The Blind One

Chapter 20

                  

Twenty minutes of reading the damn file and we had arrived, the twenty minutes went so quickly  and even though I'd just read the document all the way through "twice" as soon as I realised we had arrived wherever we were going, my mind went blank.

"great" I sighed handing the phone over to my boss.

Getting out of the car proved to be difficult in the se ruined dress, I was just glad that I could breath and that the dress wasn't so tight that my boobs where being merged into one. In front of us was a great big house surrounded by a forest and greenery, the great countryside air was cool as I walked up the steps with Dalton next to me. The gentleman at the door spoke to Dalton for a few seconds before we were given aces to enter...inside the atmosphere was light and bright with soft jazz music playing in the background...realising where I was and what I was doing I sighed and waited for direction from the man who was directing me...I looked around the room and grabbed a glass of champagne from the tray of one of the ushers and downed in one go and managed to place the glass back on the tray before the usher could even move. Everything began to make since.

This was a ball, literally a ball as in a social gathering, and here I was hoping and wishing that we were going on a date.

"Shall we?" Mr bus ticket man stated whilst offering his .
He brought me to a business gathering. no wonder, I mean it makes since that he would need someone to lead him around through this...ball. frustrated with the man standing next to me, I felt him tug my arm leading me to through the crowd,  stumbled a little before catching myself and walking next to him. I was so self conscious, although the dress helped me "attempt" to fit in, I felt eyes on us from all corners.

"they're looking" I spoke lowly through my teeth

Mr bus ticket man pretended not to hear me...I looked over him to see him gracefully standing tall, walking with confidence as though he was leading me through the room, I was amazed at how unfazed he seemed of his..."situation" he was just as intelligent, strong and confident as any business owner would.

"Do you see anyone familiar?" he asked pulling me away from my thoughts, my head snapped quickly around the room as I scanned through the crowd. I caught a few faces I recognised but didn't remember names of...

"umm"  I bit my lip, as I'm about to speak, a lovely looking Caucasian couple made their way to us, the man a short round man with a face as cute as a hamsters, his neck wobbled as he smiled talking to the lady next to him as they made their way over, he took short quick steps his cheeks flushed pink from the alcohol, or at least I assume it is alcohol in his glass. The lady next to him was very skinny, very tall and very pale, her thin arm looped into the man's arm as they crossed the room, she took long strides, slow and careful, yet managed to swing her hips in a way that made her look like she was on a runway, she wore a black bodycon dress that reached the floor, a slit to the thigh revealed her athletic long legs, bits of lace on the back of the dress flowed "even in doors where there was no wind" , some reached the floor, trailing that people had to move slightly for her to pass and not to step on the dress.. as they came closer something possessed me and I remembers the man's face!

"Mr Stevenson" I spoke suddenly " I see Mr Stevenson and umm...a young lady, she's tall...but wasn't on the document" I mumbled

I looked to see Mr bus ticket man's lip twitch slightly before he was ask to a straight blank expression, that I was left thinking I'd imagined the light smile.

"good" he spoke "lead the way"

I quickly pulled him back before he could move "no need, they're coming over..." my voice trailed as the couple approached us, I didn't know what to do, I smiled.

"Dalton my dear boy!" the man said loudly as though he was peaking over the nonexistent party music at a club, it was unneeded, especially because the classical music was soft and low enough for conversation.

"Uncle" My boss smiled in his direction "Nina" he acknowledged the beautiful young lady, I frowned and found myself mouthing 'how?'

"Tony, how have you been?" the lady spoke just as the older man and Mr Dalton did, where they all raised in the same place in London?

"Well, you know" he chuckled slightly, my arm twitched at the sound of his genuine laugh, the same arm that was looped in with his, he must have felt this because he turned to me as though he'd remembered forgotten side luggage.

"Ah this is my assistant Elizabeth"  he spoke quickly "Elizabeth say hello to my father's friend Mr Stevenson and his daughter Nina"

I suck out my hand to them and found them staring at in blankly. the Nina lady laughed and then quickly pretended to cough as she looked at me "excuse me" she placed a slender hand on her chest

...the patronising thing is, she didn't look at me disgusted or annoyed, she just...stared, as though she was curious yet at the same time took no notice.

"well how lovely for you to have an assistant to help you at times like these..." the older man broke out, just like his daughter forgetting to acknowledge my presence..great, I thought "but you know Nina would be happy to lead you around, she knows all your business partners after all"

My boss tensed at the sudden situation, I  subconsciously tightened my hand on his bicep.

"fantastic" Nina spoke breaking from her father's grip and moving to My boss's other side. "please allow me to take this one away from you while you enjoy yourself Alicia, poor girl must be overwhelmed"

who's Alicia? and why is she looking at me?

"uh..I guess your right" I spoke softly and slowly, each word almost breaking inspections. it took strength to pull my arm from my boss.

"Wait for me outside at twelve thirty" Mr boss spoke before being whisked away by the two Stevenson's.

The lady quickly turned around and looked at me "the food is over there darling" she pointed a long finger towards my right. how did she know I was hungry? shaking out of the trace I smiled at her seemingly rude comment and nodded...I watched them walk through the crowd deep in conversation.

"But...he's mine" I felt like saying this to 'Punani', 'Nani',' Nina' or whatever her name was, she had the audacity to forget my name thirty seconds after being told, and Mr bus ticket man just...stood there, quietly and let them treat me like that!

I grabbed another glass of champagne and sipped on it, and unlike before, the smooth bubbly taste suddenly became bitter. a lump swelled in my throat, breathing in and out repeating a sentence that I was hoping would work... don't cry...don't cry

"come Elizabeth...don't cry" I mumbled before going to explore the food area.

� -------

so a lot of people like this story, the past year has been a year out to find myself, not to mention school, work and preparing for university. I'm so sorry for being thoughtless and not trying to upload "something" but I'm trying now, as long as I finish this story then I'll be satisfied.