I spent the next two weeks agonizing over what to buy. I had to get over the prices on some items, remembering that I had been given plenty of money to cover everything. By the time the Saturday of the party arrived, I'd been able to decide on a strapless dark blue gown with a beaded pattern that swirled down the length, drawing the eye to accentuated curves. Heeled sandals matched it, as well as a navy blue satin clutch purse. I added sapphire earrings and a jeweled satin choker. Finally, the last of the money went towards spending the morning at a salon. Manicured, pedicured, my light brown curls piled up and cascading down around my face, dressed in richer clothes than I ever dreamed of wearing as a little girl, I hardly recognized myself in the mirror. My phone rang at 10 PM as I was spraying on some perfume I'd also bought on LaCroix's dollar. "Are you ready?" LaCroix's voice asked after I answered.
"I'll be right down." I felt my stomach's resident butterflies take flight as I left my apartment. I hoped that I looked all right. Not too flashy. As the elevator creeped down, I began to doubt my choices. What if I did look too flashy? The last thing I wanted was to make people think that LaCroix's girl was a gaudy floozy! Taking a deep breath, I stepped outside. LaCroix was waiting outside the limo for me, again dressed in a tux. Men have it so easy... I thought.
LaCroix caught sight of me as I exited the building, and I saw his jaw immediately drop. As I walked up to him, I shrugged. "It isn't too much, is it?" I asked meekly.
He slowly shook his head as his eyes traveled from my feet up to my eyes. "I would hardly believe it if you weren't standing in front of me," he said, his eyes wide with surprise.
"So...it's okay? I won't stand out too much?"
"You're—it's perfect." He opened the door for me, and I slid into the limo feeling a little bit better. LaCroix got in behind me, taking his seat next to me.
"I know this was my idea and everything, but I have to say that I'm really nervous," I confessed.
"I can tell," LaCroix responded. I looked at him, confused. "I can hear your heartbeat."
My eyebrows went up. "You...vampi—Kindred can do that?"
He nodded. "It's convenient. The stronger the heartbeat, the healthier a human tends to be. It helps when making decisions on the fly if one's situation is especially desperate."
I sighed. "I'm probably going to be the only ghoul there, huh..."
"Maybe," LaCroix said, shrugging. "Which will mean a more powerful blow to Miss Xavier."
I grinned. "I'm beginning to think you've grown fond of this idea!"
"Not exactly. Resigned to it, yes."
LaCroix kept me chatting through the ride, much to my surprise. I'd never thought him to be one for conversation, but he was chattering my ear off about the most mundane of topics like the weather, how he hates going to Santa Monica, how he really must get back to New York someday to check on things... I realized quickly that my nerves were subsiding while listening to him. He had mastered an art: having a conversation that consisted of nothing at all in order to accomplish a greater directive. The directive, this time around, was not letting me concentrate on our "mission" too much before we arrived.
The posh club at which Samantha was having her party wasn't far from town. It took no longer than a half hour to get there. "Here we go," LaCroix said quietly as he opened the door. He got out first, then offered me his hand to help me out. He made sure my hand was settled in the crook of his elbow before we went inside. Taking the invitation out of his coat, LaCroix showed it briefly to the security personnel just inside the door. The guard nodded his okay, and we continued to the main ballroom.
I immediately felt out of place. It was as if I'd stepped out of my own little world and into a storybook party. "Keep your bearings, Miss Lucas," LaCroix murmured into my ear, making my heart jump a bit.
I turned to him and smiled sweetly. "Natalie," I corrected him softly.
"Of course," he said, standing straight and returning the smile. We wove our way through the room, LaCroix nodding greetings to those who recognized him. Coming from some unknown source was soft violin and piano music, and a few people were already taking their turns on the dance floor. I briefly wondered if LaCroix knew how to dance.
"Sebastian! You made it!" I heard Samantha cry.
"Wouldn't have missed it, my dear," LaCroix said with a smile as she approached. "I believe you've met Natalie Lucas?" he said, covering my hand on his arm with his other hand and giving me a brighter smile than he'd given Samantha.
I smiled back at him, then directed it towards our hostess. "I'm afraid our meeting was all too brief," I said, offering my hand to her.
She seemed confused but returned the pleasantries, loosely gripping my hand for a moment before turning her attention back to LaCroix. "So what do you think?" she asked, gesturing to the room in a grand manner. "Isn't it beautiful? Ah, it's the sort of place I'd hoped to be married in someday..."
I held back a laugh as LaCroix nodded. "It is rather elegant," he said, taking an obligatory look around.
"Yes, definitely," I agreed. "Very much like a fairy tale."
Samantha laughed. "Ah, but aren't we too old for fairy tales?" she said. "I'm afraid it is a bit overdone. But when one has no one to deal with but mortals, what is one to do?"
I cleared my throat and felt LaCroix's hand on mine again. "Not all mortals are problematic, Samantha," he said, looking down at me with a soft smile. "After all, it hasn't been too many months since you were one yourself."
Her eyes widened slightly before she laughed again. "This is true, of course! However, I have learned so much since then. It feels like forever since I had mortal worries."
LaCroix laughed. "I think Joseph has gone lax on you," he said. "The learning process definitely doesn't end with presentation."
Samantha pouted. "I think I've got everything I need to know."
"Don't be so sure," LaCroix said. He straightened his arm, but soon wrapped it around my waist. I did the same to him, smiling up at him. "Just when you think you know everything necessary, you'll be caught off guard. Be careful with that," he warned her before looking at me with a smile. "You really must see the gardens, dear. They're positively breathtaking this time of year." He looked back to Samantha. "Excuse us, won't you, darling?"
"Oh! Yes, definitely, those gardens are lovely!" she said, though I could see the anger in her eyes when she looked at me.
LaCroix walked me through a side door, keeping me tight against him. "Can't stand much of her, eh?" I muttered. He shook his head silently. We walked slowly through the clubhouse's gardens, my hand tucked into LaCroix's arm again. He let me stop and sniff the flowers whenever I wanted, and I slowly came to realize how much like a princess I felt myself. "So far, this has been a relatively nice night," I remarked quietly, sitting on a stone bench and pulling LaCroix down next to me.
He sighed. "A waste of time, really," he muttered, and I nudged him with my elbow.
"Can't you just enjoy being out of the office for a few hours?" I asked. "It's a beautiful night. The flowers are blooming and letting their scent fill the air, it's quiet out here, the music is gorgeous..."
I was interrupted by LaCroix's soft laugh. "You're beginning to sound as if you're enjoying this," he said.
I shrugged, feeling my face becoming flushed. "I am. Kinda feel like a princess," I added with a little laugh.
LaCroix laughed again. He gently brushed a curl away from my face, and I agonized over the fact that I knew he could hear my heart beat a little faster. "You are positively stunning tonight," he said softly.
"Thank you," I whispered, again willing my heart rate to slow.
"Sebastian! Here you are!" a male voice called out. LaCroix and I stood and saw a man approaching us with a smile on his face. "Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"
LaCroix glanced at me, then answered, "No, not at all, Joseph. Natalie needed a little fresh air. Oh, forgive me, Joseph Gresham, this is Miss Natalie Lucas, my guest tonight." I shook hands cordially with Joseph, giving him a nod and smile. "Natalie, Joseph is an old friend of mine and Miss Xavier's sire." I smiled a little bigger and nodded again. The two men chatted for a moment while I reveled in triumph. Samantha's sire thinks he interrupted a romantic moment between me and LaCroix...he'll definitely mention something to her. Another strain of thought asked, Did he interrupt a romantic moment? I inwardly shook myself, trying to get rid of the thought; but I could only manage to recall the brush of his hand on my face and the sound of his voice as he called me "stunning." Me! I wondered what would have happened if Joseph hadn't come along when he did, then quickly squashed that new line of thought.
I mentally joined the conversation when I heard the two men laughing together. "Well, I should get back inside before Samantha thinks I've abandoned her," Joseph was saying. He looked at me with a twinkle in his eye. "Keep his feet on the ground now, dear."
I laughed. "I don't think Sebastian needs any help with that," I said, looking up at LaCroix and hugging his arm.
Joseph laughed softly. "She doesn't yet know you, my boy."
LaCroix chuckled. "Please, Joseph. You act as if I haven't been able to accomplish everything I've put my hand to."
Joseph raised an eyebrow. "You've got me there. Sebastian LaCroix, conqueror of the impossible." He waved and left.
"What was he talking about?" I asked LaCroix as we began to wander back towards the clubhouse.
He shook his head. "Joseph's was one of the loudest voices against my putting my lot in the running for Prince of Los Angeles," he explained. "He claimed I didn't have the experience necessary to accomplish the task." He grinned at me. "I took great pleasure in proving him wrong."
We walked together silently as I wondered if I should ask the question that was on my mind. Of course, my curiosity won, as it almost always does. "You know, I look at you; and I look at Joseph, and I can tell by how you act that you're Ventrue. I look at Samantha; and I can tell she's Ventrue from her looks, but then she opens her mouth and..." I shook my head as my voice trailed off.
LaCroix groaned softly. "Ghastly, isn't it?" He sighed. "Considering the fact that I had met her briefly beforehand, I was amazed at her presentation that she got through everything so smoothly, all the tests, all the questions, everything we could throw at her. And she managed to impress the Prince of Pensacola enough to grant her acceptance, so..." He shrugged and sighed again. "She's got enough of a brain to know when it's important to throw on a mask of control and intelligence. All the rest of the time, however, I have to wonder what quality Joseph saw in her to become so enamored."
"You think he only sired her because he loves her?" I asked.
"I know that's why he did it. There's no doubt in my mind. The problematic thing of it is that he also taught her just enough to cover up her true nature and get our approval. Once she was accepted, unless she makes a severe misstep, we must treat her as one of our own, no matter our own individual opinions of her." LaCroix shook his head. "She won't last long, I'm afraid."
"So does Joseph know how she feels about you?"
He shrugged. "I think not, considering he didn't think of me as a rival; and I believe your being here tonight will be just enough for me to keep my friendship with him."
I smiled at that and realized as we walked that I was still hugging his arm, his hands in his pants pockets. "I think this is the most relaxed I've ever seen you," I remarked, sliding one of my hands down his arm into his pocket, lacing my fingers with his.
He laughed, taking our hands out of his pocket, but continuing to hold my hand. "Isn't that part of the role I'm supposed to be playing?" he asked.
I shrugged. "True, but you don't seem to be acting." He only smiled, leading me back inside the clubhouse.
Samantha seemed to sniff us out like a bloodhound, coming over to us nearly as soon as we stepped foot into the building. "I was worried you'd left!" she said.
"Oh, no, we just got caught up in the gardens," LaCroix said. "Natalie absolutely loves flowers, and I'm afraid there just aren't that many in one place in town." He looked over at me with a smile. "We'll have to figure out a place to make you a garden sometime."
"I would love that," I gushed, gazing into his eyes. There was the fluttery heartbeat again...
Samantha laughed. "As if you'd know anything about gardening, Sebastian!" She gently touched his shoulder as she spoke.
He looked at her hand, then back to me. "I think I could learn."
Clearing her throat, Samantha crossed her arms. "So how long have you two been a couple?" She was looking straight at me with death in her eyes, her foot tapping.
I giggled as if I hadn't noticed her glare. "Not nearly long enough," I answered, glancing back up at LaCroix. He chuckled, but stayed quiet.
"Isn't that sweet?" Samantha said, her eyes not echoing the sentiment. "Really, Sebastian, if you've got any plans to break this poor girl's heart, I beg you to abandon them this instant!"
His hand tightened on mine for a moment. "I wouldn't dream of it," he said.
"After all, I've heard about your track record," Samantha added with a laugh.
LaCroix's smile faded a bit. "I haven't a clue as to what you mean, Samantha."
"Darling, surely you must have told her about Layla..."
"Samantha..." There was an unspoken warning in LaCroix's voice this time.
I let go of LaCroix's hand, instead sliding my arm around his waist. I leveled my gaze at Samantha and put on a poisonous smile. "I haven't heard of any Layla," I admitted, "but I frankly don't care about Sebastian's past, whether we're talking about conquests or admirers. All that matters to me is here and now. Why live in the past?" I reached up with my free hand and stroked his jaw.
Samantha laughed bitterly. "I suppose the easiest way to move past any history may be to turn a blind eye to it," she said. "If you'll excuse me, I must attend to my guests." Her frame was rigid as she turned and disappeared into the crowd.
LaCroix led me out of the middle of the crowd to a side wall and wrapped his arms around me. "Wonderfully executed," he murmured into my ear.
I chuckled. "Likewise, darling," I said. "But who's Layla?"
He cleared his throat lightly. "Ask me again sometime." I pulled back and pouted. He knew I'd forget, and I knew he was betting on it. I'd have to try my hardest to keep her name in my mind and do as he just said: ask him again later. "Don't do that," he said with a slightly warning tone in his voice.
"Don't do what?"
"Don't start jeopardizing everything because I won't answer a question you have no right asking."
I was shocked by his words for a moment as they forced me to remember that this was LaCroix after all, no matter how he had to treat me tonight. The shock faded, however, when he gently placed the palm of his hand against my cheek, caressing my cheekbone with his thumb. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation of it for a moment, then smiled at him. "You know, you're making this whole 'act like your girlfriend' thing quite easy," I said just above a whisper.
"Likewise, darling," he replied with a light tone. He ducked his head, brushing his lips against mine. My act broke, leaving me blinking at him in surprise. "Samantha was directing her glare over here," he whispered.
I giggled. "Ah, so you were sealing the deal?" I asked.
"Yes. Sorry."
I shook my head and ran a finger down his jaw, letting it gently trail over his lips. "Don't be. Part of the act, right?" He nodded, kissing my fingertip quickly. A mischievous smile I'd never seen before crossed his expression as he took my hand and led me back outside. "Where are we going?" I asked, confused.
He wordlessly led me back out to the garden, but he turned me in such a way that I could see that Samantha was following us. He was hurrying me through this time. My heel caught on a stone, causing me to stumble; but LaCroix was able to catch me. I blushed as I looked up at him. "Sorry. I'm clumsy," I said.
Setting me back on my feet, LaCroix wrapped his arms around me again. I responded by draping my arms around his neck. He leaned in, setting his lips to mine once more, this time deepening the kiss. I knew he was making a show for Samantha, but I was thoroughly enjoying the attention and contact. One of his hands was set at the small of my back, the other at the back of my neck. A little squeak escaped my throat as his tongue brushed mine, and I was glad that he was holding me up. My knees were no longer capable of the job.
I lost track of how long we kissed. I was totally lost in it, caught up in the scent of LaCroix's cologne and the feel and taste of his mouth. My hands were longing to wander, but I didn't want to overstep any unspoken bounds. This was all for show, after all. When the kiss was finally broken, it took me a couple moments to catch my breath. "You realize you just confirmed every rumor about us," I whispered.
"It will be much easier to live with that rumor than to let Samantha think that I have any interest in her whatsoever," he responded.
"You think so?" I asked, still clinging to him.
"It isn't hard to tolerate your being around, Miss, er, Natalie. She, however, would have me staking myself and waiting for sunrise in a day."
I laughed. After a moment of thought, albeit clouded thought, I figured, Ah, what the hell... and pulled him in for another kiss. He didn't resist, returning the kiss somewhat eagerly, I thought. This time, when we pulled back, I asked, "Is she still watching?"
"She's been gone for quite some time," LaCroix responded with a small smirk.
"What? But...you just let me..."
He chuckled this time. "Yes, I did. You're enjoying yourself."
"That matters to you?"
"Well, I'm sure it helps your acting. Plus, I'm somewhat obligated to make this worth your while, am I not?"
I shook my head. "I didn't think you were obligated to do anything for me, that it would always be the other way around." He just smirked at that. I bit my lip in thought for a moment before asking, "How did you know I was enjoying kissing you?"
He lowered his head, brushing his lips against my neck. "Your pulse gives you away," he whispered, making me shiver against him. He planted a few kisses against my shoulder, nipping with his front teeth but avoiding using his fangs.
"Fucking tease," I breathed. He laughed as he pulled back, the sound low and deep.
"Do you want me to bite you?" he asked, that mischievous glint in his eyes again.
"Would you hate me forever, darling, if I did?" I asked, trying to sound like I was teasing.
He kissed my lips again, light and fast. "I could never." He let me go and stepped back, tucking my hand into his arm and leading me back through the gardens. I didn't know if he meant he could never hate me or he could never bite me.
We stayed for only about an hour longer, sharing a couple dances; I found out that LaCroix was a very graceful dancer, making up for my clumsiness easily. As a courtesy, I agreed to dancing with a couple of the other men there; but I was somewhat disgusted to find that they only wanted to dance to try to weasel secrets about LaCroix out of me. The room seemed full of backstabbers, the only one I could place any trust in being Joseph; and that was only because LaCroix seemed to trust him.
Before we left, we hunted out Samantha one last time. She regarded us coldly this time, barely able to smile when Sebastian wished her a happy birthday. He kissed her cheek, and I could have sworn that she would have cried if she could. When we were finally back in the limo, I sighed contentedly. "I don't think you'll have to worry about her anymore," I said with a grin.
"Thank you," he said, taking my hand and kissing it, making my heart do that damned fluttery thing again. "It couldn't have gone any more smoothly."
"Do you think there will be any repercussions from your being attached to a mortal?" I asked.
"There will always be repercussions for something," LaCroix said. "Especially in my position. There will never be a time when everyone agrees with what you're doing. Someone will find fault in some way. I'll deal with it."
I smiled and nodded. "I just don't want to cause you any more trouble than I already do."
He chuckled and cupped my face in his hands. "My dear, considering we have a whole new charade to keep up, you already have." He kissed me gently, barely moving back enough to speak again. "But I'm much more of a willing participant in this trouble than our past trials."
"Do you think it will come up often?" I asked softly.
"No. If anything, it will mostly be brought up as an excuse for some move I make that someone considers a mistake on my part. 'He's distracted by his love for his ghoul,' or some such nonsense." He kissed me a few more times. "Nothing you need to worry about," he finished.
"Prince..."
"Hmm?"
"Why do you keep kissing me?"
"I told you earlier: because you're seeming to enjoy it."
I smiled, touching his face gently. "So you're not doing it because some little part of you is enjoying it as well?" I asked. "No, I suppose you couldn't. After all, it's all chemical, right? Making one's skin flush and one's heart beat fast?"
"Turning my words against me, Miss Lucas?" he asked.
"Just answer the question."
He was silent for a moment. "I suppose I'm enjoying myself, yes."
"Why?" This time, he stayed silent, seeming surprised by the question. He frowned and looked away when he couldn't answer. "Because it's more than chemical?" I answered for him, turning his face back towards mine with my fingertips. "Because perhaps you've missed a woman's attention all these years? The feel of a simple kiss..." I chastely kissed his lips. "There's nothing like it, is there?"
"Are you trying to seduce me, Miss Lucas?" he asked softly.
"I wouldn't dream of such a thing," I answered with a smile. "I'm merely responding to everything you've done tonight. You knew it was having an effect on me, after all; and yet you kept it up." I sat back a little, looking at him. "Besides, I don't have any illusions that you'd fall in love with me. I'm just enjoying the attention of a handsome prince."
LaCroix grinned and pulled me in for another kiss. By the time I was dropped off at my apartment building, my hair had come out of its clips and was lying on my shoulders, my face flushed, and my makeup smudged. I wondered what I'd be dreaming about when I finally got to sleep.
I laid awake for a long while that night, but I was smiling. I'd expected LaCroix to take the opportunity to keep his distance once we'd left Samantha's party. Instead... I grinned wider into the dark bedroom. At least I'd proven him wrong on one point: that physical acts like kissing could still have an effect on a person whose heart would no longer beat. Recalling our kisses in the limo, I realized that his mouth and hands had begun to feel warmer the longer I kissed him. Was it my warmth reflecting back to me, or was that a sign that his body actually was responding? Either way, it didn't matter. I loved the startling chill of his lips and hands on my skin, even if a few weeks ago the mere thought would have repelled me. I finally drifted to sleep while wondering if I'd be able to keep myself convinced that our interaction was all just an act.
