say, my feet reluctantly following along. “But I’m here on business tonight.”
“The dress is a ruse, then?” He smiles, making his blue eyes light up. “But you can’t let it go to waste.” He looks down for a moment as we glide across the stone floor together, like we’ve been partners for ages instead of seconds. “You’re very good at it. Where did you learn?”
“Yeah, well…” I sigh. “It’s a long story.”
“I have time.”
“Where did you learn?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Oh, my life has been one long boring string of charm school classes.”
“Oh, has it?” I can’t help myself, I laugh for real this time.
“Have you ever seen the debutante ball they have each year in the main cathedral?”
“No, but I imagine that is some affair.”
“You have no idea. I was roped into being someone’s date back in the day. And let me tell you, if she had warned me about the rehearsal time, I might’ve never agreed.” He says the words but I can immediately tell he’s not sincere. We glide past a few other waltzing couples as his eyes glaze over a little. “Close your eyes, Detective. And let me help you imagine it for a moment.”
“Close my—”
“Just do it. I promise it’s worth the few moments of trust you’ll have to give me to lead you around this room.”
Jesus. Another alpha. What is it with the men in this town? They are all handsome, rich control freaks.
“Come on, it’s a vision you’ll enjoy. Women love shit like this.”
“Well, you certainly have the gift of persuasion,” I say through a chuckle. But when I glance up at him again, he looks… nostalgic. And maybe a little sad. Possibly a bit regretful.
I close my eyes. Because I would never turn down the opportunity to get a story that can cause so much emotion a decade later.
“Picture this, Molly,” he says, leaning down into my neck. I breathe in deeply as he whispers my name across the sensitive skin. “Hundreds of girls dressed in white gowns, much like the one you’re wearing tonight. And hundreds of escorts, dressed in a tux, much like mine. We filed into the grand cathedral, four abreast. Girl, boy, girl, boy. Black, white, black, white. Each escort holding the hand of his beautiful partner up, like he’d won the lottery.
“The stained glass was glowing from the interior lights. The music was lively. And nothing but proud faces beamed from the perimeter. My heart was beating fast that night. We’d been practicing the dances for months. Each one was coordinated to show us off. Each one classically choreographed to stun the families who sat in the boxed seats above. And when I watched the video days later, I felt like we were spinning for Heaven. Like every move that night was synchronized for God’s pleasure.”
“It sounds lovely,” I whisper, lost in his dream.
“It was a moment of peace in a life overflowing with chaos.”
“So what happened to her?”
“What?” he asks, breaking the spell he’s put me under and stopping our dance.
I open my eyes. “Where is she? It sounds like the night of your life.”
His smile is gone and his eyes are no longer bright. “I was a few years older than her, already in my third year of college by that time. And she was still in high school. But she never finished because there was a family emergency a few days later and she left town. I never saw her again.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. It sounds like she meant a lot to you. Did you ever go looking for her?”
“No.” He sighs. “I couldn’t. I—” He stops talking abruptly and his gaze fixes on something across the room. “Sorry, I have to go,” he says, letting go of my hands and bowing slightly. “Maybe we can dance again later?”
I nod as he forces a smile, and then turns and walks off, leaving me there in the middle of the floor.
I try to follow him with my gaze as he makes his way through the throngs of dancers, but there are too many people. So I start after him, unwilling
“The dress is a ruse, then?” He smiles, making his blue eyes light up. “But you can’t let it go to waste.” He looks down for a moment as we glide across the stone floor together, like we’ve been partners for ages instead of seconds. “You’re very good at it. Where did you learn?”
“Yeah, well…” I sigh. “It’s a long story.”
“I have time.”
“Where did you learn?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Oh, my life has been one long boring string of charm school classes.”
“Oh, has it?” I can’t help myself, I laugh for real this time.
“Have you ever seen the debutante ball they have each year in the main cathedral?”
“No, but I imagine that is some affair.”
“You have no idea. I was roped into being someone’s date back in the day. And let me tell you, if she had warned me about the rehearsal time, I might’ve never agreed.” He says the words but I can immediately tell he’s not sincere. We glide past a few other waltzing couples as his eyes glaze over a little. “Close your eyes, Detective. And let me help you imagine it for a moment.”
“Close my—”
“Just do it. I promise it’s worth the few moments of trust you’ll have to give me to lead you around this room.”
Jesus. Another alpha. What is it with the men in this town? They are all handsome, rich control freaks.
“Come on, it’s a vision you’ll enjoy. Women love shit like this.”
“Well, you certainly have the gift of persuasion,” I say through a chuckle. But when I glance up at him again, he looks… nostalgic. And maybe a little sad. Possibly a bit regretful.
I close my eyes. Because I would never turn down the opportunity to get a story that can cause so much emotion a decade later.
“Picture this, Molly,” he says, leaning down into my neck. I breathe in deeply as he whispers my name across the sensitive skin. “Hundreds of girls dressed in white gowns, much like the one you’re wearing tonight. And hundreds of escorts, dressed in a tux, much like mine. We filed into the grand cathedral, four abreast. Girl, boy, girl, boy. Black, white, black, white. Each escort holding the hand of his beautiful partner up, like he’d won the lottery.
“The stained glass was glowing from the interior lights. The music was lively. And nothing but proud faces beamed from the perimeter. My heart was beating fast that night. We’d been practicing the dances for months. Each one was coordinated to show us off. Each one classically choreographed to stun the families who sat in the boxed seats above. And when I watched the video days later, I felt like we were spinning for Heaven. Like every move that night was synchronized for God’s pleasure.”
“It sounds lovely,” I whisper, lost in his dream.
“It was a moment of peace in a life overflowing with chaos.”
“So what happened to her?”
“What?” he asks, breaking the spell he’s put me under and stopping our dance.
I open my eyes. “Where is she? It sounds like the night of your life.”
His smile is gone and his eyes are no longer bright. “I was a few years older than her, already in my third year of college by that time. And she was still in high school. But she never finished because there was a family emergency a few days later and she left town. I never saw her again.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. It sounds like she meant a lot to you. Did you ever go looking for her?”
“No.” He sighs. “I couldn’t. I—” He stops talking abruptly and his gaze fixes on something across the room. “Sorry, I have to go,” he says, letting go of my hands and bowing slightly. “Maybe we can dance again later?”
I nod as he forces a smile, and then turns and walks off, leaving me there in the middle of the floor.
I try to follow him with my gaze as he makes his way through the throngs of dancers, but there are too many people. So I start after him, unwilling
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