𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝟏𝟖 +

𝐓 𝐖 𝐄 𝐋 𝐕 𝐄

Eden

The night had stretched on longer than I anticipated. The ball was still in full swing, with laughter and conversation echoing around us, but my energy was beginning to wane. My feet ached from standing in Parada shoes for hours, and my nerves were frayed from constantly being on guard, trying to navigate the complex social dynamics of the event. I glanced at Brielle, who seemed to sense my fatigue. She gave me a small, understanding smile.

"You ready to call it a night?" she asked, her voice a quiet reprieve from the hum of the ballroom.

I nodded, grateful for her suggestion. "Yeah, I think so. It's getting late, and we've been here long enough."

We made our way toward the exit, weaving through the clusters of people still engaged in animated discussions. I felt a pang of guilt for wanting to leave, like I was abandoning something important. But I reminded myself that this was just one event out of many to come. There would be other opportunities to mingle and make connections.

Just as we reached the doors, a voice I recognized all too well called out to us, freezing me in place.

"Eden, Brielle."

I turned slowly, my heart leaping into my throat as I saw Lenore walking toward us, her husband not far behind. She looked every bit as poised as she had when she gave her speech, her red gown catching the light and making her seem even more radiant. I could feel my pulse quicken, a mix of excitement and dread surging through me.

"Mrs. DuBois," I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady. "I—uh, we were just about to head out."

"I noticed," she said, her lips curling into an amused smile. "But I wanted to catch you before you left. Did you enjoy the event?"

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, the sheer proximity of her throwing me off balance. Her gaze was focused on me, sharp and curious, and I felt like I was under a microscope.

"Y-yes, it was wonderful," I managed to say, hating how flustered I sounded. "It was an honor to be here."

Her smile widened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something in her eyes, something almost playful. "I'm glad to hear that. I know these events can be overwhelming, especially for someone new. But you seemed to handle yourself well."

I didn't know what to say to that. Compliments from anyone were hard to accept, but from Lenore DuBois? It was like being handed a bouquet of roses and not knowing what to do with them. "Th-thank you, Mrs. DuBois. I... I appreciate that."

"Please, call me Lenore," she said, her tone light, though her eyes remained intent. "We're not at the office."

I felt my breath catch in my throat. The way she said her own name, as if inviting me into some kind of unspoken familiarity, sent a shiver down my spine. I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. My brain was scrambling for something to say, anything to not make this moment as awkward as it was quickly becoming.

But, of course, I failed miserably.

"I—uh—well, I'm—um..."

Lenore's expression shifted to one of mild amusement, and that only made things worse. I could feel my face turning bright red, the embarrassment clawing at me as I struggled to form a coherent sentence. What was wrong with me? Why did I always turn into a blubbering idiot around her?

Thankfully, Brielle was there to save the day. She stepped in smoothly, her voice steady and casual. "We had a great time, Lenore. The event was fantastic, and the atmosphere was so inspiring. But, as you said, it can be a bit overwhelming, so we were thinking of heading out before it gets too late."

Lenore's gaze shifted to Brielle, her smile remaining in place. "Of course. It's important to know your limits. I'm glad you both enjoyed yourselves."

There was a moment of silence, during which I prayed that Brielle would find a way to extricate us from this situation before I embarrassed myself further. Thankfully, she did.

"Well, we should probably get going," Brielle said, her tone polite but firm. "Thank you for such a lovely evening, Lenore. And Charles," she added, nodding to Lenore's husband, who smiled and nodded in return.

Lenore's gaze flickered back to me one last time, and I felt that same jolt of electricity as her eyes met mine. "Have a good night, Eden. I look forward to seeing you in the office."

"Y-you too," I managed to stammer, my voice barely above a whisper. "Good night."

With that, Brielle and I turned and made our way out of the ballroom, the cool night air a welcome relief as we stepped outside. I let out a long, shaky breath, feeling like I had just escaped a dangerous situation. My heart was still racing, my thoughts still tangled in the aftermath of the encounter.

"God, Eden, you were a mess back there," Brielle teased, though her tone was more affectionate than critical. "I thought you were going to pass out or something."

"I almost did," I muttered, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I just... I can't seem to get my act together around her."

Brielle laughed, a sound that was both comforting and annoying at the same time. "Well, it's pretty obvious why. You've got it bad, girl."

I groaned, leaning my head back against the cool glass of the door. "Don't remind me. This whole situation is a disaster waiting to happen."

"It's not that bad," Brielle said, giving me a sympathetic look. "You're just in over your head. But hey, that's what I'm here for, to keep you from drowning."

I gave her a grateful smile, though I wasn't entirely sure how much she could actually help me in this particular situation. But having her around definitely made things a little less daunting.

"Thanks, Bri," I said, meaning it. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably embarrass yourself even more," she said with a wink.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Yeah, probably."

We climbed into the cab, the city lights casting a soft glow over the pavement. The night was cool and quiet, a stark contrast to the noise and bustle of the ball. It gave me a chance to clear my head, to try and make sense of everything that had happened.

But even as we drove, my thoughts kept drifting back to Lenore, to the way she had looked at me, the way she had smiled, the way her voice had wrapped around my name like a velvet ribbon. It was ridiculous, really. She was married, she was my boss, and she was completely out of my league. But none of that seemed to matter to my stupid, irrational heart.

Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about her.

And that terrified me more than anything else.

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~ R