Half Hearted

Chapter Thirty Four

| Teresa |

So there I was, cold as ever in my dress. The regret stacked up on me the instant I got out of the cab.

And then I made eye contact with Ash, who was wearing a plain white shirt.

The moment seemed to last forever, and the cab even drove away as we just stood there, gawking.

I made the first move when I dropped eye contact and entered the building. Even though it was only seven thirty, the whole area was packed. There were gorgeous women everywhere, with equally gorgeous guys.

I found myself slightly losing some confidence, but it was still up there.

A shorter guy wearing a bowtie came around to offer me appetizers, but I politely declined. The mini foods didn't look so great, and I wasn't a big fan of vegetables as snacks. Besides, I was here to greet Peter and Maudie, and then grab some drinks for myself.

"Teresa!" Maudie's voice greeted me just in time. "You made it!"

I smiled, "I had no other plans for Halloween."

"Well, we're just glad you're here," Peter added, coming by and wrapping his arm around Maudie. "By the way, have you seen Ash around?"

"Yeah he's just outside," I informed, remembering the encounter.

"That boy," Maudie hushed, shaking her head. "I should go get him. Jen just told me she was going to leave."

"Jen?"

"Mauds is trying to set him up with blind dates, but none of them just seem to perk his interest," Peter sighed, informing me as she left to head to the doors. "Anyways, what's good with you? How are things going with Rob?"

I shrugged, "I've been busy on my feet every day. I mean, I guess it's nothing to complain about, and Grant's just a good person overall to be around."

He nodded in agreement, "yeah that kid's going places. Well, I'll be out there with Mauds and Ash, enjoy."

"Of course, and the same goes for you as well."

He jogged off to join with the two of them outside, while I headed to the bartender. I was still shaking off the giddy feeling when I heard that Ash hadn't been interested in any of the girls Maudie set him up with. Somehow that brightened up my day.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asked, wiping down the metal shaker.

I tried deciding on a good drink to slightly loosen me up. "I'll take a cosmopolitan please."

"Sure thing." He whisked up my drink in a minute or so, and I looked around as I waited.

Even though it was Halloween night, no one was dressed up. All the women were in long dresses, and a purse in hand. It was the same for me, except I didn't have any idea as to what the current trends in fashion were.

When my drink was ready, I thanked him, took a sip, and then cautiously started walking around to explore.

It wasn't really a motive of mine to meet new people, since I was extremely satisfied with my close group of friends, but they all looked so interesting. All of them looked like stories with an interesting event of plot twists.

Almost tripping on my own feet, I caught hold of the wall and balanced myself. A woman came by and asked if I was alright.

"Yeah, just getting used to the added height," I chuckled, adjusting my feet so that it wouldn't fall from my heel.

"It takes a while to get used to," she assured me, slowly bringing up her feet so I could see. "In all my fourty years I still prefer the casual ballet flats."

Her statement shocked me. She was fourty? "How do you do it?" I asked, amazed at her wrinkle-less face.

"Pardon?"

"How do you manage to live fourty years and still look like you're in your twenties?"

She blushed, although the colour was faint since she had applied make up on her as well. "It's all in a good diet. And botox. Botox is my best friend nowadays," she laughed, giving me a friendly pat on the back.

It was then that I noticed she was wearing only one white glove on her hand. Was she partly dressing up as Michael Jackson for the night? She noticed the look on my face, and then nodded her head in understanding. "You're wondering why the glove?"

I nodded, trying not to look judgemental. She slowly pulled off the glove, and my eyes grew. There was a trail of scarring on her hand, extending all the way past her wrist. I leaned in close, trying to get a better look. "Second degree burns," she explained, also staring at her hand.

I marvelled at the way she held herself, poised but somewhat vulnerable and reserved in her own way. "Does this affect you in any way?"

She shook her head, wearing the glove again. "Not really; we find ways to go around it. Sometimes we shoot in poses only with my left hand, and sometimes we just cut hands from the picture."

Then she noticed my look of amazement, and gave a warm smile. "You're not in the fashion business, are you?"

"No," I admitted sheepishly, "I was just invited by a friend."

"Well, I'm glad. Everyone around here just avoids staring at it, they want to ignore it as much as possible. I don't even understand the big deal, many people have had it worse than me."

Again we shared a friendly smile, and her ears suddenly perked up. "Well, I better be off, my husband's calling me. It was nice meeting you..."

"Teresa," I politely finished her sentence off for her. We then shook hands, and she went through her purse and handed me a small white card.

"If you ever find yourself in need of a job, don't hesitate to give me a call. It was a pleasure meeting you."

She walked away, and I stared at the card. All that was written on it was:

'Anna Dolores, 416 789 4312'

Refreshed, I tucked the card into my purse and continued walking around, drinking my cosmopolitan.

| Ash |

"It's not a big deal," he sighed, running a hand through his perfectly gelled hair. "It was just one girl, Maudie. One."

"Yeah, one out of the thirteen girls you blew off in a matter of eight days!" She scolded. Peter couldn't help but release a chuckle. "One of these days, you'll have to be with someone whether you like it or not!"

Peter laid down his hands on her shoulders in an effort to cool her down. "Come on, Mauds, don't let this ruin our last night."

The woman gave Ash one last vicious stare before nodding and heading back inside the building. Peter looked back to give him a wink, and all Ash could do was give a simple nod.

It was their last night in Canada, and they'd have to return to England the next day in the afternoon.

Although Ash was relieved, he felt sad about the sudden depart. He didn't have a chance to tie some loose strings. Shaking his head, he tried disagreeing with himself. He missed his life back home, and his casual friends.

After having had enough of the outdoor temperatures, he stepped inside and looked around. Teresa seemed nowhere to be found, and he wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, he got himself a non-alcoholic drink from the bartender.

He finished three glasses of champagne - which had such a minimal amount of alcohol that he didn't even consider it alcoholic anymore - and was heading to the washroom when he heard muffled screeching. Curious, he turned the corner and headed the opposite hallway to the mens washroom.

As he got closer to the source of the sounds, he felt instinctively ill. Something sounded familiar.

And then he pushed the storage door open.

{ Author's Note

I'VE BEEN SO CLICHE

So much for being a realistic novel..........

Cara isn't even vegetarian in this, I'm so sorry

~ QB }