Page 39 of A Seductive Beauty
The announcement for the wedding was put out yesterday, and part of me is praying Aidan sees it and comes to talk to me. It hurts that he used me that way, but I’m hoping he has some feelings for me and really follows through with his statement that I’m his. What hurts the most is that he’s never tried to get a hold of me. I still cry myself to sleep most nights trying to figure out why he used me that way. I know I’m naive, but I thought I had a better handle on things. I thought I understood where we stood. But I also thought he got over his fear of me being a target. I’m in more danger without him in my life.
“Okay, the dressers are here to get you ready.” My mum steps into the room and two ladies follow her. My mum picked out my dress for the hen party. One of these days I’d like to pick out something I want to wear out in public. The black knee-length sleeveless stretch tube dress is very modest in not showing skin, but it is so tight that it leaves nothing to the imagination.
I dress in my closet because my parents don’t know about my tattoo. I don’t want to do anything to make them change their minds about me going tonight. I need to see my friends. Even if I have the two shadows.
The ladies pull my long hair back into a slicked back ponytail. It’s so tight it pulls on my face and head. They make up my eyes so dark they don’t look hazel but brown. I insist on a pale lip even though my mum tries to talk me into a red. The gaudy diamond earrings and large engagement ring are definitely not my style. I hate them. Same with the black platform over five-inch spike-heeled shoes. This dress and style are the kind of wife that Patrick wants to show off to his friends. I slip on the gray fur collar long wrap coat. The April weather is a little chilly tonight.
Looking in the mirror, I don’t like the woman I see, and I’ll do anything to not be her. This is my mum’s look, not mine. I grab my clutch and walk downstairs where my mum, dad, and Patrick all wait for me.
“Remember to be on your best behavior. There will be photographers there, and everything you do reflects on poor Patrick,” my mum scolds me, and I purse my lips together to hold in the anger.
Patrick steps toward me and I cringe back, but he pulls me into his arms. I turn my head at the last moment and want to gag when he presses his lips to my cheek.
He whispers in my ear, “I’ll kill her if you do anything.” My heart clenches and I hold the tears back. I step back from him and nod my head.
When the car pulls up to the club, I see the girls waiting outside for me. The first guard—I call him Ugly and the other Uglier since I don’t know their names—opens the door while Uglier hands the keys to the valet. They both have hard faces and never smile. They look angry all the time. I’m reminded of mercenaries from action movies when I look at them. I hold my head high as I step toward the girls and try not to cry when they engulf me in a hug. We smile, mine is forced for the cameras as we walk the red carpet for this exclusive club.
I’ve heard it’s the first of its kind in Belfast, but they have others like it around the world. Not like usual clubs, this one is by reservation only with bottle service for every table. When I was doing research online about it, I found the starting price was over a thousand pounds. This included VIP service, two bottles of a major alcohol, and reduced rates for every bottle after that. The club is set to cater to elites, and I’m not sure I want to be here. I’ve never considered myself elite. I don’t know how the girls afforded this. I wonder if Patrick or my parents arranged it just so they could get the photos in the society sections.
I’m shocked when we step through the doors. Everything is crystal, black leather, and shiny. There are crystal chandeliers over the top of each table surrounded by a large black leather sofa. Part of it reminds me of the VIP section at Aidan’s club and my heart does a flop at the memories. I almost stumble when a man catches my eye near a set of private doors. Something about him looks familiar, but I know it can’t be him. One of the things that Patrick was adamant about was that if I was seen anywhere near Aidan, it was grounds for him to go after Moira.
All the booths wrap around the three sides of the outer edge of the club with a large bar against one wall and a stage next to it. Everything is beautiful and it takes my breath away. Music is playing through the speakers, but I know that soon the stage will have one of my favorite singers. Adele is on her tour of Ireland and is performing a private concert here for the grand opening.
We are led to a booth by a woman wearing a tuxedo coat dress and high black heels. She introduces our server, and I take a seat. We have a perfect view of the stage and dance floor but are off to the side near a stairwell that goes up. Our first bottle is champagne and already chilling. We slip off our coats and hand them to the server.
“I’ll pour you ladies your first drink.” The server offers when she returns. She’s also in a black tuxedo jacket dress. She hands us each a glass.
“I’d like to propose a toast.” Brigid giggles. I can guess that the girls had shots at the house before they left to come here. None of them know that I don’t want to marry Patrick. I couldn’t risk their safety by telling them either. “To Fiona for finding her forever man. Although the guy from New Years was like her Christian Grey and Patrick is like her take home to mum guy.” The others all raise their glasses. I force a smile as I look over my shoulder to see the guards, then I raise my glass too.
The night goes by with the girls drinking and dancing. Adele is amazing and I’m so glad I get this chance to see her, but I’m frustrated that this is what my life has been reduced to. I stand and make my way out of the booth toward the loo. Memories from the last time in a club doing this wash over me and a chill works its way up my spine. As I’m making my way back to the booth, I’m pulled into a room, and I start to fight.
“Beauty, it’s me.” Aidan’s gruff voice comes from behind me. “I only have a moment to say this. I wasn’t sending you away because I was done with you. I was trying to protect you and you would have come back to me. I love you, Fiona.” He spins me around and his lips are on mine before I can say anything. My hands grip his jacket and pull him to me. His words wash through my mind.
“I love you too.” I sniffle. “I thought you didn’t want to be with me.”
“I want you every day. I swear I was only sending you there until I could get more security. But we will discuss this later. Go back to the table and keep celebrating.”
“I can’t marry him, but I can’t be with you either.”
“Moira’s in danger, isn’t she?” He guesses and my eyes flare wide in shock. How did he know that? “I guessed it. Don’t worry, I’m getting you and all the girls out of here tonight. You’ll know when.”
“Aidan, I want to, but there are two guards here, they’ll kill Moira if I leave with you.”
“I told you to trust me. Do you, Fiona? Do you trust me?” His eyes bore into me, and I see the love and emotion in them.
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Good. Remember those words because you’ll be saying them again.” His cryptic words wash over me as he opens the door and carefully pushes me out. The guard I recognized earlier steps over and takes my arm to lead me down the hall. Now I know where I recognize him from, he’s the guard who helped me find Aidan the day I fled.
“Just act normal,” he says quietly when I spot my guards. I hold my head high and make my way back to the booth.
“You trust us?” Moira softly whispers when I sit down next to her, and I lift my glass to my lips as I nod slowly and take a sip.
“How?” I whisper back as I lean forward to place the glass on the table.
“I’ll explain later. Just wait for our signal. All the girls know what to do.”
After Adele leaves the stage, a local band comes on and we dance some more until the club starts to close. But we continue on, and I wait until Brigid stands up and starts talking loudly.
