My breath caught as my eyes met hers, and I froze mid-step.
Odette.
“Coming back,” Beckett said from behind me.
She was in dark green lace over a little white slip with a mask that matched. The color looked stunning against her pale skin, and the dress hugged her curves, her leg poking out, thigh on full display.
I wanted to wrap my hands around them.
As much as Beckett was unsure of if I knew who she was when I saw her, I knew instantly. It was like all the worry from a moment ago washed away, and Odette was my only thought again.
It was her. Really her.
I took in the sight of her one more time before Beckett stopped next to me, still unaware of what was happening. Inodded my head to where Odette was standing with another woman.
His gaze moved to where I was gesturing.
“Oh, shit.” His words were only loud enough for me to hear, but he jumped into action before I had a chance to say anything. He walked up to the woman Odette was with, and they walked off arm in arm, heads close together in conversation.
Beckett was always the smooth talker between the two of us.
I took a few steps toward Odette, a word slipping from her lips, barely audible.
“Seriously?”
“I take it you don’t want to be left alone.” My voice was shaky as I addressed her. My first words spoken to the woman I’ve been admiring for years, and it was basically an implication that she didn’t want me to be anywhere near her.
“Oh.” She gave me her attention finally, her eyes with worry in them. With Odette’s eyes on me, it felt like she could see me, and the nerves I was feeling slowly diminished. I’d moved so close to her that there were only two feet between us. “It’s not that.”
She rubbed a hand along the front of her dress, a gesture I’d seen her do before at other events.
A nervous tick.
“Then what is it?” I took another step toward her, hoping to help calm her nerves as she so easily did mine. My anonymity was also helping in my brazen actions.
There was something about this woman that made me want to get to know her, as her. Not the author or game creator that I followed, but just Odette. Her eyes met mine, and I realized how unfair it was to take these kinds of liberties when it was clear that I knew her but she had no idea who I was. I let us stand there in silence, getting comfortable, as I waited for her answer.She seemed to avert her gaze from me, looking anywhere but my face.
She was bunching the lace between her fingers before smoothing down the fabric again.
“Nothing,” she finally said.
“It clearly is.” I reached out my hand but pulled it back right before my fingers brushed her face.
I turned my back on her.
Get it together, dude.
I’d almost touched her without her consent. Any nervousness I had around her was completely gone now, and I was taking advantage of the situation, but I didn’t know how to backtrack.
Breathe.
Don’t lose your cool in front of the woman you’d had a crush on for years.
“And what if I told you the truth?”
My head turned as she reached out to grab my hand.
To her, in this moment, we were strangers. Nothing more. She was reading the situation and making her own decisions about what she wanted to say and do.
