Crescendo

Chapter 3

The door creaked open, stealing my attention away from the dress. I glanced up, catching a reflection of dark eyes staring back at me through the mirror.

I gasped and spun around, clutching the gown to my chest and backing away from the door.

As suddenly as the intruder appeared, he left.

After shutting the door, I wasted no time reaching for the lock. My heart thrashed inside my chest as I hurried to get dressed. The gown, while still stained, would have to make it through the rest of the night.

I struggled to zip up the back and almost dislocated my shoulder.

Beauty is pain.

Except I wasn't even sure how much beauty I had left. A layer of brown frizz covered my once neat up-do.

I tugged out the bobby pins and laid them on the counter. Soft tendrils of hair fell past my collarbone. I sucked in a deep breath and stared at myself.

The glittering eye shadow I left the house with had faded along with my lipstick.

Before I could convince myself to exit through the second-story window, I mustered the strength to rejoin the party.

I peered around the corner after cracking open the door. Empty. I breathed a sigh of relief. Facing my peeping tom was not high on my to-do list.

I smoothed out the gown as I descended the stairs.

The man who greeted us furrowed his eyebrows when I made it to the first floor.

"Ma'am," he outstretched his hand to support my final step off the stairs, "I'm afraid the second floor is off-limits."

My eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was looking for the restroom."

The man nodded. "There is one right off the den." He pointed through the stone archway.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I feared that they'd match my pink stained dress.

Before I could embarrass myself further, I hurried off, thanking him.

In the den, almost three times as many men and women mingled. They drank from sparkling glasses and chattered among themselves.

The main event, though, was the host himself.

His silvery voice carried through the room like his violin, but there was something missing, something integral.

I listened to his flat speech and the way his eyes shifted over the crowd.

His eyes.

Suddenly, I felt faint as I watched him speak. His straight-back posture and dark hair sent sparks of adrenaline through me.

The peeping tom.

I wondered if he would recognize me after such a brief run-in.

When his gaze fell over me, I found my answer. "So thank you for visiting tonight, and I hope you enjoy yourself. But, because of my studio, the entire second floor is off-limits for any guest." He maintained the piercing eye contact.

Perfect.

By the time he turned away, I had turned a bright shade of pink.

Tessa found me mortified by the fireplace.

"Why do you look like you're going to combust?" Her rosy lips found their way back to a half-empty wineglass.

I groaned, reliving the memory. "I went upstairs."