Brave Enough To Love Again

Chapter 61

Eden

The ball had already started when I got there because I was a completely new person. I did not just have my make-up and hair done, but was pampered with mani-pedi, whole body waxing etc. Jacques insisted that I needed everything that had been done to me and it was not difficult to say 'yes'. Who could say 'no' to being catered to and taken care of once in a while anyway?

Levi and I were driven to the venue by his driver, Peter, who I already knew since he had been my chauffeur too while I worked for Levi's dad, Mr. Holloway. When we were almost there I looked outside the window and recognized the place. It was the hotel to which Keane led us when we got his motorcycle to drive outside the city to his cabin. No wonder the front desk people knew him there. The hotel was owned by the Holloways.

Peter drove into the garage so we could get into the hotel through a private entrance. Needless to say there was going to be a few selected photographers around at the ball and we did not want to give them a story that could interfere with what the ball is all about, namely the company.

I insisted that Levi went ahead while I stayed and waited in the car for ten minutes before finally going in. I had not put on my mask yet so I went straight to the facilities to correct that. Luckily, there was no queue in front of the toilets yet. I was alone when I entered the comfort room, so I went straight in front of a sink to look at myself in the mirror.

Did I choose the right dress? Is this too much? I guess he won't recognize me with my mask. I can do this. I want to do this. We need this.

I put my mask on and stared at myself for a long time. It was hard to recognize myself in the image that was reflected in the mirror because the person that I was seeing was a femme fatale. So very much unlike me. She looked like she could have any man in the world do whatever she wants for her just by winking at a guy. The woman in the mirror can not be me?

Who else is it then, dummy? Stop being so overdramatic. You'll just embarrass yourself. Good thing no one can hear my thoughts.

Just then I heard the flushing of a toilet and soon after a gorgeous blonde woman came from one of the cabins. I looked at her. She looked phenomenal. I could not see her face because of her mask but I could tell she was beautiful.

I smiled sheepishly when she looked in my direction after feeling my gaze on her, so I stopped staring at her and looked back at my reflection in the mirror instead.

I need to retouch my lipstick.

I took my little clutch and opened it to look for my red lipstick. While I was rummaging through my small bag, I heard rather than saw the woman taking deep breaths, as if trying to calm herself down. She was mumbling words under her breath, presumably words of comfort. I was pretty sure I heard "Don't be scared. You can do this."

I completely forgot about my quest for my lipstick when the gorgeous blonde started pacing back and forth in the comfort room. I had to admit she was beginning to make me nervous as well. I looked at her, worried and a tiny bit bothered.

"Are you okay?" I smiled at her.

She looked at me and stopped in her tracks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just trying to calm myself down, and convince myself that what I'm about to do is the right thing," She looked at me apologetically with a small smirk in her beautiful face.

"Right thing?" I tried to sound comforting or encouraging to make her calm down even just a little bit. Maybe engaging her in some small talk might take her mind off of whatever she was nervous about.