Next Stop: Love (6 page)

QUEEN OF THE BALL

The next day was the big day, the day of the ball/office party.

“You look beautiful,” Lisa declared as she fluffed out the bottom of my dress. It was deep red and flowed down my body like lava, and it only had one strap. I found it unbelievably elegant, especially because it glittered slightly yet was still simple. The highlight was the tulle of the same color, which trailed down the sides and gave the dress a little more volume. I’d pinned my hair up and then loosened it on one side so that a few locks were resting on my shoulder. Simple earrings, a gold necklace, and voilà, my outfit was complete. It didn’t happen often, but tonight I actually felt pretty for a change.

“Thanks, but I can hardly get on the subway wearing this,” I said, turning from side to side in front of the mirror.

“So take a taxi to Alexanderplatz and then go with Aileen from there,” Lisa suggested. She wanted me to call a taxi to travel a few blocks? Then again, I didn’t want to walk over, because I was worried about the delicate material, so I was going to have to lighten my wallet once again.

Half an hour before the party began, I met up with Aileen and her mother, who was truly delightful. I could immediately see where my coworker got her benevolent nature. Aileen was wearing an ostentatious midnight-blue dress that billowed way out at the bottom, giving it an enormous circumference. Her mother (who, incidentally, also had red hair and elaborate tattoos) wasn’t exactly dressed down, either. In her case, the dress was black, but it was made of no less material than her daughter’s and was decorated with red embroidery. It looked a little like a Halloween costume, but it also suited her.

As soon as we exited the tram, we could see the colorful lights illuminating the building. They’d rolled a red carpet out in front of the hallowed gates of Marcs Entertainment so that we felt like celebrities as we approached. Music rang out from within the building, and a few smokers had gathered outside. There were also a few bellhops waiting at the curb to help guests out of their cars and taxis, and at the entrance they welcomed us with champagne.

Now
this
is an office party!
I thought to myself when we stepped inside. Even Aileen, who’d worked here for some time and was probably used to this kind of extravagance, was seriously impressed by the decorations. We spent a moment just standing in the entryway, taking in the scene. The party was being held on the ground floor, and they’d cleared the middle to use as a dance area. The plants and columns were festooned with red and white balloons, and the entire hall was flooded with warm light, which gave the whole thing a little bit of a disco feel. The chairs and tables flanking the dance floor were covered with white cloth, and there was a red rose in the center of each table. They’d set up innumerable bars and buffets off to the side, and even the fountain was decorated in red. All in all, a really great-looking prom venue.

“You guys have really outdone yourselves this year,” Aileen remarked, which prompted me to look away from the decorations. Luis had joined us and was just giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“One does what one can,” he replied, modest as always, before giving me a delighted once-over. “Well, I never. You match everything so perfectly, we could use you as decoration!” he exclaimed, running his hand along the material. “That dress is just enchanting, the first decent one I’ve seen today. You might even be able to convince the jury,” he mused.

I furrowed my brow. The jury?

“Oh, and you two look enchanting as well, of course,” he added, seeing the indignant looks on Aileen’s and her mother’s faces.

“What jury?” I asked when he had moved on.

“There’s a jury every year. They walk around all evening rating people’s dresses, and then at the end they announce the best-dressed female employee. Like a prom queen.”

“Oh, so that’s what Mary meant earlier,” I said aloud.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what she’s come up with this time around. I can’t stand that woman, but she sure does have a knack for glamorous entrances,” Aileen admitted, sipping her champagne.

Before I could agree, a musical fanfare sounded, and all the lights were directed toward the entrance. We stood in the dark, watching the two people who had just appeared in the doorway. A tall guy was standing in my way, so I didn’t recognize them at first, but then I realized it was Luca and Mary, strolling in arm and arm with broad smiles on their faces.

“Did I miss something?” I asked, checking out Mary’s dress. She really did look good.

“Each year’s winner gets to arrive with the boss the following year.”

“Arrive with him?” I asked suspiciously.

“Usually he picks her up in a limousine and takes her to the party,” Aileen explained.

I had to laugh. Okay, now I understood why Mary went all out every year. I felt a twinge and drowned it in a large gulp of champagne. Me, jealous? Never!

“Where’s Mr. Marcs?” I inquired when the grand entrance had ended and the lights were back to normal.

Aileen let out a derogatory snort. “He never shows his face here.”

“And you have a ball every year?” I asked. “Doesn’t that get boring after a while?”

“No way. There’s a different theme each year. Last time it was Halloween; the year before that, it was Famous Film Characters; and before that it was Glamour. The fashion department organizes the whole thing and suggests themes, and then the employees all vote.”

I nodded and snuck a glance at Luca, who had released Mary and joined the HR manager. Her white dress looked like something out of a fairy tale, and her date’s vintage-style black suit, complete with top hat, was equally elegant. Compared to them, I really did feel sort of underdressed. My gaze landed on Mary, who was standing next to Luca, looking slightly lost and obviously not at all pleased that he’d moved away from her. Her dress was a billowing white and gold number that looked truly regal on her. A brunette in a purple gown came up and linked arms with her, pulling her away. Mary threw one last longing look over her shoulder, as though hoping Luca would notice her disappearance and call her back, but he was too engrossed in conversation. I snickered to myself. There sure were some dramatic scenes playing out. “Let’s go get a drink,” Aileen’s mom suggested, and we headed for the closest bar.

More and more people filled the hall as the evening went on, and we ended up practically rooted to the spot. There was always someone new coming our way, and as chatty as Aileen was, the conversation never stopped. She also had a natural talent for bringing people together, so I met people from almost every department.

Luca eventually joined us, and I discreetly tucked my hair into place as he walked over. Not for his benefit, of course, but a person didn’t have to walk around looking like a scarecrow, right? “Good evening, ladies,” he said with a charming bow. “I hope the champagne is to your liking?”

“Oh, Mr. Marcs, I was wondering when you would finally come visit me,” Aileen’s mother responded, visibly taken with him.

He turned toward her. “I’ve been looking for you this whole time, but I suppose I saved the best for last.” He grinned and kissed her hand. Oh yes, he could sure turn on the charm. I was almost going weak-kneed myself just listening to him. I had to say that, once again, he looked absolutely stunning. Even better up close. His black suit hugged his body perfectly, and tonight his hair wasn’t styled quite as severely—it had more of that rumpled look. And then, of course, there were his breathtaking eyes, which attentively followed my every move.

“Well? Don’t you want to introduce me to your boyfriend?” Luca asked, nudging me lightly in the side.

“Um . . .” I mumbled, but before I could continue, Aileen chimed in.

“Boyfriend? You told me you don’t have one,” she said in astonishment, and I wished more than anything that the earth would open up and swallow me.

“You don’t?” Luca echoed, playing Mr. Bewildered to perfection. That son of a bitch. “If I remember correctly, you told me a couple of weeks ago that you were in a relationship,” he went on.

“And you told me you were single,” Aileen chimed in.

I threw up a hand in resignation. “
Fine.
That was a lie. I don’t have a boyfriend,” I admitted with a sigh and avoided Luca’s eyes. I could just imagine the look on his face.

“Why the lie, child?” Aileen’s mom asked before draining her next glass.

I shrugged. “No idea, probably some kind of reflex,” I mumbled, taking a sip as well. It occurred to me that I was already on my second glass, and if I kept this up, I’d get rosy cheeks, too. That was the last thing I wanted, because nothing was more embarrassing than behaving inappropriately at a company party.

My response earned me a sympathetic nod from Aileen. “I can understand that. If I were a looker like you, I’d be overwhelmed by all the attention, too.” I felt my cheeks getting hot and could only smile uncomfortably. Aileen took things one step further and said, “What do you think, Luca?”

The intensity of his gaze weighed on me until I had no choice but to meet his eyes—anything else would have been impolite. “She’s definitely a looker,” he said, and maybe I was just imagining it, but his voice seemed to have gotten huskier.

“Where’s your old man?” Aileen’s mother inquired, interrupting our eye contact. I had actually forgotten to breathe for a second there. “I haven’t seen Peter at a company party for ages now.” She sipped her champagne with pleasure, and when her glass was empty, Luca reached over the bar and handed her another one without prompting.

“He sends his regrets. He’s not feeling well,” he said, and the gleam in his eye faded.

Nobody seemed to buy the excuse. “Just like the last three years?” Aileen’s mother prodded him in a knowing tone. He smiled apologetically, although it didn’t seem to quite reach his eyes. I knew that expression, because I’d spent years doing it myself. Namely, every time my mother had ducked out of important events—my graduation, various birthdays, other moments in my life—and I’d had to apologize on her behalf. It just wasn’t her thing, and if she didn’t consider something important, she preferred to work instead. I didn’t know whether Luca’s father had similar motivations for his behavior, but it sure looked that way. Maybe, I mused to myself, he and my mom had a few things in common.

Our eyes met again, and although I wanted to at first, I didn’t avert my gaze. The intense eye contact was just too captivating, so I only half noticed when Aileen’s mother cleared her throat and tugged at her daughter’s sleeve. “We’re going to the little girls’ room,” she declared, and the two of them set off together. With that, the magical moment was over, and I turned to watch them go.

“You look beautiful,” Luca said, drawing my eyes back in his direction.

“Um, thanks . . . So do you,” I said, embarrassed. Somehow, compliments just made me feel unbelievably awkward.

At that, he laughed. “Oh? I look beautiful?”

“No! I mean, actually, yes, but . . . Can you even say that about guys? Um, forget it,” I murmured, wishing to God I could just strangle myself. What the hell was I blabbering on about this time? Couldn’t he even pay me one single compliment without me turning red? Surely I was used to it from him by now.

“I see, so you just find me attractive, that’s all.” He grinned, and I nodded without thinking. I shouldn’t have let things go this far and taken his compliment to heart—it wasn’t likely that I was the only person he’d been romancing this evening. I mean, there were dozens of beautiful women around here. No, there was no way he actually meant it.

“Well,
hel-lo
, that’s what I call a lovely dress,” Mike’s voice rang out behind me.

Grinning, I turned to face him and let him hug me. “You look pretty chic yourself,” I said, admiring his dark-blue suit.

“You hear that? She thinks I’m chic,” he said with a hard-to-place undertone to his voice, grabbing Luca playfully by the neck.

“The suit, Mike. Your name didn’t come up,” he retorted with a laugh and freed himself from his grip. I found the two of them totally cute together. They seemed like they’d known each other since they were kids and had experienced a lot together. I decided I’d pump Mike for information if the opportunity ever arose.

Seeing Mary and her friend slinking in our direction, I mentally prepared myself for her condescending remarks, which she always seemed to have in ample supply for me. I even faintly suspected that she made lists of them in the evenings, just so she could use them on me the following day.

“Ms. Illinger, you look enchanting as always.” Mike kissed her hand.

“Thanks, Mr. IT Specialist. I can only return the compliment.” As Mary spoke, her eyes flitted over to Luca, as though she was hoping for praise from him as well. But he only smiled politely . . . and then, weirdly, looked over at me. Why did he keep doing that? It was enough to make a person nervous. Or maybe that was just the alcohol, I thought, and quickly set my glass down.

Visibly irritated, Mary followed his gaze. “Sophia, that’s a really . . . charming dress you have on,” she said, regarding me with an expression that suggested exactly the opposite. “A bit casual, but no matter. Where is it from?”

“A secondhand store,” I replied and smiled coolly back. The atmosphere was so charged that if I’d wet my fingers and held them up between our heads, I’d have gotten an electric shock.

“Oh, and that doesn’t bother you? I mean, you never know who wore it before, right?” she asked with an artificial laugh. Her friend joined in, and the two of them sounded pretty stupid giggling away. Mike and I exchanged a look, and Luca seemed a little perplexed by her behavior as well.

“At least no animals had to die for my dress,” I retorted dryly with a glance at her fur-trimmed collar, then reached for my drink again and took an innocent sip.

Her left eye twitched, probably out of annoyance, but then she put on her fake smile again. “Anyway,” she purred to Luca, “if you want to dance with the queen of the ball, let me know.”

“I will,” he said with a slight nod. When she and the other woman had sashayed away, I looked over at him with raised eyebrows, but he only shrugged innocently.