overwhelming. My mom likes to have the best of the best, and she likes to flaunt that we have money. If it makes you uncomfortable, we can leave.” That just plummeted Rosalie even farther into her downward spiral. She was going to be on display for his family and his real friends, and she wasn’t going to make the cut. A single tear slid from her eye, and she dabbed at it quickly to get rid of it without smearing her makeup. Why did she suddenly care if she wasn’t good enough? She didn’t really want to be with him, did she? Rosalie shoved that thought from her mind. That was something that would need a pros and cons list later and some perusal time in order to get an honest answer out of herself, and she couldn’t do that with him sitting beside her.
About a half an hour later, Eric pulled up to a hotel. No, it wasn’t a hotel, it was a house the size of a hotel. Now it was Rosalie’s turn to let her mouth hang open. She felt like she’d just been brought to a castle, and that this was the one night in her life that she got to be Cinderella. No matter what happened, she was going to remember tonight for the rest of her life. A man was waiting outside in a uniform, and it hit her suddenly that he was wearing livery. Like back in the medieval days. How much money did Eric’s family have? Social royalty might even be an understatement at this point. The man walked around to Eric’s side of the car.