An enchanting evening of celestial seduction and masked mystique in benefit of Building Unity, a charitable cause founded by brothers Nathaniel Davenport and Leo Morales, Co-CEOs of M-Squared Architectural Firm, dedicated to building communities that connect and empower.
As the moon rises, gods and goddesses descend.
Let your mask conceal, your presence command, and your elegance captivate.
Masks are required.
Black tie or mythologically inspired attire is expected.
Leave the ordinary behind. The night belongs to the divine.
Addie looks at me, tears welling. “You need to tell him tonight you’re no longer engaged. This is for you, Maddie Grace.”
I nod in acknowledgment and continue focusing on eyeliner, unable to admit out loud how unbelievably romantic the gesture is.
“You know what I love most about that invitation?” I redirect.
“Besides that, even after fifteen years, Nate is still obsessed with you? No, what?”
I put away my finished makeup and chuckle. “I get the point, so stop beating me over the head with it. I love that it mentions Nate and Leo as brothers. We knew them only by that, but to the world, they were still separated by their last names. Now everyone knows their bond.”
“If I had to pick any other family to be born into, it would have been the Moraleses.”
“Same,” I agree.
Though Addie is only joking, her parents, albeit eccentric, are extremely loving. They are a tight-knit trio.
On the other hand, I did truly wish for it for a lot of my life before Mama and I began working on our relationship.
I yearned for what they had.
“God, I wish Nate had met me first,” she jokes, but my knee-jerk reaction happens too quickly to stop myself, and I throw the nearest thing at her…my shoe. “Ouch! Are you out of your mind? You could have poked my eye out with this heel.”
“Then don’t say stupid things.”
“Aww. Are you jealous?”
I ignore her and walk into my closet, which is the size of my old bedroom back home, where I gently take my dress out from the garment bag that’s hanging front and center. Being sure not to snag any of the intricate design elements.
When I received the invitation for the gala, my mind immediately went to this dress.
It had already been calling my name for weeks.
Running to the art studio early in the morning allows me to window shop without the interference of the city foot traffic, admiring all the trendy fashion designers I love and new-to-me ones I can’t wait to explore.
Designer purses sit in windowsills screaming, “Buy me,” and art installations shine bright in showrooms, but even still my eyes are always magnetized to the one corner shop.
It’s a high-end boutique with the most unique and eclectic pieces.
Every time they put a new dress in the window, it leaves me speechless. Which is exactly what happened two weeks ago. The display changed again, and my jaw dropped, and I haven’t picked it back up yet.
“Whoa. Maddie Grace, that’s beautiful.”
I run my hand over the velvet of the midnight-blue gown, making sure to touch the beaded bits gently. “It’s fab, isn’t it?”
“Look at the intricacy of those beaded stars. This dress is made for you.”
I smile, easily agreeing.
