Lily Alex - Fate and Love

Men in tuxedos, and women in evening dresses in assorted restrained colors were walking around, stopping at tables, sounding interested before moving on to mingle and pose. The groups of guests were flitting around like figures in a golden light brown kaleidoscope.

Suddenly, Mary noticed a thirty-something brunette in a figure-hugging neutral colored gown, staring at her, and Mary wondered; Why such an unfriendly look?

A man, in his sixties, stubby yet imposing and dignified came to her table. Mary stood up, and smiled friendly.

A reporter had followed him and was hovering, expectant.

The elderly man glanced at him with visible displeasure, sighed and shoved some bills into the donation box. Feeling that something was awry, Mary kept silent, holding her welcoming expression.

The reporter moved on to another group of circulating guests, and the man turned to Mary.

“Miss Jablonskaia, if I’m not mistaken?” he asked the perplexed girl, who nodded, unsure how else to reply.

“Do you know that your dating Mister Noirson could cause some trouble?” he said unexpectedly. Mary’s heart stopped for a second.

“I… I don’t understand…” she managed to squeeze out finally.

“Too bad.” Not bothering to explain a thing, he left, and Mary’s shoulders visibly drooped under the weight of such a shock.

What did he mean? she was thinking, panicking. Who is he? How does he know about us? What kind of trouble? For Robert? Oh dear God, no! Or for me? I don’t care about that. I’m not afraid . She hesitated. Or am I? Oh Robert, where are you? I so need your support right now …

“Nice dress.” Mary heard an irritated female voice, and lifted her head. It was the same “gazing” lady that Mary had spotted before. Now she was standing next to the table, still drilling into the girl’s heart with obvious anger in her eyes.

“I thought it was the only one,” the lady said. “But as I remember it was taupe.”

How does she know about the dress? Mary wondered.

“You are right,” she answered calmly. “But you know, I can’t actually afford to buy a collection dress.”

“But your lover surely can,” the lady said, smiling. She saw Mary’s eyes widen. “So, he ordered a copy, didn’t he? Who chose that ugly color? It matches your mane about as well as an omelet goes with green onion!”

“I would never have imagined that a respectable woman like you could have such bad manners.” Mary replied, puzzled.

“Oh, cute, and while we are talking manners, look who’s talking!” The lady quietly laughed. “You’re the sophisticated one who dressed up in screaming-green on the pastel themed party! In all the invitations it said clearly about the dress code!”

Now Mary was stricken. She looked around, and to her horror she realized that the lady was absolutely right. It was like beige heaven for as far as the eye could see, and only she, Maria Jablonskaia, debutante elect, was wearing a brightly colored outfit.

“Why?” the lady continued scornfully. “Is it a rebellious streak in you, or are you just plain illiterate? If you didn’t know the meaning the word ‘pastel’, why didn’t you ask your lover? By the way, where is Robert?” Her smile remained but the tone of her voice was changing. “I guess, he’s probably ashamed to show up with such brilliant under age baby gem like you. How much are you charging him per hour for your services, by the way?”

Mary was unable to say a thing with spasm seizing her throat.

“I’m here on my own,” she barely managed to utter. “I’m not an escort, either, if that’s what you are insinuating. I am twenty-one already, and I’m here to present my team.”

“And you have done a pretty bad job of that, you poor incompetent thing,” the lady said, moving away.

Mary almost fell onto her chair. A passing waiter offered her a cocktail, and she mechanically took it.

“Are you all right?” The hostess of the event approached Mary. “Did Laura offend you? She’s a little cranky today. She badly wanted to buy a dress, the very same designer dress that you’re wearing, in fact. But someone had already bought it. She was even ready to order a copy, just so she could be the first one to show up in it. But you trumped her plans.”

“I’m sorry, it seems to have upset her so much,” Mary mumbled, thinking; I can only imagine their shock if they knew that it IS the original dress!

Mary got up and smiled. “I’m okay, thank you.”

The hostess nodded and headed off to mingle and mix with some of the other guests.

“Why is such a sweet girl looking so upset?” Mary looked up and studied the speaker, a male, middle aged, not very tall, (which is what she liked in a man) thin and slender, clean-shaven, with brown hair and light blue eyes.

He browsed the orphanage’s promotional material, then looked at her with a friendly smile.

“Never mind, sorry,” Mary said politely, at the same time thinking in a less respectful way, He’s not a wealthy person for sure. Look at his tux! I bet he rented it .

“If I visit you on campus,” the man continued shyly. “Can I cheer you up, or is it prohibited?”

Oh no, poor man! Mary thought with tender pity. He likes me!

“It’s not prohibited,” she answered softly. “But it’s pointless.”

“I’m taking that as a ‘no’. Your heart is otherwise occupied, am I right?”

“You are.”

“So, these rumors are true, I suppose,” he said, ready to leave, but Mary clutched his hand.

“Look, please! I beg you, tell me, what do you mean? I have already had a few hints blasted at me, but I want to know what’s going on!”

“Don’t you read the press?” he wondered. He took out his wallet, and blushing like a girl, showed Mary a picture. It had obviously been cut from some magazine or newspaper. Mary saw a snapshot of herself, smiling broadly. Her pose looked a little bit strange. Suddenly she guessed it was because her head was resting on Robert’s shoulder, but the man had cut him off at the neck so as to focus on her.

“Thank you,” she mumbled, returning the picture. Deep in thought she did not notice that, when the man left, another woman had descended and was standing at her table.

Redheaded, wearing a soft-orange dress, the woman resembled a vixen.

“The color suits you…” she dropped casually.

“Really?” Mary mechanically replied.

“Yeah, you look like a crocodile,” the woman hissed, keeping her polite smile fixed in position. “And as for your skin… Never heard of lotion? It works wonders. I use it on my leather handbag.”

“Say what you want,” Mary snapped back. “At least men like my skin natural.”

“Says who? Robert, or all your other clients? It’s actually funny how you think you can mean anything to him. You should see the line of poor beauties he left behind before he bagged you.”

“Perhaps, you are one of them, eh?” Mary said with nice demonstratively naïve smile.

“Do you have a problem with that?” the woman asked haughtily.

“Nope, it’s your problem, I suppose,” Mary threw the reply back in the same manner as it had been delivered.

“Stupid frog!” mumbled the redheaded as she strode away.

What a day! Mary thought, puffing out her cheeks. Now I’m actually rather glad that Robert is not here at the moment. At least I get to figure out the situation for myself.

“Oh, I expected a cat fight!” A young man, tall and athletic drew closer, and leered at Mary. “I would never have expected a monastery to be hiding such a gem. You are a real emerald. I’m simply charmed.”

“It’s not what you said the last time,” Mary retorted, catching him on the back foot. “I know you,” the girl explained, moving in for the kill. “Last month you attended an event where our team performed a show. I am the leading girl.”