Pieces of Truth

Chapter 11

Garden Gala

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I stared at my reflection in the mirror, adjusting my dress. I was wearing a long black Alexander McQueen Grecian gown with bandage straps against the bodice. I was ready for my night out with Clint and Josh at the Lappell’s annual Garden Gala charity event.

As I studied myself, I started to wonder. I looked like Lenorah Rossi, but who was that really? She was supposed to be a determined and passionate artist who was loyal, strong and committed, and in love with Clint Weston, but everything I know I am, everything I thought I was, is being tested. There were secrets I knew were being kept from me. I had discovered a name with unlimited possibilities, but I had found nothing, not one piece of information, that would give me any insight into what the name could mean. I had spent the last few days researching the name ‘Devon Lockley’ and had come up with nothing. No public listings, pictures or articles. Nothing. It was as if the name didn’t exist in the real world, although, I knew it might be different in the world of the Lappell. Cracking that vault of secrets would be near impossible unless someone volunteered the information for me. Clint made it very clear that the secret to that name would not be accessible through him. I had other options though. I was about to attend a Lappell function tonight, so perhaps if I name dropped, I could possibly get lucky with a reaction or some kind of acknowledgement.

I heard Clint enter the bedroom as I stood in the bathroom. He was in my line of sight but was focused on adjusting his suit. I stared at him as he fixed his tie in the other room. He can’t possibly be hiding anything from me, can he? He feels so sincere in his devotion, so binding with his love. It was hard for me to believe that he would do anything to hurt me again. But he had hurt me once before, I reminded myself. That awful lie almost broke me into a million pieces back in Morewell. We didn’t have the strongest start to our relationship, but Clint had made a part of me come to life. It was a new side to me that had embraced love and all its forms. Clint wasn’t perfect and neither was I, but we felt perfect for each other and that was what I was using to guide me in my decisions. However, with my recent brushes with cheating on Clint and our fights, feeling perfect for each other was fast becoming a past memory. I wasn’t sure what was real any more.

Clint finished adjusting his tie and then turned and smiled at me, but not just a sweet smile, the kind of smile that was warm and looked at me as if he saw his whole future. No, I’m being stupid. I’m chasing a lie that doesn’t exist. I’m wasting time with this ridiculous idea that Clint is doing something behind my back. It was about time I stopped these childish insecurities and weird feelings I had for Josh, and moved forward, and I wanted to do that with Clint.

I walked over to where Clint was standing and took his hand. “So explain to me again how this charity event works?” I asked as I began to trace little circles in Clint’s palm.

He closed his eyes as he enjoyed my touch but then opened them to answer. “Well, it’s a silent auction and the money we raise goes to the Errol Environmental Society. We bid on our favorite flower and then whoever has the highest bid, gets to enjoy the flower for the night.”

Flowers? I was confused. “So will they hand out bunches of flowers at this gala?”

“Oh no, not really. The ladies wear the flowers,” Clint explained.

I raised my eyebrows. “I’m sorry?”

Clint patted my hand and said, “Wait just a moment.” He took off to the kitchen and returned with a clear plastic box. I watched as he opened the box and pulled out a beautiful white orchid corsage and placed it on my wrist.

“We bid on the ladies assigned to each flower. I’ve assigned you as the white orchid. Don’t worry Norah. I’ll make sure I will have the highest bid for the white orchid this evening. I hope you don’t mind that I chose your flower for you.”

The wrist corsage was gorgeous. The actual bracelet part was made out of lines and lines of white pearls which connected to a pretty white orchid. “How will you make sure no one else bids on me?” I queried, still admiring the beauty of the corsage.

“I will be watching the orchid bidding box very closely,” Clint stated, making it clear that no-one else stood a chance. “Also,” Clint began, “it’s tradition to kiss the winner once the highest bid is announced and I’ll be making sure no one’s lips will touch yours except mine.”

“You better hope so,” I said being playful.

Clint bent down. “Do you really think I’d let anyone have you for the night? In this dress?” Clint’s hand began to travel up my leg to where the dress split at the thigh. I pushed it away, laughing as I did.

“Hey Mr. Weston, you have to win me first. Then I will be yours to do with as you please.” I winked at Clint. He grinned at the many possibilities.

“You drive a hard bargain Miss Rossi.” Clint pulled me up and against his body so I could feel how hard he really was.

When we arrived at the Waldorf function room, the first thing I noticed were how many ladies were wearing wrist corsages of all different kinds of flowers. The next thing I noticed was an extremely long table with small boxes lined up on it, each with a flower crafted on top, and each with pen and paper attached to every box.

The function room was magnificent, with rows of tables filled with vases of different kinds of flowers, and next to the vases were information note cards about the Errol Environmental Society and how the organization contributes to various charities to help stop pollution and carbon emissions. I had to admit, the Lappell certainly knew how to maintain appearances by throwing one hell of a fancy shin-dig.

I saw Josh standing by the bar near some older gentlemen and made my way over to him, leaving Clint talking to some people he worked with at his firm.

Josh’s eyes brightened when he saw me walk up to him. He was wearing a very nice suit, with a silver tie, his hair tousled but combed back, a slight shade of stubble on his face. He looked hot! I pulled him towards me and gave him a quick peck on the cheek to say hello. “Hey there handsome.”

I jerked myself away after I realized what I had said. Josh noticed my swift retreat.

“Norah. You look unbelievable as usual,” Josh complimented as his eyes swept over my dress and then stopped at my wrist. He moved closer to me. “The white orchid, how very fitting.” He picked up my wrist to examine the corsage. I watched Josh as he looked at the details of the corsage, holding my hand in his. “Did you know the white orchid is a symbol of purity, innocence and sweetness?” He squeezed my hand tighter.

If that is what they mean, then it was probably the wrong choice of flower for me because I was far from sweet and innocent, but the way Josh was looking at me right now, being the white orchid felt completely right.

I swallowed and tried not to think about the look Josh was giving me, and instead tried to change the subject. “I’m not sure how I feel being bid on, but I guess it is for charity.”

Josh’s nostrils flared slightly. “Well I’m sure Weston will make sure you are his.”

As he said it, there was clearly a hint of something else. Anger maybe? Or, concern?

Josh’s eyes went down the length of my dress and back to mine and then it happened again. The feelings that had overshadowed the friendship. That crossed the line and tasted the possibility of more. The way he looked me up and down made a part of me burn with desire. Fire and electricity. Flames and sparks. Needing and wanting. Tempting temptation.

I don’t think we realized we had been standing there, staring at each other, until the laughter from some nearby guests broke our trance. I quickly excused myself from Josh, whose eyes I felt bore into my back as I made my way back to Clint. He was still making small talk with some business associates that I had no interest in listening to, so I told Clint that I was going to have a look at the bidding boxes.

I scanned the tables with the boxes where the bids for the flowers were being made. The wooden boxes had ceramic flowers that were attached to the top of them, next to a small opening where the slips of paper were put in. I saw a dahlia, peony, violet, lily, tulip and many more. I saw the orchid box and wondered how much Clint’s bid was.

“Admiring the craftsmanship?” asked the deep voice from behind me. I turned around to come face to face with a very handsome forty-something man in a gun-smoke gray suit and black tie. Strong jaw, intense brown eyes and dark brown hair combed back. He looked straight into my eyes, in a very direct and confident manner, without fear of anything, or anyone.

“Uh yes. The boxes are beautifully made,” I noted, as my attention then returned to the table.

The gentleman brushed past me as he reached for a pen and paper, and wrote something down, placing it then into the snapdragon’s box. He stood up and looked at the table and then to my corsage, smiling as he did. “Beautiful boxes for beautiful ladies.”

There was a creepiness about this man that made me very uncomfortable. I grinned, acknowledging his comment and went to walk away, but he side-stepped my movement and cut me off.

“I’m Kyser Harkin,” he said, and held out his hand. Kyser Harkin. Where have I heard that name? Harkin? Harkin? Harkin? Oh, that’s right.

“Clint’s boss,” I said, shaking his hand, having remembered where I had heard his name before. Clint had mentioned him numerous times and I recalled his name from the burlesque bar evening as well.

He nodded and looked me up and down. “Lenorah Rossi. A real pleasure to meet you. I’ve been wanting to make your acquaintance for a while.”

Of course I wasn’t shocked he used my real name. He was the mighty president of the New York chapter of the Lappell. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was holding a file of information about me in his coat pocket.

“And why is that Mr. Harkin? Are you one of the many curious, or are you like your associate Mr. Wickburn?”

I probably should have been a bit more intimidated by such a powerful man, but it was my experience that such men welcomed the more forward approach. They appreciated when you showed no fear. It amused them, it excited them, and I hoped, would work in my favor.

Kyser laughed. “Arthur Wickburn. Ah yes, he was sloppy wasn’t he?”

“And you’re not?” I glared at him, trying to figure out his motives.

“You don’t need to worry about me like that Lenorah.” His face was hard but still trying to be friendly.

“Then who should I be worried about? Devon Lockley perhaps?”

Name dropped.

Kyser cocked his head, studying me before giving me a response. It took a minute but when he finally spoke, all he said was, “Who?”

You know very well who!

Kyser’s eyes darted across the room before he leaned a little closer to me. “Lenorah, whoever this Devon Lockley person is, I’m sure he isn’t the person you need to worry about.”

He was trying to say something without saying it directly, his statement laced in double meaning.

“Then who should I be worrying about?” I asked. Kyser grinned, his face smug like he knew everything but loved giving nothing away. He looked over to Clint standing near Josh at the bar.

“I think your fellow is waiting for you.”

Clint’s eyes stared at me from across the room. He used his hand to wave me over. I started walking over to Clint, not even saying good-bye to Kyser. I didn’t need to waste my time with a man like that. I’d already wasted too much time with men like him before. I had concluded in my head that he was just another version of Arthur Wickburn, but probably more capable and even less emotionless.

As I hurried as fast as I could over to Clint, which wasn’t fast given I was wearing six-inch Jimmy Choos, there was a loud bang that caused the whole room to cower. It sounded like something smashing. It came from the entrance near where Clint and Josh were standing. Their eyes looked over to me in alarm as they both went to check out what caused the noise. When I finally got closer, they both walked back in shrugging their shoulders like the sound had just come out of thin air. Clint walked over and took my hand.

“Everything alright?” I asked, as he stopped and cupped my cheek with his palm.

“Perfect. Everything is just perfect now that you’re next to me.” He kissed me softly on the lips. We noticed the crowd starting to gather around a small stage with an announcer. He was a tall, thin, suited man with a moustache, who had a woman in a long white silk evening dress holding a number of envelopes standing next to him. He tapped a microphone a couple of times to get everyone’s attention.

“Alright ladies and gentlemen, now for the highlight of the evening, the winners of our silent auction.” The room erupted in soft clapping as everyone moved inwards and towards the stage.

“I’ll call each lovely flower up one by one, and announce the winner, and hopefully our beautiful blooms will reward them with a kiss. It is tradition after all, right everyone?” He smiled broadly, encouraging the crowd to clap their approval. The audience clapped loudly but then the applause quickly died down.

Clint leaned down towards me and whispered in my ear. “Oh, I forgot to tell you that Tess flew into New York early. She called while you were in the shower, so I invited her to come tonight if she arrived in time. She has access to our apartment so she can crash there if she gets in late.”

I smiled up at Clint who was so thoughtful when it came to my best friend. “That was really nice of you to invite her. I’m so happy she is staying with us this week. I hope we see her soon. I left my cell at home so I hope she doesn’t try and call me.”

The room clapped as the peony was called up to the stage first. She was a beautiful statuesque woman with long cascading blond hair and a peach, beaded gown. “And the gentleman with the highest bid was Douglas McBluff with a generous donation of eighty thousand dollars. Mr. McBluff, please come up and claim your kiss, and your prize.” An elderly gentleman in his fifties hurried to the stage, eager to plant his lips on the buxom blond. She giggled as she kissed him, welcoming the kiss for charity. It was actually a very fun sight, and knowing that all this money was going to help the environment made it even more exciting.

Josh came to stand over with Clint and I, as we stood talking in hushed voices. We watched woman after woman with flower corsages get called to the stage, giving kiss after grateful kiss to their winners. The room was happily abuzz when my flower was finally called. Clint stopped me momentarily as I tried to walk off. “See you in a minute,” he said, excited. I winked at him and walked up to stand next to the host.

“Please welcome to the stage our lovely and delicate orchid.” Claps were heard around the room. “And I must say, our orchid here received the highest bid of the evening with a generous donation of two hundred thousand dollars.” I beamed at Clint, who was not returning the same elated facial expression. The look on his face wasn’t excitement, it was confusion. And then it dawned on me - it was not his bid. OH NO!

I didn’t have time to panic because the host moved quickly on to the winner’s name. “Please let’s make welcome our most generous guest this evening, Samuel Voltaggio.” The room’s clapping was the loudest it had been and there were more cheers than for any of the previous victors. I scanned the crowd and from a corner, I saw Samuel emerge onto the side of the stage, coming up and walking up behind me, his arm going around my waist, pulling me closely next to his body. He stopped, so he was positioned between me and the host.

The host, who was delighted by his generosity, shook Samuel’s hand and then said, “Thank you Mr. Voltaggio for your donation this evening. It means a lot to the Errol Environmental Society. Would you like to say a few words?” Samuel’s smoldering eyes glanced over to me and my dress and then he took the microphone. How was it possible to feel so angry and so turned on at once? Samuel had just walked back into my life again, giving me that same burning look and natural confidence I always found so appealing. Once I got over the initial shock of seeing him, I realized that he had just put himself in the worst possible danger with both my Dad and Clint. I was not permitted to see Samuel and if word got back to my Dad about this evening, then this could really be it for him. I didn’t know what to do. I could feel the hate of Clint’s gaze on us as Samuel inched closer to me on the stage. Should I stay or should I run off? What should I do? But I didn’t have time to think. Samuel was already holding the microphone before I could make a decision about the best course of action.

“Thanks for such kind applause, but there really isn’t any monetary amount high enough for this young girl. Isn’t she the most beautiful girl in the room?” Samuel turned and looked into my eyes, hitting me in the heart with his memory, making me feel instantly soft in the way I returned the look. Samuel’s arm on my waist only pulled me tighter, and then I felt the pinch of knowing Clint was watching us, remembering where my heart really was. As I tried to pull away from Samuel, the room then started chanting, “Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!”

I looked at Samuel and shook my head, but he only grinned at me. He lifted the microphone again to his mouth. “There is one more thing I would like to say first,” he turned and winked at me and then looked out into the crowd, his head looking directly at Clint. “All’s fair in love and war.” Samuel then dropped the microphone and spun and dipped me with aplomb, planting his lips on mine in front of the whole room. Everyone clapped and roared as he kept his lips lingering on mine for what seemed an obscene amount of time. I was so shocked by both his presence and his kiss, I barely moved. I couldn’t speak or react. His kiss was hard, but still tender. It felt like a message from him, that he still felt exactly the same for me, like no time had passed, and that this kiss was a declaration of battle that Samuel intended to win.

When he finally lifted me up so I was standing straight, I let my eyes search the room for Clint. He was still standing next to Josh in the crowd, with an unreadable facial expression. The fact that I did not know that expression made me feel scared. Josh’s mouth was hung open in what must have been shock. After the crowd stopped clapping, Samuel took my hand and led me down the stairs.

“But..my…Dad?” I stuttered, my head spinning out about all the possible dangers Samuel would now be faced with.

“Not a problem,” he stated calmly, like it didn’t matter. Like his life was not about to be taken away. How can he be so relaxed right now?

“What?” I said, very confused as we reached the bottom of the stage. I quickly removed my hand from his grip. He laughed and snorted, which infuriated me. He had no right to do this, especially to Clint. Samuel tried to put his hands on my waist again and his mouth on mine, but I turned away from him, my knee then going for his groin. He anticipated my move and turned his waist before I could connect.

“Damn, I do miss that fiery temper of yours.” He laughed at my failed attempt to drop him to his knees.

“What the hell do you think you are doing Samuel? This is really wrong, even for you. You know I have a boyfriend.” My choice of words angered Samuel.

“Wrong Len, wrong! I’ll tell you what is wrong, especially about your so-called boyfriend!” The crowd started to disperse as people parted. I looked up to see Clint and Josh striding our way. Samuel’s eyes darted to where he saw them plowing through the crowd. He then pecked me on the cheek and said, “Gotta love you and leave you Len. See you round.” He started to slip off behind the stage, stopping only once to yell back, “Did you like the gifts?” He grinned again like a naughty boy before slipping into the darkness behind me.

“Where is he?” It was the first thing Clint said as he approached me, his voice menacing. Now I truly feared for Samuel’s safety.

“I don’t know. He left behind the stage.” Clint went to follow but I grabbed his arm.

“Don’t go after him, please.”

Clint tried to shake himself from my grip. “You can’t really be saying that to me.”

I continued to hold his arm tightly. “I don’t want you to fight him.”

“Don’t do it Clint,” Josh piped up. He had followed Clint, knowing what was about to happen, knowing he would need to calm the situation for me. “It’s not worth the bruises. Trust me, I know.” I was grateful Josh was trying to help me keep the peace. Josh and Samuel had been in a fight before at a ball back in Morewell, so if anyone could relate, it was him. Clint just stared off into the darkness behind the stage. His whole body tensed and I could see him contemplating his next move. There was more movement into the crowd as a vision in green came running up to us. Choppy red hair, a cheeky glint in her eye. When the figure finally got close enough to us, I recognized the face. I wish I could have been happier, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. It was Tess. She had made it to the Gala after all.

“Surprise!” she announced. “I made it. I’m so excited to be here.” She jumped onto me, hugging tightly. I returned the hug but not with the same enthusiasm.

She stood and looked at all of us in our frozen states, oddly quiet, not moving or making a sound.

Her face went back and forth between me, Josh and Clint, as we all avoided each other’s eyes. The tension was obvious and painful, and Tess, being Tess, couldn’t help but recognize the uncomfortable atmosphere between us.

“Well gee. What? What did I miss? Did someone die or something?”

“Or something,” I thought.