strong shoulder of a man moving in the opposite direction.
"I'm sorry," he said steadying her on her feet after knocking her slightly off balance, "You wouldn't happen to know where the restrooms are by any chance, would you?"
"No, I don't."
She looked into his eyes and felt as though she recognized something there but was certain that even without the mask, she wouldn't be able to identity him.
"That's okay. Thanks."
He disappeared again, swallowed into the sea of masked faces and Clara heaved a sigh and turned to find herself a drink to help make the evening just a little less painful. Despite the fact that she would have rather been anywhere else, she caught herself swaying slightly with the music and looking out longingly at the dance floor as she sipped her drink. She leaned against the wall in the far corner hoping that she wasn't obvious as she scanned the others for signs of a familiar face.
"Damn mask," she cursed under her breath. Could Jenna have come up with anything more ludicrous and uncomfortable than a masquerade ball? Next time Jenna would have to find someone else because Clara would not let her friend talk her into doing this a second time.
With a second drink in hand, Clara watched the mesmerizing sway of dancers as they floated effortlessly across the dance floor. A couple of times, she thought she caught a glimpse of Jenna but each time she tried to wave, the woman turned and focused her attention on her partner. Clara grumbled, glanced at the clock on the wall, and decided in ten minutes, she would call a taxi and find her own way home. A deep voice interrupted her daydreams.
"Want to dance?"
She turned toward the voice and instantly recognized him as the man that had asked her where to find the restroom but still with the mask in place, she could discern no real details about him. A shudder of chills filled her. She let her gaze move downward to a pair of broad shoulders and lean abdomen.
"You've been standing here a long time," he mused.
"I'm not much of a dancer."
"A little unusual to come to a masquerade ball if you never have any intentions of dancing, isn't it?"
"Yes, I suppose it is," she said feeling her cheeks heat with embarrassment, "but it wasn't my idea."
"Boyfriend?"
"No, my friend. She insisted that I come because she didn't want to come on her own. It's not really my thing."
"She seems to have occupied herself well enough."
"Isn't that the truth."
"Well, if you don't want to dance, would you like another drink?"
Clara contemplated for a moment. She'd already had more than her usual limit and she could feel her head swimming with the sensation but there was something so alluring about the stranger that she wasn't quite ready to say goodnight just yet.
"Yes, I would love one," she said.
The alluring stranger wrapped her arm into his and led her to the bar where he ordered them both a drink by a name she'd never heard before. He handed her the glass and took a sip from his own. She did the same, surprised by the fresh fruity flavor that seemed to go down so easily.
"What is your name?" she asked.
"No identity revealed, remember? Tonight you are free of your inhibitions to live your wildest fantasies."
"I don't have any wild fantasies," she said and then immediately wished that she hadn't actually said the words out loud. He looked at her for a long time as though he were trying to judge what thoughts were going through her mind and then he was distracted by movement in the far corner of the room. She followed his gaze back to the dance floor.
"My name is Adam," he said.
"Clara," she said, taking the hand that he offered, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't hold you back. You should go dance with your friends."
"I thought you would never ask."
"Wait, what?"
He took her drink and set both glasses on a nearby table, took her by the wrist holding so tightly that she squealed lightly from the pressure and since her feet had no choice but to follow, she allowed him to guide her to
"I'm sorry," he said steadying her on her feet after knocking her slightly off balance, "You wouldn't happen to know where the restrooms are by any chance, would you?"
"No, I don't."
She looked into his eyes and felt as though she recognized something there but was certain that even without the mask, she wouldn't be able to identity him.
"That's okay. Thanks."
He disappeared again, swallowed into the sea of masked faces and Clara heaved a sigh and turned to find herself a drink to help make the evening just a little less painful. Despite the fact that she would have rather been anywhere else, she caught herself swaying slightly with the music and looking out longingly at the dance floor as she sipped her drink. She leaned against the wall in the far corner hoping that she wasn't obvious as she scanned the others for signs of a familiar face.
"Damn mask," she cursed under her breath. Could Jenna have come up with anything more ludicrous and uncomfortable than a masquerade ball? Next time Jenna would have to find someone else because Clara would not let her friend talk her into doing this a second time.
With a second drink in hand, Clara watched the mesmerizing sway of dancers as they floated effortlessly across the dance floor. A couple of times, she thought she caught a glimpse of Jenna but each time she tried to wave, the woman turned and focused her attention on her partner. Clara grumbled, glanced at the clock on the wall, and decided in ten minutes, she would call a taxi and find her own way home. A deep voice interrupted her daydreams.
"Want to dance?"
She turned toward the voice and instantly recognized him as the man that had asked her where to find the restroom but still with the mask in place, she could discern no real details about him. A shudder of chills filled her. She let her gaze move downward to a pair of broad shoulders and lean abdomen.
"You've been standing here a long time," he mused.
"I'm not much of a dancer."
"A little unusual to come to a masquerade ball if you never have any intentions of dancing, isn't it?"
"Yes, I suppose it is," she said feeling her cheeks heat with embarrassment, "but it wasn't my idea."
"Boyfriend?"
"No, my friend. She insisted that I come because she didn't want to come on her own. It's not really my thing."
"She seems to have occupied herself well enough."
"Isn't that the truth."
"Well, if you don't want to dance, would you like another drink?"
Clara contemplated for a moment. She'd already had more than her usual limit and she could feel her head swimming with the sensation but there was something so alluring about the stranger that she wasn't quite ready to say goodnight just yet.
"Yes, I would love one," she said.
The alluring stranger wrapped her arm into his and led her to the bar where he ordered them both a drink by a name she'd never heard before. He handed her the glass and took a sip from his own. She did the same, surprised by the fresh fruity flavor that seemed to go down so easily.
"What is your name?" she asked.
"No identity revealed, remember? Tonight you are free of your inhibitions to live your wildest fantasies."
"I don't have any wild fantasies," she said and then immediately wished that she hadn't actually said the words out loud. He looked at her for a long time as though he were trying to judge what thoughts were going through her mind and then he was distracted by movement in the far corner of the room. She followed his gaze back to the dance floor.
"My name is Adam," he said.
"Clara," she said, taking the hand that he offered, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't hold you back. You should go dance with your friends."
"I thought you would never ask."
"Wait, what?"
He took her drink and set both glasses on a nearby table, took her by the wrist holding so tightly that she squealed lightly from the pressure and since her feet had no choice but to follow, she allowed him to guide her to
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