Consequences

Part 33

"I thought it was some mistake." The blonde told him as they circled the room. She tried to press closer. Doug recognized a trap when he saw one. He found the woman both annoying and cloying. But in the interests of maintaining his newly acquired social graces, he pinned a smile to his lips and banked his annoyance.

"Mistake?" He did his best to keep some distance between them, but she really wasn't cooperating. Since he'd arrived with Isabelle half an hour ago, he'd been the focus of attention. Though he had expected some attention, the fact that people had openly watched their arrival and had coyly studied them, was more than he had expected.

Isabelle introduced him around, and he had followed her lead. He had also found some previously unearthed social grace that allowed him to fend off the subtle prying while ensuring that Isabelle's reputation remained intact. It was clear that most of her acquaintances could not understand what she was doing with a man of his ilk. He did not come from their world. And he wasn't handsome. So what on earth did Isabelle see in him? That's what he assumed they were asking, albeit silently. Doug wasn't used to being the 'plus-one' and yet, here, tonight, that was exactly what he was.

He'd also assumed he'd be pinned to Isabelle's side, for the duration of the evening. They were after all newly engaged and all that. But she did not appear to know the rules. He'd have preferred to be dancing with Isabelle, but the blonde bombshell had commandeered him smoothly, before he'd had a chance to deflect her request he'd found himself on the dance floor.

"Yes, darling Isabelle getting engaged." The blonde cooed, "Everyone is surprised." Well she was at any rate. She'd imagined Isabelle to be shelf material. She rarely dated. In fact most times she was at these events as an organizer, rather than a socialiser. Yet here Isabelle was, and with an interesting, sexy man.

"Oh." Doug was tempted to steer the woman back to the group they had recently left.

"And we understand why she kept you a secret. Too much competition." The blonde sounded as if she meant that as a compliment.

Doug nearly ground his teeth in disgust. What was wrong with these people? Where was their integrity? He was grateful when the band stopped. "Thank you." He moved to step away, she didn't let go. With a smile he said, " Shall we rejoin them." He did not mean it to be a question and made sure his dance companion knew that from the steel that appeared in his eyes. Not that the blond was particularly off put by that show of annoyance.

"If we must." The blonde murmured, "I must say she's playing it awfully cool." She had wondered whether she might just get a reaction from Isabelle. After all, it wasn't often that one's newly acquired man was whisked away without some measure of irritation or jealousy showing.

Isn't she just? Thought Doug as they made their way back to the small group. Isabelle had not watched him dance with the blonde. He knew, he'd kept his eye on Isabelle throughout that dance. Or to be more precise he'd seen her back. Not once had she checked on him. That irritated. While he had all but tuned out the incessant chatter that stemmed from his dance partner, and had kept his eyes trained on Isabelle for the duration of the dance, Isabelle had not bothered to watch him!

"Darling." Doug murmured as he draped an arm along her waist. "They are playing our song." Time to let this woman know that if she wanted him to play along, then she needed to join in the game too. If he was going to have to put up with her vacuous friends then he deserved to be compensated. In any case she should at least give the impression of being miffed.

Isabelle smiled automatically at Doug. Our song? They had a song? Since when? What was this tune? Isabelle figured it was best not to make an issue about the figment in his blatantly untrue statement. They did not have a song.

In any case she was still fuming. Isabelle had tuned out from the moment he'd agreed to dance with Alison. Why would he do that? Why would he think it was ok to arrive with one woman, barely step into a room and agree to dance with a woman he did not know? In fact when Alison had asked him to dance, Isabelle had barely hidden her smirk as she expected him to gently or wittily decline Alison's invitation. Instead he hadn't declined it. He and Alison had headed for the dance floor. And Isabelle had all but exploded with temper. In her head she had exploded. On the outside she had smiled in response to the questioning glances she was receiving as she and her companions watched Doug take Alison into his arms. She hadn't expected to be so affected by his defection. But it hurt. Literally sliced through her.

They'd only just got here, how were they to convince people they were an item if he couldn't wait to spend his time dancing with Alison, gazing at her, clinging to her. So with unexpected pain washing through her, having watched him slide his arm around Alison's waist, Isabelle had decided that her best option was to look away. So she hadn't looked, had deliberately ensured that her back was to the dance floor. She had the mask of composure slotted into place, social, polite and interested. But she didn't hear a word said by those around her. She was too busy wondering why she was jealous and working hard to keep her jealousy from showing. But in her mind she wondered how many engaged women had never danced with their intended? How many had watched as the man to whom they were engaged opted to dance with a woman he'd only just met rather than have a first dance with his fiancée?

Doug held out his hand, "Shall we?" It was not a rhetorical question and he made sure the message in his eyes was clear for her to see.

What did he have to be annoyed about? Isabelle wondered as she nodded in acceptance. She was the one who should be letting him know that his conduct was wholly unacceptable! She had not invited him to this event for him to make a play for another woman! Maybe they should have established a few ground rules before they showed up here. After all, if they wanted to convince people about this engagement, then dancing the first dance with another woman was not the way to go. Why had he done that?

Together in stony silence they made their way to the dance floor. Smoothly he swung her into his arms, held her closer than the blonde and began to slowly guide her around the dance floor.