Serenity bowed one last time before the curtain closed again, hope that somehow she might be able locate Destiny in the crowd or a least point out her cheer. But there were hundreds of people and it would be impossible. She returned to the dressing room where she knew Destiny would eventually meet her. She freshened up as best she could and prepared for the party. Serenity carefully brushed her hair out until it shone and then braided the top half into a crown, leaving the bottom half to hang free about her body. She had a reason to be careful with her looks tonight, because after this party she had a blind date to look forward to. She hoped the guy, who ever he may be was as nice as Sam had been to her last night. Secretly she hoped it was Sam, though she very much doubted it.
When Destiny didn't turn up with in a half an hour Serenity made her way out into the lobby, hoping to locate her there. When she couldn't, she mingled among the guests. She soon lost herself in all the questions and complements on her performance. It was nice to be the bell of the ball for once, but after several hours she found herself wishing that some how Prince Charming would show up and take her off to dance the night away, or at least Destiny. Around midnight the crowd begun to thin considerably and Serenity resumed her search for Destiny, figuring that she had let her enjoy her spot under the spot light. One o'clock rolled around the party was beginning to show signs of thinning as the guests slowly worked their way to the exit. She still had not heard anything from Destiny and was beginning to get worried that maybe something had gone wrong.
It was nearly two when she looked at her phone to see if Destiny had called. She hadn't missed any calls. She was about to call Destiny when a tall man bumped into her causing her to drop her phone.
"Oh I'm so terribly sorry, my dear, I'm afraid I've had a bit too much to drink," he said.
"Oh, uh, no trouble at all, Mr . . ?" Serenity replied, bending down to pick up her phone and pulling the hem of her hand-me-down dress out from under his shinny oxford as discreetly as possible.
"Rayne, Stanley Rayne, and you must be Serenity O'Riley. I must say that was a beautiful performance, this evening."
"Thank you, sir. If you'll please excuse me, I really must be going," Serenity replied sanding up. There was something very odd about him. She didn't know why but he gave her the creeps and she felt the need to get away from him.
"You know I could make you a star and you could be very wealthy."
"Thank you, but no thank you. I'm not in this for the glory; I'm in it for the love of dance. If I had wanted riches I would have returned to Ireland. Now if you'll please excuse me." Serenity made a hasty get away before he could think of another comment to try to coax her into his bed. She couldn't believe it, every night that she had to work she heard an array of cheesy pickup lines, but this was by far the worst. She would have thought that a man who appeared to be in his forties would have something better to say. If she had wanted somebody to hit up on her, she would have gone to one of the many bars in the Manhattan area. At least then the pick up lines would be better. She returned to the dressing room to retrieve her belongings.
She wrapped the light gray velvet cloak about her shoulders, grabbed her dance bag, and snuck out the side door and into the alley. She pulled out her phone and tried to call Destiny. She didn't answer her phone, so Serenity tried the apartment, still no answer. An uneasy feeling came over her and she felt the need to return home before something bad happened. She picked up her skirt so she wouldn't trip over the hem and quickly begun to make her way home. It wasn't long there after that she had the feeling that she was being followed.
She acted as though she didn't notice and continued at her present pace. Her dress shoes were beginning to bother her feet so she kicked them off carelessly, with out stopping or changing her pace. The chill of the icy side walk stung the bottoms of her feet, but it certainly made it easier to walk. She wished that she would have thought of packing her beloved silk brocade MaryJanes. The feeling continued to grow as she walked towards the subway. She resisted the urge to turn around and look behind her. It was an effort to remain on the more populated streets and not duck into alley. That was how she had lost her brother and this time she may not be as lucky as she had been last time. A limo pulled up beside her and Stanley Rayne called out to her, insisting that he give her a ride home.
"No thank you," she said firmly, continuing on her present pace.
The limo pulled over to a stop and he got out, "Oh but my dear I'm afraid I must insist."
Serenity felt for her sword and realized in all her excitement she had forgotten it. All she had was a small dagger in her purse and one strapped to her leg. The rest of her equipment was at best pathetic, a vial of holy water and a cross. She had no choice no but to turn and run. A group of thugs jumped out of the limo. She recognized them from the bar; she had threatened to break one's hand if he touched her again. She had been taking Kung Fu since she moved to the city but she doubted she could take on all of them at once and win. She ran faster, hoping that she would be able to take them out one on at a time.