“Oh, Mrs. Lambert!” They look at each other and then back at me and I smile kindly. “Oh my, I am so sorry, we just…” I feel the blush rising in my cheeks as I confront the two women who were coveting my supposed husband.
“Ignore us, two middle aged women chattering about what could have been, that’s all we are” The one looks back to the other and they both laugh. “When you get to our age my dear it’s all about what could have been rather than what actually is.” They both give me one last smile before heading out of the door leaving me wondering just why all of these women are so incredibly unhappy with their lives. It would seem that my co-workers at Starbucks were more satisfied with their lot in life than most of the women in this room tonight. I wonder if I retain my position as the substitute Mrs. Lambert, will I turn in to one of these bitter old ladies too?
I wash my hands and as I grab a towel to dry them the bathroom door bursts open and Mrs. Dubois walks in. I flash her a quick nod and a smile and slip out of the door before she can corner me again. I weave through the tuxes and gorgeous gowns, looking for Gideon who is no longer standing where I left him. I stand on my tiptoes in an effort to look over all of the taller heads but from here they all look the same. I feel panic beginning to set in as I wonder whether I’ll actually ever find him again, at least before Mrs. Dubois comes back out of the bathroom and corners me once more. I start to feel like a child who has been lost in the shopping center and the panic wells leaving tears in the corners of my eyes.#p#分页标题#e#
“Ladies and gentlemen, could I have your attention please?” A voice comes from a room across the hallway but echoes over the marble floor tiles. As it does, I feel someone grab my hand and pull me towards the direction of the microphone. Looking up I see Gideon, a smile on his face and he looks back at me briefly, squeezing my hand and flashing me a wink before pulling me through a large group of people and in to the main hallway.
We walk in to another large room filled with large round tables covered in crisp white tablecloths. Without hesitation Gideon takes me to the front of the room and pulls out a chair at one of the premier tables. Other people begin to file in to the room as well filling out tables as they found their place cards. I recognize just a few of the many faces I have met already, to me they all look the same but impressively Gideon seems to know every one of them, and their husbands or wives, by name. I look around the other place cards on our table to see if I recognize any names but none of those that I can see look familiar.
“Hey” I lean over to Gideon with a conspiratorial whisper, “who else is at our table?” He winks at me and slips his hand under the table, placing it on my bare knee.
“Don’t you worry about that, Mrs. Lambert.” As the words fall from his lips I am hit with a sudden urge to question him about my newly appointed position but I know that this is not the place or time to do it. He is going to owe me big for this one. As I make up my mind not to embarrass my billionaire lover, a handsome Puerto Rican man and his gorgeous wife seat themselves at our table with a smile. “Ah, Sebastian! It’s been a while my friend!” Gideon stands up and offers his hand, they shake and then he turns to the man’s wife, “and of course, the ever gorgeous Isabelle!” she gives him her hand and Gideon kisses it softly. I stand as Gideon re-introduces his “wife” who they should “remember meeting last time they got together.” Sebastian kisses my hand and Isabelle takes my hand with a quizzical look and nods. She knows. She has to know that she hasn’t met me before, but Sebastian shows no signs of confusion. We all take our seats and I feel Gideon’s hand settle back on my knee only this time it slides up to my thigh and I feel that familiar ache in the pit of my stomach as I remember that under this dress there are no panties.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if you could all be seated…” A young man steps up to a podium on the stage, his voice as soft as melting butter but his words start to fade as I feel Gideon sliding his hand further up my thigh. He doesn’t stop even when another couple sits quietly at our table so as not to interrupt the young man at the podium. I look over to Gideon pleading him, not here, not now, but he takes it as a challenge and slides his fingers between my thighs. Despite the fact that we are in the front row of a room full of tables, at a table full of people and in full view of the young man at the podium, my body gives in and my legs spread as wide as the skirt which is now around my upper thighs, will allow. Gideon leans over and presses a kiss to my cheek before brushing his mouth against my ear.