Chapter 3: Shall We Dance?

Michael never actually made it to the bar, but then again that hadn't really been his intent. Besides, it was the first place Audrey would go looking for him when he didn't return.

Instead, he circled the room, content for the moment to simply take in the sights.

It was a splendid evening, he had to admit and well worth the annoyance of Audrey's company. Pulling out his cell phone, he called his parents and chatted with them for a time, describing the event to them and promising to enjoy himself before clicking the phone off.

He placed it back in his pocket and began to cross through a crowd on his way towards the buffet when he met up with Martha Wilerson and her date.

"Martha!" he greeted. "How wonderful to see you again!"

"You too, Michael," she replied. "I don't think you've met my brother, Monty."

He shook the man's hand. "Brother? Are you saying that you..."

"No! I really did have a date when you asked me. Unfortunately, I got dumped," she explained.

"If you two will excuse me, I've just noticed a lonely lady in need of some assistance," Monty said, excusing himself.

Martha laughed. "He's such a romantic fool!"

Michael looked her over, admiring the way her hair was braided, coiled and put up, rhinestone hairpins decorating it and twinkling against its dark backdrop.

She wore a dress of lavender colored satin, covered in a sheer black layer with velvet embroidery. Around her neck was a rhinestone necklace that matched her earrings.

Although an older woman, she was both beautiful and kind, which had made asking her out no chore at all. He would have asked even if he hadn't been hoping to meet up with V and Evey.

"I'm so sorry to hear about your date," he said.

"And I about yours! Evey tells me you may never forgive me for giving Audrey your number."

He laughed. "Well, at least it landed me here and has given me the opportunity to ask you to dance." He held his hand out to her. "Besides, it's the least you can do to ease your guilt over pairing me with Audrey."

She laughed and her eyes twinkled merrily. "I'd love to."

Tucking her arm in his own, he led her to the dance floor.

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V gallantly disposed of Evey's empty buffet plate and offered her his arm. "You're certain that you can do this so soon after eating?"

"Just you watch me."

He smiled as he led her onto the dance floor. "I intend to. Now let's see if those dance lessons and the therapy have paid off..."

"My! How ungentlemanly of you to say such a thing!" Evey teased, a smirk on her face.

"Ah, but you enjoy a challenge, don't you my little one?" he replied, swinging her into the first steps of a waltz as the music began. "Show me what you've got."

"My dear V, you've been the greatest challenge of my life. Now do be quiet and show me what YOU'VE got!"

A little trill of excitement escaped him as he spun her, causing her to squeal with glee, which in turn caused his heart to race. Again he took hold of her waist and found that he had to remind himself mentally to move more slowly... for in the joy of the moment his body wanted to accelerate to its own inhuman pace.

As they moved in perfect unison amongst the other couples, he felt an exhilaration sweep over him such as he'd never felt before. It was a first for him; a memory never to be forgotten.

It was their first public waltz... and Evey was spectacular; as he'd somehow known she would be.

They were officially out in society as a couple.

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Eric Finch had sampled some food at the buffet and then spent a goodly amount of time circling the room and taking in the people around him. It was the sort of thing that people in his line of employment tended to do; observe.

After some time, he moved closer to the dance floor and stood partially screened by an enormous, fully lit Christmas tree, where he could observe the couples waltzing by.

V and Evey were spotted quickly enough; they were standouts, even amongst dozens of fellow dancers. A tall, lean, graceful man with a slip of a woman who barely reached his shoulder, V held her as though she were fragile, yet everything else about his stance screamed, 'mine; stay away!'

They went by in a startling swirl of crimson, Evey's smile lighting up the room while her partner had eyes only for her.

Finch was just getting ready to turn away when Martha danced by in the arms of Doctor Cahill.

"Christ!" He froze, his heart thumping painfully at the sight of her with the handsome doctor.

'It would have been you out there with her,' he thought. 'You stupid, stubborn sod!'

The saddest thing of all was that he truly liked Martha. He more than liked her, he finally admitted to himself and he had an inkling that she had fancied him as well.

He'd really gone and screwed things up for himself this time. When would there be another event like this that he could take her to?

He snorted in disgust. She hadn't wasted any time in finding someone else.

'And why would she?' he thought to himself. 'It's not like you ever let on that you were taken with her!'

Still, it stung and more so that the man she had attracted was a good ten years younger than she. Apparently Cahill appreciated her enough that the age difference was not an issue for him.

"Dammit!" He exclaimed in a low tone.

As though to add insult to injury, he then caught sight of his partner, Dominic Stone, dancing by with Ms. Douglas; yet another happy couple having the time of their lives.

"Bloody hell..." he sighed, then turned and headed for the bar in search of some whiskey.

He might as well have a few before he called a taxi; the drink might take the edge off his despair.

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"Wasn't that Eric over by the tree?" Evey asked her partner as they swirled by.

"I do believe it was."

"He's got a lot of nerve showing up here after skipping on Martha!"

V gave her a sly smile. " I believe that he is already regretting that decision."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because, my dear, right behind you Martha is dancing with Michael." As Evey craned her neck to look, he swung her around to give her a clear view. "Judging by Eric's face, he not only spotted them, but was quite upset by what he saw," V continued once they had returned to their starting positions.

"Don't look now, but I think he's headed for the bar," she informed him as they came back around the floor to the area where they'd first seen Finch.

"Don't worry; as soon as this dance ends I'll go keep him company. He shan't have more than two shots if I can help it."

"What are you going to do, V; pull a dagger on him?" she snorted.

"No; merely dazzle him with logic."

That had her shaking her head. "Now I'm really worried!" she said, teasing him.

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"Barkeep; another whiskey!" Finch called out as the man came close enough to hear him.

"Make that two!"

Looking to his left he was surprised to see V taking the stool next to him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, wincing at the petulant way it sounded.

"I fancied a drink," the disguised man replied.

"What about Evey?"

V looked taken aback. "Oh... she's a big girl. I think she can look after herself for a short while, don't you?"

Just then the barkeep placed the two shots in front of them. V paid before Finch had his money halfway out of his pocket.

"What are we drinking to?" V asked, as each of them raised their glass.

He was at a loss. "You pick, mate."

V gave him a strange look. "Have you nothing worth celebrating, Eric?"

"Not tonight. Now make your toast before I down this shot."

"Very well." V held his glass higher and fixed him with a piercing stare. "To the ladies we admire and who admire us in turn!"

"Are you daft or just plain insulting?" he asked the man, suddenly quite peeved. "You'll be drinking that one alone."

V lowered his glass. "What about Martha, then?" he challenged.

"Oh I admire her all right," he sighed. "But I doubt that sentiment is returned."

"My dear man, it's only because you won't give the poor woman a chance!"

Finch downed his shot. "Yeah, you're right," he sighed. "I did have the chance and I blew it; withdrew at the last minute. As a result I'm out of the running. She's already dancing with a new fellow half her age; the good doctor, no less! She didn't waste any time finding someone more willing to pay her the attention she deserves..."

V drank his whiskey and looked down into the empty shot glass. "It's interesting that you should say that. I heard her not a few hours ago telling Evey that she'd had to ask her brother along as her escort. She also conveyed how much she liked you and how upset she was that you'd changed your mind..."

He stared at the man. "Are you serious?"

V gave him a 'you must be joking' look.

"So she didn't arrive with Cahill?" At V's nod, he continued, "You think I've got a chance?"

"There are no guarantees in life, Eric, but the woman is interested in you. If that isn't a chance then what is?"

Finch nodded as he thought about it.

"Eric, not very long ago, I thought I was doomed to walk this earth alone and die unloved. It took a woman with a big heart to drive home the truth; that love is truly blind and that its pursuit is worth any amount of pain, because no pain is worst than the pain of knowing you've let it slip away..."

Finch noticed the haunted look in his friend's wide set eyes and clapped him on the back. "Thank-you," he said.

"What will you be doing next year at this time?" V asked. "Will you be out there dancing with someone or sitting alone at the bar?"

"Right! I'm going out there!" He nodded towards the dance floor.

"Well, if it isn't the new Deputy Commissioner!" came a sultry voice from behind them.

V didn't quite flinch, but he did wince, something the always-observant ex-inspector instantly noticed.

He turned to see what could be the cause of his friend's distress and recognized one of Evey's coworkers, an Audrey Barnell if he wasn't mistaken. She'd spent a great deal of time at hospital trying to seduce Dominic while Evey lay at death's door.

"Ah, the lovely Ms. Barnell," he greeted her as V quickly downed his drink and began to rise.

"Now, now, Commissioner," she admonished. "You can call me Audrey."

V caught his eye just then and was very clearly throwing him a warning look.

He merely smiled in return.

"Well, I promised Evey I'd be right back," V broke in, excusing himself. "Eric, Audrey… I'll see you both later."

Finch turned back to Audrey and caught the pout on her face as she watched V's retreating back. So, the woman was trying to get cozy with V, was she? He found the idea extremely amusing, especially when he reflected that she had the famously dangerous V, of all people, on the run.

Clearing his throat, he decided to gather some information. "Audrey, may I ask who you arrived with?"

"Why do you ask?" she asked in a hostile tone.

"Well, because I want to be sure it isn't someone who will take offense at me asking you to dance," he replied.

The truth was that he really had been planning on asking her for a dance, just so that he could catch Martha's eye out on the dance floor.

Audrey smiled and relaxed. "I came with Dr. Cahill, but he wandered off a while back and I just now noticed him dancing with Martha," she explained.

"Well then; shall we go fetch him?" Finch worked hard to suppress the smile that threatened to take over his face. This had worked out far better than he had hoped…

Audrey took his arm. "Let's!"