6. The Gala.

[Claire]
"Ooh, you already have an admirer." I was staring at the card so hard and for a long time that I did not notice when Sophie and Michele came to join me at the porch.
I turned back to see them peering at the note in my hand over my shoulders.
"Jean, he's French, I'm definitely rooting for him." Michele said and picked up another parcel from the floor, I had not even noticed that there was another package.
"Oh, it's a corsage, fancy." Sophie said and held out a fake flower corsage, it was embroidered with silver and golden thread, it was really beautiful.
Guess he expected me to either wear a silver or gold dress, but I had no idea what color of dress I would be wearing, Sophie had a rack of dresses and I had no idea which one she would fit me in.
"Guess now I know what to do about her eye makeup." Michele said and winked at me.
"And I know just what dress to fit her into, come along princess." Sophie said and they both turned back into my house.
I stood there for a while before I went back in, contemplating whether I should feel excited or scared, I had no idea how Jean had gotten my house address, I had just moved into this city, he might be a stalker.
On the other hand my heart was beating erratically and I was looking forward to meeting him at the charity event wearing the gift he sent me.
Getting fitted and dressed up for events wasn't new to me, I had gotten fitted for so many outfits and attended so many formal events that I had lost count but there was just something different about this fitting.
Maybe it was the anticipation or the way Sophie and Michele made me feel so good about my body insecurities, but I was strangely excited and I couldn't wait to go to the charity gala.
"Bella Donna." Michele sucked in a deep breath and dropped to one knee dramatically waving his hands in front of me.
"I couldn't say it any better." Sophie nodded her head in agreement. "Want to see how you look?" She asked, turning me towards a huge mirror.
For a second I nearly looked away and asked for Sophie to show me how I looked and not some glam model. I couldn't believe that I was the woman who was looking back at me through the mirror.
"Oh my God, Sophie, Michele, you're so amazing, I look amazing." I blurted out excitedly.
I was clad in a silver sequined form hugging dress, it had tiny pearl hands that dug softly into my shoulders, the pearl hand formed an x at the back of the dress and it dropped low behind my back.
The dress had a slit from the hem to slightly above my knee and it just made me look absolutely sexy, the front dipped low and I could definitely see some cleavage.
My father had been against these types of dressing, he considered them to be scandalous and he considered women who dressed this way cheap and loose so I had never been clad this way before, if I were in America, I would've attended the gala in a business outfit.
My hair was parted in the middle and Michele had given it some waves, my hair was so bouncy and it looked like the women's from the Spanish series Nana and I loved to watch hairstyles, I was mostly used to seeing myself in proper buns and messy buns, the woman in front of me was different from what I had ever done before, even my makeup was more colorful.
"It's all you." Sophie chuckled. "Go get 'em." She said and spanked me on my ass.
"Ouch." I said but I smiled because it wasn't hard and she seemed to have had genuine intentions because she was not gay.
Michele and Sophie stayed with me for a while before my ride arrived, they were really nice and funny people.
*****
"Welcome ma'am." The doorman bowed slightly before opening the giant doors for me to enter. I must've been well dressed because he didn't ask for an invitation before allowing me entrance.
The palace was elegantly decorated. I was in awe of its beauty. There were a lot of people and they were elegantly dressed. I was grateful to Sophie and Michele for making me among the elegant people.
As I walked deeper into the crowd, I looked around trying to spot Jean and my boss but I couldn't find any of them, after around for a while, I decided to retire to a quiet part of the palace, the balcony.
My phone buzzed just as I breathed in the cool air of the balcony, I picked up the phone and skimmed through the content of the notifications, I had gotten a text, a text from my boss.
—the prince always covers his face with a shade and a hat. Find him, charm him and take a picture of him with the camera on your necklace, tap it twice.
I read the text and shook my head, how was I supposed to charm someone who didn't like to show his face. I was a bit curious about the identity of the prince though, so I was going to do it.
I took off the necklace and looked at it curiously. I couldn't believe that there was a camera on or inside the pearls, they just looked shiny and even I didn't even know the position of the camera.
I tried to put it back on as I walked back to the party determined to get the prince's photo.
"May I help you with that?" A man said to me as I left the balcony.
"Um, yeah, thanks." I smiled awkwardly and turned my back to him.
"My name is Bernard." His breath tickled my neck as he stood very close to me to help me fasten the necklace around my neck. "I've been watching you since you entered the party, waiting for a chance to talk to you, and guess what I finally got my chance.
He smiled so warmly and he looked so excited, I couldn't bring myself to tell him that his closeness was creeping me out, it was nothing like I felt with Jean the first time I met him, that must mean I wasn't a loose woman, it was just that I felt something with Jean, something I had never felt before and something that I might never feel again.
"I'm Claire," I said, putting distance between us and stretching my hand towards him.
"Well Claire, it's nice to meet you, very nice." He took my hand in his, holding the handshake a little longer than required.
"I'd like to see you again, Claire, I—" he started to say but I wasn't listening anymore because I caught sight of the prince in a large black hat that covered his face. He was moving into halls with another man who was probably his bodyguard or his assistant.
This was my chance.
"Um, I see someone that I should talk to, please excuse me." I said and left there in a hurry.
.
.
.
[Lucas]
—Please wear this to the Charity Event, will be expecting you.
—Signed: Jean.
My hands shook as I signed using my pseudonym that I had coined at the spur of the moment after Claire's jean clad bottom.
It was a dangerous game I was playing and I was aware of it but I just wanted to pursue a lady like a normal person.
Thanks to being camera shy for years, she would not find any of my pictures as the prince online but if she was attending the gala then she might just see me or my pictures by accident.
The first thing I did was ask my father for permission to clear all my family photos. He was very unconvinced for a while but my father liked the thrill of suspense and that was exactly what I had used against him.
I promised him a big unveiling to the press once I was ready to show my face to the world and he bought into that.
Second I begged Liam to dress exactly like I did and follow me around all night, that wasn't hard to do and he was even a bit eager and I think it had to do with Megan being present, I think my best friend was falling for this girl but of course he'd deny it so I didn't bring it up.
"Where is she?" I asked Liam for the umpteenth time, I was getting impatient, I wondered if she was going to wear the corsage I had sent.
"My team is in place, once she gets here I will be notified." He said and placed a hand on my shoulders. "Megan has been going around looking for you, you should talk to her."
I wanted to ask how he knew that but I already knew the answer.
"Megan, you're looking as beautiful as always." I decided to take Liam's advice and also not to cause the king to be suspicious.
"Prince Luke, I heard you were back." She smiled and pressed me into a tight embrace kissing first one cheek and then the other. "I thought you'd stopped this hat and shades behavior."
Her eyes scanned the huge hat and shades I had on.
"She's here." I was about to give Megan a reply but one of the waiters whispered in my ear and I stiffened.
Claire was here.