The days leading up to the bicentennial were uneventful. The monotony of his day-to-day work life was a plague, a never-ending flow of tedium and boredom that was slowly draining his soul. He shook his head in disgust at his own negativity. The entire town buzzed with excitement over the event. The town decorated itself, every shop offered special delicacies to its patrons, and tourists overflowed the hotels.
Cole straightened his tuxedo jacket as he waited outside the stretched black limo.
Dominic had asked him once why he stayed in Purgatory. Cole still didn't have an answer—but the thought of leaving tightened something in his chest.
Krista's face lit as she took in the limo. He smiled as he walked to greet her. The bodice of her gown was a deep crimson that fit tightly around her chest and waist, revealing a fair amount of cleavage that he was unaccustomed to seeing. Her hair was a single braid coiled around the back of her head and held in place by a silver net decorated with pearls, reminding him of a fairytale princess. He held out his hand and cursed himself for not considering how important this was to her. To him, it was just a requirement of his position at the paper. The flood of her excitement and nervous energy flooded his senses as their hands clasped in a formal position of an escort. "You look ravishing tonight," Cole reassured her, leaning in close against her.
The complexity of emotions—overwhelmed, nervous, embarrassed—emanating from her came in a torrent. "A limo, Cole?" She stroked his freshly shaven cheek. "I can't believe it."
"Don't be nervous." He reassured her as they walked towards the car.
"You can tell? Is it bad?" Her face reddened with embarrassment.
Cole opened the door for her and helped her inside. "No, you're beautiful." He slid in behind her and moved to the opposite side of the limo's cabin, then knocked on the glass partition between them and the driver. The limo pulled away from the curb fluidly. Krista's hands ran along the leather interior, and she looked around the cabin in awe.
Cole fumbled with the crystal decanter and glasses at the bar in the center console between the seats as he made himself and Krista a scotch and soda on the rocks. He handed her a glass, but she didn't reach to take it. The sound of the ice jostled against the side of the glass as he shook it to get her attention.
She accepted the glass with trembling fingers. "I'm a little nervous. I can't believe you got us a limo!"
"The company provided it," Cole said. "Not that you don't deserve a limo, princess."
"Cole," she said in a choke. Her eyes flooded with tears.
Cole's fingers reached out to brush them away. He motioned to the drink in her hand and then took a sip of his own. The alcohol burned on the way down; it wasn't the smoothest that he had ever drunk, but it was still of good quality. Krista took a sip, and her complexion heated as the mixture slid down. "You're not nervous?"
"No, I've had to attend prestigious events before, and it is exciting the first few times, but after a while, it just becomes another party." Cole took another swallow of his drink. "However, tonight is your night. We will dance, have a lovely dinner, you can dance with the other boys, as you said previously, you will be the belle of the ball."
"Wow," Krista whispered as tears ran down her cheek. "This is more than I could have ever dreamed. I was nervous that you'd be upset with me if I wanted to socialize with anyone other than you."
"Why would you worry about such a thing? Because I invited you? Don't be silly. You are my best friend. I want you to have the time of your life. All of this is a requirement for me, nothing more than that, but I'm happy that it can be a fresh experience for you. It is the new experiences that have the most profound impact on us."
"You sound like Father Dominic." Krista chuckled as she took a drink from her glass.
"Hell, find yourself a handsome guy, take him home, or take several home with you if you're feeling feisty." Cole grinned, mischievously taking on a less serious tone. While he loved Dominic, he didn't want to inherit his mannerisms. To thine own self be true. He wanted to dispel those illusions, even if only to himself.
"You make such interesting suggestions." Krista flushed and took another drink.
Cole could see that her hands were no longer trembling. He was uncertain whether her flush was because of his comment or alcohol. "I ask of you the same understanding." Cole smirked. "I don't exactly plan to go home alone."
"Why, sir, you are feeling feisty yourself tonight." Krista gushed with a wink.
"Always." Cole grinned, drained the remaining contents of his glass, and made himself another.
"Well, you are definitely skilled with women and handsome enough. It's funny, though, even though I know you must have companions, you never speak of them, why?"
"Rights to privacy. Society likes to label people. This woman enjoys sex and has fun with a man without being attached. So, I ask you, why? Why would I ever want someone labeled, frowned upon, or thought of as less than for enjoying my company? Any man who would not respect his companion's privacy, as well as his own, is just an attention-seeking boy. I have no reason to peacock or strut."
"I guess I never thought of it that way. Is Amber supposed to be here tonight?"
Cole ignored her question and extended the decanter, offering to pour another round. She shook her head, and he put the plume back into the mouth of the bottle and closed the bar. He continued to sip his drink and looked out the tinted windows.
Virginia received a large amount of rain during the fall months. Tonight had turned out beautifully. It made him happy. Dominic had been correct about a lot of things. All new experiences didn't have to be bad. If you were always afraid of something new, the idea of doing something different could cripple you. This would be a novel experience that he could provide to someone he loved. Love—such a complex word. He loved Krista with all his heart. They had a special friendship that most did not understand, but would he ever trust her enough to talk to her about his gift?
"Are you sure you don't want to discuss what's going on between you and Amber? If you don't want to talk about it, I understand. But maybe you should consider your own advice and spice up your life a little," she said with a broad smile.
"May I ask you something?" he said, deflecting her barrage of questions.
"Sure," she said with a nod; the deep red garnet earrings in her ears twinkled in the low light with her movements.
"Are you curious about how I knew you were nervous about tonight?"
She leaned back in her seat for a few moments. "No, we are close. I'm used to your being perceptive about my moods. It's always been that way with us. You always have a sense if I'm sad, if something is wrong, or if I need you. I just attribute it to being us. Does it bother you that we are so in sync?"
He shook his head. It was a slight relief that she found comfort in their interactions rather than there being hidden resentments. He had allowed himself to remain connected to her while she spoke. She was being honest. She appreciated their connection. "It's just who we are."
As the limo slowly stopped, he saw the local country club's decadence through the window. A meticulously maintained landscape, despite the early fall season, gleamed. The trees that dotted the countryside were in their brilliant colors of reds, golds, and burned umber.
Someone had cleared away all the fallen leaves, leaving clean beds of mulch beneath them. He scooted to the side of the limo's cabin with the door, opened it, and stepped out into the night. The air was crisp but pleasant. He reached his hand inside to help Krista. She stepped out with a pleasant smile. Finely dressed couples already moved about the entryway. He watched Krista checking out the gowns of the other women that moved past her, admiring them appraisingly.
"Everyone is so beautiful," she whispered, taking his arm as they walked towards the building's entrance.
"Uh-hmm," he said as a robust woman with dark brown hair moved by them dressed in a rather low-cut dress with a skirt that was cut much too short for such a gathering.
Krista's eyes widened. "Cole, did you see what she was wearing? Oh, my God! Some people just have no class."
"Labels," Cole reminded her as he leaned in close.
Krista flushed in embarrassment but understood his meaning. The sound of Krista's heels resonated as they walked down the entryway. They took turns greeting and being greeted by passersby. Her grip tightened on his forearm at the entrance as she spied Chase. He moved towards them with his camera to take their picture.
Immaculate as always, Chase's tux exuded sophistication. After taking their photo, he stepped in close to Krista and whispered, "You look amazing."
She beamed. Cole led her inside the large polished oak doorway, where a woman in her mid-forties and dressed as richly as Krista greeted them. An elegantly cut sapphire ring matched her earrings and dress. Her platinum silver hair, braided and decorated with sapphire-encrusted silver fastenings, hung behind her.
"Mr. Constantine." Her distinct Southern accent was soft and welcoming. "Will you introduce me to your date?" She moved out from behind her station and appraised Krista with great care.
"Marie," Cole said. "This is Krista Kindle. She works with me at the paper."
"You look exquisite," Marie cooed as she took Krista's hand and swept her around in a turn as if in dance.
"Thank you. I love your hair," she exclaimed as she reached out to touch Marie's braids. "I've always wanted to do this color, but I'm afraid my hair wouldn't hold the hue."
Marie and Krista busied themselves, talking about how she had achieved the color and where she could go to have it done. Cole zoned out, looking at other couples as they entered. Amber entered on the arm of her uncle, and the expression she threw him spoke volumes. Seamus eyed them with impatience.
Seamus Ryan was a tall, solidly built man, despite his age. It was obvious where his son had gotten his good looks. Wings of silver threaded his short black hair at the temple and his well-trimmed black beard. His face was hard but reminded Cole of a more serious version of Brady.
"The ideas that seeing you in this tux gives me," Amber murmured softly in his ear as she nipped his earlobe and ran her hand over his chest.
Cole cleared his throat as Seamus's jaw tightened. Amber's crimson gown, which showed her curves in all the right places, made the situation worse. Small rubies adorned an elegant tangle of silver chains that lay between her breasts. The scent of her perfume tested his self-control.
"Ye two will behave tonight," Seamus cautioned lowly in a deeply accented Irish drawl so that only they could hear.
"Of course, Uncle," Amber laughed innocently. Her braided hair swayed with her movement.
"Amber," Krista squealed at hearing Amber's voice and turned to greet her. While the girls appraised one another in a series of heartfelt compliments, Seamus nodded for Cole to step off to the side, then led the way down a deserted hall.
"I thank ye for being here for me tonight, lad," Seamus said, "but I ask ye to remember protocols. I know Amber likes to make a spectacle of herself for reasons that are her own. Our shared interests will prevent me from being embarrassed."
"It's not my intention," Cole assured him.
"I know it isn't. I've seen the care you take at the office. Tis why I haven't had this conversation before now. What ye do is na me business, live and let live, I say. However, my family has a reputation for respect and authority in this community, and I would not see it demeaned by any open vulgarity. While I know Amber will do as she wishes, I know ye to be a calm lad of reason. It's not my business what ye do in private, but this favor I ask of ye."
"Understood," Cole said as Seamus reached out to shake on it. His grip was as strong as his tone. The sense he took from the touch was of respect, gratitude, and a profound sense of trust. Wait, Seamus liked him? Well, I guess you learn something new every day.
It was easy to know that Seamus was a no-nonsense sort of guy, and Cole would respect his request regardless of how much he wanted to help Amber slide out of that gown.