“If we keep at it, we’re going to be late. Let me grab my coat and we can be on our way,” she says as she grabs her coat off the hook.
“Allow me.” I take the coat from her hands and put it on her, placing a kiss on her cheek.
As we head to the ball, Kristin is telling me about her day at work today. I love hearing her talk about her students and the excitement that fills her voice. She is so kind hearted and the most giving person I’ve ever met. That’s actually one of the things that turns me on about her. She is never lacking compassion. I know she will be a great mother one day. I know she is looking for more, but I’m not sure I can give her the commitment she is looking for. She keeps bringing up taking the next step and I manage to change the subject. I know I can’t avoid it forever, but the longer I have to really think about it, the better.
We arrive at the hotel where the charity ball is being held and are directed to the ballroom. Entering the hotel’s ballroom, I notice it’s much bigger than the past ones, so I’m sure the guest list will be much bigger this year as well. Looking around the room, I’m impressed with how great it all turned out. The chandeliers are sparkling all over the ceilings and the table linens are a mix of different colors, representing support for various cancers. I’m even impressed with how they managed to make the ties on the back of the chairs into cancer ribbons.
“Wow, this all looks amazing. They did such a wonderful job decorating this year,” Kristin says.
“Yeah, they did. Come on, let’s go make our rounds and say hello to everyone.” I take her hand, leading her toward my co-workers across the room. After saying hello to everyone, I find Lucas and his wife, Kim, and we make our way to the bar to grab some drinks. Once we find our table, we put our belongings down and socialize with the other guests sitting with us. Frank Sinatra’s ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ begins to play, and I excuse myself from the conversation I’m immersed in, and lean over into Kristin’s ear.
“They are playing your song, Beautiful, shall we?” Holding out my hand for her, she smiles warmly at me and places her hand in mine and we head out to the dance floor. As we’re swaying along to the music, I spin her, causing her to let out a laugh of joy. I pull her back into my chest and place a kiss on her neck as we finish our dance.
As the music continues, I’m about to walk off the dance floor until someone grabs my arm. “Oh, no you don’t,” Kim says, pulling me into a dance. I chuckle and spin her around and we dance to the upbeat music.
“So, how are Owen and Ava doing?”
“They’re good, they miss their uncle Silas, though. They keep asking for you, so you need to come around one weekend and say hello.” She practically scolds me in her firm motherly tone.
“I will. Does this weekend work? I can see if Kristin has any plans, and if not she can join me.”
“This weekend will be perfect, actually. I promised the kids we would take them to that place that has all the jump houses, why don’t you come?”
“I’ll do you one even better. How about I take them and you and Lucas can have the day to yourselves. Bow chika wow wow,” I joke, as I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively.
Kim stops dancing and slaps my arm before wrapping her arms around my neck and places a kiss on my cheek. “That would be wonderful. I don’t even know when the last time was that we had a date night,” she says excitedly.
“Well then, be sure to shave those legs and get dolled up for Lucas,” I joke, earning me a smack on the back of the head this time. We finish our dance and head back to the table, where Kristin and Lucas are laughing along with everyone else at the table. Taking my seat I ask, “What’s everyone laughing at?”
“Oh, you know, just the simple fact that you can’t go one dance without my wife beating you,” Lucas answers through his laughs.
“Laugh it up. If you knew why I got hit, you would be thanking me, not laughing at me.” Lucas stops laughing as curiosity sets in, and I ignore him looking at me and drink some of my beer.
Lucas then looks at Kim and whispers something into her ear and she shakes her head no, giving me a wink. Seeing this, he directs his attention back to me and sends me a questioning look, so I just shrug my shoulders at him. It kills Lucas to not know everything and I think I’ll let him try to figure it out for the rest of the night. Kristin and I got here a little early, and as I look around now, I see the room has filled up. Scanning the crowd, I see a couple of people that have attended the last couple balls and some new faces I’ve never seen before. I see a group of men turn in the direction of the door and curiosity gets the better of me. I see a gentleman walking in with a woman on his arm. I can’t see the woman, but she must be a looker, since almost every head turned in her direction when they walked in. I look away and look to Kristin and place a kiss on her lips. I don’t care who or what they are looking at, in my opinion, I have the best date here.
Kristin and Kim excuse themselves before heading to the ladies room. I never understood why women always feel the need to travel in packs when it comes to that. You would think being a detective, I would have solved that great mystery, but no such luck. Lucas lets out a whistle and causes me to raise an eyebrow at him in confusion.
“Would you look at her? Now don’t get me wrong, I love my wife, but my God, is that woman beautiful,” Lucas says to me. I turn around to see who he is talking about, and I see the same gentleman I saw earlier, only this time I can see the woman on his arm. I do a double take to make sure my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me.
“That’s Lilly.” I’m in total disbelief that she is here at this event. Slight panic starts to set in as I realize that the worst thing that can happen with Lilly and I being friends is happening in this very moment -- Kristin and Lilly in the same room. Sure, Lilly knows about Kristin, but I never fessed up to Kristin about Lilly.
“Lilly, as in your Lilly?” Lucas is gawking at her, and if he wasn’t my partner, I would probably punch him in the face.
“Well, she’s not mine, but yes, same one.” My eyes remain watching her. She throws her head back and laughs at something her date says while placing her hand on his chest. The way her neck is arched causes me to swallow hard, licking my lips, wanting to explore her neck. But the placement of her hand wakes the jealously in me and I clench my jaw. I know it shouldn’t bother me, but it does. Lucas snaps me out of my jealous moment as he slaps his hand on my shoulder.
“You’re friends with her?” He’s pointing his finger at Lilly. “That’s your one-night-stand, which you couldn’t get over, and you think you can keep it strictly platonic? I mean, look at her! She is a knock out.” he shakes his head at me. “You’re in deep shit man.”
“Don’t be a fucking sleazeball. And in case you forgot, it was you who suggested this brilliant idea for us to be friends. So yes, I can be strictly friends with her.”
“Well, shit man, that was before I knew what she looked like. Did you know she was coming tonight? And who is the guy? Is that her boyfriend?”
“I don’t know who he is; maybe I’ll go introduce myself,” I say, getting up from the table and walking in Lilly’s direction.
Chapter 13
Lilly
Heading to the ball, I have no idea what to expect, but walking in and seeing how extravagant everything looks has exceeded anything I could ever imagine. I’m really impressed with how beautiful everything turned out, and I can’t stop my eyes from scanning the entire room. Declan looks dashing in his three-piece-suit, and I’ve notice a lot of the ladies’ heads turn as we are walking around.
“You know, it’s too bad they don’t have a best dressed couple. Every single lady in this place is staring you down like you just walked in here naked,” I joke to Declan, remembering his comment about that.
“Honey, please, they better hold onto their husbands tonight. I’m semi-single and ready to mingle. I have been known to bring some players to the other team, if you know what I mean,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows at me. Laughing, I slap
my hand on his chest and he holds it in place as he joins in on my laughter.
“Okay there, killer, lets reign it in for the night, shall we? Remember, we are here to represent Joe and the business.” I start walking, leading us toward the bar to get a drink.
“Just because we’re here on business doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves. It’s a charity ball, not a business meeting. Loosen up and have some fun, let your hair down and all that other shit,” he says.
“I agree, it’s a charity ball. Let your hair down and have a little fun,” a familiar voice says to me. I close my eyes. This can’t be happening, not now. I take in a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm down. My stomach starts to flutter with butterflies, and the electrical current in the room has increased. I open my eyes in hopes that my body is defying me and the familiar voice I am hearing does not belong to who I think it does.
Turning around, there standing in the flesh, is Silas, at the same damn ball as me. Seriously! What are the odds? I flash my falsely confident smile; one I am practiced in after sitting through so many book signings. “Silas.” Taking a sip of my champagne, trying to diminish the sudden dryness in the back of my throat, I pause a moment before pulling the glass away from my lips. “How are you?” I’m trying to keep my cool, but inside I’m a mess. He’s gorgeous and takes my breath away; perfection in the form of a man. The way his suit is tailored to his body leaves nothing to the imagination. He wears a traditional black tux with white shirt and a black bow tie that I can tell isn’t one that is just clipped on. I want to take it in my teeth and remove it slowly, while I lick up his neck to whisper into his ear. Shit, I can’t think like this; friends Lilly, only friends. My heart is beating so fast it has increased my breathing. I feel a bit uncomfortable. This dress Declan picked for me is ridiculously tight and shows off more of my cleavage than is legal, so the rise and fall of my chest is prominent. I notice Silas’s eyes fall to my breasts. They beg for his touch. He licks his lips, which causes me to squeeze my thighs. Not a ‘friend’ reaction. His gaze lasts a little longer than necessary, causing Declan to clear his throat. I throw a glance over the crowd at the distraction, looking for any sign of Kristin as Silas finally answers, “I’m good. I didn’t know you would be here tonight.”
He nods toward Declan, and I believe he looks flushed from being caught staring at me. “I’m Silas Harper, and you are?” His tone is different. It’s the man’s pissing match tone. Is he jealous? He holds his hand out to Declan. Declan looks to me with a smirk on his face and an eyebrow raised. Shit, I know this look all too well and know he is going to have fun with this. “Declan Waterstone, Lilly’s date. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Silas. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Silas looks to me and has a questioning expression on his face. “Mind if I steal her away for one dance?” Before Declan can respond, Silas has my hand in his and is leading me onto the dance floor. Thankful for the upbeat song that is playing as we’re walking, I try to calm my nerves. As soon as we step foot onto the dance floor, Eric Clapton’s, ‘Wonderful Tonight’ starts to play and I can feel my chest start to tighten as anxiety start to set in. I give my neck a tiny roll, trying to alleviate some of the pressure I feel building in it. As he pulls me into his arms, my insides start quivering and we sway to the slow rhythm of the music, while my heart pounds a mile a minute. I look around the room, avoiding eye contact with Silas, hoping it will ease my nerves.
“Lilly?” Silas says, making my eyes meet his, and immediately I’m lost in his gaze. “You look breathtaking.”
“Thank you.” I turn my head away for a moment to keep myself from blushing.
“I didn’t know you would be here tonight, but I’m glad you are. I have been wanting to see you again.” His grip on my waist tightens as he pulls me a little closer, and my lips part as my body trembles with his touch.
“I didn’t know I was coming. My brother-in-law usually attends these on behalf of his company and he couldn’t make it, so he asked me to come in his place. He lost his father to cancer, so this event means a lot to him and I didn’t want to let him down.”
“I know how he feels,” Silas says, making me wonder what he means. “I lost my mother to cancer. It’s why I decided to leave the Army. My dad was a little bit lost and not really taking good care of himself. My sister, Shannon, couldn’t juggle it all. I knew I needed to be home for my family. So I joined the academy, and the rest, as they say, is history. Once I heard about this charity, I made it a point to support it. I couldn’t be there for my mother and in a way, I feel like I’m doing a greater service for my mom by helping support others,” he says with a distant look in his eye. Just what I need, another reason to swoon over this man. It’s clear the love he has for his family is immeasurable. This brings me to wonder if he’d love Ezra with the same intensity as the rest of his family.
“I think that’s really great Silas, and I know your mom would be really proud of you.” I place my hand on his chest, hoping it can bring him some comfort with the talk of his mother. Silas looks down at my hand and I quickly remove it, embarrassed of that simple, yet intimate touch. Feeling like a complete idiot, I look away from him, hoping this song is almost over.
“Thank you, that means a lot.”
The song is over and I see Declan walking toward the dance floor. I’m both relieved and saddened once he reaches me and pulls me into his body to dance. Silas walks off the dance floor and my eyes follow him to his table.
“Um, hello,” Declan says, snapping his fingers in front of my face, “Hot date right here, remember?” I laugh at his pretend jealous fit and enjoy the dance with him. We stay on the dance floor for a couple more songs and I’m starting to get exhausted. The DJ has been playing fast paced songs and Declan clearly wore his dancing shoes tonight.
“My feet are killing me. Can we please just sit for a moment and grab a drink?” I beg.
“Sure, no problem. Besides, did you see that hottie who just sat at our table?” he says, leading us off the dance floor and to our table.
As we are sitting and talking, I spot Silas and Kristin heading in our direction. I quickly finish my glass of champagne before they reach us and kick Declan under the table to get his attention. It’s hard enough being in the same room as Silas, but add his girlfriend to the mix? Yeah, no thanks. He’s about to yell at me when Silas pulls a chair out at our table for Kristin. He looks at me, giving me an apologetic smile and sits in an empty seat.
“Sorry to interrupt you guys. Kristin saw us dancing and I just wanted to properly introduce you,” he says while holding Kristin’s hand.
“Kristin, you remember Lilly, and this is her date Declan. This is my girlfriend, Kristin.”
As soon as he utters the word girlfriend, I start to feel queasy and I pray I don’t throw up. Declan takes Kristin’s hand and places a kiss on it, making her let out a giggle like a teenage girl. I shake her hand and tell her it’s nice to see her again.
“So, I asked Silas how he knew you since neither one of you mentioned it at the signing,” Kristin starts and I immediately feel my face flushing with embarrassment. I wonder how that conversation went? “He tells me you guys met when he was in the Army.” Before I can answer her, the charity director taps on the microphone to get everyone’s attention, saving me from this conversation.
“Thank you all for coming out this evening. As you all know, we usually have a guest speaker and a speaker from someone who’s lost someone to cancer. This year we are happy to announce that Adam Levine will be our guest speaker and his band Maroon 5 will be performing as well.” The guests start to clap and she continues, “And our guest speaker will be Joe Mazzola. So, will you please join me in giving Mr. Mazzola a warm welcome.” Again, everyone is clapping and I look over to Declan to ask if he knows anything about this, but the confusion mixed with shock on his face tells me he doesn’t. Immediately I start to panic as I stay rooted in my seat as everyone is clapping.
“Are you okay?” Krist
in asks, “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
Silas hands me a glass of water and I take a big sip and place the glass down with my trembling hands. “I had no idea Joe was supposed to give a speech. I have nothing prepared and I don’t know what to say. I can’t go up there in front of all these people!” Silas get’s up and Kristin asks him where he’s going. He doesn’t respond and walks up to the podium. I watch in total confusion as he shakes hands with the announcer and whispers something into her ear. He adjusts the microphone and starts to speak.
“As most of you can tell, I’m not Joe Mazzola. He was unable to make it tonight, and asked me to fill in for him.” As he begins to speak, it sets in what he is doing. He’s totally bailing me out of having to go up there. I am at a complete loss for words as I look to Declan whose mouth is slacking. “I want to thank each and every one of you for coming out and supporting such a meaningful charity. I admire the devotion and hard work that goes into these events, along with the donations made every year. The fact that we can all stand united and say, ‘screw cancer,’ is a great thing. Now, if it’s okay with you I would like to share my story.” Silas tells everyone about his experience with cancer and how he lost his mother. He goes on to tell everyone about people he has met along the way and the friends he has made out of this whole experience. As he continues to talk, I feel like I am zeroed in on him, and the entire room fades away as I hang onto every word he says. He is speaking with such passion; I can’t help but admire him for all he’s been through. My chest tightens as I picture Silas with Erza. If I had any doubts about whether or not he would be a good dad, they just went out the window. My mouth begins to frown as regret sets in. I could have been the one he was here with tonight. I can’t believe I was foolish enough to let this man walk out of my life three years ago. What can I do about it now? Nothing. He has Kristin. I can’t break that up; he looks so happy. Wiping a tear from my eye, I dart my gaze around the room. I am not the only one crying, but I know I’m the only one crying for my own regret, not because of cancer. I feel guilty about it. I’m brought back to reality when Silas finishes up his speech and is met with a standing ovation when he walks off the stage.
Twist of Fate Page 7