Author's note: Yes, it's another update! The muse will not let me do anything else but work on this story. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 8

New Year's Eve 2016

Rey stared at her reflection in the mirror, trying to figure out what to do with her hair. Her dress hung on the bathroom door, taunting her. She'd been to her fair share of parties, but never anything as fancy as this. Kes informed her this was a black-tie affair, strongly implying that her usual clothes wouldn't cut it. So, two weeks ago, she took one of the Dameron cars into Hartford to shop for a dress. The price tags in the shop Kes recommended made her eyes bug out of her head; some of them cost more than she made in a month back in Minnesota. The one she chose wasn't anywhere near as expensive as those, but it still cost more than she'd ever spent in her life on a single piece of clothing.

A knock got her attention. "It's open!"

Leia poked her head through the open door a moment later. "You're not ready?"

Rey gestured at the mirror. "Honestly? I'm a little out of my depth here."

Leia offered her a kind motherly smile. "Would you like some help?"

"If you don't mind."

"It's no trouble." The older woman looked nice in a flowing white dress, cinched at the waist with a gold belt. Her long brown hair was braided and coiled around her head, with white ribbons through it. She ran a brush through Rey's chestnut locks; it hung slightly past her shoulders now. She'd gotten it trimmed during her shopping trip, but she decided that she liked the longer look. With Leia's help, she twisted it up into an elegant knot with loose tendrils framing her face. She wasn't really a makeup person, so she used the bare minimum, again with Leia's help.

"There. Beautiful," Leia pronounced.

"Thanks." Her cheeks flushed; she rarely did girly things like this.

"I have a feeling you will be very popular this evening, dear."

Rey shrugged. "I hope Kes invited some non-stuffy people."

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Would you like me to wait for you?"

"Nah. I can handle the rest. See you there." After Leia departed, Rey retrieved her dress. The cocktail dress was a deep navy, sleeveless, and covered in vintage beading. The skirt flared at the waist, swishing right at her knees. The moment she tried it on, she knew it was the right one. Pretty but tasteful. It took a bit of contortion to get the zipper up; she probably should have asked Leia to stay. Oh well. She could find her at the party. The zipper was most of the way up. Her wrap would cover it until she could fix it.

She found her shoes, silver stilettos. She'd been wary at first, but the lady in the shop assured her they were perfect. She could balance on figure skates; how hard could stilettoes be? She'd practiced a bit the last couple of nights, just so she didn't fall flat on her face. She did enough of that at the rink. It was cold out; she wound the silk wrap around her shoulders. She didn't need a bag, thank god. She was going less than a hundred yards from her loft.

The cold air hit her the moment she stepped outside. Fortunately, the snow had been cleared from the drive the day after Christmas, so her path was clear. Rey smiled to herself; she'd had fun that day. She and Poe spent hours outside, building snow forts and engaging in an epic snowball fight. Their snowman still sat down by the frozen pond with Poe's cap on his head. Poe smiled more that day than any time since she arrived. It was nice to see him have fun.

She arrived at the front door in minutes; she didn't fall once. Someone offered to take her wrap when she stepped through the door, but Rey declined. She was still cold; she needed to find Leia. The house was packed; it reminded her of busy nights at the bar back home. It was almost wall to wall people; she didn't recognize anyone. She figured most of them were family friends and people who worked at the company. She definitely needed to find Leia.

Rey nodded at people as she passed, her eyes scanning for her coach. She saw Kes talking to someone she didn't know, a glass of champagne in his hand. Kes hadn't been kidding; all the men were in tuxes, the ladies in fancy dresses. She was grateful that she'd gone shopping; she didn't stick out like a sore thumb. Yet.

Her eyes swept the staircase; her heart started pounding the moment she spotted him. Poe leaned against the railing, looking impossibly handsome in his tux. He was speaking to a man she didn't know. Rey swallowed heavily. Unbidden, her mind flashed back to Christmas day, the fallen towel, all that golden skin on display. Poe was very much buttoned up now, but he still made her pulse race. She really needed to get a grip on herself.

A beautiful brunette in a maroon single shoulder gown started down the stairs. When she reached Poe, she slipped her arm across his shoulders. Poe smiled up at her, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. The woman smiled back, planting a kiss on his stubbled cheek before continuing down the stairs.

Zorii. That had to be the infamous Zorii.

Well, damn. She felt like a lead balloon had just landed in her belly. According to Poe, Zorii was smart; she must be to work for Kes. Now she was beautiful too? Rey needed a minute before she did something rash. She looked around, spotting the door to Kes' office. She quickly ducked inside, flipping on the desk lamp. She took several steadying breaths. What the hell was wrong with her? Poe was just her skating partner. That was it.

It was a good thing she was heading home in a few days. She needed to get her head on straight.

Poe waved hello to guests as he passed; everyone knew him as the boss' son, the figure skater. Nights like this were always trying; he wasn't good at making small talk. Still, it was his duty. He looked around for Zorii. Rey would be here soon; Poe wanted to get the introductions over with. Zorii had been badgering him to meet Rey since she arrived the day before. Poe wasn't sure what would happen; Rey and Zorii were both formidable in their own way.

Best to deal with the fireworks early in the evening.

He walked by his father's office; the door was ajar. That was odd. Poe pushed it open. "Zorii?"

To his shock, Rey stepped out from around the desk. Poe inhaled sharply; she looked beautiful. It was difficult to make out the details of her dress in the semi-darkness, but those shoes made her legs look spectacular. Eyes up, he scolded himself.

She didn't look surprised to see him. "Poe, I was looking at your stuff." She gestured to the myriad of pictures that adorned the walls. "There are some great pictures in here." She pointed to one of Shara; his mother was on the ice, ready to perform. "That's your mom, right? She was gorgeous."

"She was very pretty," Poe agreed. "She was a show skater." According to Kes, Shara dreamed of the Olympics, but had never been able to get there.

Rey adjusted her wrap and pointed at another photo. "This one here. You look like you're not old enough to walk yet; you've got skates on. What is this expression on your face? Is that a smile?"

Poe rolled his eyes. "We usually keep this door closed during a party." He closed it behind him, shutting out the sounds. A couple of the ceiling lights came on, bathing Rey in a golden glow. It highlighted her pale skin against the dark fabric of her dress.

"What am I, some girl off the street?" Rey replied. She did a little twirl; the wrap slid off her shoulders, catching at her elbows and exposing more skin. "You probably didn't recognize me in this. Pretty great, right?"

Did she sound…nervous? Poe couldn't be sure. But he did spot that the zipper of her dress wasn't quite up all the way. "Turn around."

"What are you doing?"

"Just turn around." Rey did as he asked, her breathing shallow. The shoes made her taller than him, but he liked it. He tugged a little on the wrap. "May I?" She nodded. Poe unwound the fabric carefully, unable to resist brushing her arms with his fingertips. He folded the wrap and laid it on one of the chairs. She was standing very, very still, waiting. Poe skimmed his hands along the line of the zipper, tugging it up the last few centimeters.

Rey's heart hammered wildly in her chest. She was both mortified and elated that he offered to fix her dress. "There's a hook," she whispered. "At the top? To keep it up?"

"Right, I see it. Do you want me to…?"

"Please."

Poe had to pull the fabric away from her body a few centimeters; he needed both hands to get the hook looped through properly. Her skin was warm to the touch; Poe gulped. Up close the dress was even more stunning, tailored to her slender frame, and covered in beading. Her hair was up in an elegant twist; she looked like she belonged here. He smoothed the fabric over her shoulders, then he stepped away.

"Done?"

"Yes."

"Thanks."

Poe turned to leave; he was really hot all of a sudden. Rey followed him. "You know that book you gave me? It's pretty good."

Poe scoffed; she had to be teasing him. "Really? Using it as a doorstop or a coaster?"

Rey laughed. A waiter passed them with a tray of champagne flutes; Rey grabbed two. "Very funny. Here."

Poe looked down at the flutes and shook his head. "No, I don't drink."

Rey frowned. "It's only champagne."

"I've never had a drink in my life," Poe confessed. He wasn't ashamed of that fact. He just didn't see the point.

"You're kidding. What are you afraid you'll accidentally have fun?"

"I hardly expect you to understand."

A new voice interrupted them. "Poe?"

"Zorii!"

She kissed him quickly. "There you are."

Zorii wrapped her arm around his waist; Poe did the same. He ignored the guilt that curled in his belly for admiring Rey earlier. Zorii was his girlfriend, for crying out loud. "Key Kenobi, Zorii Bliss."

Zorii smiled and held out her hand. "Well, finally. The secret weapon."

Rey smiled and handed Zorii the flute that was still in her hand. "In the flesh."

"I guess this calls for a toast," Zorii continued. Rey watched her other hand tighten a bit on Poe's waist; he shifted uncomfortably. "Let's drink to the little people." They clinked glasses; Rey downed the entire flute in one go. This woman already rubbed her the wrong way. "I understand you went to Minnesota."

"For a while."

"I used to play a little hockey myself. For fun." Rey watched Poe's brows shoot up in surprise. She couldn't tell if that meant Zorii was lying or if Poe just hadn't known that about her. Either way, it wasn't a good look.

"Let me know, maybe we can slap it around some time," Rey replied smoothly.

"Sure," Zorii said. "And maybe you can stop by the office and help me with currency arbitrage."

Poe rolled his eyes. He knew something like this would happen. "If you'll excuse me," he said loudly, "naked insecurity really leaves me cold." He marched off, running his fingers through his curls in frustration.

"Must be tough to stay away," Rey observed as they watched Poe's retreat.

"I understand you're giving Poe a rough time."

Rough time? Sure, they'd had a rough start, but Rey thought they'd started to become friends. They were friends. Either Zorii's information was grossly out of date or she was trying to rile Rey up. What was her deal? "You know Poe."

"Yes, I do. I don't like to see him upset."

Rey rolled her eyes. "If I were you, I'd invest in blindfolds." She turned and started searching for a waiter. She needed another drink.

"Poe, there you are," Zorii said, squeezing his arm.

Poe offered her a wary smile. "Do I still have a partner?"

She laughed. "I wouldn't sabotage your dream, you know that."

He laughed too, but it was forced. Zorii always made a show of being supportive, but Poe wondered how much of it was an act. She was surprised when he made the decision to come out of retirement. Her focus was on what would happen after Poe retired for good. She kept hinting that she wanted him to come to London with her. Poe had no idea what he would do in London; his whole life was here.

He shook off such gloomy thoughts; it was New Year's Eve. A time to look toward the future with hope. That's what his mother used to say. Poe allowed Zorii to guide him toward a few of her work friends; he zoned out of the conversation pretty quickly. He usually did when Zorii talked shop. He could have followed along if he really, really wanted to, but he didn't find that world interesting.

What would he do after the Olympics? If they got that far. He was finally starting to believe that they would. Rey was amazing. She'd improved so much from the rough raw skater she'd been nine months ago. They were finally ready to start putting some programs together; he wanted to work on her performance skills. Technically, she was fine. But the artistry needed to be there too. He made a mental note to call Sabine after the break. Rey trusted her, so did Poe. Together, the four of them could come up with something really incredible.

Poe joined in the laughter, not really sure what they were laughing about. He looked across the room, his eyes flying wide when he spotted Rey. She was smiling and laughing, a drink in her hand, surrounded by men. At least a half dozen stood around her, hanging on her every word. She looked happy. She seemed to be telling a story; she had one of the men hold her glass while she gestured with her hands. It appeared to be a hockey story, given the way she was holding her arms. Her dress looked even better in the light; the beading glinted and shined.

Poe involuntarily clenched his fist. So, what if she was having a good time? Wasn't that a good thing? It was party; people had fun at parties. Still, she'd never laughed like that with him. They'd spent nine months together and it looked like she was having more fun with people she'd just met.

But that didn't feel right. They'd had fun on Christmas. He knew they did. Rey loved the snow; they were out in it for hours. Poe hadn't done anything like that in years; it was worth the cold fingers and red nose. That night they sat in front of the huge Dameron Christmas tree warming their hands with steaming mugs of hot chocolate. He'd been sorry to see the day end; he didn't know when he'd get to see Rey's bright happy smile again.

He was seeing it now though. And not directed at him. Music played loudly; a couple of her new companions coaxed her into dancing. Poe turned to Zorii. "I'll be back."

Zorii called after him, but Poe ignored her. He left the party entirely, heading upstairs to his room. He needed a few minutes of peace and quiet. It was so loud on the first floor. He could still feel the vibrations from the music under his feet, but the noise level dropped. Poe sat on the bed, breathing deeply. He ran his fingers through his hair and groaned. What was he doing? Zorii was visiting for the first time in months and he just bailed on her. He looked at the clock; it was 10:30. An hour and a half until midnight. He just needed a few minutes to himself.

If she had a problem with that, he'd find a way to make it up to her.

"Looks like you're having a good time."

Rey looked up; she was surprised to see Kes. "Hey, Kes. I am. It's a great party."

Kes gestured at her dress. "Very pretty, I must say."

She flushed. "Thanks. And thanks for inviting me."

"Nonsense. You're practically family now, Rey."

She wondered if Kes would still think of her that way if they failed in their mission. She was here for one reason and one reason only. She couldn't afford to lose sight of that. "Speaking of family…"

"Leia told me about your trip. I hope you booked first class?" Rey shook her head, perplexed. Why would she do that? Kes looked stern. "You upgrade that ticket when you get to the airport. No arguments."

Rey shrugged. "Okay. It's your money, boss."

Kes grinned. "And I'll spend it any way I wish. You need to take care of yourself. Sleep on the plane; jet lag is terrible."

Rey promised she'd take his advice. Kes left to talk to someone else; Rey looked for a new companion. Leia sat in a corner, regaling a couple of older gentlemen with some story. Rey smiled; it was good to see her have some fun. Putting up with Rey and Poe couldn't be the best job in the world. Speaking of Poe, she hadn't seen him in a while. Not since he marched off in a huff. She scanned the crowd for him; she spotted him on the makeshift dance floor. With Zorii. Ugh.

"Hey, Rey, right?"

One of the guys she'd been talking to earlier stood nearby, looking hopeful. She couldn't remember his name, but that wasn't important. "Yeah, I'm Rey."

"Would you like to dance?"

"Sure." Rey wasn't a very good dancer, but the song was slow. It was more swaying than dancing. She tried to focus on what the guy was saying, but she kept stealing glances at Poe. He seemed happy enough, chuckling at something Zorii said. Though she thought his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Not like on Christmas. That was the happiest she'd ever seen him, his smile wide and infectious.

Her dance partner spun her around; she stumbled a little in the heels. She braced herself on his chest, just as her eyes locked with Poe's. They stared at each other across the dancefloor for a long beat until Poe looked away. Her partner looked at her oddly, but fortunately, the song ended. She beat a hasty retreat.

It was nearly midnight. Guests were moving closer and closer to the dancefloor, just waiting for the New Year. Rey had another glass of champagne; she felt pleasantly buzzed for the first time in a while. They had the party at Times Square on the huge TV so people could watch the ball drop. Staff went around to each person, giving them a sparkler.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Rey asked.

"They do this every year," Leia whispered in her ear. "Best to just go with it."

Sure enough, at one minute to midnight, people went around lighting sparklers. The lights dimmed; Rey finally saw the point. The room looked really pretty with everyone's sparklers lit. She didn't see who lit hers, but she held it aloft as the seconds ticked down. Everyone was smiling and happy as they started counting aloud. "Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"

"Happy New Year!"

It was supposed to be good luck to kiss someone at midnight; Rey didn't hesitate. She kissed a lot of people. A lot of people kissed her. She hugged Leia as she moved through the crowd. An older gentleman cupped her cheeks and kissed her square on the mouth. Rey blinked and kept moving.

At the stroke of midnight, Poe kissed Zorii. She kissed him back enthusiastically. He disentangled himself quickly and hugged his dad. He kissed the cheeks of wives of people that worked for Kes. It was controlled chaos as everyone celebrated. He found Leia in the throng; Poe hugged her tightly. She was taking a huge chance on him; he was grateful to her.

The new year. New beginnings. His earlier mood seemed silly; Zorii was very attentive when he returned to the party. Poe spun…and came face to face with Rey. They stared at each other for a long beat, sparklers twinkling around them. He saw Rey wet her lips; he did the same. He couldn't kiss her! She was his partner! They worked together! He saw something in her eyes; she looked as shell shocked as he felt. As if by centrifugal force, they leaned in at the same. Poe's lips brushed her cheek at the same time hers touched his. It felt like a brand; they both turned away hastily and returned to the party.

"Everything okay, babe?" Zorii asked when he appeared at her side a few moments later.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine." He kissed her again; his lips still tingled from touching Rey's cheek. "Wanna get out of here?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

The next morning, Poe found Rey's wrap exactly where he left it in Kes' office. He picked it up, running his hands over the silk. He hugged it to his chest, taking it upstairs to his room. He'd return it on Monday.