Be careful what you wish for

14. The Bid

When we arrived in the hall where the ball actually happened, I kept my calm. But inside, I was shrieking in delight. The entire place was decorated with hundreds of lights and the tall windows that showed the evening night outside added to the highlight.

The place was crowded with people chatting altogether but the sounds just mixed in with the background classical music playing.

A waiter passed by carrying a tray full of sparkling glasses and Avery asked if I wanted one.

"What is it?" I had to lean my head towards him every time I spoke.

"Champagne," he said and I shook my head.

"You never had one?" He asked and I rolled my eyes at him. He knew I had never drunk in my life before, and still, he took two glasses from the tray.

"Wait," I said, protesting right away as he handed me one glass.

"Try it, you won't regret it," he said. I twisted my mouth in exasperation but took the glass anyway.

"Here's to... the ball," he said, pausing a while before clinking my glass with his. I watched him taking a sip then pursing his lips as he looked around. I imitated him but ended up scrutinizing the foreign taste of champagne in my mouth.

"It tastes good," I said, marveling at the sparkling drink in my glass.

"Told ya," he said and something in his tone made me feel that he wasn't paying attention to me. I kept looking at him covertly, not wanting to be caught staring at him. Surely, I found him extremely attractive tonight, but I was equally bothered at how he kept looking around. If I didn't know better, he was restless with Aria being around.

I heard a peal of boisterous laughter from behind and saw her, standing with her hand wrapped around the arm of a guy whose back faced me.

"Hey, there," a sudden voice almost startled me, and turning around, I saw a guy older than Avery standing beside me as he patted Avery's shoulder. In his one hand, he had a glass of champagne, too, and he kept moving in, cutting me out of the trio.

"Uh, Michael, this..." Avery turned Michael to me, "this is Jolene, the one I've been telling you about in the phone," he finished. Michael looked pleased to see me with his eyes widening at my sight in delight.

"My, my, aren't you breathtaking," he said flirtatiously as he shook my hand lightly. I smiled and absolutely had no idea what to say other than, oh, I know who you are because I have been occasionally eavesdropping outside Avery's door. So, I kept my quiet.

Michael began telling me about how he met Avery when the hall was filled with a sudden screeching sound that eventually died away.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Pierre Dorman," someone spoke in the microphone, and the hall filled with applause, gradually being followed with silence when a man in his sixties walked to the middle of the hall, taking the microphone.

"Welcome, friends," he said, chuckling into his microphone. He started giving his welcoming address that surprisingly didn't bore me.

We spent the last five minutes laughing.

"That's funny," I was breathless from laughing hard, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, he could be a comedian himself but he creates the best sad movies," Avery said, then gulping down what was left of his champagne. He really seemed bothered with Aria's presence and I wish I could've done something just so he would feel better. Then, I suddenly realized that Michael wasn't around anywhere near us anymore. I almost asked Avery about him when he spoke.