Rey had only been to LaBelle's once before, and that was in High School.

She remembered back to how she had begged her father for the money to buy a prom dress, and he had finally relented on the promise that she was going with a group of girls, not a boy. And she hadn't lied. She and Rose and another friend had all decided to go with each other, but the only reason Rey was going with them was because Poe had said he was also 'going stag' with Finn and a couple other guys. So, when Rey made her choice among the formal dresses, she had done it with Poe in mind. Maybe, just maybe, he would ask her to dance.

She had chosen a beautiful emerald green chiffon gown, off-the-shoulder with a long, flowing skirt. She and the other girls had gotten ready together at Rose's before her father had driven them all to the school, and Rey had never felt more beautiful. She recalled more than one person looking at her with appreciation when they entered the brightly decorated school gymnasium, but she was only concerned with the attention of one person. Too bad that one person never showed up.

Poe had never seen the dress she had bought for him.

She sold the dress for half its cost less than a week later when she decided that she needed to move on, that she couldn't keep hoping her best friend would see her as more than a buddy. Believing that had been easier to do in college, as she and Poe had not attended the same school, but they still remained in contact almost daily via e-mail and text, so she could never truly push him out of her thoughts. She dated other guys, but never found one that made her feel as comfortable and safe as Poe, so she remained a virgin. It wasn't until she settled back in her home town (after another long argument with her father about getting her own place) that she finally found someone she trusted enough to become intimate with. She had hoped with Ben she would be able to let go of her pining for Poe, but somehow her bond with her childhood friend only strengthened during the tumultuous years she dated Ben. Ben's jealousy towards Poe was the primary cause of most of their arguments.

Now, ten years after her first and only visit to this store, Rey was back. Only this time, she knew for sure that Poe would see the dress she chose. So, she best choose wisely.

As she asked the salesperson where the cocktail dresses were and followed the woman toward the far side of the store, she decided to get more than one. If she was going to be attending at least one high society event a month with her elite businessman husband, she better look the part. Even if it was only for a year.

She left the store an hour later with four overpriced cocktail dresses and one formal gown. She didn't know if she would ever have need of the gown, but she had seen it across the room and kept looking it so often the saleswoman finally asked if she wanted to try it on, knowing it was her size. The gorgeous ball gown made from tulle and organza was a rich silver green in color. It had a halter style top and was layered with violet and pink tulle underneath the skirt and Rey absolutely fell in love when she tried it on. The sale was complete when the woman told her the dress matched her eyes.

That Saturday, she and Poe followed through with their promise to help Finn move his stuff into Rose's apartment. They had a pizza delivered as a late lunch, then when most of the work was done, Rey headed off with Poe back to the condo to get ready for the auction.

Rey had been on edge all day thinking about the event. Having grown up in a lower middle-class home, she had never felt comfortable among the rich and affluent. Now she was supposed to pretend to be one. Poe had not grown up with money, either, but he had managed to gradually work his way up the elite ladder thanks to his association with Leia, and knew most of Aldera's wealthy by their first name. She would just have to follow his lead.

She had decided to go with the simplest dress for her first outing. The black dress was skin-tight and came down to about mid-thigh, with a sweetheart neckline that turned into a black lace halter top. She wore low heels, a sub-conscious decision she always made when going out in public with Poe; she didn't like being taller than him. She pulled back the sides of her shoulder-length hair but left the rest down, allowing it to stay naturally wavy. She kept her makeup modest; she had never been an expert with it anyway, so she did not want to do anything dramatic.

She came out of her bedroom, focusing on her breathing to keep her nerves under control, when she stopped and looked at Poe, who was staring back at her. He looked dashing, as usual, in a tailored black suit, his hair styled to perfection.

"You look great," he said softly.

Rey gave him a soft smile. "Thank you." Oh, what she would have given to have him look at her like this ten years ago, she thought.

As they left the building and headed for Poe's car, he touched her elbow lightly, getting her attention. "You don't have to always wear low heels, you know," he told her with a smirk. "I'm used to women being taller than me."

Rey shrugged. "I don't mind," she told him.

Poe gave her a look. "Yeah, right." He pressed the key fob to unlock the doors, then moved to open the passenger side for her. "But if you should ever find a pair that you just love and they happen to have six-inch heels, go for it."

Rey slid into the car. "Poe, I don't think I could walk in six-inch heels."

He shook his head. "Oh, I bet you could." Then as he backed away to close the door, she heard him mumble, "And I'd love to see it."

Rey felt her face heat. Was he really saying he would appreciate how she would look in such high heels? How she would move? She tried not to guess as he slid into the driver's side, but she did give him a nervous glance. He still had that smirk on his face, and as she watched, she could swear he was eyeing her thigh where the skirt had ridden up thanks to her seated position. Seriously, they weren't even in public, yet. Why was he flirting with her?

The drive to the event center didn't take too long, as Poe's condo wasn't far from downtown, and soon Poe had handed the keys to the valet and come around to assist her out of the car. Her heart started racing again as they entered the main doors and checked in at the front desk.

"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Dameron," the clerk told them. While Rey had not officially changed her last name, she had given Poe permission to list her as Rey Dameron for business and other formal events. However, she hadn't been prepared to hear it.

Poe also seemed to start at the woman's greeting, but only for a moment. "Thank you," he told her, then with a grin at Rey, he took her hand and led her to the door to the ballroom. "Let's get this show on the road."

The rest of the evening was a jumble of names and faces that Rey could only hope to learn someday. Some people she knew as either clients of hers or those she worked with, and there were several names she recognized just by being a resident of Aldera. She and Poe wandered over to the tables where the items up for bid sat, and she helped Poe decide what might look good in the condo. Poe wasn't too concerned about winning anything as there was nothing there that either of them especially wanted, but if he did get the winning bid on something he at least knew the money was going to a good cause.

The dancing started around nine, and Rey was more than a little surprised by it; she hadn't known there was going to be dancing. Poe didn't even seem to notice as he was focused on a conversation with Cassian Andor, the owner of Andor Patrol, the largest private security company in Aldera. She wandered over to the refreshment table, but had no desire for anything there. So, she stood and watched the few couples that had braved the dance floor, enjoying the romantic, jazzy music that was playing.

She was more than a little startled when Beau Kin, one of the MDs in the clinic she worked in, came up to her with a smile. "You look entranced by the dancing," he told her, giving her a bigger smile than he had ever graced her with at work.

She shrugged. "At least they're not bored."

He chuckled. "These events are rather boring, aren't they?" He tilted his head at her. "If your new husband won't mind, I'd be happy to entertain you on the dance floor?" He held out his hand to her.

Rey glanced over at Poe, who was still talking, then turned back to Kin. What the hell, she thought to herself? "Sure," she said softly, and took his hand, letting him lead her onto the floor.

She moved with the music, grateful Beau didn't try and pull her too close, but just couldn't relax into the dance. Beau continued to offer her small talk, asking about her clients and how she was settling in to married life, but Rey gave him quick answers, trying to be polite without encouraging too much conversation. Finally, the song ended, but Kin didn't seem to think the dance was over.

Rey was about to pull away and excuse herself when she felt Poe come up to her elbow. "Thanks Dr. Kin, but I've got her from here." His voice was pleasant, but he was frowning, and his eyes were cold.

Beau had the grace to look a bit abashed. "Of course." He nodded at Rey. "Thank you, Mrs. Dameron."

She nodded back and smiled politely at him as Poe, without waiting, took her in his arms. Unlike Kin, he pulled in her in close, and Rey gasped slightly at the rather forceful motion. She looked at Poe with a frown.

"Sorry," he whispered, looking contrite.

They moved silently to the music for a while, and Rey became aware that the song was an instrumental of Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight.' She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as Poe's scent enveloped her, trying not to obsess over the fact that she was finally dancing with him. She didn't think they had been this close since the wedding.

"If you had wanted to dance, you could have let me know." Poe's almost petulant words jerked Rey out of her musings, and she opened her eyes.

"You were busy," she told him softly.

"You're mad at me."

Rey frowned again. "What? No! Why would I be mad at you?"

He shrugged. "I was ignoring my new wife."

She smiled. "Poe, your job here is not to keep me entertained. It's to gain clients and spread positive recognition. Stop worrying about me."

He huffed. "I just…"

"What?"

He licked his lips. "Is it wrong that I got angry seeing you dance with Kin?"

She tilted her head at him. "Were you jealous?"

"I don't know," he said softly. "Maybe?"

"You've always been a bit too protective of me, Poe," she told him. "It's why I never dated in High School. All the guys were scared of you."

He stared at her. "I… I didn't mean…"

"It's okay," Rey assured him. "I didn't particularly want to date anyone in High School." Except you, she thought to herself. "If you don't want me to dance with anyone else at these things, that's okay," she continued. "I'm not sure how a new wife should act, really."

He gave her a slight smile. "Neither do I." He shook his head. "It's not that I don't trust you, I just…" He didn't seem to know how to explain his behavior. He looked at her helplessly.

"I know," she whispered. "I know."

XXXXXX