Love You to Death (24 page)

“Yes, that’s her,” Aurora smiled proudly.

“She looks so grown up,” the lady said, with
her big fake toothy grin. “My Stephanie will be getting some stiff
competition tonight.”

She looked Maggie up and down then turned her
cool gaze on me. “And who is this divine creature?” she cooed
slyly.

“Arden,” I answered quickly.

I don’t know why I did it. I guess I cared
what the Shepherd’s and the Ross’s thought, and I didn’t want to
embarrass them. Cherry wasn’t a very sophisticated name. I glanced
at Maggie who scrunched her face at me, clearly wishing I had
shocked the condescending blonde. Aurora smiled just as proudly as
she had for Maggie, which made me glad I hadn’t been snarky. Sissy
though, well she was her old self. She raised a wrinkled brow and
said, “It’s about time.”

“Well, Arden, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
She flashed her fake smile at me.

I doubted she meant that. In the next breath
she offered me even more reason to dislike her.

“My Stephanie has been chompin’ at the bit to
see that handsome Gideon of yours, Corrine,” she said to Sissy.

Corrine?

“I’ll bet,” Sissy replied offhandedly.

The frosty blonde stiffened her shoulders,
but kept her smile in place.

“Well, we need to be going.” She turned to
her smaller chubbier companion. “Come along, Adele. See ya’ll
tonight.” She absently wiggled her fingers in a prissy wave as they
left.

“That woman needs to take the pole outta her
butt,” Sissy grouched.

“You think she’s bad, you should talk to
Stephanie,” Maggie cringed.

“I remember her. Two peas in pod, they are,”
Sissy griped. “C’mon, let’s get dressed up.” She marched to the
front desk, and we fell in behind her.

It’s hard to believe in this day and age that
someone in the free world never experienced a salon before, but I
was that one. My mom always cut my hair, which was mostly just a
trim every now and again. But as the stylist washed and dried and
coiffed and spritzed and sprayed, I fell in love with the whole
process.

When I was finished, she spun the chair
around so I could see the final result. I was amazed. All my hair
was artfully curled and gathered in a heap on top of my head. The
girl had placed crystal headed pins here and there and when I
turned my head they twinkled.

“You look gorgeous, sugar.” Aurora came up
from behind the stylist. Her red hair was twisted in an elegant
chignon.

“Thanks,” I whispered shyly.

“Time for the nails,” Maggie announced. I
noticed she’d changed her mind. Her hair was a golden wavy mantle
around her shoulders.

* * * *

Butterflies danced in my stomach. I watched
Maggie through the mirror as she did my makeup. I warned her to use
a light hand and she did, except for my eyes. “They need to be
accentuated, hot and smoky,” she insisted.

At exactly 7:00 there was a knock on the
door.

“Stud service,” Cort called from the other
side.

“I got it,” Maggie said, sashaying to the
door.

Cort whistled loudly when he saw Maggie.

“You look very nice, Maggie,” I heard Gideon
remark.

And then he was in the room, just a few feet
from me. He looked so handsome in his tux. The stark black and
white contrasted nicely to his warm coloring.

“Whoee,” Cort hooted. “We got us some fine
looking women tonight, Gideon.”

“That we do, brother. That we do,” Gideon
said, staring at me. I grew uncomfortable after a minute. Why
didn’t he say anything? Was he waiting for me to compliment him
first?

“You look very handsome,” I told him, then
quickly realized we were being watched. I looked at Cort and
Maggie. They were wearing matching grins. “You both do,” I
amended.

“Well, now, I think we need to scoot. This
shindig started a half hour ago.” Cort offered his arm to
Maggie.

I started for the door, but Gideon stopped me
to offer his arm. I hesitated for a split second before wrapping my
fingers around his forearm. Just for tonight I was going to pretend
he was mine. Tonight I was going to be me—the me I always wanted to
be.

We followed Cort and Maggie to the elevator.
The soft swish of fabric was the only sound as we walked down the
corridor. A muscle flexed in Gideon’s arm. I cocked my head to look
at him. He was staring at me, his lips curled up in a generous
smile.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered into the
hushed hall.

“Thanks,” I whispered back, warmth oozing
through me. I bowed my head, happy and excited and a little
nervous.

“Hey, Cherry.” Cort pushed the button before
turning around with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “In case you
were wonderin’, Stewie left with Maw-Maw, JD, and Aurora. He was
hungry.”

“Oh. Good. Uh, thanks for telling me.” I’d
forgotten about Stewie! Lately he was joined at the hip to JD and
Aurora. They’d pretty much adopted him, even made a room for him in
their house.

“It’s Arden,” Maggie said.

“Huh? Who is?” Cort looked about the
hallway.

“She is.” Maggie pointed to me. “Her name is
Arden.”

“Oh.” Cort looked confused.

“My real name is Arden,” I said sheepishly,
looking at my feet.

Gideon lifted my chin with the knuckle of his
forefinger. His eyes were the color of warm bourbon, drawing me in
and making me forget where I was.

“I like it,” he said.

“Ahem.” Cort cleared his throat. “Shall we?”
He gestured to the open elevator door. Maggie giggled.

I had a flashback of Cass. “
Your chariot
awaits...”
I squashed it down, fast and hard.

People watched us as we exited the elevator
and moved through the lobby. An elderly couple waved to us. I waved
back. I felt like a princess in a fairy tale, clinging to the arm
of my prince as he led me to the ball.

There must’ve been at least three hundred
people in the room. All decked out in tuxedos and gowns. Sissy and
the others were seated a table beside the small stage near the
podium. Sissy was cutting Stewie’s meat.

“Look at our beautiful babies.” Aurora
greeted us. JD patted her arm, grinning like a proud papa bear.

“You look so pretty, Aurora,” I told her. Her
shimmering green gown complimented her complexion, enhancing her
glossy red hair.

“I’m sure I don’t hold a candle to you young
women, but thank you all the same, sugar.”

“Don’t listen to her.” JD leaned over to kiss
his wife’s cheek. “She’s as gorgeous as the day I married her.”
Aurora blushed, swatting playfully at her husband.

Gideon pulled a chair out from the table for
me before seating himself. A waiter came, placing a plate of food
in front of us. I was almost too excited to eat. But I never passed
up a meal. I chewed slowly, surveying the room.

A group of girls, about my age, were huddled
together by the bar. Sipping champagne or ginger ale, I couldn’t
tell. One girl in particular caught my eye. She was a platinum
blonde, bottle job I was guessing. Her eyes were pinned on Gideon
in a possessive way I really didn’t like.

Another girl whispered in her ear, making the
blonde dart her eyes to me. She sneered at me, twisting her bright
red lips into an ugly snarl. I quickly turned back to my food.

“How’s your chicken?” Gideon asked, forking a
piece of beef.

“Good. How’s your steak?”

“Good,” he mimicked me. “Wanna bite?”

“Sure.” I shrugged. “Want some chicken?”

“That’s why I offered some beef. That chicken
looks good. What’s inside of it?” He leaned over to study my
plate.

“Crab,” I said, cutting off a big chunk for
him.

“That’s really good,” he said around the bite
in his mouth.

“Ditto on the steak,” I said, chewing.

Sissy excused herself to go to the podium. I
watched her climb the stairs in her ivory silk gown, fascinated by
her. What was she going to say? I imagined all sorts of outrageous
things she might spout. But with Sissy you never knew. She was one
coin with two very different sides.

She tapped the mic, and the crowd quieted.
She was shockingly eloquent and well versed. I just about choked on
an asparagus spear when she thanked everyone for their kind
donations, making it possible to reach their goal of eight hundred
thousand dollars. She then went on to congratulate certain people
and organizations and handed out awards. One man was awarded for
his sacrifice to help save abused horses. He was a mountain of a
man who wept as he spoke of his rescued horses. His acceptance
speech seemed to take forever, but everyone applauded him in the
end, most likely because they were glad he was finished.

An hour later, Sissy returned to the table. I
heard her mumbling about sagging pantyhose. I chuckled. That’s the
Sissy I knew and loved.

The band started up, kicking off the party
portion of the night.

“That’s my cue to leave,” Sissy said. Stewie
looked bored to tears. His baby face pressed into his hands, elbows
resting on the table. “C’mon, boy, let’s go see what’s on the boob
tube.” She tugged on his arm. Stewie looked relieved.

“I don’t have the card to get in my room.” He
fidgeted.

“You can stay in mine. I got two beds,” Sissy
said, standing up.

Stewie clapped his hands.

“G’night all,” Sissy called over her
shoulder.

“Goodnight,” we chorused. I smiled at Stewie,
and he waved back.

“Well, my love...” JD pushed his chair back
and stood. “How about a go around the dance floor?”

“Absolutely.” Aurora took his hand.

“Speaking of...” Cort took Maggie by the
hand. “Let’s boogie, baby.”

Gideon and I were alone at the table. I
expected him to ask me to dance. He didn’t. We sat there, watching
Cort have seizures on the dance floor. Maggie was a good dancer
though. She was in the midst of hysterics as she took Cort by the
arm and showed him a few tamer steps.

“They’re quite a pair, aren’t they?” I
said.

Gideon shook his head. “I still can’t believe
they’re a couple. I never saw it comin’.”

“It’s easy to miss what is right in front of
you. The familiar, ya know? You get used to the people and things
around you.”

“Some things,” he said, fixing his eyes on
me.

The heat of a blush washed over my face.

He leaned forward to say, “That’s such a
lovely color.”

The band switched gears and slowed the
dancing with a romantic love song. Gideon smiled, almost in relief
I thought. He opened his mouth, getting ready to ask me to dance, I
was sure of it. My insides quivered.

“Hello, Gideon.”

We both turned to see who it was. The
platinum blonde. Inwardly, I groaned.

“Hello,” Gideon answered politely. I noticed
he didn’t make a move to shake her hand or stand. This breech in
his manners raised a red flag for me. Who was this girl? And what
did she mean to him?

“Aren’t you going to ask me to dance?” she
asked.

“It wouldn’t be polite to leave Arden all
alone,” Gideon replied. I loved the way he said my name. I was
losing focus again.
Come on girl, pay attention, there’s a
vulture in the room and she’s after your man.

“I doubt a nice girl like her will be alone
for long.” The girl smiled. She never even looked my way.

“I don’t think so.”

“Hey, Gideon,” a familiar voice said.

I was very surprised to see Jesse Martin
walking toward us in a lazy, sexy sort of way. He reminded me of a
panther stalking its prey. “Well, well. Look who’s here,” he said,
raking me over with his eyes. I felt half-naked by the time he
brought his eyes back to my face.

I scowled at him.

“I came to see who ya’ll were hidin’ over
here. Now I see it’s my good friend all dressed up Cinderella
style.” He laughed. “How about dancin’ with me, beautiful?”

I was about to tell him where to go when
blondie chirped up.

“Perfect. C’mon Gideon, lead me around.” She
grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. Before I knew what was
happening, Jesse had me on my feet and in his arms.

He was an excellent dancer, but he held me
too close and way too tight. I pinched him hard on the underside of
his arm. He loosened his hold on me.

“I never expected to see you here,” he said.
“It’s a nice surprise.”

I shrugged, looking over his shoulder at
Gideon and the blonde. She was chatting away, roaming all over his
chest with her fingers. I wanted to stomp over there and break
every finger.

“That’s Stephanie,” Jesse chuckled. “She and
Gideon used to be pretty hot and heavy.”

I jerked my gaze to Jesse, who was wearing a
satisfied grin. This must be the girl whose mother was all botoxed
up at the salon. I figured she’d look just as fake as her mom in
about ten years.

“Yep, she gave him the boot, though,” he
continued. “Poor Gideon. He doesn’t look too heartbroken now
though.”

I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to ignore
Jesse and his stupid walk down memory lane, but I didn’t have the
strength. I looked over at them again. Stupid Stephanie was
plastered to him like a wet blanket. And while Gideon wasn’t
fighting her off, I was pleasantly surprised to see why. He was too
busy shooting poison darts at Jesse.

An idea began to swirl in my head. I brought
my arm up to rest my hand on Jesse’s shoulder, brushing the tips of
my fingers through the ends of his hair. Covertly, I glanced at
Gideon from the corner of my eye. His eyes were narrowed on my
hand. I smothered a satisfied giggle.

Jesse, however, was reading too much into the
gesture. He pulled me close, his mouth zooming in for a kiss. I
turned my head to avoid his lips as they connected with my cheek. I
was just about to give Jesse what for when I noticed Gideon leaving
the room, heading toward the open doors of the balcony with helium
head in tow.