Adrian's POV
When I first heard of the masked ball, I thought it came at the nick of time.
I had just broken up with my girlfriend. It's not like I didn't see it coming, but no one is exactly fully ready for that first lonely night, or morning after a break up.
It feels so strange, so painful. I took the invitation out of Damon's hands in a heartbeat.
I almost asked why he was throwing the ball in some other city, which was miles away from home, but I knew the answer. Asides for Mount Leigh being one city that housed too many of our escapades, it was just the right distance that Damon wanted to be from home.
I really couldn't care less about how things were with him and Zyna. Sometimes, she shows up with a black eye, other times, it's with multiple hickeys on her neck. So I thought better than to ask.
"This party is a drag, man." I whispered to Damon. He was masked, in a checkered blue and white suit, but I could still tell him apart in the crowd.
"I don't think so. The real party is yet to start." He smiled, pulling his beards.
"What do you mean?" I asked him.
"By twelve, it's masks off." He smiled.
I looked at the wall clock overhead. The organisers thought to make the wall clock with its inbuilt light, maybe because they expected a lot of dimly lit parties.
"It's ten minutes to go then." I sighed and tapped his back. "I'll be at the bar." I said.
"I'll be right here." He smirked.
I took slow deliberate steps to the bar. There was nothing to rush for.
The mask on my face was beginning to make me feel silly, I wasn't one to hide behind stuff like that.
Since there were just ten minutes left, it couldn't be such a crime if I took my mask off.
"I'll get a Martini." I said to the young guy who Damon flew in from Crestview, I could still recognise him from the little scar on the side of his lip.
"Right after this, sir." He replied, and poured the lady to my left, some wine.
"Thank you." She said,
Her face was turned away from me. It's totally understandable if she's tired of guys walking up to her, I'd understand,
The dress was a pretty low back gown that seemed to catch my fancy.
"Hello." I said, for what it was worth.
"She's not interested." The other slimmer, smaller looking girl to her left replied.
"I think that's for her to say." I nipped that one in the bud. "Hello angel, I'm Adrian." I introduced myself.
I can't remember which came first, whether it was the shattering of her glass, or how her head whipped towards me.
"Why are you here?" She asked me. The waiter had returned with my drink.
"Do I know you?" I asked after a little gulp.
"Matter of fact, no." She said, and stood up from her seat. "I don't think we should be here, Freda." She addressed the girl on her other side.
"I think I know who you are." I said, and grabbed her hand.
"First, a man kisses me without my permission, then the next grips me. Wow!" She was smart, witty, she had to be the one.
"Emily?" I asked, trying to look past the mask.
"I'm dead to you and your douchebag of a friend." She wrestled me, trying to get herself free, if only she knew I had the devil's grip.
Unyielding, I lowered my grip to her ankle. "Let's talk outside all this noise, love." I smiled at her.
"I'll be back, Freda. Don't wait on me. Enjoy yourself." She said to the other lady who I didn't like, as I escorted her out.
My masks were off, the bouncer recognised me, and didn't harass us on our way out. He gave me a sleazy wink with his muscular eyes instead, it looked like he put too much effort into it.
"Where have you been?" I asked as soon as we were out of earshot.
She stared at me for a full minute, and took her hand out of mine "I gave you all that time to realise how ridiculous your question is, and you still don't?" She asked, crossing her hands.
"No, I don't." I replied. "Tell me. I want to hear you speak."
"Why do you want to make me relive it? I don't want to go around, opening my scars, physical and emotional wounds. Please don't make me." She begged, her voice was cracking.
She finally took off her mask. I hadn't seen a woman that beautiful in ages, literally.
I pinched myself, reminding myself that she belonged to Damon, not me.
"That's okay." I said, even though I didn't mean it, but I didn't want her getting emotional in the wrong way. "What are you up to now? There's a bench over there." I pointed to a bench away from the lights.
"I'd rather be here." She objected. I could not blame her.
"Fine by me." I replied.
"I went to college." She replied, looking down and biting her inner cheeks. "Got a BSc and a Masters. Now I run my own Brand Consultancy and growth firm." She sounded quite proud of that part.
"For what it's worth, I'm really proud of you. And I hate how things ended. Damon…"
"I don't want to hear his name." She cut in.
"I'm sorry." I apologized. "I could never forgive him for the way he treated you. And if it's anything, his business is crumbling slowly without you. Since you left, he's lost the support of quite a number of his pack. He talks about it all day. It's given him anxiety disorders and eating disorders." I said. "I'm sorry, I don't know if you'd want to hear that."
"It's fine." She sniffed. Her head was bent as she stared at her toes.
"Emily, I don't want to lose contact." I finally hit the nail on the head, in absence of anything else to say. "Can I have your new number? Your business card? Your address, anything." I begged.
"For him? I'm sorry, no." She said, firmly.
"No, no no." I quickly cut in. "For me. Just me. We never got a chance to get to know each other better." I said.
"I don't see how that is necessary now." She replied.
"You don't have to." I answered. "Just please." I begged, and gave my phone to her.
Reluctantly, she punched in her digits.
I couldn't hide the smile erupting on my face. And I'm glad I didn't, cause it made her blush.
"I won't forget to be a pest," I joked. Emily smiled. "For old times sake?" I stretched out my arms for a hug.
"Yeah!" She replied enthusiastically and crashed into me. Euphoria!
We walked in together, and I was at my happiest. The best I've felt in a while. The only little thing that tugged at my heart is that if she was invited to the ball, Damon did it. He knows her address! Bummer.