Hey good people, I did some revising! This one is kind of a long chapter! But things are heating up!
Elisia was being waltzed around the ballroom when Gregory tried to slip his hand further down his backside for the first time. After the third time, she complained of sore feet and scurried over to the bar as fast as her skintight dress would allow. Kitty and Nathaniel were engaged in deep conversation with several politicians at the couches next to the bar and Gregory joined them. On the other end sat Bartimaeus, who had a very drunk, very scantily clad girl clinging to him, yet still managing to sway. She sighed in misery and took the far bar seat, one away from where Bartimaeus was throwing back scotch like an American businessman. She ordered a glass of wine right as kitty lowered the lights so the ballroom was doused in a dark glow. Typically this was when Elisia retired up to her room to avoid the wild mess Kitty's parties were famed for. Several of the more uptight, older guests took their leave. Elisia sighed. Her feeling of being on top of the world had crashed and burned too quickly for her to revive the sentiment.
"Oh screw it. Cancel the wine," she called out to the bartender, "gimme a whiskey. Double on the rocks."
Upon hearing this, Bartimaeus turned towards her with a cheeky smile.
"Ah, the lady has a taste for something stronger? How did the date go then?"
Elisia groaned.
"It was fantastic. How's yours?"
Bartimaeus gave a look at the girl next to him, who was slumped over onto the bar.
"Better than I expected." Elisia couldn't help but laugh.
"Well, at least you're honest." He pried the slobbering girl off and scooted one seat over to sit next to Elisia. The bartender came back with Elisias whiskey and leaned on the bar towards her.
"Theres really not much I can do to spice up whiskey on the rocks, but I could spice up your night with a dance later." She made a disgusted noise.
"Hey chump," Bartimaeus piped up, "My night could use some spice. Wanna bring the bottle of scotch over here? Maybe then you won't have to keep running my errands for me." The bartender scowled and sulked off. Elisia sighed in relief. She turned to Bartimaeus.
"Thank-you. I didn't think these things got so foul as soon as the lights went out. But it looks like Kittys over there shoving mojitos down everyone's throats, so who am I to say what could happen."
Bartimaeus chuckled and held his glass up. "No kidding, I don't think I've ever sat through one these things from start to finish. I think I know why now. Well, I suppose Kitty did ask me to 'participate'. I'm just trying to pull my weight around here." He nodded his head towards his glass. Elisia smiled, suddenly overcome with warmth. It was so dark in here, who really cared if someone saw her drinking? She was struck by spontaneity and grabbed her glass.
"Well then. Tonight we participate until we can no longer stand." Bartimaeus grinned wolfishly.
"Cheers then." Their glasses clinked and she downed the glass in one go. It burned her throat and quickly made her head feel warm. She slammed the glass down.
"Whoo! That's top shelf shit-I mean stuff." She laughed in spite of herself. Bartimaeus quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Watch your mouth doll, I hear there are uptight conservative bitches that live in this house."
"Don't call me doll, cutie. I hear there are shit-eating little cocks of djinnis around here." Bartimaeus laughed and poured the two of them a scotch. "And besides, I also overheard that you are most likely just pretending to get along with me for the sake of formality."
"Yeah? Well that's nothing compared to what I heard." He slid the glass towards her, his dark eyes oddly mesmerizing. She grabbed her glass from him and sipped, already feeling tipsy.
"What did you hear?" She giggled. Bartimaeus pretended to look around for any eavesdroppers and leaned in close to her.
"Well, I heard," his voice was dark and silky, "that this one girl here already gave up on her date and is drinking instead."
She looked over at the secluded corner of couches where Kitty and Nathaniel were still deeply engaged in conversation with Gregory and Elisia felt a wave of relief. Almost everyone else was dancing, nearly filling the ballroom.
"In which case I'm sure he wouldn't be offended if we pretended to enjoy one dance with each other."
She turned back to face him and his eyes seemed softer, almost glowing in the dim light and from luster of alcohol. He hopped down from his barstool and adjusted his perfectly tailored vest before offering his hand to her. Her heart leapt, but she pushed the feeling to the back of her mind.
"Well then. For Kitty's sake, one dance." She smiled and put on an air as she slid off her stool, hoping to make a game of it before returning to their drinks. However, before she knew it he had grabbed her hand and she felt a sudden rush, like warm electricity coursing through her. As soon as she felt the flush creep up her neck she regretted taking off her gloves earlier. He led her out with surprising grace, taking her waist and leading her with fluidity.
Ten years, ten hours, ten seconds, time suddenly blurred together as she fell into a pool of eyes filled with distant glimmering lights like the stars. Her breath had caught in her throat when he took her waist and she never regained it, she was sure she had forgotten how to breathe entirely. They whirled around the ballroom; the outside world seemed a million miles away. Her entire reputation, everything that was at stake no longer existed. She felt the familiar flush, but now it was a hundred time hotter, it felt like her feet were made of embers and her stomach was filled with burning, writhing snakes. Surely she should check to see if the bottom of her dress had mistakenly caught on fire…
Just as soon as she realized how hot and flustered she was becoming from his proximity she looked beyond his shoulder and saw Kittys face, slightly shocked. Nathanial, as they rounded the room again, was staring. But he wasn't alone, the other couples were whispering from a distance, and then grew quiet as bartimaeus swept her past them. She whirled her head around and saw Gregory shaking his head, standing by the bar. The countless politicians she had charmed were staring shamelessly as though beholding an exotic creature at the zoo. Her breath came too quick and short and she felt her heart quicken in anxiety. The room was so plaintively tense she felt idiotic for being too enraptured to notice previously. With a djinn. of all the creatures to be holding close and gawking at mindlessly for an hour straight. She pushed him away as quickly as possible and hurried out of the room before she drew the attention of anyone else. She slowed down in the grand entrance hall next to the west staircase and stopped next to a mirror. The reflection was not a girl she knew. This girl had wild dark hair and glowing eyes. Her skin was flushed pink and her necklace askew. This girl had the glimmer of lust in her eyes. It was suddenly so plain she realized why everyone had been staring. She turned away from the mirror. Without a second glance backwards Elisia ran upstairs and locked herself in her room.
Thunder cracked in the distance and rain lashed at the windows as the storm approached.