Chapter 10
Meliodas had once again decided I needed to be blindfolded during the car ride. He talked and talked about meaningless garbage to make sure I couldn't focus on the turns. I was silent for too long at one point and he'd placed a hand on my knee that was exposed through the slit of my dress. It took all I had in me not to squeak in surprise at the feel of that calloused hand against my skin. And the strangely pleasant shiver it sent up my spine.
Needless to say, I didn't ignore him again.
When we were a block away, he removed the cloth from my eyes. The first thing I did was glare at him. He, of course, was smiling brightly. "Almost there," he told me with a vibrant smile. "Can't have you showing up with a blindfold on. People might talk." He chuckled at his own joke and I rolled my eyes.
It's the first time I'm able to get a bearing on the vehicle I'm in. The seats were a nice soft black leather, and with all the shiny buttons and lights making up the dash, I could tell it was something sporty - classy. Perhaps too classy for a bar owner to have sitting around. I idly wonder if this was the same vehicle I was in before - but realize that it was too small. It was more likely the sins had a van too.
I choose not to comment on the car, instead looking out the window to take in the neighborhood. Well, I suppose neighborhood isn't quite right. We seem to be driving down a long driveway, lined on either side by trees pruned to perfection and lit up with string lights tangled in the branches. It wasn't until we had nearly reached the end that I began to recognize where we were. I wasn't expecting the party we were going to, to be at the Mayor's estate. I'd seen it on the news a few times when the mayor was running for reelection and held the press conferences on these grounds.
Suddenly, I understood the need for the dress.
We round the fountain and pull to a stop at the front steps leading to the front door. People milled about outside in the same black-tie garb as Meliodas and I, sporting champagne flutes and an air of prestige that I did not feel I was worthy to breathe.
Before I know it, though, Meliodas had climbed out of the car and come to open my door, offering me his hand to help me out.
What if I just… don't take it. Would he let me just sit in the car until he had what he needed?
No. I can't let him do this alone. This is my case. I have to see it through. No matter the obstacles.
I take his hand, and he lifts me from my seat so that I can find solid ground in my stilettos, before he tosses his keys to a man waiting nearby, "Take care of her, will ya?" he asks the valet, who nods obediently before taking the car down a separate path.
Deep breathes. And smile… it's a party. People smile at parties.
Meliodas leads me up the small flight of marbled stairs where a tall burly man steps into our path, "Invitations, please." He demands, no-nonsense.
Invitations? Do we even have those?!
I'm already losing my cool. I'm ready to turn and run, but Meliodas breaks my fretting thoughts with a smile as he reaches into his suit coat and pulled two crisp envelopes from within, passing them to the man without missing a beat.
The man eyed Meliodas and I, taking the papers from the envelopes to inspect them. My ears were ringing. How long did someone need to stare at a piece of paper?
As if answering my question, the man nodded, handing the papers back to Meliodas, "Thank you, please, enjoy the party." he said, waving us through.
"How were you able to get an invite to this?" I hiss under my breath as Meliodas and I arrive in a large room. People decorated the area as music played softly in the background.
"Hmm?" Meliodas hummed as his eyes trailed across the room and it's occupants. "Gowther, mostly. King helped with the final touches." He replied quietly.
My eyes widened as I remembered Gowther's late arrival and King working at the laptop. "The flash drive." I whispered in realization.
His cheeky smile was all the confirmation I needed to know I was right.
"But how was King able to get that?" I ask under my breath. "They had to have used special paper and maybe even a watermark or something to make sure no one could forge it. Not to mention a set list of people and number of invitations. This is the mayor's home, they don't hand those things out to just anyone."
"You ask a lot of questions."
"Meliodas," I hiss a warning.
He sighs. "I already told you. Gowther got all the information, set us up under some fake names and upped the number of invitations by two."
I gawk, "he can do that?"
"I told you he was a gifted hacker." Meliodas grinned. "King took care of the actual execution of making the invitation. He's not as skilled as Gowther, but he's still pretty good. A better eye for those kinds of details anyways. Gowther's more analytical, King's gifts are… a different kind of brainy I guess you could say. He found the exact place that made the paper we needed, sent Ban to fetch it and came up with the watermark on his own."
"...how…?"
My head is spinning. King came off as a pretty average guy, nothing special about him other than being the only normal person at the Boar Hat. Sure I have mixed feelings on Diane and wish there was a way for us to be friends, but that didn't mean she was without her quirks. Most people don't threaten cops within twenty four hours of knowing them. Ban was even more eccentric than the bubbly brunette and Meliodas, as he seemed to thrive off pushing people's buttons.
Yet, with what Meliodas was implying, King was also a genius in his own right. Not as gifted as Gowther but that had to be expected when the kid had an IQ over 160. Just how far off was the Sin of Sloth? And if he was so smart, what the hell was he doing with a group like the Sins?
Gowther I could understand, at least somewhat. It was hard for the Sin of Lust to function in normal society. But from what I've seen of King so far, he could easily blend in with a higher standing crowd and have no problems mingling with any of them. The only time he seemed to struggle was with Diane and even that seemed more from the embarrassment of P.D.A than actual behavioral problems. The ginger haired man was just as easy to talk to as Diane at the bar and I much prefered conversation with them over Meliodas' smug ass.
"Each of us has something we're good at." Is all Meliodas tells me before redirecting the conversation. "Apparently Diane should have given you something a little less… flashy." I don't miss the mirth in his casual statement. "You're really turning some heads, Princess."
Heat flares to my cheeks. I glance around the room finding that there were, indeed, quite a few people looking my way. "Don't call me that," I grumble not meeting his gaze.
"Glad Di gave you something to showcase those legs of yours though," he continues as if I hadn't said anything. "Woulda been a shame to hide them." He says it in that same easy going manner he always seems to have. His gaze is hardly even on me as those bright green eyes lazily observe the room. "Looks good on you."
My stomach does those weird flips again at his last comment. It's the first time he's given me a compliment that hasn't sounded like some lame pickup line. I take a deep breath, hoping it'll calm the sudden racing of my heart. What is going on with me? Why am I so nervous? Sure, I'm in the middle of a case that will make or break my career, but that doesn't seem to be the reason for my discomfort tonight.
I need a distraction. Again.
Snatching a glass from a passing waiter, I down the contents. Meliodas quirks an amused brow before grabbing one of his own. He takes a slip. "Don't be in too much of a hurry. We'll have plenty of time for drinking later."
"If you told me what, exactly we were doing, I wouldn't have to drink to pass the time."
"Mingling," He answers, making a point to keep his voice down as he leads me away from anyone who might overhear us, "Take some time to eat, drink," he starts listing off things as he smiles and nods at those we pass in some sort of effort of being social, "Check out the mayor's office, maybe do some dancing and of course meet up with everyone back at the bar for some fun."
"What did you just say?" I gape at him, grip tightening dangerously on my glass and stopping dead in my tracks. I drop my voice with a quick glance around us, "You did not just say check out the mayor's office!"
"Sure I did," he tilts his head like he's looking for someone in particular. "Why else would we be here?"
I'm starting to feel like the butt of a really bad joke. "What exactly do you need me here for?"
Finally, Meliodas turns his attention back to me, "Well, this is what you wanted my help for right? I know where to find some of the information you're looking for," he stares at me. "Plus, a guy coming to this alone is a lot more suspicious than one with a hot date."
I knew it… "You're insufferable," I scrunch my nose at him and he merely smiles.
"One of my more redeeming qualities," he jokes. "We should dance," he throws in out of nowhere and grabs my empty champagne flute to set it on a nearby table. He gently takes my wrist and leads me to the highly populated floor.
"W-what are you doing?" I stumble with my words as his hand comes into contact with my hip.
He quirks a brow, "dancing."
"Why?"
"A lot easier to look around a room this way," he explains lowly.
That intolerable grin on his face has me second guessing him. "Really? No other reason?"
"Well," he drawls, hand slipping slowly to rest on the small of my back, leaving a trail of goosebumps that very quickly spread like wildfire over my skin. "Wanna make sure everyone here knows you're with me." His hand is strong and steady and possessive all at the same time. A statement of ownership to anyone watching.
I roll my eyes, hoping my cheeks aren't as warm as I think they are. "We've been together since we got here. Seems obvious."
"I don't know, lots of rich people show up with one person at these things and leave with another," Meliodas' tone is teasing, but it seems to have a hint of truth hidden in there as well.
"How do you know that?" I frown.
He doesn't answer me, his eyes following someone behind me. "Think it's about time we make our move, Elizabeth."
My heart lurches at the sound of my name. "Already?" I try to ignore the odd sensation. His hand begins to roam a little too low to be appropriate. "W-What are you doing?"
A sly smirk greets me. "Setting the scene," he whispers.
"What?"
He pulls me off the dance floor, saying nothing more. His steps are faster than needed as we duck into what appears to be an empty hall. There's not a soul around as Meliodas slows his pace. My heart is pounding against my chest. Not even remotely prepared to be looking through rooms right now after his hands moved across my body so easily. We don't make it far down the hall before we are stopped.
"Hey! Where do you two think you're going?" The voice rattles me to my bones and I feel my entire body ignite. We'd been caught so easily, and we probably aren't even close to the main office yet.
I am in the process of coming up with an excuse when Meliodas wraps his arm around my waist, turning to see whoever had called after us, "C'mon man… you're being a total cock-block!" He gives a daring glare to the man, then looks back to me, pulling me close. Too close. I can feel every hair on my body stand on end as he pulls me closer still. "Isn't that right, baby?" he asks me in a gruff tone, that I'm embarrassed to admit I find seductive.
I hate you so much… His sudden actions on the dance floor making much more sense, though. He wanted us to be seen.
Without another thought, I wrap my arms around him too, pulling him closer to my cleavage than I ever want to see him again, "That's right," I pur, somehow managing to make my tone sound deep and sensual.
Veronica's voice in my head has me on edge. I can hear her telling me how terrible of a liar I am; 'Elle the tell-all'. I'll show her…
My fingers trace up Meliodas' back and I feel him shiver against me as my hand climbs all the way up to his unruly blonde hair. Twisting it in my fingers, I pull until I can lean in and kiss him. He's surprised, I can feel it in the way he hesitates to reciprocate. But he's quick to overcome his shock, pulling me so that he is dipping me towards the floor. It's long, and deep, and I lose myself in it. When was the last time I was kissed this… passionately?
We break apart and we're breathless. My heart is pounding. I can't get my head to stop spinning.
What was I doing?
Right… I don't take my eyes off of Meliodas as I address our audience, "Tell us where the bathroom is or this hallway is going to get messy."
The man growls under his breath, saying something about 'this generation' and 'rabbits' before he finally concedes, "Down the hall, third door on the right." He says flatly before leaving us there in the hall.
Alone.
Meliodas pulls me upright.
Mortified didn't even begin to describe how I felt.
Even the blonde is quiet. A miracle that doesn't last long as a shit-eating grin replaces silent contemplation, "Definitely a closet freak." He says, confirming his and Ban's suspicions from days prior.
Yup. Mortified was only a tenth of the emotion coursing through me. I spin in my heels trying desperately to hide the shade of red that currently made up my entire body and start down the hall without him, "Let's get this over with before I have to sacrifice any more of my dignity."
He catches up to me too easily, "Wonder what else you'd do for the sake of staying undercover. We may need you to makeout with Diane at some point. That'd be a damn good distraction." I can hear the ill covered amusement in his tone.
"Meliodas, I swear to god, I have a gun and I will shoot you."
"In that dress? There is no way you managed to bring a gun." he gives me the once over, before walking a step further, taking the lead.
Try me, asshole.
Dom: *seems to be very focused on luv* He~y you! I wanna *hic* I wanna kiss you!
Luv: *looks at Dom very confused* Why? *hic* *has another drink of wine* That's silly. *bops Dom on the nose* You're silly~! *giggles, falling off her chair*
Dom: *touches her own nose in confusion taking several minutes to realize luv is now on the floor* Be~cause… wait… Luv? Where, did you… oh - *slides out of her own chair, bringing her glass of wine with her to sit on the floor* Cause. The *hic* wine told me to.
Luv: *rubs at her eyes sleepily* The wine? That's silly! You're silly~! *bops Dom's wine glass and bursts into another fit of giggles*
Dom: *rubs her cheek on the side of the glass* Ssshhhhh~ she did-*hic*-didn't mean it.
Luv: Dom, dom~! *Pokes the other side of Dom's cheek.* Is it my turn to give the *hic* the uh… what's the word… not story… um…
Dom: *sways back and forth before popping up slightly* Prologue! No… Preview! *hic*
Luv: *straightens up and attempts to snap fingers* That's it! Next time on *hic* Don't Trust Me: It's undercover in-inception as Elizabeth and Meliodas get closer to their target. But what *hic* else does this party have in store for them? And when they're really put to the test, will she blow her cover to save their asses? *giggles* asses… *busts out laughing and falls back over. starts snoring*
Dom: *Waves to the audience, swaying back and forth again* Bye~! See you *hic* guys nex- time
Luv: *continues mumbling in her sleep* ...King….