Chapter 3
Her friend's face was glowing with excitement. Melanie had no sooner entered the diner before Carrie grabbed her hand and practically dragged her over to a booth to the back of the building.
"I already ordered the club salad and the raspberry juice for you. What took you so long?" She demanded as she plopped herself down.
"Jessica had to rush out to an appointment, and I had to stay for a while. Where's the fire?"
"I have tickets." Carrie's eyes gleamed.
"Okay."
Their meals were brought over just then. Picking up the fork, Melanie tried to show an interest in the salad, even though her mind was elsewhere. She had half an hour for lunch and could not afford to be even a minute late.
"You don't understand. This is the answer to all our problems."
"I really doubt that, but let's hear it."
Carrie dug into her Caesar salad with gusto.
She had consumed too many cookies and some chocolate cake at that damn shower they did for that whiny and ungrateful cousin of hers.
She was paying for it now. She swore she gained at least ten pounds and with her luck, it was all on her ass.
She was going to have to work like a demon to shed the weight.
"Remember that friend I was telling you about? Renee? Well, she does makeup for rich people, and we go a way back. There's this charity masked ball at the Elite Club on Saturday and she got us two tickets. Bitch! We're in. This is our chance to meet those rich men."
"I've read that the place is loaded with that type. Bankers, politicians, royalties." Her eyes went dreamy. "Can you imagine a prince taking a liking to someone like me?"
She eyed her friend critically, envying the flawless caramel complexion and the narrow face with the high cheekbones.
"The prince wouldn't spare me a glance if you're around." She shook her head. "Well, anyway, we have coveted tickets to this party and we're going."
"I can't."
"What?" Carrie hissed. "This is the chance we've been waiting for. What do you mean, you can't?"
"I've changed my mind." Melanie toyed with her lettuce and avoided her friend's heated gaze.
"I have to be sensible. I have a son to raise and thinking of trapping a rich guy and pretending to be someone else is not something I would feel comfortable doing.
I'm a mother and I have to set an example. "
"Now you're really pissing me off. We both decided that we need something to take the edge off.
We're stuck in this cycle and need a way out.
Aren't you damn tired of running to that bitch's beck and call?
Going to the local clubs and parks are no way to meet the rich.
We have to go where they mix and mingle. "
"Carrie--"
"No." Her friend gestured fiercely with her fork. "We're doing this."
"I have nothing to wear." Melanie concluded weakly, feeling her resolve weakening.
Carrie pounced, scenting victory.
"Fortunately for us, I have a friend who owns a vintage store and that's the theme of the party.
Leave everything to me." She stared at her friend's thick natural hair that was now caught back into a tidy bun at the nape of her neck.
"And I know just what to do with that hair of yours.
A few blonde highlights at the ends and a retro style. "
She practically jiggled her butt on the vinyl seat, eyes dancing.
"I'm going to make us both so stunning, we're going to have a hard time recognizing ourselves."
"I don't think--"
"That's exactly what I don't want you doing. Thinking." Carrie rolled over her like a bulldozer. "We're doing this. We owe it to ourselves."
*****
It had taken several arguments to get her to agree and even so, she was not sure she was doing the right thing.
Of course it wasn't the right thing, she chided herself as she stared at her image in the full-length mirror.
She was deliberately attending a function where she definitely did not belong with the intention of capturing a rich man's eye.
It was wrong, no matter how much she tried to justify her actions.
It was just for fun. A night of magic, like Cinderella attending the ball where her godmother waved a wand and changed her very appearance. At the strike of midnight, she would be home and in her bed. Back to reality.
Tonight was well, it was for pretense. And who knows, it might not yield any fruit. Rich people have a way of figuring out who belongs.
But damn if Carrie hadn't waved her wand and performed magic.
She barely recognized herself. She had thick natural hair that she had stopped perming several years ago.
Carrie had shampooed, deep conditioned and added blonde highlights to the tips.
She had then twisted it and blow dried it, before uncoiling it.
The style was some sort of messy afro, which framed her narrow face and gave her a mysterious look. Her eyes appeared too large for her face, her makeup flawless. Long gold triangles swung from her lobes.
She was dressed as Cleopatra and was wearing a shimmering gold dress that clung to her curves suggestively.
It stopped just short of being indecent.
Gold knee-length boots completed the outfit.
The narrow mask fit over her eyes and added to the mystique.
Hammered gold bangles were on her arms and wrists.
David was staying the weekend with grams again. She had hurried to do her cleaning job so she could take the time to get ready. Somehow, Carrie had persuaded a limo driver to take them to the club.
*****
He was definitely on his way out. He had given it two hours tops and would have to find a way to tell his mother that he was off for the night. He wanted sleep. The last few days had been hectic, brutally busy. He needed rest.
In three days, he had put in thousands of miles of travel. Being the CEO of a thriving real estate company was not a cakewalk. He often found himself wondering how the hell his dad got through it. Not only had he been a businessman, but a husband and a father to boot.
Rodney realized only recently that there had been no lack in his childhood.
His father had attended every game, every debate and competition he had ever participated in.
And he had been a damn overachiever. Roy Lancashire had also been a superb husband.
He had been the envy of most of his friends whose parents were either going through messy divorces or living in stony silences.
Shaking off the memories, he forced himself to look around the sumptuously decorated ballroom of the Elite Club. Almost everyone had turned out. He caught a glimpse of several out of towners.
He had arrived early enough to enjoy a card game with Liam, Adam, David and to his surprise, Merrick and Nico.
It often amused him to see royalties rubbing shoulders with self-made billionaires, people like Jackson Colby who had been brought up in a group home, before being adopted by a wealthy couple, him and his brother.
The members were an eclectic group, comprising of some of the most powerful men in the world.
He was a third generation member and had been brought up in wealth. His eyes wandered idly around the room, taking in the glitter of gowns, subdued laughter and conversation, business transactions taking place and flirting here and there.
He had come solo with his mother as escort.
For a minute, he felt the slightest twinge of envy when he noticed Kane Takahashi, the famous restauranteur, with one arm wrapped around his stunning wife who was also in the business.
The couple had been married for several years and still managed to look as if they were in the first blush of love.
His gaze trekked over to Bradley. The man was in his fifties, but one could not help but notice that he had eyes only for the beautiful Leesa.
He was about to put away his glass when the reverent exclamation from the man beside him caused him to look towards the doorway.
He felt his entire body freezing and then pulsing.
The woman had timed her entrance perfectly.
She was with another female, one that faded into oblivion next to her.
He wondered dazedly if it was the gold of her gown or the fact that she was dressed as Cleopatra, but he did not think so.
She was lit up like a star shooting from the sky.
The gown glittered, picking up the lights from the dozens of sconces that had been lit for the occasion. She was smiling at something her friend was saying and even from across the room, he could make out the brilliance of her teeth. And the lushness of her lips.
The gown was shy of being indecent, outlining her curves and clinging to her body like a lover's hand.
Suddenly, she lifted her head and their eyes connected. Rodney felt the powerful slam of lust straight through his body and left him staggered. Blindly passing the glass to his companion, he moved across the room.
Ignoring the voices calling to him and hands reaching out to delay his progress, he did not stop until he was standing in front of her.
"Hi."
"Hi." Melanie was in heels, but he still topped her by a few inches. Carrie had nudged her in the ribs when he started towards them and whispered in excitement that she had hit the jackpot.
"Honey, that's Rodney Lancashire. Old money and a definite hottie. He's also very single."
"Come with me?" He barely acknowledged her friend as he held out a hand.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere I can be alone with you. I'm Rodney Lancashire."
"Melanie." She put her hand in his. "This is my friend Carrie."
"Nice to meet you." He nodded briefly, without taking his eyes off Melanie. "Shall we?"
"Yes." Taking a deep breath, she stole a glance at her friend, who gave her a discreet thumbs up.
He wound his way through the throng of curious eyes and led the way to a pair of double doors leading to a sweeping balcony. Closing the doors behind them, he led the way to a group of palm trees waving in the brisk breeze.