“Would you like me to help you find your friends?” Kieran offered.
“No. I’m good. But thank you.” I stepped back, giving him the out he needed to move on.
“If you’d like a quieter spot, try the third level,” he said, motioning to a set of wide stairs.
I nodded, smiled.
When he finally walked away, I watched him until he disappeared into the crowd before I looked around for my friends.
I figured a lot of people might feel awkward about being alone at a social function of this magnitude, but not me. I was used to it. I was familiar with being left to my own devices. It had been common practice at home, something I’d done for the majority of my life. Sure, there’d always been someone around to oversee my activities or watch over me and ensure I wasn’t doing something I shouldn’t, but I rarely had anyone to keep me company. This wasn’t new, and I found it was easy to wind my way in and out of the flocks of people, looking for a quiet place to hide out even as I kept an eye out for Siobhan and Priya.
I took advantage of having freedom, perusing the rest of the space. I couldn’t get enough of the design of this place, from the stained concrete floors to the black-velvet-wrapped railings, the silver accents. I was in awe. And then there were the people enjoying themselves. Some were chatting, others dancing, a few congregating at the two-top tables littering the outer edge of the dance floor, but they all seemed to be having a good time while I watched from the sidelines.
I worked my way through to the staircase leading up. Once I reached the third level, I found more of the same decor, only this was a more intimate setting. Rather than bar tables, there were rows of half-moon booths stair-stepping upward. Some had short oval cocktail tables, others with taller tables, possibly for eating. A portion of the area had been sectioned off, and I noticed there was a cake as well as what might’ve been a hundred or so gifts all wrapped in a variety of paper and ribbons.
Looked like someone else was having a birthday tonight.
Realizing this was likely a reserved area, I was about to turn back around and head down the stairs when I noticed a table front and center with a reserved sign on top. Only the sign read: Emily Campbell.
I looked around for someone who could confirm it was all right for me to sit, but there was no one other than a few couples sitting at tables scattered throughout the area. Most were lost in conversation, a couple doing more intimate things that caused me to look away quickly.
Figuring this would provide a bird’s-eye view and allow me to locate my friends faster, I took a seat, glad to be close to the railing so I could oversee the second level. It wasn’t until I’d been there for ten minutes or so that I realized the floor was turning. It was a very gradual shift, but it was definitely moving, and at some point—probably several hours—I would be back around to where I’d started.
Very cool feature.
“Emily?”
Hearing my name, I turned to scan the faces nearby, recognizing something familiar about the voice, but it didn’t belong to Siobhan or Priya. I caught sight of a statuesque blond coming down the steps to the sunken area where I was seated.
It took a moment for recognition to dawn. “Hannah?”
“One and the same,” she said, her ruby-red lips pulling back into a genuine smile.
Seeing a familiar face after spending so long in a city of strangers was like a balm to my soul, and I found myself standing tall and reaching to give her a hug. “What are you doing here?”
Hannah smiled down at me when she pulled back. “I live here.” She waved a hand. “Not literallyhere.” She giggled. “But in New York. With my wife.”
She was married?
Thankfully, that question didn’t come tumbling out of my mouth, but I couldn’t hold back the “You do?”
Hannah nodded, motioned toward the table. “Mind if I join you?”
“Of course not.” I shifted over on the black velvet booth, giving her room. “Small world, huh?”
She laughed, a sultry sound I was almost positive I’d never heard from her before. “Yeah. Small. Happy birthday, by the way. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“I am.” It was true. Even though I’d been separated from my friends, plus I felt slightly awkward from the events of the evening and a bit anxious because of the crowds, I was having a good time.
10
Knox
“The pictures didn’t quite do her justice,” Kieran said, his voice smooth and distinguished as he entered his private office on the second floor, where I’d been waiting, observing the club from the video monitors.
As I peered up at him, I wanted to tell him that not even words could do Emily justice. There was an essence about her that I doubted even the most renowned poets or songwriters could capture.
I took in the smooth, contoured lines of Kieran’s face. “I take it you approve.”
