Element, Part 1 (16 page)

“Don’t worry dude. She’s good
for you.” Sal took a handful of shelled peanuts from a bowl on the bar. He
cracked one of them and dusted off the fragments from the nut between his thumb
and index finger. He popped it in his mouth.

It made Ryan happy to know Sal
approved of Natalie. Sal always warned him about Jen, but he never took his
advice seriously. “I tell you, she’s like nobody I ever met before. She might
be the one. But time will tell.”

Sal cracked another peanut. “I
can only hope that I’ll be as lucky as you.”

“So Lise’s isn’t the one?”

“I don’t know. If I can tame the
wildness in her, she might be. I really like being with her. She’s so full of
life, funny and outgoing, the complete opposite of me.”

Ryan walked over to Sal and put
his hand on his shoulder. “Then you have a job to do because it sounds like you
really like her. When you’re with her, I see a part of you that I’ve never seen
before.”

Sal shrugged his shoulders. “I
guess. Yeah, she does make me feel alive. Speaking of, I’m on my way to pick
her up. Do you and Natalie want to hang out with us?” He tossed the last peanut
in his mouth.

Ryan gave Sal one more pat and
lowered his hand. “I can’t. I have a ton of homework to get caught up on.
Besides, I told my boss I would go in this afternoon if she needed my help. I
need to check my messages and take a shower.”

“I’m sure glad I’m in technology
and not in marketing. Kronberg is working you guys too much, especially for an
internship.” Sal walked into the kitchen and dusted his hands off over the
trashcan.

“Tell me about it. It’s fun and
I like it though.”

“Better you than me. I guess I
better go. Lise is waiting on me.”

“Alright, give me a ring later.”

Sal opened the door. “I will.
See ya.”

Ryan closed the door behind his
cousin and then went over to his phone and turned it on. Sure enough, he had a
text from his boss asking him to come and work for a few hours. He also had a
text from Natalie, asking him to go to lunch and hang out with her, Lise and
Sal.

He texted his boss and told her
that he would be in by two and then dialed Natalie’s number.

“Hi, I’ve been thinking about
you all morning.” Natalie’s voice sounded soothing.

“Hello, beautiful. Sorry, I
slept in. I must have been tired.”

“That’s okay. I didn’t get up
until ten. I must have been tired too.”

“So are you still at the condo
or back at the dorm?”

“I’m back at the dorm, here with
Lise. Do you want to hang out today?”

Ryan’s shoulders sank and his
energy drained from him. He wanted to be with her more than anything but he had
to be responsible and do what he needed to do. “I can’t. My boss asked me to
come in for a few hours and I also have a ton of homework and reading to catch
up on.”

Natalie let out a sigh. “It’s
okay. I understand. I have homework to catch up on too. Maybe we can hang out
tomorrow.”

“Yeah, of course. I’m dying to
see ya. In fact, I’m imagining holding you in my arms and kissing your tender
lips.”

“Ryan, Lise is right here,”
Natalie whispered.

“Okay, I know you can’t say
anything back.”

“Oh, I almost forgot. Tomorrow,
Lise and I are going shopping for our costumes. Do you want to come with us?
Sal’s supposed to come too.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll give
you a call later when I get back from work.”

“Okay. Talk to you later.”

“Hey Natalie.”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Ryan.”

***

“Lise, come on.  You look great.
The limo is probably outside waiting for us.” Natalie turned off the light in
the room.

“Hey, turn that back on.”

Natalie flipped the switch back
on. “I don’t want to be late.”

“Alright, I’m done.” Lise
blinked a few times in the mirror. She walked up to Natalie and fluttered her
eyes at her. “What do you think?”

The tiny rhinestone crystals
sparkled against her eyelids and the smoky eye shadow. “They are hideous.”

“Ugh. Thanks.” Lise put her
hands on her hips.

“I’m kidding. They are really
cool. Your eyes are going to really pop from behind that mask.”

Lise held up her feathered gold
and black mask to her face and glanced in the mirror. “I think you’re right.”

She lowered the mask and turned
around, making sure the fringe on her black see-through hoop swung freely.

“Let me help you with that.”
Natalie reached forward and fixed it. “I have to admit, you have an eye for
bold fashion.”

She winced slightly. “Do you
think it’s too much?” She twirled, allowing Natalie to get the full picture of her
short black and gold corset style body suit.

“No. As long as your boss is
okay with it.”

“My boss totally loved it. She’s
so cool. She may work us like dogs but she sure knows how to reward us. Can you
believe she bought this for me?”

“That was nice of her, not to
mention the limo ride. Did you know she also paid for Ryan’s tux rental? Which
reminds me; I better let him know we are about to leave.” She typed him a text.

“No, I didn’t know that. Too bad
the company didn’t offer to pay for all the interns’ outfits for the party. I
guess those of us in marketing were lucky.”

“Yes, but you all deserve it. I
can’t believe how many hours you and Ryan put in this week.”

“Tell me about it.” Lise rolled
her eyes.

Natalie fluffed out her
petticoat from underneath the heavy tapestry dress. “I don’t know about this
outfit.”

“What? I love the gold ribbon
that outlines the emerald green paisleys. I’ve always wanted to wear a full
corset dress. I love the nineteenth century era. Can you imagine the balls they
use to attend wearing dresses like that?”

“I don’t know if I could get
used to all of this. It’s a little much for me. I can barely breathe in this
thing.” Natalie took a deep breath and adjusted the restrictive bodice.

“I think you look gorgeous in
it. It totally accentuates your boobs. Ryan is going to drool when he sees
you.”

Natalie pulled up on the dress,
trying to cover her breasts.

“Don’t. Flaunt what God has
given you.” Lise pushed Natalie’s hands down.

Natalie stopped fidgeting and
exhaled. “Can you hurry? I haven’t seen him all week and he’s waiting for me.”

“Yes ma’am.” Lise saluted her. Lise’s
cell phone rang. “That must be the driver.” She turned around to get her phone.
“Hello? Yes...okay, we’ll be right down.” Lise hung up the phone. “The limo’s
here. Let’s go.”

Natalie and Lise checked
themselves in the mirror one last time, grabbed their purses and headed out the
door.

***

The sleek black Mercedes pulled
up to the nineteenth century grand mansion located a few blocks from the
university.

“You know, we could have walked.
Then again, I’d be all sweaty by the time we got here wearing this thing.”
Natalie pushed down on the skirt of her dress that nearly covered her face.

“We’d be all sweaty even if we
had on shorts. It’s still a hundred degrees outside and it’s seven-thirty in
the evening for crying out loud. You have to admit, arriving by limo makes you
feel important.” Lise checked her lips one more time with her compact mirror.

“I guess.” Natalie peered out of
the dark tinted window. “Wow Lise, I’m impressed. Feels like we are in LA for
an awards night.”

“Now you know why I’ve been so
stressed out. My boss relied on all the interns to pull this off.”

“You guys did an awesome job.”

The passenger side door opened
and Natalie and Lise stepped out onto a red carpet that stretched to the
curbside. Large LED spotlights crossed each other leading up to the entrance of
the mansion. They walked down the plush strip while staged paparazzi snapped
shots of them. 

“Doesn’t this make you feel like
a movie star?” Lise urged Natalie to stop and pose for a picture.

“Kind of.” Unlike Lise, Natalie
didn’t care for pictures and showing off. Nevertheless she smiled for the
camera.

“We might as well enjoy it. I
mean, how many times do you get to dress up like this and look gorgeous?” Lise
continued to pose by herself for some additional pictures.

She politely waved off a few
guys asking to take her picture while she waited for Lise.

“Are those ice or glass?”
Natalie stopped to examine the tall DNA double helix structures located on each
side of the walk, right before the grand doors.

“Glass, I believe. If you think
the entrance is stunning, wait until you see the ballroom.” Lise pulled Natalie
through the double doors.

They walked through the stately
entrance past the dining room and library to the grand ballroom. Muscular men
painted from head to toe in an antique gold color, posed at the entrance
holding candelabrums in their hands.

“Are those guys real?” Natalie
whispered.

“Yes, can you believe it? Aren’t
their bodies to die for?”

Natalie tried not to stare at
their bulging muscles and rippled stomachs. It didn’t take long for her
attention to be diverted once she stepped inside the ballroom.  The massive
room was decorated to replicate the Masquerade Ball from Phantom of the Opera.
Fabric in gold lamè and maroon hung throughout the room, giving it a dark
mysterious appearance.

“My gosh. Whose idea was it for
all of this?” Natalie did a three-sixty, taking in all of her surroundings.

Lise raised her brows. “Our boss,
Lynn. Isn’t she creative?” 

“I’m speechless.”

“Wait until you see the food.
Come on.”

Natalie followed Lise over to
the lavish buffet tables that featured a DNA double helix ice sculpture with a
huge waterfall behind it.

“This food looks divine.”

“Lise?”

They both turned around at the
same time to see a small-framed Asian lady holding her mask to the side of her
face.

“Hi Lynn. Everything looks
great. Do you need help with anything?”

“Yes, I do. Meet me by the stage
in fifteen minutes.” Lynn checked her cell phone and huffed.

“Okay. I’d like to introduce you
to my roommate and Ryan’s girlfriend, Natalie.”

“Hi, nice to meet you. You have
magnificent creativity.” Natalie shook Lynn’s hand.

“Oh thanks. I really enjoy this
part of my job.” Lynn squeezed her hand and smiled.

“I think you might know my aunt,
Sharon Warren?”

“Yes, as of matter of fact I do.
Too bad she couldn’t make it.” Lynn checked her cell phone again.

“I know. She doesn’t like to
miss a good party. I’ll have to tell her about it.”

Lynn made eye contact with her
for a brief minute. “Yes, you will. Have fun tonight.”  She turned to Lise. “See
you in fifteen.” Lynn made it obvious that she didn’t have time to chit-chat
with her.

“Thanks, I will.” Natalie smiled
and watched as Lynn frantically ran across the room over to the stage.

Natalie looked around for Ryan,
but didn’t see him. The room quickly filled with employees all dressed up and
showing off their elaborate feathered masks. She took out her phone and decided
to text Ryan. She stopped when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

“I’m looking for a beautiful
young lady by the name of Miss Natalie Vega. Have you seen her by chance?” 

Chills ran up her spine. “That
depends.” Natalie turned around, holding her mask up to her face, trying to
downplay her excitement.

“Depends on what?”

“If you are the right guy behind
that mask.”

He reached up and slowly lifted
his gold and green mask. “Heelllooo beautiful.”

She moved her mask to the side.
“Hi. I’ve missed you.”

He took her in his arms. “I’ve
missed you too.”  He drew his lips to hers and the second their lips touched, another
wave of dizziness hit her. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed it to go away.
Within a few seconds, it subsided.

“You two need to get a room.”
Lise scolded.

Natalie quickly pulled back,
feeling a flush of heat across her face.

“Hey, don’t encourage them.” Sal
walked up and gave Lise a kiss on the cheek. “You look, amazing.” He took a
step back, taking in her full outfit.

Lise did a quick pose and held
her mask up to her face. “Thanks. So do you. Put your mask on. I want to see
what you look like.” She pointed to the mask that hung around his neck.

“Oh come on. I don’t want to put
on this stupid mask.” He rolled his eyes.