Grace

Chapter 9

Grace gulped down another glass of whiskey and grimaced at the heady feeling. The alcohol was starting to get to her. She felt slightly dizzy, and her feet were starting to hurt. She was tempted to put off her shoes,but she held on. She would soon leave anyway.

"I see you've had a lot to drink."

Grace almost groaned. She wanted to be left alone, not dilly dally with anyone,least of all Richard. That was why she'd chosen a secluded corner of the hall. She had done enough socializing for a day.

"I could say the same for you," she deadpanned,giving him a pointed look. Richard appeared all dressed up in his three-piece suit and polished Italian shoes,but he had that all-too-familiar look on his face-like he was in a daze,but trying hard to hide it. His words weren't slurred so Grace assumed he hadn't downed a dozen glasses. But with the Celebrity drunk, she couldn't be so sure.

"I see you had it going with Mr. Daniels," Richard continued, oblivious to her desire to be in solitude. "Then our sexy Cassandra waltzed in and stole his attention with her charm. You must be really-"

"Stop it," Grace snarled. She wasn't in the mood for this. She already had enough stuff going on. Richard wasn't helping by hitting her over the head with it.

"What?" Richard asked incredulously. He gulped his drink and stared at the now-empty glass with something resembling grief.

"The last thing I need is you recounting that incident. I was there, remember?" She held her glass up,only to find it empty. She sighed,knowing her expression was probably similar to Richard's. I hope I'm not turning out to be the next Celebrity drunk.

"Hey,"Richard summoned a waiter and helped himself to another glass of whiskey. The waiter kept his expression neutral,but Grace noticed him hide a smirk as he turned to go with his platter of empty glasses.

*Ahh," Richard sighed as he downed half of his drink. "Love."

Grace gave him a quizzical look. "You love alcohol?"

"Of course I do! This baby," said Richard,staring fondly at his drink,"never disappoints."

"Even when you wake up with a hangover in a pile of your own vomit?"

Richard shrugged. "Lovers quarrel sometimes."

Grace laughed cheekily, the sound slightly foreign to her ears.

"Weren't you sucking up to Elizabeth earlier?"

"Weren't you sucking up to Daniel earlier?" Richard retorted.

"At least I wasn't planning to get into bed with him," Grace spat out, incensed.

Richard was unperturbed. "Wouldn't you, if the situation calls for it?"

Grace gasped. "What?"

Richard finished his drink. "We both know how badly you want this role. Your hunger is evident. Honestly, to any other person, you would appear lustful." Richard chuckled but Grace glared at him, not appreciating the humour.

"This isn't funny, Richard," Grace hissed,shaking in anger. How dare he insult her like that!

"Isn't it?" He laughed again, and Grace strove to contain her anger. Breathe,Grace. Breathe,she told herself as she walked away. Richard had never been wise in selecting his words. Alcohol probably magnified that flaw.

Grace nodded at a few people,trying not to give away her foul mood. She was an actress after all. She snatched another drink and made her way to another part of the building, away from prying eyes and nosy - err,not quite sure how to put this - noses. Her shaking had stopped, except for the occasional twitch of her hands. She continued breathing deeply. Ever since she'd discovered the calming effect of oxygen, she'd used it whenever she got upset. This was one of those times.

Her throbbing feet made walking difficult, especially since her shoes were almost six inches tall. She pulled them off without hesitation. That part of the building was deserted, so no one would see her parading barefoot. She massaged her swollen feet and winced at the pain. When would she ever get used to wearing heels? She preferred platforms, but Margaret had insisted on her wearing them. The woman had gone as far as sending her the shoes at the last minute so that she had no time to make a different choice. So Grace had had to suffer through walking-as gracefully as she could- in those heels from person to person, hoping her discomfort wasn't obvious.

Grace sighed. It had been a long day. She glanced at her wristwatch. It was almost 6pm. She'd been at the party for over three hours, but the only part she'd enjoyed was when she'd conversed with Daniel. He'd been approachable and friendly. Their conversation didn't border on flirty. Grace wasn't a habitual flirt- except on very rare occasions when her interest had been piqued, but they always ended up in her getting bored and suddenly disinterested. Even then, her intention hadn't been to bag a role or anything of the sort. She'd had a few flings in the past, but that was it.

Richard's words came rushing back to her and she hissed. How dare he make such a vulgar insinuation! She would never stoop so low as to get into bed with anyone just to get a role. She wasn't a tramp.

Grace stopped when she heard some giggling. She'd thought she was alone. She looked around,searching for the source of the sound. Her eyes fell on the door to a room ahead of her. She heard some whisperings, and was about to tiptoe out of the place when she heard a distinct voice.

"Stop that, Adekunle! What if someone catches us?"

Grace recognized that voice. Feyikemi.

Dazed, she held up her gown and left the area.

She needed to go home.