They were standing in a lavishly appointed ballroom where several tables were set up for dinner, with a stage facing the room and a dance floor off to one side. There were six bars set up around the room, and he indicated the one nearest them.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked, leaning closer to her so she could hear him well in the hum of conversation that surrounded them.
As he neared her, she could smell his cologne and it made her close her eyes and breathe him in, losing herself for a moment in the scent. It was subtle and yet wrapped itself around her, making her want to be closer to him to smell it on his skin.
“Mia?” he asked in a soft voice, looking at her curiously.
She blinked and smiled. “I’m sorry… yes. I’d love a glass of wine thank you. Riesling if they have it, Chardonnay if they don’t.”
He nodded and gave her a wink back, and she felt butterflies in her stomach come to life and begin to move around as he left her. She watched him as he walked away, until he reached the bar, and then she turned and gazed around the room. There were massive centerpieces on all of the tables, all the finest crystal and china were laid out, and there were musicians playing classical music from the corner of the room. There were swags of sheer white material hung about the room and colored lights set into them and against them made them glow in varying hues.
Hanging from the ceiling was a massive chandelier that glittered and sparkled in the dim lights around it. She was admiring all of it when she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard a familiar voice in her ear. She turned with a start and found herself looking at Will Carter, standing there close to her in a tuxedo.
“Well, what a lucky surprise! How are you, Mia?” he asked with a grin as his hand moved from her shoulder to the bare skin on her back.
She turned just enough that she could step back and be just out of reach, removing his hand from her without obviously pulling away.
“I’m fine, thank you, Will; how are you doing?” she asked with a polite nod and a small smile.
“Well, I’m much better now. I thought this was going to be a long boring night that I would have to sit through, but now that I see you’re here, things are definitely looking like they could get a lot more… exciting…” he hinted heavily. His eyes traveled slowly over her body and found their way finally back up to her face.
“You are so hot in that dress,” he said casually, making no effort to hide his lascivious appreciation.
She blinked at him. She supposed that it was good that she had gotten the compliment, but considering what it meant and from whom it came, she wished that she could have ignored it. “Thanks,” she said simply. She felt her stomach tighten and she wondered where Alexander was, but just as Will was about to say something else to her, leaning in and wrapping his arm around her shoulder, she saw his eyes look behind her instead of at her, and he looked up in surprise.
Alexander came up directly behind Mia and wrapped his arm around her, placing his hand on her waist. “Mia, my dear, I didn’t know you knew Will.”
Will blinked and his mouth fell open slightly as he looked from Alexander to Mia, and then back to Alexander. “Oh… I uh… I guess I didn’t realize that you were here with anyone, Mia,” he fumbled and let go of her, stepping backward a pace. He frowned slightly and looked at Alexander.
“How’d you get her to say yes to you? I can’t ever get her to agree to see me outside of work,” Will said with a shake of his head and an almost sarcastic laugh.
Alexander watched him and spoke with a firm yet congenial voice. “I’m just very lucky, I suppose. She has excellent taste in men,” he added, giving Will a subtle nod, and Will nodded back and smiled until he worked out in his mind that it wasn’t a compliment. He was not one of the men that Mia had chosen, and Alexander was; her taste excluded him. He frowned slightly and lifted his glass to his mouth for a drink.
“Well, you two have a good night,” he said shortly, looking at them in dejection as he turned slightly. He gave one last glance to Mia. “I’ll call you soon. Come by and see me,” he said directly to her, and she did not miss the meaning in his comment; he wanted her for much more than business still, and though she was there with Alexander, he was not giving up on her.
She lifted one corner of her mouth slightly in a near smile, giving him a nod, and then she turned toward Alexander. He looked down at her and chuckled as he handed her a glass of wine.
“So Will Carter is interested in you, is he? I’m not surprised at all,” he said simply, sipping his martini.
She tipped her head to the side a little. “Why aren’t you surprised?” she asked curiously.