Songs Unsung - Book One

Chapter Twenty Eight

Dedicated to KevinaOyatedor - Welcome! I hope you enjoy the story! X

The ballroom was a picture of pure elegance as every detail was immaculately tended to. Light blue light illuminated the walls and the two stages, one to the left and the other to the right of the spectacular room. It was filled with round tables, at least sixty that were laid perfectly with white, flowing tablecloths and lined with silver utensils, crystal glassware and white napkins. Each table held an elegant round crystal glass as a centerpiece that was filled with fresh peonies in soft pink and lavender to accent the light blue atmosphere.

Chase and I were escorted to a table on a higher level, overlooking the picturesque view below. As I searched the tables below, I could see that Candice was happily sitting with her colleagues, Nicole and Carly at a table full of others that she seemed to recognize. I looked down at the name card that sat at the empty seat next to me and read Candice's name, wondering who's seat she must have taken to be able to sit at the table where she currently was.

As though she had read my mind, Adriana made her way to our table with a smile.

"Kicked out of your seat?" I queried Adriana, mirroring her smile with a slight raise of my eyebrow.

"It wouldn't be the first time" she replied, slightly rolling her eyes.

"Come, take a seat Candice" I sarcastically stated as I gestured toward the seat bearing Candice's name card.

As Adriana made her way to sit, I moved to introduce her to my handsome shadow "Adriana, this is Chase"

"Thomas!" she exclaimed, finishing my sentence before putting her hand across the table to meet his. Although a little star struck, Adriana held her composure elegantly as she continued to turn her attention back to me.

After much chatter, an amazing first course and delicious flowing champagne, the lights dimmed to make way for Black Ice's debut performance on the stage closest to us, to the left of the room. They started with a slow ballad that picked up in tempo through the course of the piece. I watched, filled with pride as the room erupted in clapping and cheers at the end of their first song. Turning to face Chase, I could see he was equally as proud of his friend, if not more. "That's Sam" he whispered to me as his eyes were lit with excitement for his friend.

"Sam?" I queried, only knowing him as Dave from working with him.

"One of the boys who were able to escape Antonio's clutches" he replied, now clenching his jaw as he reminisced. "We used to call him Sam" he continued, now releasing a smile

"Oh, wow!" I exclaimed, surprised by his reply. "Well, that makes tonight all the more amazing" I continued, now holding his arm as I rubbed it with my free hand. He turned to place a soft kiss on my forehead before squeezing my hand that sat on his arm in recognition of my comment.

Once the band had finished their set, people started to stand and make their way to neighboring tables causing the room to erupt in chatter and laughs. Chase stood from the table and excused himself before making his way backstage to greet his good friend Sam and congratulate him on a successful performance.

"Who is that guy?" Adriana asked as she looked in the direction of a table across the ballroom from us. "He keeps staring at you."

I followed Adriana's eyes across the room to meet dark, shadowed eyes that stared back at me.

"Antonio!" I gasped, in shock of seeing him again. His eyes burnt into mine with a heavy stare before raising his glass in my direction, tilting his head in a small salute and downing the brown liquor held within. My body shivered uneasily as he continued to stare through the gulp and place the glass back down on the table in front of him.