He looked at her as if he knew so much more than he was letting on. Meg didn’t think twice: she dipped into his aura and dissected his thoughts faster than a viper strikes. She knew he’d been talking with Arkdone about her.
“May I introduce my companion?” Impulsively, Meg decided she could play their social game. These people were very simple in their thoughts and desires. The governor, for instance, just wanted to be revered, feared and superior to all he surveyed.
The Brisbees turned to look at the previously invisible man at Meg’s side. Meg knew they just thought of him as “the help,”—just eye candy. Meg was clearly walking dangerously close to the edge of unacceptable decorum in an elite event such as the Brisbee Benefit by wanting to introduce a “nobody” to the Governor.
The Senator just smirked and let the game play-out before him. Michelle looked beautiful and bored as usual beside him.
“Governor Brisbee, this is Gideon Niche. Mr. Niche, may I introduce Governor Brisbee?”
The two men shook hands stiffly and mumbled awkward greetings.
“If you’ll excuse us,” Meg wrapped her arm through Gideon’s. “Gideon has graciously offered to be my dancing partner.” Then, looking directly at the metamonarch, she smiled widely and said, “Shall we?”
To his credit, Gideon smirked, knowing full well what Meg was up to. He waved his hand toward the huge ballroom already alive with music and dancing. Meg nodded her goodbye to the Brisbees and walked gracefully in Arkdone’s four-inch heels across the foyer and into the ballroom.
Gideon took Meg by the waist, pulled her close and held her hand at his shoulder. He was smiling down at her with the most adorable look on his handsome face.
“That was awesome!”
“Yeah, I think it went pretty well.” Meg shrugged humbly.
“I thought you were going to break his hand when he started squeezing yours,” Gideon stifled a chuckle.
“It took tremendous effort to hold myself back,” Meg giggled and stopped looking around at the auras belonging to the wealthy twirling past and tipped her head to see Gideon.
He had stopped chuckling and replaced his sweet expression with one of concern.
“Meg?” he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Sirus wants to come out.”
“How do you feel about that?” Meg asked openly.
“Jealous,” he said without hesitation.
“Why?”
“Because this is my time with you,” he mumbled in a grumpy voice.
Gideon shook his head as he argued with himself. “Meg? Which of us do you prefer?”
She was taken aback by the question. “Please don’t do this now,” she spoke without moving her lips around a plastered smile.
“I’m sorry, but he’s insisting I ask,” Gideon looked pained, as though she had already chosen his other half over him.
“Tell Sirus he can have the next dance. It’s only polite,” Meg shrugged helplessly. It was one thing to try to figure the correct etiquette at a benefit put on by the Governor, it was a completely different thing trying to navigate the rules when it came to a metamonarch and his alters vying for time.
Gideon looked punched-in-the-stomach hurt, but nodded in agreement.
The song finished far too soon and everyone applauded the musicians as they paused to accept their audience’s approval.
Meg glanced away from Gideon to watch the conductor bow deeply and wave his long arm dramatically at the musicians behind him.
When she looked back, she saw Sirus’ nearly black eyes watching her every move.
“Sirus?” Meg asked tentatively.
He nodded once and smiled his tight-lipped smile. “May I have this dance?”
His words were so sweetly offered; she couldn’t help but smile back.
He held her at a distance at first, feeling a bit robotic in his movements, but after a minute, he loosened up and whether he meant to or not, he pulled Meg closer to him. The more he held Meg, the more she sensed his hesitant happiness.
“You’re not accustomed to having a good time, are you?”
“Hmm?” He looked down at her with reserved though obvious affection. It just looked so much more refined on his face than on Gideon’s.
When Gideon smiled affectionately he got this adorable moony-eyed, puppy dog expression. When Sirus smiled at her, he acted cautious but curious and intent on experiencing anything she was willing to share.
“You have to understand, my job is to follow rules and keep everyone else in line. I don’t usually get to have fun because I have too many responsibilities.”
“Are you having fun now?” Meg grinned at him. His eyes moved over her slowly, as though he were studying a work of art.
“You dance beautifully,” he said, dodging the question.
“So do you,” Meg complimented.
“Thanks.” His attempt at controlling his blush made his skin even pinker. “The ballots will be cast at nine tonight,” Sirus said, changing the subject.
“Yes, I know.” Meg’s eyes darkened as she glanced toward Donovan smiling widely at something the Governor just said.
“What do you think it will be like to have Arkdone as the US President?”