Fallen looked at her feet. He’d done this before. He was good at it. She looked up and smiled.
Coming at this man the honest way wasn’t going to work. For now, she would play his game. For now.
She turned to him and nodded. “Well, I hope the dress fits.”
“Good girl, Fallen.” His eyes sparkled.
She took the garment bag and hefted it over her shoulder.
“Do you mind if I put these in water?” He held up the flowers.
She responded like he was a normal human visiting her home and not an awful excuse for a bag of skin. “Please! I don’t have a vase, but there’s a large plastic cup that should work.”
Fallen took the stairs two at a time and closed her door, twisting the lock on the knob. He was the worst. Her hands shook, and her knees felt like water. She tossed the dress bag on the bed and tried to will away the doom she felt.
When she unzipped the bag, she was stunned. She had to be wrong. Just a mistake, a trick of her mind—similar color, similar fabric. But no. As she removed the dress, she could see it was the exact black satin gown—pinched waist and high neck—she’d worn in her last dream with Thomas.
Fallen hugged it to her chest. It was amazing to hold it in the real world. It gave her strength after a day of hard hits.
She took off her jeans and T-shirt and unzipped the side of the elegant gown. Thomas had dreamed it up. It was what he’d wanted her to wear. The connection had to be real.
Maybe he would be at the ball tonight? How very Cinderella. Going to this event with Orbit made her feel more like a dirty Cinderella, but maybe it was all meant to be. She hated to get her hopes up again after finding the wrong Tom McHugh already, but just in case, she touched up her makeup. In the mirror above her old dresser, she smiled. She looked ready for Thomas.
A knock on her door startled her, reminding her that horrible Orbit was still a part of this scenario.
She opened the door, and his gaze softened.
“I was here to tell you we were running late, but you’ve stunned me. You’re beautiful.” He nodded like she was royalty.
“Thank you.” She took the hand he offered and forced herself not to grimace.
Orbit walked them carefully down the stairs and took her keys from her as she pulled them out of her simple black purse.
“You know what? Let’s not ruin your dress with an accessory. I’ll hold your keys in my pocket. Anything else you need?” He held out his hand.
“I need a fistful of tampons.” She almost laughed as he startled.
“No need to be crude.” He was flustered.
She didn’t actually need any, but it sure was fun to watch him squirm. She wanted him uncomfortable. She needed to plant seeds that would keep him as far from her as possible during their evening.
“I’m just honest, Mr. Orbit. Maybe I should bring my purse. Please lock the door, though.” She opened it and waited for him to walk through. She yanked it closed, and he locked it. Then she took her key ring from him and tucked it in her bag. She wanted to be in control of as many things as possible. And she needed this place to be secure if she had to make a quick escape, maybe with Thomas…
Mr. Orbit trotted in front of her and held the passenger door open. She slid inside and buckled up as he went around to the driver’s side.
Once they were on the highway, he turned down the light jazz music to give her some pointers. “Tonight’s charity ball has an auction, and I’ll ask you to keep your hands still during the bidding. Even if you adjust your cleavage, they can count it as a bid.”
The dress was not at all revealing, so his reference to her cleavage was unnecessary.
“Noted.” Fallen wondered if she could put him in deep debt by picking a wedgie. She didn’t laugh out loud, but she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her lips.
“Ah, yes. Talk of big money usually gets the girls happy.”
She looked at him as he reached over and patted her thigh. She reined in a shiver of revulsion.
He left his hand on her leg, massaging as if it was his right to do so.
“Don’t get too close to my tampon string.” He snapped his head in her direction. She made her eyes wide before semi-yelling, “POP! Goes the weasel.”
“I’ll remind you that your job tonight is to be pleasant.” He gave her a chastising look and withdrew his hand.
Fallen decided her period was about to be a chronic, unmanaged problem from this moment forward.
Half an hour later, Mr. Orbit drove his expensive car into a gated entrance and got in line behind other flashy cars. He started mumbling about traffic patterns and the parking attendants’ lack of foresight like a ten-minute wait was simply horrible.
Fallen couldn’t stop scanning the faces of the employees. No way Thomas would be at a swanky place like this as a guest. She pictured him helping people. Laughing, drinking beer maybe. Not warning his date to sit on her hands.
When Mr. Orbit finally reached the gate, he handed over two tickets to be scanned.
The guard checked his ID and waved them through. Fallen got out when the valet opened her door, taking his offered hand to get out of the low-slung car.
“Have a wonderful evening, miss.” The man gave her a genuine smile.
“Hands off. Wouldn’t want you to use her up before I get a chance.” Mr. Orbit forced a laugh.
Fallen let go of the valet’s hand, murmuring her thanks to him. “Mr. Orbit, please don’t—”
He didn’t let her finish. She’d wanted to ask him not to treat her like a possession.
“Call me Lad, while we’re here. At work you can call me Mr. Orbit.” His lips continued moving a little after he spoke.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her along, passing their invitations to the man at the door. The sprawling mansion opened up to present an ethereal, gem-themed party.
If it could glitter or sparkle, it did. The dresses around her were mesmerizing, and Lad whispered in her ear as he guided her through the crowd. “Do act like you belong, Fallen.”
At their table, well-known blue boxes sat on each seat. Fallen had to pick hers up to sit, and Lad pulled out her chair.
He removed the one from his seat as well, setting it on the table. Two men in tuxedoes stopped him before he could sit, and Lad came to life glad-handing with them. Fallen surveyed the room. So many tuxes reminded her of the time just a day ago she’d spent with Thomas. None of the men in this room could compare to the way he looked dressed up.
She rubbed the satin dress between her index finger and thumb. She had to believe there as a reason she was in this dress. Fate was trying to give her hints. As soon as she could, she would excuse herself and poke around to see if Thomas was among the staff.
She’d had no idea the ball would be huge. In her head she’d pictured dances from high school, which was, she guessed, a fairly sheltered view of an event, especially one in New York City. Lad eased out of his conversation and joined her.
“Didn’t you open your favor?” He tapped his box.
“Am I supposed to?”
He gave her a condescending look that conveyed how adorable she was in her ignorance. “Well, you could take a look. The theme for the evening is gems, so it might be a nice surprise.”
He opened his own box and removed an all-black watch with a single diamond marking the 12.
“Nice enough.” He shrugged. He already had on a fancy watch. “Give it to your brother.” He stuffed it back where it came from and dropped it on the table.
Fallen nodded. They might be able to sell it and get ahead on their bills. She opened her box and saw a delicate tiara. She touched the glittering jewels embedded in it.
“It’s all right.” Lad shrugged again and was up out of his chair, socializing.
Fallen glanced at the other women at the table. None of them would make eye contact with her, but they were all wearing their tiaras. Maybe she needed to follow suit? She didn’t want to be uncouth.
&nbs
p; She stood, and the men at the table stood with her. She nodded at them, tucked her chair in, and picked up her purse and the tiara.
As she tried to move away, Lad latched on to her upper arm. “Where are you off to, girl?”
“Just wanted to put this on.” She held up the jewelry she had every intention of selling tomorrow.
“Okay.” He waved her away, not introducing her to the men he held court with.
A chill ran through her with the relief of having his hand removed from her skin. Fallen picked her way through the large gowns and past waitstaff with trays of champagne glasses. She looked carefully at the faces of those dressed to dissolve into the ambiance. No one had Thomas’ height combined with this dark hair.
She found a marble bathroom with a gorgeous chandelier. The light made her skin glow as she gazed in the mirror. She was pleased with what she saw, knowing this was how Thomas had seen her—imagined her, whatever. She set the tiara in her hair, pushing the attached comb into her hair-sprayed locks. She was lucky she got it on straight the first time, because pulling it out would make her hair the kind of angry and disheveled only a shower could fix. And she wanted to look her best for Thomas—if she got to see him tonight.
Fallen used the paper towel in the fancy basket to dry the sink in front of her and had started to shine the faucet before she realized what she was doing. She was unconsciously cleaning.
A woman stepped up to the sink next to her and started applying her lipstick. “So, you’re here with Lad?”
Fallen cut her gaze to the right to get a better look at the statuesque woman. She didn’t have the mental fortitude for a catfight in this peach-and-brown marbled bathroom, so she just nodded.
“Well, I hope you’re ready for all that entails.” The woman was the kind of darkly handsome that sold cars without a test drive. Men most likely stumbled on their words in her presence.
“I’m not. Not at all.” Fallen had no idea why she was honest, but the words fell out of her.
“Wait...” The woman grabbed her forearm. “Do you work for him?”
Fallen was wary, but she again answered truthfully. “Yes.”
“Which hotel? Which floor?” Now the woman seemed less intimidating and more desperate, like she had information to share.
Fallen’s interest was piqued. She allowed herself to be dragged to the empty handicapped stall. The dark wood doors reached floor to ceiling, creating a little, private room. There was no lock, so Fallen just closed the door.
“So?” The woman’s dark eyes, expertly lined and highlighted, waited for her answer.
“Hotel Revel in White Plains. The fifth floor.” Fallen waited to see what the woman would infer.
“Listen, I’m Lad’s ex-wife,” she said. “And I was a housekeeper in that hotel, too. That floor. You have to get out of there. And never fall asleep in 514. Do you hear me?”
“Fallen?”
Lad’s voice made them both gasp; it was out of place in the ladies’ room. His ex-wife put her finger to her lips. Fallen nodded. If they stayed quiet, he wouldn’t be able to see their feet.
Then he began slamming each of the stall doors open. The fear on his ex-wife’s face sparked Fallen into action. She pushed the taller woman to stand behind the door and reached over to flush the toilet.
She motioned for the ex-wife to stay put and pulled open the door before Lad could get to it.
As she stepped out of the stall, more women came into the bathroom. They started in on Lad immediately.
“Sir, this is the women’s bathroom. Where’s the bathroom attendant?”
“I’m sorry,” Fallen said. “He came looking for me. I’ve been fainting lately, and they aren’t exactly sure why. He’s just overprotective.” Then she turned to Lad. “Let me wash my hands, and I’ll meet you right outside this door. I’m fine, not even dizzy. I just got a little lost on the way.”
Fallen stepped over to the sink and said a silent prayer that Lad wouldn’t go into the stall she’d just come out of. He glanced in that direction. She went through the movements of cleaning her hands while watching him from beneath her eyelashes in the mirror’s reflection.
After a moment he patted her back and accepted her saving of his face. “Sure. Good girl. Glad you’re okay. I’ll be right outside.”
Fallen hated the way he spoke to her, his words conveying control, rather than affection. She dried her hands and didn’t risk walking back to the ex-wife, though she was desperate to hear more of what she had to say.
Instead, she walked out the door and found Lad waiting for her, just as he’d promised.
Chapter 10
Not a Nice Man
Lad led them back to their table. He was full of great ideas.
“Next time I’ll escort you. I don’t want you wandering around by yourself. These men are sharks with smiles, and they have plenty of alcohol in their drinks. They’ll eat a little thing like you alive.”
She tried to smile while using her trip across the gigantic room as a scoping-for-Thomas opportunity, as well as trying desperately to process her encounter with Mr. Orbit’s ex-wife.
Luckily, by the time they sat, the auction had started, so he couldn’t talk about her indiscretion of staying in the bathroom too long. Fallen sat still and returned to her thoughts. That the woman in the bathroom had known, that she had guessed what was going on, was incredible. Had he cheated on his wife with other housekeepers? Was 514 kept empty for his affairs? Is that why he was clingy?
She scooted herself to the far side of her chair, too paranoid to move it overtly. Being around terrible Mr. Orbit brought into sharp relief all the things she swooned over with Thomas. As she scanned the room again, a dreamy sigh escaping her lips, she spotted his ex-wife. They locked gazes, but Fallen looked away. She hoped the woman would realize she still had questions, but was trapped at the moment. Fallen would have to Google the crap out of him again and find out who his ex-wife was so she could get the rest of the picture.
Fallen was pleased to be allowed to eat the miniature entrée she was served during a break in the auction. Whatever it was, it was delicious, and she wished she could have seconds.
When the auction drew to a close, Mr. Orbit hadn’t bid on anything. One of his suited friends soon approached the table and pointed this out.
“It’s a fundraiser, you know,” the man said.
Fallen couldn’t tell whether he was kidding or not, but Orbit had a quick answer.
“I did all my bidding online in the silent auction,” he explained. “Listen for my name in the results; I spent a fortune.” He laughed a little too loud before telling Fallen to stay put.
As soon as he’d disappeared into the crowd, a man walked over. The band kicked in with a song, and he asked, “Miss? Can I have this dance?”
He looked nice enough, but Fallen wasn’t entirely sure what the protocol was here. He couldn’t be any worse than dancing with Mr. Orbit, she supposed, so she nodded and stood, accepting the man’s arm as he led her to the dance floor.
He didn’t make small talk, just committed to the dance movements. She was lucky he was a strong leader, because she certainly didn’t have any clue how to make herself look normal.
She’d concentrated on not stepping on his toes when she realized there was something between their clasped hands. She looked at him and expressed her puzzlement with her eyebrows.
He leaned down to her. “Please take this. She wants you to get in touch. And she told me to warn you to be careful.”
Fallen glanced over her shoulder, looking for Mr. Orbit.
Her dance partner seemed to sense that she was nervous. “I’m watching for him. Just read it and give it back to me. I’ll dispose of it.”
Fallen took the paper from their hands and kept up the pretense of dancing as she unfolded it.
Please. He is not a nice man. If you can get out, do it. If he already has you, email me and I’ll try to help.
Fallen nodded, noted the email address pr
inted in block letters at the bottom of the message, and put her hand back in his. Somehow he made the paper disappear with just a little movement of his fingers.
She’d memorized the email address, and judging from the fact that she was even at this ball, she resigned herself to the fact that he did indeed have her. Fallen started as her dance partner turned and graciously offered his spot to Mr. Orbit.
He hauled her close. “What did he say?”
“I…uh…nothing. He just wanted a dance. And I wasn’t sure if I should say no, because you’d mentioned staying put, but then all the other ladies at the table were asked to dance, so I didn’t want to stand out. So I said yes. You want me to fit in, and not stand out. That can get confusing.” She gave him a stern look.
“Well, pardon me, then. I’m glad he got you warmed up for me.” He put an extra swing in his hips that seemed designed to tell her he was in charge of the dance and had probably had professional lessons.
She let him wiggle around, dragging her along as she inspected the crowd. A tall man in the distance captured her attention. The height was right, the hair color, too. She held her breath as he turned to accept an empty glass. She exhaled as her hopeful head registered that the profile was all wrong.
“Looking for someone?”
Orbit’s voice felt like acid on her patience.
“Just taking it in. I’ve never been somewhere so fancy.”
He pulled her even closer so they were chest to chest.
“I can show you things you’ve never seen before, Fallen. I’m a powerful man. A man of means.” He smiled at her.
Fallen wanted to snap back at him, give him a dig about his ex-wife thinking he wasn’t a good man, but she felt the need to protect her. Their connection had been one woman trying to help another. Maybe she was wrong, but her gut told her the ex-wife was motivated by truth.
“I did a great job with your dress,” he added after a moment. “Or rather, my stylist did, but I’ll take the credit. Do you know how many women would kill to be in your place tonight? Chin up and smile like a good girl.” He lifted his chin to show her how to do it.