By Chance In Oxford

21. Athena

                                                                                   4 Months Later

Today was the day, the day of the masquerade ball Lorenzo's dad was hosting for his company. I was pretty anxious. Here there would be tons of mafia bosses, ruthless money grabbers, and their wives sitting pretty in dresses and jewels worth more than my entire home town. I wasn't prepared, I wasn't comfortable walking out there with him on my arm, having them all stare at me reminding me that I don't belong. Life with Lorenzo has been amazing so far, the best few months of my entire life so far. Sweet gestures, little surprises here and there, comfort, flirting, romance, everything, it was all there. I started dating him feeling like I didn't deserve it, now though, I was hooked, addicted, what he gave me I couldn't seem to get enough of. The roughness, the danger, the dominance, I wanted more every single day than the last. All doubts that I may have had 4 months ago regarding my love for him or if he was the one had dissipated into a new state of confirmation that he was the one for me. I was willing and ready to spend the rest of my life with him. I woke up to a particularly cold bed wondering where Lorenzo was. The entirety of the house was empty, no sign of him. Checking my phone I found a text from him that red I'll be back in an hour or two, don't wait up for me, breakfast is on the table. I love you princess. butterflies swarm to my stomach as I read the message wishing I could have hugged and kissed him goodbye. It hurts now more than ever to see him go, over these months I had learned so much about who the real Lorenzo is, not the one that Society has forced him to be. I learned the way he loved and why he loved that way. The idea of him loving me was still difficult for him to understand, always telling me why I do what I do to his mind, why I make him feel stuff, why he was willing to do things that completely went against who he was for me like dance in the kitchen with me, take baths with me, and go night swimming in the pool with me most of all why he wanted to do all of it. I couldn't have agreed more with him though, I felt out of place all the time he often tried to reassure me. I got dressed in a simple wound we're set, a sweater that was cropped and a matching pair of sweat shorts. The cool fall weather was slowly creeping in on us and I just wanted to be comfortable. I grabbed breakfast off the table and began eating. It was my favorite, too lavender pancakes and some of my favorite fruit cut up on the plate. I also learned how great of a chef he was, he had always said that he had no choice but to learn to cook while he was living alone before Ophelia came to raise him. I ate, washed my dishes and headed back to our bedroom. Placing the cello in between my legs I just did the music on the stand Clair de Lune, and romance in F major. Two pieces I've been working on for a few months that I was finally getting the hang of. First playing romance finally from beginning to end. The way the music sighed at me with spinning along screaming at the top of its lungs I'm in love. I love every bit of it, as if it was made for me in my current state of life. The door creaked open and I saw him, finally home back to me. " How long have you been standing there? ", I said, I always felt like he was creeping up on me. "10 minutes, love, you're not going to come here and kiss me?", He replied. I did as he asked, please the cello down on the floor and walked towards him. pushing me against the wall and raising my thigh with his hand up against his hip he began kissing me. "It sounded beautiful. Always wish I could play an instrument and do it as well as you. ", his tone was addicting. The low growl of his voice killed me every time. Kissing him further sent a burn through us, clearly thanking him for what he had just said, his compliment. "Are you excited for tonight? ", he said. I pulled away from his grip, I didn't feel right telling him the truth, he needed to go to this ball and I didn't want to ruin that for him, I wanted him to have the highest chance at healing the relationship he had with his father even if he didn't want to. I knew the wood had rotted but I couldn't be the reason the ship sank, not today at least. So I smiled a polite smile and replied, "Yeah, of course I am, why wouldn't I be excited? This is a big day for you." Unfortunately, for this situation it seemed Lorenzo knew me too well to actually believe that I was excited. "Athena, baby you don't have to lie to me. I understand you're not too thrilled to come and believe me I'm not either but we'll try our hardest to make it a good night just the two of us like no one else is in the room. If there is anything I can do to make you feel better you let me know, ok princess?", he said while hugging me from behind and placing his chin on my shoulder. "Ok, yeah that's fine. Thank you. The people coming over to do my dress, makeup, hair and stuff should be here any minute, I have to surprise you so you must get out of this room, and go get ready yourself tough guy, unless you want to go in that tank top." He laughed, "I don't know, you think it makes me look tough, sexy? I have to show off the guns, you know?" "Oh my gosh, get over yourself!"I said, pushing him out of the room by his chest as he continuously flexed his muscles on the way out of the room. Francesca was a kind woman, free spirited and creative. I opted for a long pencil skirt fitting gown, dark navy blue, airbrushed with black glitter. It had fit me perfectly, hugging every curve before flaring out at the bottom into a train. I was nervous about this dress, it was worth so much money, and it wasn't my money, if I damaged it I would feel terrible. The shoes were glittery just like the dress was. Francesca pulled my hair back and then said, "Let's leave it loose, I mean if you don't mind. Your hair is beautiful and so healthy, you should be showing it off." So I nodded and did as she asked, she was the expert after all. Though she was highly trained to do makeup I asked her if she could keep things simple, I wasn't ready for a full face of dramatic makeup, it was my first time meeting these people, I wanted to be myself, whether they liked it or not. After what felt like 5 hours but was only 2 I was officially ready. I stared in the mirror and winced, this wasn't me. Don't get me wrong, she was incredible at her job, I looked stunning, the hair, the makeup, the dress it was all perfect and fitting and great for me. But I didn't feel like myself, I felt like someone was trying to cover up who I really was, and I quite hated that, but this was what it would take, I had no choice. I paid Francesca and said my goodbyes watching her leave the driveway. Now I had a mission, to go find Lorenzo, wherever he was, and show him my look, ask him what he thought, and see what he was wearing. Going into each large room I found it empty, but there was still one left to check. His office. Sure we had been dating for a while and we did live together but I still felt like it wasn't my place to go into his office and disturb whatever went on in there. What if he got mad, what if I saw something I shouldn't, or saw something that would make me totally change my perception about who Lorenzo really was, and as I thought this my hand lifted like I was a robot being commanded to something against my will and I opened the large wooden door. The office was huge, a large glass desk sitting in the middle, the walls covered in picture frames, most of which looked like pictures of him in places he had traveled. A giant monitor screen sat in front of his face as his fingers quickly typed in agony as if he was stressed over something life altering. The windows behind him were huge, dragging from the floor to the ceiling revealing the same beautiful view that side of the house always saw. A giant leather chair sat on a carpet facing the window, just behind the chair he was sitting in with an ottoman to rest your legs. He looked perfect, sitting there working, stressing, making a living, doing some dangerous businessy things. It was hot, I was burning up again and instantly felt I should just sit and watch all day instead of interrupting for a moment to let him see how I looked. It was too late though. He glanced my way for a split second before looking back to the computer screen and whipping his head back my way before standing up. A look of shock plastered across his face, "Well don't you just look fucking gorgeous." He grabbed my hand and spun me around him so he could see me from every angle. "God you're making me go crazy", he said as he brought me into the office, and shut the door. Sitting back in his desk chair I straddled him, which looking back now was extremely dangerous, uncomfortable, and difficult with such a tight fitting dress, I ran the risk of ripping it, but it would've been so worth it for this moment. Passionately I began kissing him, his breaths became quick paced and he began grabbing my butt, sending a state shock through me. "If I knew you looked like this, I would have brought you to this ball a long time ago.", he said through kisses. I replied, "You know it's funny that you say that, because to be honest with you I don't feel myself, I don't feel like my, I quite hate it." He looked at me, concerned, "Baby, you can change? I mean I want you to feel as comfortable as possible so if you want you can change your dress I'll call Francesca back here and we can find you something else. I think it doesn't matter what you look like, in that dress or a trash bag, you're never really you until someone gets to know the real personality lying deep inside your heart. I think you have nothing to worry about and that you look amazing but I am happy to help you solve your problem if you really think you have one.", he said as he placed a trail of kisses from my forehead down to the bottom of the fabric in the v-neck of my chest. "I think I'm going to keep it on, it could be worse, and besides I've never gotten to dress up before, i never go to things like this so maybe that's why I feel so different.", I said. He nodded in agreement kissing my forehead. "You know, you've never brought me into your office before. I barely even knew it existed.", I said, questioning him. He replied, "Well, I didn't really think it was an important part of our relationship but if this is what I get when you come in, then I would like you to distract me from my work often. An hourly schedule perhaps?", flirtatiously gesturing to us kissing and me straddling him. "Is that so?", I said repositioning myself on his lap. He groaned loudly, "Gosh, you don't understand what that does to me. You have to stop before things get crazy." I laughed, clearly understanding what he was saying. "Have you checked the clock, we have to leave or else we won't make it in time!", I said getting off of his lap. He continued pulling me back saying, "Please just a few more minutes.", whining like a baby. "Noooo, the sooner we get there the sooner we can come back and do more of this. I know you don't want to go but we'll make the best of it, it's one night and I promise you will be ok, I'll be there for you the whole night." He replied, "Ok, let's go. Pick a car, any car princess." I did as he said, picking the cool teal blue Bentley, and we were off.