Having a Ball

by Rhoda Baxter

  More silence. The other two girls stared at Veronica, who didn't flinch.

  Stevie sighed. "Let me guess. You two have told your parents that you're staying with her." She pointed to Veronica. "And her parents are either away, or don't care."

  Veronica said nothing, but the guilty looks from the other two confirmed she was right.

  Stevie sent a silent question to Tom. He moved his head, indicating that they should go to the other end of the kitchen.

  "What am I going to do?" she whispered.

  "Put them on the bus," said Tom. "They look to be around sixteen. There are three of them. They'll be more or less sober by the time that coffee kicks in. Although I think your threatening to take them to the police sobered them up pretty well."

  "But they're just kids!"

  "Not really. We can see them onto the bus. If you like, you can give them money for a taxi at the other end."

  "What if they get off at an earlier stop?"

  "There isn't an earlier stop. It's a direct bus."

  Stevie considered the trio. Veronica seemed to be recovering her bravado, but the other two were well and truly subdued.

  Tom's phone rang. "What?" he said into it. "What floorshow?" He grinned at Stevie. "Apparently, there's a fat man dancing with his shirt off..."

  "Yeah. I know."

  Tom raised one eyebrow and returned to the phone. "Actually Og, how're you getting home tonight?" He listened. "I might call you back."

  He put his phone back in his pocket. "Og's going back to London. She could watch them."

  "We can't ask her to do that. She's a guest."

  Tom shrugged. "I doubt there's anything that those three can come up with to faze her."

  "Maybe."

  "I'll ask." He pulled out his phone again.

  Stevie returned to the girls and put her hand on Alice's shoulder. Alice was sobbing in earnest now. Stevie knelt beside her. "Hey," she said gently. "It's okay."

  "It's not," said Alice. "Gran's going to murder me."

  Stevie looked at her with pity. Alice was only fourteen and right now she looked even younger. "Well, hopefully we can sort something out." She became aware of Veronica watching her with interest. Searching for a chink in her armour, no doubt. "We'll talk about it later." She patted Alice's shoulder.

  "So," said Veronica. "Decided what you're going to do with us yet?"

  "Technically, you're not my responsibility. You've told me you're over eighteen. I just need to get you off the premises."

  "Isn't he going to take us home?" Veronica looked at Tom and grinned. "He can take me anywhere he likes. Any way he likes."

  Tom gave Stevie a horrified look that said he was not going to be left alone with these girls. Ever.

  Stevie sighed again.

  * * * *

  Stevie and Tom took everyone out of the side entrance and bundled them into a taxi, with Olivia sitting in front and the girls in the back. Once inside again, Stevie leaned against the side door while Tom locked it.

  "I hope we did the right thing," she said.

  "You did," he said. "You couldn't let them stay here and risk Evelyn or Lady Beryl finding out."

  "I know." Stevie closed her eyes. "What's the time?"

  "Just gone 1:30 a.m." He leaned against the door next to her. "Long night huh?"

  "Tell me about it. I just hope nothing else goes wrong. I don't think I could handle any more."

  "You dealt with those girls really well," he said.

  She looked sideways at him to see if he was joking. He turned his head and smiled at her. "I mean it. In fact, you're quite scary when you're being grown up."

  She stared, unsure how to take that. Was he trying to tell her that he no longer saw her as a child? How much of that was to do with how she handled the girls and how much was to do with the kiss?

  He met her gaze, his eyes twinkling. Stevie felt her heart speed up. Footsteps approached and they both turned their heads to see who it was.

  "Hello you two," said Evelyn. She looked tired. "What are you doing?"

  "Just discussing how the ball went," said Tom.

  "It's not over yet," Evelyn said. "I think we might have to wind up the disco. Mr. Farrier is getting a little less funny."

  Stevie nodded and peeled herself away from where she was leaning.

  "Was Alice okay?" Evelyn asked Tom. Alice had been sent to her room to sleep off the alcohol.

  "Oh yes,. You know how it is. I think it was the excitement of seeing Pete in the flesh more than anything else. She wouldn't shut up about it."

  "I'm sure I'll hear all about it tomorrow," said Evelyn. "By the way, Stevie, Lady Beryl and Lord Grayingham left a few minutes ago. Important things to do tomorrow apparently."

  Meaning "We won't come and help with the clean-up." On the other hand, things were a lot easier without Lady Beryl around. "I'll go have a word with Dilan," she said, and trudged wearily towards the disco.

  Dilan, was already winding down. A slow ballad was playing and a few couples, the Farriers included, were swaying in time to the music. Mr. Farrier had, thankfully, recovered his shirt and jacket.

  Dilan removed his headset. "I thought Mr. Disco over there was getting a little too manic, so I thought I'd take it down and finish. I know it's earlier than planned," he said apologetically.

  "No, that's fine. I was actually coming to ask you to do just that," Stevie said.

  When she cast an eye over the dance floor, Stevie couldn't help noticing at least one couple were lost to the rest of the world and engrossed in a kiss. She thought of her own kiss with Tom and allowed herself a moment of reflection before dragging herself back to the present.

  "So, it was a good night, then?"

  Dilan chuckled. "More for some than others."

  Stevie thought Tom again. "Yes," she agreed. "Definitely"

  If the disco was closing down, she should really see if she could hint to the other guests that the evening was coming to an end. "I'll be back in about ten minutes."

  "Cool. Should have this lot sorted and the lights turned on by then." Dilan put his headset back on. "Two more songs ladies and gentlemen," he said into the sound system. "Let's make them good ones."

  * * * *

  Stevie ended up by the door, handing out coats and accepting comments on how well things had gone. A few people asked for her card, which she gladly gave out.

  "That were a cracking good laugh," hollered Mr. Farrier, as he staggered slightly. He was shouting, presumably because his ears were still ringing from the disco. His shirt was buttoned up but still untucked. "I haven't had that much fun in years."

  "I'm glad to hear that," said Stevie.

  "And Cherry got to meet her pop star, so it's good all round."

  "That's fantastic."

  "Tell you what though," he said, dropping his voice from bellow to merely loud. "I thought it were a right rip off at the time, but I'm glad I paid up for it now."

  Stevie smiled and refrained from mentioning that they weren't going to see much of his two hundred fifty pounds. That would go to the eBayer who sold the tickets on.

  "And it's a bloody good cause, don't you think love?" he said to his wife. "You got my chequebook handy?"

  Cherry smiled and fished it out of her bag.

  "You call us a taxi," he said to Stevie. "I'll make a little donation to your charity box."

  "Of course." Stevie moved a discrete distance away and called a taxi. She could hear Cherry whispering to her husband.

  "How much?" he said.

  Whisper, whisper, whisper.

  "For you my love, anything." He wrote the cheque, folded it into four and dropped it in the collection box.

  "The taxi should be here in about five minutes," Stevie said.

  The Farriers stood side by side, arms around each other's waist.

  "So what do you do, Mr. Farrier?" Stevie said, with what she hoped sounded like polite curiosity.

  "Self made man, me," he said. "Own a string of gol
f shops. Give the girl one of our cards, Cherry."

  Cherry produced a card from her bag and handed it over. Stevie gave one of her own ones back.

  "If you ever need any golfing equipment, I'm your man."

  "I shall pass your card on to someone I know. I think he'll be very interested."

  "That's the idea. Word of mouth, that's what sells. Better than any of your posh adverts." He grinned. "We gave a bunch of cards to that fancy lawyer bird. I bet she's got golfing friends."

  Assuming he was talking about Vienna, Stevie nodded. "I'm sure she has."

  After a few more minutes' chitchat, the taxi arrived and the Farriers left. As they went out the door, Mr. Farrier's hand was not too subtly fondling his wife's bottom.

  Stevie shook her head and turned to say goodbye to another guest.

  * * * *

  With everyone dispatched to their homes and the lights being turned off, Stevie took her shoes into one hand and headed up to her room. She finally allowed herself to think about her kiss with Tom. He had been so reluctant to kiss her before, yet once their lips had met, it was as though a dam of longing had been breached. Perhaps it was loyalty to Vienna that had prevented him from kissing her before. After Vienna headed off with Pete, there was nothing to stop him from being with Stevie. Unless of course he still thought her too young. Or too needy.

  As she entered an unfamiliar corridor, she realised she'd taken a wrong turn somewhere. This wasn't where her room was. It looked like a corridor of guest rooms. Stevie muttered a curse under her breath. She should have paid attention to where she was going, rather than daydreaming about Tom.

  As if in response to her thoughts, a side door opened and Tom appeared. His hair was tousled. His bow tie and the top button of his shirt were undone. He looked unutterably gorgeous. Stevie felt like her blood had caught fire. He stopped and stared at her. "What are you doing here?"

  Stevie was so overcome with lust that it took a moment for her to squeak, "I'm lost." She realised it was true in more ways than one.

  Tom's gaze moved from her face down to her bare feet and then back up again. His eyes met hers, smoky with wanting. Without thinking Stevie moved towards him. She stopped in front of him, a mere heartbeat away.

  He looked down at her and seemed to be fighting to find his voice. "Stevie," he began. "I don't do commitment..."

  She didn't care about commitment. She didn't care about anything at that moment, except the need to touch him. If she didn't feel his lips on hers again soon she was going to explode. She recognised that tonight they were both giddy from the ball and that the chance to be with him would be gone by the morning. If one night was all she could have with him, then so be it.

  "Did I mention commitment?" She reached up and slipped her hand against the side of his neck, just below his open collar.

  Tom drew a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers. He shook his head.

  "Well shut up and kiss me then," she said.

  He gave a sound that was part sigh, part groan and kissed her. They stood there, lips and bodies pressed together. His arms wrapped around her. She still had her shoes in one hand. Her free hand caressed his neck.

  As their kiss intensified, Stevie felt herself almost boiling with the need for him. Tom's embrace tightened for a moment, then loosened. He stepped back, still kissing her. Then, after placing a final kiss on her lips, as though sealing a pact, he took her hand and led her to his room.

  Once the door was shut behind him, Tom gathered her against him and kissed her again. Stevie let her shoes tumble to the floor.

  Reaching behind her, Tom gently unzipped her dress. His finger trailed a burning line down the length of her spine. Stevie moaned and arched her back. Her dress whispered down to a puddle of blue silk at her feet. Still kissing her, Tom picked her out of her clothes and carried her to his bed.

  Chapter 20

  Stevie woke with Tom's arm wrapped tightly around her waist, his body curled around hers. She stared into the room and let memories of the night before wash over her. A smile, entirely unbidden, stretched across her face. If she'd known what he was capable of, she would have jumped on him a long time ago, one night stand or no.

  The curtains to the room were drawn, but light shone through the join. It was probably quite late. Her watch was still on her wrist. It was one of the few things she hadn't shed. She tried to angle her arm so that she could see time without waking him up. The movement disturbed him. He opened his eyes and looked at her muzzily.

  "Morning," she said, smiling.

  It took a moment for him to surface from sleep. In that few seconds Stevie had a mad moment of doubt. Had he forgotten who she was? Or was he regretting last night already?

  "Morning." He smiled back and Stevie's insides melted. He was just so gorgeous.

  Tom rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

  Confused that Tom didn't seem to see anything unusual about her being in his bed, Stevie pulled the covers up to her chin, before checking her watch. "Holy shit. It's nearly midday." She sat straight up. Realising that her breasts were exposed, she grabbed at the duvet.

  Tom's hand darted out and closed over hers.

  She tensed.

  Tom moved his hand up her arm and shoulder and cupped her cheek. He was frowning slightly. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing." She pulled the duvet up. "I'm just a bit..."

  "Surprised? Confused? Regretting what happened?"

  "No. Not that." She looked at him. "Not the last one."

  He grinned. "That's good to hear."

  She smiled back, a little uncertain. "So... What happens now?"

  "Well..." His thumb stroked her cheek. "We could get up and go help with the clearing up..." He traced a line along her collarbone, making her whole body thrum with pleasure. "Or I could distract you from your duties for a little longer."

  "That sounds like a lovely idea."

  He reached for her and her body responded immediately to his touch.

  "Only for a little while, though," she murmured as his lips followed where his fingers had just been.

  "Absolutely."

  * * * *

  "I hope Evelyn didn't go looking for me." Stevie pulled on her dress.

  Tom was sitting naked in bed, watching her. "I'm sure you're allowed to sleep in after all your hard work last night."

  "She might wonder why I wasn't in my room." Stevie paused, suddenly realising she didn't actually know how to get to her room. "Um... Tom? Where is my room relative to here?" She reached behind her back and tried to do up her zip.

  "Here, let me do that." He slipped out of bed and stood behind her to do her zip up. Stevie felt a ripple of pleasure at his being so close.

  "You are beautiful." Tom kissed her shoulder. He picked up her hair grip, gently gathered her hair and pinned it up, finishing off with a kiss to the back of her neck. Stevie closed her eyes and wondered how it was possible to be this turned on by someone putting clothes onto her rather than taking them off.

  "Just give me a minute and I'll walk you back part way," said Tom. He pulled on a dressing gown and grabbed a towel. "Ready?"

  Stevie scanned the floor for anything else that belonged to her and picked up her shoes. "Let's hope we don't run into anyone."

  * * * *

  Having showered and changed into shorts and t-shirt, Stevie felt a lot more alert. Now all she had to do was try and concentrate on the rest of her job without letting anyone know about her and Tom. As she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, she wondered if there was a "her and Tom".

  After all, he'd been pretty adamant that he didn't do commitment. As far as she knew, the night before had been a one off...assuming the morning was part of the night before. She caught sight of her smiling face in the mirror and saw how happy she looked.

  Would it be really obvious to Evelyn and Alice that something had happened? How bad would that be?

  She had to pull herself together. This thing with Tom was probably going to last until it was t
ime for her to leave the house. So a couple of days, if she was lucky. She should enjoy it for what it was and not get too attached. This was the way he did things. He'd told her so himself.

  Giving her reflection a stern glare, she set off to face the debris from the ball.

  As she approached the kitchen, she smelled bacon and suddenly realised she was famished. Tom was already there, frying things.

  "Morning," he said cheerily. "Fried breakfast?"

  "Good morning. And yes, please." She tried not to look at him, in case her face gave too much away. "Morning, Priya. Have you been here long?"

  Priya and Evelyn were sitting at the end of the table, with mugs of coffee in front of them. Evelyn was opening the donations tin.

  "We old people don't need as much sleep as you do," said Evelyn. "I've been up for hours."

  "I think yesterday went really well," said Priya. "People had a really good time."

  "That was the idea," said Stevie. "I'm glad it worked out. We all put a lot of work into it."

  "Especially you," said Evelyn. "I don't think I saw you stop for one moment."

  Stevie laughed. "I did. But Lady Beryl found me and put me back to work."

  "She would." Evelyn emptied a pile of notes and coins onto the table.

  "She was most concerned that Amber hadn't taken a photo of her and Lord Grayingham" There was coffee in the machine, Stevie poured herself a mug and sat down next to Evelyn.

  "She can't help it," said Priya. "His position is pretty much all she's got. She was Jonathan Grayingham's PA before she married him. He didn't have a Peerage then, of course."

  "Still," said Evelyn. "It wouldn't have killed her to have helped a little with the ball."

  Stevie thought of all of Lady Beryl's friends who had taken her card. "At least she came and supported us and did door duty. That was a great help."

  "Breakfast." Tom slid a plate of fried food in front of Stevie.

  "Thank you." She looked up at him for the first time since coming in. He grinned at her and placed his own plate at the seat opposite.

  "Was it just me, or did that Salzburgh girl disappear with your pop star friend?" said Evelyn.

  Stevie assumed she was talking about Vienna.