Hewas.
He winked.
The car lurched, I grabbed on to him, and we started goingup.
One could say they didn’t have the elevator business quiteflowing in that world.It took forever to get to the top.
But I didn’t care.
I was holding on to my man and he was taking me on the bestdate I’d had in my life, I knew that even if it hadn’t really started.
We arrived at the top, our guy opened the doors and led usout, but Loren slowed our progress and said something I didn’t get.
“Twenty men.”
I gazed up at him.“Sorry?”
“The lift.For a smooth ride, they shift around, it’s like adance.I requested they show me how it’s done once, and it was remarkable.Ittakes twenty men to lift us to the top.”
Holy cow!
“Men pulled us up here?”
He gazed curiously at me.“How else would that car rise?”
How else indeed.
I shrugged.
He smiled.
He then stopped us at the wide entry to a vast room.
I stood in the middle of the doorway, looking into the room.
And I nearly burst into tears.
Every inch of the ceiling fell with extraordinary crystalchandeliers, one fat white candle burning in each.The walls between thewindows had a line of crystal sconces holding three candles.The tables hadelaborate crystal candelabrum, the bases of them high so diners could see eachother.The smaller tables, the holder had five tapers.The larger, sevencandles.Larger than that, there were several holders on the table.
The walls were upholstered in something dark but gossamer.Web-like and subtly glittering.
The tables were covered with pure white tablecloths.Thesilver and crystal on them picking up the candlelight and sparkling.The platesdid too, as they were made of glass edged in silver.
It was dim, the lighting so carefully orchestrated, blow outa single candle, and it would be nearly impossible to see.
And all around there were views of the city.
The black-uniformed waiters, carrying trays of food anddrinks, maneuvered the dark space like acrobats.
Itwasa circus.
And it was magical.
I felt Loren divest me of my cloak to give it to a waitingattendant.
And I heard a collective gasp.
My gown, a nude beige silk that was form-fitting to above myknees, then flared out in a circular skirt, but faded to a see-through nettingabove the bodice, was stitched impeccably with cut-outs of immaculate blacklace.The lace floated in lines down the skirt and rounded the hem.It alsoraised over my breasts and capped my shoulders.And a band of it was stitchedat my waist like a belt and my neckline to serve as a necklace.
