But Nanashi Never Came
Chapter Four:
Midii took one last glance at her reflection, smoothing out the wrinkles in her black, satin dress. The fabric clung to her ample curves, showing off every luscious angle. The front dipped rather low, exposing the delicate flesh of her breasts in a seductive "V" cut, while the rear sunk to show the pale skin of her back. Midii pulled the clip from her hair, letting the golden curls land between her shoulder blades. Expertly applying a dab of gloss to her already rosy lips, she sighed contentedly. She was the vision of any beauty. Her eyes shone with admiration of her own skills. Surely she would be able to win the heart of dear Mr. Stephan Pearson without much trouble.
Midii spun, feeling the fabric lift from her legs and spin along with her. She giggled childishly as she heard the click of her shoes against the marbled floor in synchronized time with her heartbeat. Surely with this ensemble she would be able to win the heart of any man.
She heard the pounding on the door and glanced at the alarm clock next to the bed stand. The party would begin in less than ten minutes, and they still had yet to make it downstairs and into the limousine out front.
"Midii, I swear, if I have to break down this damn door I will. Get out here, we have to leave!" Midii's heart sank, her earlier elation slowly dwindling. She glanced into the mirror, greeted with her own, self-satisfied smile. Any normal man would fall for such an exquisite prize, but would Trowa? She took a deep breath, her skin shining under the lighting. It was so much easier to please the image in the mirror.
"That's it, I'm coming in!" he finally shouted. Midii heard his shoulder shove against the wood.
"Don't be so bull headed!" she hollered, walking tersely from the bathroom. She grabbed her coat from the chest on the end of the bed and unlocked the bedroom door.
Trowa fell through the doorway and staggering into Midii. She shoved him away angrily. "You're so impatient," she chided, running her hands over the front of her dress. He stood, gazing at her for a minute. Midii frowned, looking down and over her shoulder. "What?" she snapped, desperately attempting to find the flaw he had obviously discovered.
Trowa cleared his throat, making a vain effort to subdue the blush rising to his cheeks. "That, outfit-" he said, pointing at Midii's annoyed figure. "Don't you think it a bit risqué?"
Midii's heart dropped, narrowing her eyes and recovering quickly. "You want to get close to Pearson, don't you?" she snapped. "Most men would jump at an opportunity such as this."
Trowa cringed inwardly, her tone sending hot jolts of pain through his heart. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "We're supposed to be married. I don't want my wife looking as if she's, as if she's…up for the taking." Midii smiled sweetly, draping her arms around Trowa's neck and nuzzling into his chest. She sighed deeply, letting his sent wash over her senses.
"Is my dear Bennett jealous?" she mocked, feeling his muscles tighten. "Don't worry," she giggled behind her hand, tickling him underneath the chin and giving him a peck on the cheek. "I don't plan to sleep with him or anything." Trowa shook himself from his stupor, following her down the hallway and into the elevators.
"I never said anything about you sleeping with him," Trowa stated frankly, tapping his fingers unconsciously to the soft ping of elevator music. "But why the need for such an outfit then?" Midii rolled her eyes, dragging her finger across the bare skin of her collarbone.
"You want to be noticed don't you? Unless he sees something that catches his eye, Stephan Pearson won't bother to give us a second glance." She snuggled next to Trowa, mocking the façade of an infatuated woman.
Trowa stiffened, watching Midii cautiously through the safety of his bangs. She puzzled him to no extent, with her frequent shifts in moods and unusual behaviors. One moment he could barely contain his rage, yet in a split instant later, he could fall so deeply in love he could no longer breathe. His pulse quickened as he caught a glimpse down her dress. She excited him, intoxicated him, and he had no way of stopping it.
The elevator doors slid open, the two of them making their way toward the limousine. He watched as each male gaze feel on the woman latched to his arm, and suddenly a feeling of possession over came his senses. He cast a reproving glare at each set of wandering eyes, letting a satisfied grin spread across his face as they quickly adverted their stares.
The doorman bowed as they left, rushing to open the car door as well. "There you are Sir, have a nice evening," he whistled merrily, knocking on the hood as a signal to the driver.
Trowa glanced out the tinted windows, attempting vainly to keep his mind from wandering back to the image forged in the elevator. "Mi—Renée," he asked, frowning slightly and refusing to look at her. She pressed closer to him, sliding her hand up his jacket. She hummed gently, continuing her role as she snuggled beneath his arm. Trowa took a sharp breath, risking a glance at her roaming fingers.
"Driver," he shouted suddenly. "Take us back a block, I forgot something." Midii sat bolt upright, her eyes wide.
"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed, grabbing for the tails of his jacket. "You're ruining everything!" Trowa slammed the door, Midii watching his shadow through the window. He disappeared around the corner, returning less than five minutes later carrying a small box.
He plopped back into the seat, avoiding Midii's threatening gaze.
"Explain," she growled through clenched teeth, biting back her vicious anger, fingers tightened into shaking fists. "What the f-"
Trowa waved his hand, fishing from his inside pocket a small velvet box. He opened it, watching Midii's eyes light with amazement. He smiled to himself, removing the diamond-adorned, platinum ring and sliding it over her finger. Midii's mouth hung open, sighing as the light reflected from the gem and onto the black roof of the car.
"It's…It's…" she stuttered, unable to take her eyes off the treasure.
"It's our wedding ring," Trowa explained, amusement etched into his face. "No one will believe we're truly married if you don't wear one of those." She leaned back into his side, Trowa wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Do you like it? I've never picked one out before…"
Midii nodded silently. "It's gorgeous!" she gasped. "But how did you pay for it? Auntie gave me an outline of the budget, and a ring wasn't included, I'm sure! It must have cost a fortune." She turned, trying to catch the gaze staring out the window. "Trowa…did you…?"
"Did I what?" he asked, his tone unwavering, his jaw line set. Midii twisted the ring, slight confusion setting into her mind.
"Trowa, did you buy this yourself?" He was silent for a minute, battling with the thought of telling her that he had blown enough money on that single trinket to buy his own circus.
"Of course I bought it on my own," he joked, catching sight of the spotlights swirling around in the sky. "You saw me walk into the store alone didn't you? It's not like your Aunt suddenly appeared to give me shopping advice." Midii growled in annoyance.
"You know that isn't what I meant!" she snapped, pulling away from him to grab her coat. Trowa merely shrugged as the car came to a stop in front of the large iron gates.
"Than you should really be more careful in what you say and what you mean," he cautioned mockingly, stepping onto the gravel and offering her his hand. She took it, narrowing her eyes. She couldn't understand him. One moment he was demanding she be thrown of the entire Preventer organization, but then he went and did something as unforeseen as this. She was no fool; she knew for a fact that Preventer did not hand out such large amounts of money for such luxuries. Trowa had bought the gift on his own, but for the life of her she couldn't understand why.
Resting her hand in the nook of his arm, she glanced at him quickly. He was so handsome, with his jade eyes outlined by the dark lashes and rugged features. With each passing instant she found her rage toward him slowly dwindling into nothing, leaving her as helpless as any love-struck woman. Midii stood a bit straighter, lifting her chin defiantly.
To hell with these emotions, she had set herself up for enough heartbreak in the past, and God be damned if she was ready to do it now. But God did he feel and smell wonderful…
She shook herself, quelling the hormones raging within her chest.
"Shall we be off, Renée darling?" Trowa crooned, his voice sending shocks of pleasure down her spine.
"Lets," she replied, being sure to keep her voice cool and collected.
The party was already well underway. Colossal ice statues festooned each table, flaunted by extravagant displays of food and champagne fountains. Trowa began to merge into the massive crowd, mingling with the aristocratic society he'd rather avoid. Midii hung on his arm, smiling sweetly and accepting a tall glass of crystalline wine, swirling the liquid expertly in the glass and taking an elegant sip. "I don't see him," Trowa whispered from the corner of his mouth, waving to a couple across the reflection pool.
Midii blinked and shook her head, her curls sliding around her neck. Trowa craned his neck above the crowd, attempting to catch a fleeting glimpse of the host, completely startled when he heard the sound of shattering crystal. His head swiveled around, gaze resting on Midii's face.
Her features were twisted, eyes wide with shock. Her entire body shook against his, fingers twisted into the fabric of his jacket. "What's wrong?" he asked fearfully, having never seen her in such a state. Midii pointed across the pool to a man sampling the caviar. "Do you know him?" Trowa murmured, hesitation set into his face. He wrapped his arms closely around his evening wife, struggling to suppress her trembling.
Midii nodded curtly, her face now set as a hot tear rolled past her chin. "Yeah, that son of a bitch killed my family."