Page 51 of After Midnight

About an hour later, I got a text from Ashton telling me his friend was thrilled to hear it fit so well.

I went about the rest of my day on cloud nine. I felt just like Cinderella getting ready for the ball. Not that I’d be wearing shoes made of glass to complete my outfit. Well, or heels.

My mind wandered through the over-the-top fairy tale as I drove to the barbershop to get my hair styled for the gala. I pondered if Cinderella, dressed in her gorgeous, flowy ball gown, felt the same way I did wearing the classy Armanituxedo. Nervous, excited, and completely out of my element but determined to fake it.

Was the stunning drag queen, who clearly had a thing for Ashton, my very own fairy godmother? I loved that thought the most. Having her come to my rescue certainly felt special, magical even. Now it was on me to go meet my prince.

***

I’d checked myself out in the mirror a million times. I looked ready?sharp tux, polished shoes, coiffed hair?but still felt wholly unprepared for the gala. I kept adjusting and readjusting my bowtie while waiting for my ride.

Dillon had convinced me to allow him to pick me up, saying there would be no room for another vehicle to park in his neighborhood. I hadn’t put up much of an argument, which I was glad about now because I felt too nervous to drive.

Dillon apparently arrived while I was finishing up because he stood waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs when I came down. The scene played out like a movie. My breath caught when I saw him. He looked as gorgeous as ever, immaculately dressed in a tailored midnight blue tuxedo that accentuated his deep blue eyes. Intense eyes that locked on me like a laser as I descended each step.

Miss Rita let out a wolf whistle, which made me grin, but I couldn’t take my eyes off my date for the evening. Dillon reached out a hand for mine as I reached the last step, and handed me a bouquet of a dozen red roses with the other.

Miss Rita rushed over to take them, saying she didn’t want to risk anything getting on our tuxes. I kissed her on the cheek, and I was shocked to see they were wet. “Are you crying?” I asked her. She gently batted me away, saying I was imagining things, and rushed off to the kitchen to put the flowers in water.

The fact that she’d stayed to see me off and had become emotional, though, made a lump form in my throat. Dillon must’ve sensed that I was on the verge of tears because he slid an arm around my waist and kissed my temple. After we let Miss Rita snap a few photos of us, we were out the door.

The night started out as some fantastic dream I didn’t want to end. Dillon’s house was decorated to the nines, even more so than when I’d been there for brunch. Steam rose off the pool in the cold night air and circulated amid the fairy lights strung across the backyard, giving it a majestic feel. Outdoor heaters appeared strategically placed around the garden, which was somehow devoid of snow. Strange, since Denver had already had several snowstorms this winter.

I felt as if I were floating on air, in my own little fairytale with a handsome prince of a man by my side. At least, I had until Margarette walked through the door.

She was draped all over an older man I’d never met, no doubt her latest target. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to recognize me at first, which gave me time to steel myself… for what exactly, I didn’t know.

Despite my initial sense of dread that came with seeing her, I managed to avoid her most of the night just by hanging out with Feldman, Dillon, and several of Dillon’s other friends. Margarette wouldn’t consider the gardens to be the ideal place for her to socially climb, so I figured I was safe staying out there. I wasn’t going to let her ruin my night.

Unfortunately, I could only go unnoticed for so long. Our paths finally crossed when the time came for Feldman and Dillon to do their set. Dillon dragged me into the main room and, to my horror, introduced me to the entire party as his boyfriend. A title we hadn’t talked about, and I sure as heck didn’t want said in front of my evil stepmother. I was convinced she would somehow use the information to hurt Dillon or me.

I could feel her cold eyes staring at me from across the room, but I refused to look in her direction. Goosebumps broke out on my skin and I shivered. Hopefully anyone who noticed would think I’d just gotten chilly being outside.

Fortunately, everyone’s attention soon shifted to Dillon and Feldman’s act. It also helped take my mind off of Margarette, and I rolled with laughter as the two pretended to be a bickering old married couple. As they cozied up to one another at the end, I even madeawwsounds along with the rest of the partygoers.

A crowd of new fans gathered around Dillon and Feldman as they finished, so I wandered back out to the garden to wait for them. I was hoping Margarette would just avoid me and continue her busy social climbing. After all, that’s why she was there. Unfortunately, I never seemed to have luck on my side when it came to that woman.

I was talking with one of the servers I recognized from school when I heard her snake-like voice whisper in my ear.

“You think just because you’ve been invited to this party, a piece of trash like you belongs here? That boy you’ve been mooning over is just having fun with you. He knows what you really are, we all do.”

I schooled my features, determined not to let her get a rise out of me. I was an adult now, a grown ass man, and I’d had enough of her wicked tongue trying to cut me down. “Margarette, you’re not supposed to talk to me,” I said, giving an apologetic shrug to my college friend as I turned toward my stepmother. “As you well know, any and all communication between us is to be conducted through our attorneys.”

“You think I’m worried about that?” she hissed. “When I tell them you approachedmeand began giving me hell, they’ll believe me, not you. Why would anyone believe a worthless nobody?”

I was surprised she was no longer keeping her voice down. Was she delusional? Judging by the number of heads that swiveled our way, at least half a dozen people had just heard her admit she was prepared to lie in court. Hell, many of them were probably attorneys and judges. Deciding it probably best for my own sake to take the high road, I turned to go back inside the house.

“Don’t you walk away from me, boy,” she said and grabbed my arm, twisting me around. Someone near us watching the spectacle let out an audible gasp.

When I came to a stop in front of her, I said in a low but steady voice, “Take your hands off me, Margarette.”

“Or what, you’ll run and tell your daddy? Too bad he’sdead!” she screamed in my face.

Several people in my peripheral vision moved around us, as if preparing to intervene, but even that didn’t snap her out of her rage. Again, I turned to go, and this time she pushed me.

I fell back against the wall, and all thoughts of keeping my composure disappeared. Anger boiled inside me, demanding an outlet. I wouldn’t lay a hand on her, not ever. My words were my weapon. “My fatherisdead, and I’ve always suspected you had a whole lot more to do with that than the police ever said. At theveryleast, you drove him to an early grave, one that he’s spinning in given how you’ve treated his children. You think you’ve won, just because you’ve taken my sisters and you’re living the high life flouncing around on some rich man’s arm, but you’re making a spectacle of yourself in front of half of Denver’s finest. I didn’t want to talk to you tonight, but you backed me into a corner, Margarette. You can’t leave well enough alone.”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, attempting to calm myself. I’d never unleashed on my stepmother or anyone else like this, and I took advantage of her stunned silence by having my full say. “I’mnottrash. I never have been, although you’vetold me I am as often as you could ever since my papa died. But mark my words, your time is coming, Margarette. That’s not a threat, that’s karma being an even bigger bitch than you are and it’ll come back around to bite you in the ass. The world is going to see you for the selfish, vain, and hateful person you are, and you’ll no longer be able to weasel your way into the pockets of another rich target.”

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