Proserpina
I moved away. A man in a formal black suit, obviously a manager, entered and informed Lucien that the guests had arrived.
I turned to Lucien in some confusion, "Are you giving a party? Why?"
But he was already sweeping me out into the main banquet hall: despite his bad leg, trying to keep pace with him while I was in my revealing gown and unfamiliar stilettos, took an effort that effectively silenced me.
When we entered the hall, I recoiled, only Lucien's firm hand tugging me forward stopped me from bolting. It was a crowded place, full of people, the sound of loud conversations, music, the fragrance of mixed perfumes, cigars, alcohol...I felt sick.
I noticed a few familiar faces as I hung behind Lucien Delano. Daniella Eton, the woman who had probably chosen this gown too, looking at me in a mixture of scorn and condescending sympathy; Thomas Harding was there, a fleshy, dazed-looking caricature of the handsome young man I remembered and lurking behind him, I caught a glimpse of ....Jazz? Tanya's erstwhile boyfriend?
The room seemed to grow silent as we made our way to a decorated, raised platform at one end of the room. Lucien limped to the centre, pulling me along, decisively. A sea of people stood before us, watching, listening; I wanted to shrink and die. Moving forward my cold hand still anchored in his, he announced, his voice booming,
"Ladies and gentlemen, my dear friends, I want to present before you, the mother of my children and the woman I am going to marry, Proserpina."
My mouth must have fallen open in shock for turning to me, he bent his head and kissed me hard, gathering me in his arms.
When he raised his head, I stared at him in disbelief, my hands on his chest. As I opened my mouth to speak, he kissed me again, harder and dimly, I heard the crowd roar in appreciation.
'Behave.' He commanded in a low voice, against my mouth, as he lifted his head but the customary anger was not there. In fact, he seemed relaxed, even...happy?
Glasses of whiskey appeared out of nowhere, but I refused them, still feeling dazed. Besides, I never drank.
We moved among the guests who were observing me with curiosity and sometimes, with scorn and hostility. Lucien held me clamped to his side, and I barely spoke, pinning a smile on my face when someone looked at me.
He had not told me of his intention and had not asked me to wed him; there had not been any kind of proposal. And what had made him change his mind? Finding out that the twins were his children???
I seethed inwardly but carefully kept a relaxed expression on my face all the while.
The guests observed me as though Lucien Delano had brought a two-headed monster into the room. I seemed to be like some freak in their jaded gazes.
Of course, I thought, miserably, that I was not one of them. All the while, I sense Lucien's almost protective presence beside me, hovering and watchful.
At one point, we came up before the woman I knew as Sweetie, who threw her arms around Lucien, pressed herself against him, kissed him passionately, and rubbed her body against his suggestively. When she was done, I turned to her companion, an odious-looking gentleman whose eyes were fixed on my breasts. I gave him a dazzling smile, and bent forward a little, allowing him more than a peek into my ample cleavage. The response in his eyes was enough to make Lucien growl softly and squeeze my wrist as a warning.
As Sweetie glared at me, I smiled at the woman serenely. Two could play the same game!
'Don't do that again,' threatened Lucien, looking down at me, eyes glinting as Sweetie stormed off.
I fluttered my lashes at him giving him a limpid smile, causing him to take a sharp breath.
'Do WHAT?' I asked sweetly and his eyes narrowed.
'If you don't behave, little woman,' he growled menacingly, 'I shall haul you into the men's room and fuck the shit out of you.'
Flushing, I made to turn away but he grabbed my waist and kissed me hard, forcing his tongue in my mouth, rubbing his body against mine, ignoring the crowd in the room. He was rock hard, and I gasped when he released me. When he raised his head, I stared at him, breathless, aware of the dampness between my legs.
'Fuck,' he growled, his blue-grey eyes gleaming as he took in the wanton desire on my face, 'I just want to get away and ...'
But he could not complete the sentence. A crowd of people descended on us and once again, we were on display. But my heart lurched in happiness. He did not seem remote anymore. His sudden announcement had floored me but I was certain that he was beginning to care for me.
At last...
***
The evening did not seem to end. Midnight came and went but the crowds only swelled. As Lucien sipped his drink, I looked around me. There was no one I knew- these people, the rich and the famous were outside my league and I knew that I never wanted to have anything to do with them.
Lucien was deep in conversation with a group of older men when I turned and almost fell into the arms of the heavy-set man, slightly younger than Lucien, who had come up behind me.
Shark Nelson.
'Hey, easy there!' he mumbled as he helped me to regain my balance, holding my waist for longer than necessary. I wriggled free uncomfortably, meeting the cold look on Lucien's face as he pulled me towards him.
'What a prize, Lucien. Where did you keep her hidden away, all to yourself, for so long?' the man went on, his eyes resting on my body in a lascivious way.
I stiffened, moving back involuntarily but his hands fell on my shoulders.
'Hey, little lady, I'm an old pal of Lucien's. We used to share our women. Take turns to fuck one while the others watched. Sometimes go at it together-two men and one bitch...!!!'
He chortled unpleasantly at my look of disgust.
And saying that, he brought his mouth down on mine, wet and repulsive, his beefy hands roving on my breasts before moving to my waist.
'Shark, you're drunk,' said Lucien tightly, pulling him off me. I shuddered, feeling violated. But the underlying anger in Lucien's eyes frightened me. He seemed to be blaming me for the man's behaviour.
'Yeah, but not too drunk to know a good wet cunt when I see it!' chortled the man, undressing me with his eyes. He made to grope me, his hand going to my waist and below. I moved away, whimpering in fear.
He leered, and I shrank from the open lecherousness in his expression as he licked his lips.
'Young too! Honey, when Delano's done with you, I'm next!' he announced loudly as he lurched off into the crowd with a shout of laughter.
I stared at the ground, shamed.
Lucien watched his receding figure, his eyes dark and cold, then downed another tumbler of whiskey. He ignored me after that and I stood stiffly, trying hard not to cry.
What had I done wrong, I thought, biting my lip, hanging my head miserably.
***
The room felt stuffy, and I longed to leave to get back to my children. This was not my world, and I stood with a soft drink, feeling totally out of place, mulling over Lucien's public acceptance of me and his children. It was way past midnight, and I was exhausted. Lucien stood a little away, a drink in hand, laughing heartily as some of his friends made a joke.
A server came up to me and whispered that I had a call from the house. Thinking it had to be about my twins, I hastily followed the man out. When I turned to ask Lucien for permission, I saw that he was at the other end of the room, his back to me, a woman leaning against him as he stroked her bottom caressingly, another woman hanging on his other arm.
Lucien would not notice, said a bitter voice within me, and I trotted after the server, who seemed to be in some haste.
He led me along a corridor and indicated a door at the end. Without stopping to wonder why a phone call should be taken in a remote room, I stepped inside and gasped as the door shut behind me and a lock slid into place.