Feelings

Desire

"Gosh, you look stunning!" Luke's mouth hung open as she answered the door. Sophie smiled and dragged him in off the doorstep.

"I'll try not to be insulted that you're surprised!" She laughed, grabbing her coat. "I do know how to dress like a lady sometimes!"

Tom had been equally impressed - probably more, given he knew what was under the dress, too! She'd given him the promised fashion show, including the silk underwear she'd been saving for 'a special occasion'.

"But I'm not there!" He whined, his bottom lip dancing between being bitten to keep him in check and pouting at the fact he HAD to keep himself in check.

"Don't you worry darling, when you come back, you'll get the fully interactive version!" She winked as she did a little sashay back and forth, her hands skimming the velvet suggestively.  Her only answer? A low growl.

Now, as she got ready to leave, Luke was staring at her again.  "What?" She smiled,

"Nothing, just savouring the one and only moment I'll ever get over that ridiculously lucky man.  I get to take you out looking like that." He winked,"and oh boy, am I going to get mileage out of this one!"

"Luke Windsor! You naughty little sausage!" She swatted him on the shoulder, and they walked back outside. It was a chilly evening, and she was glad of her coat. The dress had a low neck and no sleeves, so despite its full length, she felt the cool air on her skin.

"You ok?" Luke asked, concerned.

"Yeah, absolutely fine. Just chilly." She knew that was the reason for her shiver. Wasn't it? Something deep in the back of her mind began to stir.

An hour later, she had no time to shiver through cold or anything else. The dinner was packed. Celebrities, sponsors, ordinary punters who'd paid a fortune for a three course meal that started with "how would you like to make your donation" and ended with "ahhh would you like to leave your credit card on the way out?"

She was sitting at the same table as Art, in between an up and coming west end singer who thought jazz-hands applied to absolutely anything and an elderly gent who could bore the legs off a table Luke was two seats away, chatting easily to a young woman with a bright smile and an even brighter future.

Art looked across and smiled. He'd done nothing but look at her all night. Yes, he thought to himself, she was definitely the right choice. His diary -and life- had never run so smoothly.  Not only that, but she was hot. Hot as hell. And tonight? In that dress? His suit trousers suddenly felt uncomfortably tight. 

His attention was distracted by a middle-aged woman to his left who was asking about his latest production .  She was overweight, overmade up, and slightly over eager. But she was loaded.  He smiled and delved into her conversation.

As the evening progressed, Sophie and Luke excused themselves and went to the bar.

"How are you doing?" He asked as he passed her a flute of champagne. She grimaced.

"Oh god, Luke, if I have to hear one more set of song lyrics shoehorned into a conversation, I think I'll slit my throat with the butter knife." She giggled as she downed the flute in one. Luke stared at her, then burst out laughing.

"You're quite something, you know." He laid a hand on her arm softly." Tom's a lucky man." Something in his face made her stop and look at him.

"Thank you. Coming from you, that means a lot.  I know how... protective you are about him." She smiled and laid a hand on his where it rested on her. "I'm the lucky one.  I have both of you." She kissed his cheek, and he blushed.

"Now," she turned to the barman "two scotch on the rocks, please - make them that gorgeous 15-year-old Macallan. " she turned to Luke."He may be a pain in the arse, but Art does do a nice little line in bar bills." She winked, and Luke burst out laughing.

"Oh Sophie, what ARE we going to do with you!"

They watched from the sidelines as the great and good and rich paid far too much for far too little, all in the name of charity. All of it going to the good causes they were there to support.  Slowly and steadily, they got a little more and more tipsy.  Not nearly enough to be unprofessional, but just enough to relax after a long and tiring week.

After the auction, the dancefloor was cleared, and a coverband started to play a fairly decent mix. Luke and Sophie danced for a while until her 4-inch heels caught up with her.

"Im going to sit down!" She said into his ear as he leaned over.  He made to follow her but was caught by the bright young woman from earlier.

He smiled at her, then made a 'help me'face over the top of her head as Sophie walked away. Sophie just laughed and shook her head as Luke was grabbed into a grip with her.

Plonking herself down, she could feel her feet throbbing. She knew better than to take the shoes off - if she did, there was not a snowball's chance in hell she'd get them back on.  Instead, she raised them onto a seat opposite her.  The relief was instant, and she relaxed back, content, and a little drunk.  Her eyes slipped closed. In her befuddled brain, Tom was there, and he was sitting telling her how beautiful she was. How much he desired her. Wanted her. His hand massaged her ankle, feather light.

It was only when she realised she really felt a touch on her ankle that she sat up with a jolt. Art was sitting next to her feet, a hand on her ankles.

"Art! Sorry, long day, I err I should just..."

"Whoa there, it's ok.  You're tired, I get it. Don't rush away. " he began to stroke her calf, and she stared at him, transfixed.  What the fuck?! She knew she shouldn't - couldn't - make a scene.  She tried to move her legs, but he held them fast. "I can make you feel better. A beautiful woman like you deserves to feel good all the time." His smile was cold and lecherous. Where the fuck was Luke?

"I'm, I'm fine, thanks, I just..." she wriggled free of his grip, smiling fixedly the whole time.  She'd just got her feet back on the floor when someone, some random from one of the theatres, came up and spoke to the pair of them.  She wanted to scream at them what he'd just done, but she knew it would be juat dismissed as attention grabbing.

Eventually, they wandered off, and she was able to stand up. Luke was still nowhere in sight.

"Please do excuse me." She said casually, trying not to antagonise him.

He smiled. "powdering your nose, dear?" The way he said it made her want to be sick.

"Something like that..." she murmured as she made her escape.  She decided she needed to sober up a little, so she went to the bathroom after all. That was her first mistake.

Her second was not locking the main door after herself.  Not she would have normally, but tonight? After too much champagne, she was vulnerable .  Very vulnerable.

She'd just locked the stall door and sat down when she heard the bathroom door open.  Someone, she could only hear footsteps, came in, paused, and locked the door behind them. She was suddenly VERY sober.

There was a pause, an intake of breath, and a slight cough. "I know you're there.  You might as well come out, I know you're there."

Art.

Slowly, she stood, flushed, and unlocked the door.  He would only have battered the door down.

"There you are, you sexy little minx." He cooed. "Now, we can do this the easy way or your way." He smiled. "I know you want me. I've seen you flirt up a storm with me tonight. You want me every bit as much as I want you. I saw you looking at me with jealousy when I danced with that old hag. I understandYou just dont want to seem u grateful to Tom. "

"Art, please no. I like you, I do..." she tried to placate him with honeyed words. "You're rich and powerful and good looking," she paused, swallowing the bile rising in her throat.  "You're certainly nothing like Tom." You can say that again, her mind raced away. "But I dont see you like that.  I'm so sorry."
She sidled towards the door, and he smiled, seemingly defeated.

She went to unlock the door, thinking she was almost safe, but he beat her to it.

Covering her tiny hand in his massive one, he tutted and said softly in her ear, "Oh, Sophie.  If only you'd decided on the easy way."