Hyde shook his head. "No, sir. No problems."
Alec entered the suite to find her dressed and ready. She looked beautiful, and her demeanor was calm. "So, what's it going to be Rissa? Are you ready to go to this dinner and charm the donors?"
She turned to face him, and gave him a smile. "I’m prepared to do as you wish. It’s your decision to make."
He sighed loudly. "I'm counting on you, Rissa. Please try to hold it together."
He extended his arm to her and she slipped her hand around his elbow. He kissed her lightly on top of her head, getting little response. He placed his forefinger under her chin and lifted her face to his. "We're good here, right?"
Rissa felt giddy. He wasn’t going to leave her behind. She’d give him whatever he needed. "Of course, we are."
Alec freshened up, changing to a fresh shirt and tie before he exited the room with Rissa on his arm, as Mateo and Hyde fell in behind them. Alec instructed them over his shoulder.
"Keep a low profile tonight. Stay on the perimeter of the room. All the guests are invited, and Braden will make sure there’s no one here who wasn't on the list."
The two warriors nodded as they received their instructions. They entered the grand ballroom with much fanfare and applause, as Alec immediately turned on the charm, shaking hands, and greeting potential donors to his campaign, and Rissa stood quietly beside him.
Kelsey saw him come in and moved to stand on the other side of him, efficiently whispering to him the names and information she’d stored away on each of the guests, helping him to personalize each greeting.
Rissa placed the mechanical smile on her face, but it already felt like a chore. The crowd was there for him, and no one was looking at her. She noticed immediately when Kelsey stepped in close to him and held his attention, as she supplied him with information. Her eyes glazed over as she mentally checked out, the endless line of greeters, the speeches, and the meal she must push around on her plate.
As the evening progressed, she broke away and found a seat at a vacant table. Alec hardly noticed her absence and she wished the evening would move along faster.
Alec worked the room like a pro, shaking the hands of his rich and powerful donors, people who’d expect to see a return on their investment once he was in office. The men wanted to be him, the women just wanted him, and he never missed an opportunity to impress, to make the promises they wanted to hear. At some point, he felt Rissa slip away from him and he surreptitiously watched her as she walked aimlessly through the crowd, and finally settled at a table by herself. He wished she’d play along with this charade, but he should have realized she’d sulk over not being the center of everyone's attention.
Kelsey remained at his side, whispering names and info on the people who approached him. He allowed the women to stand close, closer than decorum dictated, as they found a way to lay their hand against his chest or stroke his biceps through his suit. He felt a few hands as they slipped a folded piece of paper in his suit pocket, holding a scribbled cell phone number, no doubt, or perhaps information on a local hotel and room number.
Like most vamps, he had no trouble attracting mortal women, or even mortal men for that matter, but normally, a vamp wouldn’t put themselves out front and center in the mortal world.
He continued to work the crowd as Braden approached, and with a smile fixed on his face, he heard the campaign manager complain about Rissa. Alec turned to him, leaned in, and clapped Braden’s back like they were having a friendly exchange as he answered him under his breath, "At least she’s quiet. That's better than having her on my arm and making a scene or rolling her eyes."
Braden sighed and walked away. Alec had a point, but still, Rissa's aloofness wouldn’t go unnoticed either.
Rissa looked down at her hands, clasped in her lap, and rolled the large diamond around her finger. She reached for the glass of white wine some waiter had placed before her, and pretended to sip slowly, holding the glass in her hand. She looked up every now and again, searching for Alec in the crowd. She had no idea how long she sat there, it seemed like hours.
She stood to go to the ladies’ room and grabbed her clutch when she realized Hyde was beside her. "You’re very quiet this evening, Rissa, I’d have thought this would have pleased you to be here. You look beautiful, by the way."
Rissa stopped and raised her eyes to him. He was so handsome in a suit, classically rugged no matter how he dressed. "I’m just being the good little mate Alec requires tonight, nothing more, following my orders, just as you are, Hyde."
Sighing heavily, she laid her hand on his arm. "To be honest, I wish you could just take me back to the hotel room. I’m tired of playing this game."
Hyde placed his hand over hers. "Try to at least smile and look as though you want to be here. This is for both of you, not just Alec. Where are you going?"
Rissa shrugged at his comment. "The ladies’ room, if you must know.”
"I’ll escort you and wait outside. Do us both a favor. Don’t do anything I’ll need to report to your master."
Rissa looked at him and wondered when he’d decided to be on Alec's side. She walked ahead of him to the ladies’ room. Once done, she returned to find Hyde right outside the door. No one trusted her anymore. She smiled half-heartedly at him. "Let's go back to the circus and be clowns."
Hyde escorted her back into the ballroom and she, once again, took her seat at a table, alone.
64
Madison had spent the day cleaning her apartment. She’d shopped at the downtown farmer's market in the morning for fresh produce and herbs and was preparing an Italian dish for dinner. She loved to cook, but didn’t get the opportunity very often. Cooking for one wasn’t much fun. She’d bought some fresh flowers while she was there and was placing them in vases in both the living room and on the dining table. After a quick shower, she brushed out her hair and slipped a tie-dyed sundress over her head. Making a last minute inspection of her place, she lit the candles, giving the rooms a soft glow. It didn’t look anything like Bel Rosso, but it did reflect her style. She scurried about, fluffing pillows, checking the moisture in the potted plants, and making last minute adjustments, as she waited for Cory's arrival.
Cory was relaxed driving into Charlottesville. As he drove up and parked outside her apartment, the sun was slowly setting, and the sky was alight with a beautiful sunset. He retrieved the case of white wine from the Bel Rosso Vineyards Kate had insisted he bring for Maddie. With his hands full, he used his foot to rap on the door several times.
Madison rushed to the door to find him struggling to juggle a whole case of wine in his arms. She laughed as she swung the door open for him. "You know, a bottle would have been sufficient. Hurry! You can put it down on the kitchen counter."
Laughing, he answered her. "It wasn’t my idea, it was Kate's, and I think Shannon probably had something to do with it as well."
As he headed to the kitchen, setting the case of wine down on the counter, he could smell the aroma of something delicious in the air. "Man, that smells amazing! I never get to smell food being cooked at home."
Turning, he took her in his arms and kissed her softly, just as his stomach made a gurgling sound that announced his hunger. "Sorry, I haven’t had home cooked food in a while. Did you do all of this for us?" His eyes scanned the candles and flowers, and he smiled at her.