Jingle Bells Ball

JBB: 04

After breaking Mr James Underwood's mother's nose, I was left by myself in the corridor. Now, this is more my style. Being alone, able to go where I please, do what I want, when I like it.

So, I began to do some exploring.

I strolled down the seemingly endless corridors, the walls decorated with intricate tapestries and ornate paintings. The dimly lit hallway was hazy with the scent of aged oak and polished brass, making it feel like I had stepped into an entirely different era. Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, a grin spread across my face. I was on the hunt for the ultimate prize - the perfect objects to steal. However, my excitement was quickly shattered when a group of people emerged from around the corner, their footsteps echoing against the walls. As they drew closer, I knew I was in deep trouble.

"G'day, ma'am," a man oddly greeted me. "Are you headed to the ballroom?"

Don't talk to him, Megan. He'll know for sure you're an imposter.

I simply nodded.

"Ah, well, you seem to be going the wrong way. Follow us."

Darn it! Plan ruined. Actually, his watch looks rather expensive. "Thank you." I smiled, eyeballing his wrist.

I was led by the group through the same corridor that I had just passed, and we continued straight past the room where the clothes were kept. At the end of the corridor, we made a turn and walked through an archway, and that's when I saw it: a spacious room filled with chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. The floor was covered with a vibrant red carpet that perfectly matched the colour of my dress. As we walked across the room, I couldn't help but notice two men standing on either side of a massive wooden door that opened in the middle. Two doors combined into one, and I had never seen such a unique door before.

Can I steal a door?

Probably not. I doubt I'd be able to-why, hello there. My eyes landed on a small lamp that seemed to be made out of crystals. You, well, you, I can steal. I'll come back to you later.

With a smile still across my face, the doors before me swung open and strangely enough, the men nodded as we entered.

They nodded at me!

The world's gone mad.

"Oh my..." I couldn't help but fucking gasp at the scene in front of me.

So this is the ballroom.

People were already here.

Lots of rich people waiting for me to steal their goods.

As I entered the ballroom, I was immediately struck by the grandeur of the space. The marble floors shimmer under the warm glow of the chandeliers that hang from the tall ceiling. The ceiling itself is supported by majestic pillars that stretch from the floor to the roof. Large windows on the walls are covered with rich, red curtains that pool elegantly on the floor. Natural light streams in, casting a warm glow on the room.

Never in my life had I ever seen such a disgusting sight until I noticed that multiple tables had been set up around a dance floor, each table neatly lined with free food. The dishes are carefully prepared and arranged, waiting for me to try them.

As I make my way through the ballroom towards the food, I can't help but notice the festive Christmas decorations that have been scattered throughout the room.

Disgusting.

Fucking disgusting, I hate it all.

As I approached the food tables, my eyes scanned across the vast collection of mouth-watering desserts laid out before me. After a moment's consideration, I reached over and picked up a small cake that caught my attention. The cake was decorated with a layer of white icing on the top, with a rich base that appeared to be either fudge or chocolate - I couldn't quite tell. The cake looked absolutely delicious, and my mouth began to water as I took a bite.

It felt as if I had an explosion of flavours in my mouth. Oh, my fucking goodness! I'd never tasted anything like this before.

"Mr Underwood certainly knows how to host a ball," a lady commented next to me; I nodded in agreement. "All this just for an announcement."

Chewing the piece of cake in my mouth, I looked at her and then swallowed. "What announcement?" I asked, taking another bite.

"I heard on the grapevine he finally found a beautiful young lady to settle down with! Isn't it just fabulous!"

"Say what now?" I tried to swallow the cake in my mouth, only for it to get stuck.

Well, fuck me.

The noise that rumbled from my throat caused several people to glance at me wide-eyed.

"Oh dear! Here, allow me," the lady beside me began hitting my back in an attempt to unlodge the cake.

To my surprise, it worked; finally, the food unlodged as I managed to swallow it. "Thank you," I told the lady who grinned. With my hand on my chest, I sighed. "Probably shouldn't have fucking put so much in my mouth, aye?"

The lady seemed displeased by my choice of words; one of her eyebrows raised. "Yes, that would certainly help." And with that, she disappeared into the crowd.

Not that I cared.

This food will not eat itself.

"Milady?" Someone tapped my shoulder. "Would you care for a dance?"

With a half-eaten cake in my hand, I spun around to come face to face with a short blond-haired fella. "With you?"

No shit, Megan, who else?

"I beg your pardon, Milady, but yes, I would love to grace myself with your presence and dance."

I opened my mouth to protest, but that was until I noticed a shiny ring on his small finger. "Why thank you, let's dance!"

I had a reason to dance with him. That reason is the expensive-looking ring.

"My name is Bruce," he said, offering me his hand. I took it and squeezed it. "Oh my, I do enjoy a woman with a good grip."

A smile spread across my face.

I probably haven't smiled this much in my entire miserable life.

Bruce led me to the centre of the dance floor with one arm wrapped securely around my waist. The soft melody of the music playing in the background set the perfect mood for stealing his ring. As the rhythm began to pick up, Bruce twirled me around a few times, and I could feel the excitement building up inside me. Anytime now, I'd snatch that damn ring without him noticing. However, my lack of dancing skills resulted in me accidentally stepping on his polished black boots, causing him to wince in pain. Bruce smiled at me reassuringly and continued leading me in the dance, his other hand firmly holding mine.

Once the music had finished, Bruce released my hand without knowing during the dance I had slipped his ring off. "Thank you, Milady, that was interesting." And just like that, he limped away.

With the ring in my hand, I carefully wedged it in the top of my dress, hiding it inside of my bra. People were engaged in conversation or dancing to notice.

I smiled again when another young man asked to dance.

Dance after dance, I finally decided to take a break. Not because I was tired, oh no, it was due to how heavy my bra was getting.

As I made my way towards the food tables, someone rang a bell, causing the music and everyone to fall silent. I stopped when I was at my destination. Once there, I began stuffing my mouth with those delicious cakes again.

"Can I get everyone's attention, please? Mr James Underwood is here to make an announcement." I heard someone say, although I wasn't paying attention. "Before then, I require a young lady by the name of Megan to come forward."

"That's my name," I blurted out, causing people to turn and stare as I took a bite of a cake. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Megan, where is Megan?" The announcer asked.

The crowd suddenly split before me, which I found weird.

"Ah, there she is! Megan, please come forward."

Um....What?