"Hi, Ms. Wolf. What time is my dress fitting for the Ball?"
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Tracy opened her car door. The valet walked up to her and waited while she put her high heels on. No way she would have driven her car up these windy mountain roads in heels- she might never have made it! She stood up and smoothed her off-white satin gown, then handed the keys to the valet.
She looked at the structure in front of her. The mountain chalet was gorgeous, even if it was at the end of a long and windy road. The view from the balcony would be spectacular, she knew. This far out of town, she might even be able to see stars tonight.
She walked up the stairs. There was a lot of security in here tonight. She hoped that they would buy her story.
The head of Mr. Hayes' regular security detail, Greg, was at the door. He smiled as he saw her. "Ms. Collins, a pleasure to see you!" For a moment, he looked confused.
Tracy spoke before he could ask any questions. "I'm Mr. Hayes' 'plus one'."
Greg looked at his list. "Mr. Hayes has already arrived with Jenna Tice," he said.
Tracy waved her hand dismissively. "That was for appearances. I'm his official date for tonight," she said, confidently.
He looked over his list again. "Well... Jenna is on the list anyway, so he's still got his 'plus one' available." He looked behind him, as if he were going to call for someone to check. Tracy started to sweat a little bit, thinking that her plan was about to come crashing down. However, Greg turned back to her with a smile, gesturing over his shoulder. "Go on ahead, Ms. Collins."
Tracy smiled at him. She knew she liked him for a reason. She stepped through the metal detector, wondering how Jenna had made it through with her shoe. Then she realized that the buckles were made of metal and that the machine was probably designed to ignore shoes.
She stepped into the main ballroom. Not quite the hall of mirrors that it had been in Jenna's dream, but still a fancy looking place. There were all sorts of important looking people there, several of which were members of the Board of Directors for Mr. Hayes' company. She thought that it was probable that she was the only person here with a net worth of less than a million dollars.
She began to scan the crowd for Mr. Hayes, but she didn't have to look long. A hush came over the crowd as a man began to announce the charity's functions and how each donation went to help cancer patients worldwide. Then, the man called Mr. Hayes up to give a speech.
Tracy knew he had rehearsed this speech a lot, but she knew he would manage to deliver it as if it were off the cuff.
"You know me, and you know I don't like to talk for long, so I'll keep this brief.
My father died of cancer ten years ago. A self made millionaire, he invested in my company early on, and I wouldn't be the man I am today if not for him. I owe it to his legacy to try and donate more and more of the fortune we accumulated together to try and beat his killer.
I owe even more of my success to our biggest investor, and he's here tonight. When my father died, he took over, becoming like a father to me. John Tice, where are you? Let's give him a round of applause!"
He scanned the audience, looking for John Tice. His eyes briefly passed over Tracy, then snapped back to her. As he confirmed it was her, a brief scowl passed across his face, then a big smile. He thinks I'm here to apologize, she thought.
His eyes moved on, and finally found John Tice. He was standing with his daughter, Jenna, and accepting his round of applause. When Tracy laid eyes on Jenna, she knew that her dream had been true. She was in the same dress as she had been in the dream. Tracy couldn't see her shoes with all the people between them, but she didn't need to. While everyone was clapping and smiling, Jenna was staring up at Mr. Hayes, a cold determination in her eyes. It was the look of a woman about to murder.
Mr. Hayes continued with his speech. "That's all I've got for you tonight, so give what you can, and drink enough to make my Dad proud!" A cheer rose up from the crowd, and Mr. Hayes walked off the stage.
Most people expected him to walk to John Tice, but instead, he made a bee-line to Tracy.
"Tracy. Since you're already in, I won't have security escort you out." It was a serious thing to say, but Mr. Hayes said it like it was a joke, so Tracy let it slide. "Truthfully, I'm glad to see you. I'm sorry we fought."
It wasn't quite an apology, but it would do for now. "Thank you, Mr. Hayes."
He moved his hands to her shoulders. "I know we were both hungover, and I understand your jealousy. I totally get it. But you're the only woman for me. You have nothing to worry about," he said, looking into her eyes.
Tracy might have melted at his words, his voice, his look. "Oh, Paul," she said, calling him by his first name for the very first time.
He looked as if he might melt too, it was so sweet a moment. Tracy's mood, however, quickly hardened as she saw Jenna walking up with two wine glasses.
"Oh. Hi, Tracy!" Jenna said, as bubbly as she was the night before. "That dress looks great on you!"
Tracy knew that Jenna had no idea that she knew her plans. When Jenna handed Mr. Hayes a glass of champagne, Tracy cried out, "Don't drink that!"
Mr. Hayes looked shocked. "I thought we were past this, Tracy."
"What's the matter?" Jenna asked.
Mr. Hayes turned to Jenna. "Tracy thinks you're going to try to poison me tonight."
A momentary flash of anger and then horror that Tracy knew and that she would suggest something that was going to ruin her plans. "That's ridiculous! Here." She took his glass of champagne and took a sip of it, then took a sip of her own champagne.
Mr. Hayes turned back to Tracy. "Are you satisfied?"
Tracy knew that she only had one last chance. "Please, Mr. Hayes, just look in her shoe. Check to see if there's anything in the compartment."
The color drained from Jenna's face, but again she recovered quickly. "Look, Tracy, I'm sorry that you're jealous. I should have known that last night was a mistake, but I can promise you that Paul's place is by your side. I'm not here to replace you."
It was exactly what Mr. Hayes needed to hear to turn against Tracy. "See? Please, Tracy, enjoy the rest of the night, but leave the two of us alone."
Tracy felt sick to her stomach. "Mr. Hayes, please! If you check her shoes, I promise I'll leave and give you as much space as you need."
Mr. Hayes looked really angry. "You know what? Fine. I'm sorry to do this Jenna, but please take off your shoes."
Jenna turned completely pale. "N- no."
Mr. Hayes chuckled. "It's fine, I'll return them immediately. I'll even buy you new ones if Tracy damaged them."