There was no sign of Lisa as Roseanne made her way through the ballroom, scanning the faces of the remaining guests. The DJ had already packed up, and the kitchen staff was removing the food items that remained. She snatched up a small sandwich before they took the last tray, then grabbed another bottle of water from Eric. Vivianne and Jackson were still dancing, even though the only music was the return of Christmas carols. Vivianne spotted her and waved her over.
"What a magical night," Vivianne said as she held onto Jackson. "I love this man."
"I should hope so. You're going to marry him very soon," she said with a smile at Jackson.
"Where's Lisa?" he asked.
"I don't know. I was actually looking for her," she said.
Vivianne pointed her finger at her. "And you say there's nothing going on."
"There's not," she said. "But I'm tired. I'm going to head up to my suite. Are you about ready to call it a night too?"
"Mother says we have to stay until all the guests leave. But I am ready for bed," she said with a wink at Jackson.
"I'm sure you are." She looked around, seeing Jackson's mother. "I think I'll say a quick goodnight to your parents, then head up. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay. Goodnight," Jackson said.
"Night, sis," Vivianne called as she walked away. "We've got a lunch date tomorrow, don't forget."
Damn. Yes, she had forgotten. Her mother wanted them to go out to lunch with her bridge club ladies.
She smiled as she approached Margie Manoban, who was chatting with another woman. "Sorry to interrupt," she said politely. "Did you have a nice evening?"
"Oh, it was fun, yes. Roseanne, this is Dora, my sister. They got here today."
"Pleased to meet you. I hope the storm didn't delay you," she said.
"Nice to meet you too. No, we live up in Casper, so we're used to driving in the snow," she said.
"Good." Roseanne turned to Margie. "I'm heading up to my room. Did Lisa sneak out earlier?"
"Not too long ago. She said she was ready to get into some comfortable clothes." She laughed. "I don't blame her. I helped her dress, and the tuxedo was a bit cumbersome."
She nodded. "Yes, I'm ready to get out of this dress and these heels too." She smiled. "Well, goodnight ladies."
"Goodnight, Roseanne."
She steered clear of her mother and headed to the door, feeling a little disappointed—and confused—that Lisa had slipped out without a word to her. Maybe Lisa had changed her mind. Maybe spending the night together was no longer appealing to her.
She frowned. Or maybe her mother said something to her. Roseanne wouldn't put it past her. Her disappointment morphed into frustration at that thought, and she pushed the button for the elevator several times. When it arrived, it was empty. She got in, riding up to her floor alone, feeling a bit lonely, which was odd for her. She was used to spending her nights alone.
Of course, that was before Lisa and before a rather intense make-out session in the supply closet. She smiled wryly as the elevator came to a quiet halt. It seemed she was frustrated in more ways than one.
She walked down the hallway to her corner suite, pausing when she spotted a familiar figure leaning casually against the wall. Lisa was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, looking more like the Lisa she'd first met. While she loved the tux on her and would even echo her father's words—she looked dashing—she thought she preferred her this way. So she walked on, meeting Lisa's tentative smile with one of her own.
