“But I need to…”
“One moment,” he said.
Nora looked around. There were many men in suits securing the lobby. Just as she wondered who the ‘big wig’ was, an entourage of people made their way to the exit.
The entourage surrounded the president.
She registered that it was the president, made a mental note of how cool that was and nearly ran across the lobby to the ballroom.
When she arrived they were cleaning up the check in table.
“Miss Rosewood?” The gentleman from early approached her. “Thought you weren’t gonna make it. Talk about cutting it close. You weren’t kidding.”
Nora smiled and accepted the nameplate. “Thank you. I got held up in the lobby.”
He motioned toward the door, “They’ll seat you inside.”
“Thank you again.” Nora stepped into the grand ballroom and was immediately greeted and escorted to a table.
People were mingling. It was cocktail hour and Nora decided to do the same.
As she made her way to the table the beautiful, soft music drew her attention to the stage area, where musicians played. Led by a brilliant pianist.
She placed her small handbag on her chair. There was a lone woman seated at the table fiddling with her phone.
“Meredith, would you like a drink?” a man paused behind phone woman.
The woman on the phone, shook her head, then looked again at Nora as acknowledgment.
Nora passed her a smile, said nothing, and turned. She needed to find someone to engage, and not to mention grab one of those drinks being served.
Looking as if she knew where to go and that she belonged there, she moved through the tables, eyeing a waiter.
Drink. Engage.
Just as she stepped to him, a man cut in front of her. He was preoccupied, holding an earpiece to his ear as he spoke.
“Yeah. No it’s not Charlie, it’s Malcolm. Get your voices right. Learn who you are talking to. And check on camera B. I’m right under A and…” Malcolm said, then stepped aside, out of her way with an apology.
She nodded ‘No problem. Thank you.”
Finally salvation. The waiter. There was one last drink on his tray and Nora reached for it at the same time as someone else.
“Take it, I am so sorry,” he said. Dashing and handsome. Southern drawl. Perfect hair and smile.
“Really? Thank you.” Nora took the drink. He was perfect. Victim one. “You are?”
“Jason Rudolph. And you are…”
Nora didn’t get to answer, a voice from behind her did.
“Miss Rosewood.” The male voice said.
Damn it, Nora thought. Someone knew her?
“Excuse me,” she said to Jason. Then, with her best smile, she turned.
“Are you Miss Rosewood, I was told you arrived.”
“I am. And you are.”
“Not as funny as you,” he said. “Aren’t you just funny?” He reached out and gingerly took hold of her arm. “Pretending not to know the guest of honor.”
“I am so sorry.” She laid her hand to her chest, while quickly taking a drink and remembering the name of the award winner. “John, right.”
“You got it.” He winked. “This is so interesting. How long has it been, Summer?”
“Hmm. Winter maybe.”
He laughed. “You are funny. It’s not like you to joke about your own name since you are so sensitive about it. How did you say it?” He looked to the ceiling. “I resent my parents for naming me after a season.”
“Ah, Summer. Yes.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “I didn’t think you were coming. I know you’re busy with the newest projects.”
“Busy. Busy. Busy.”
“But I told you ahead of time my wife wasn’t going to be here.”
“That’s too bad, I wanted to meet her.”
John laughed loudly and then turned serious. “Okay. Jig is up. Who are you and why are you pretending to be Summer Rosewood”
“How do you know I’m not?”
“For one, I know Summer. She has red hair. You do not. And second, I certainly would know the woman who has been my mistress for three years.”
Nora gasped. “Wait. Seriously? Or is this a joke for me crashing this event.”
“No, I’m serious.”
“You just blurt it out like that?”
“Well, if you’re gonna crash my event. Doesn’t matter. My wife filed for divorce four months ago…”
“Still. You dick.”
“What?”
“You cheated on your wife for three years.”
“Do I need to call security?”
“Um. No. How about the moral police. Good Lord, mister.”
He laughed again, “Look at you judging when you crashed my event.”
“Um, there’s a bit of a difference between crashing an event and crashing a marriage.”
“Deceit is deceit, don’t you think?”
The microphone squealed just a little and the Master of Ceremonies said, “If I can have everyone return to their seats.”
“I believe you are at my table.” John, with a gentle hand, escorted her.
“Yeah, I’m not your mistress, keep that in mind, so I’m not putting out.”
“Ah, too bad for you.”
Nora opened her mouth to gasp in shock. He had to be joking, but she never found out.
A loud and deafening ‘boom’ resonated through the ballroom and the ground shook.
The entire room erupted with chaos. People screamed and ran about. Security made their way in, yelling out they were escorting people from the hotel.
John actually took interest in holding on to Nora, grasping her arm to see her out.
But he stopped in the middle of the ballroom.
“John?” Nora called him.
His hand released her and he swayed.
“Are you okay?”
“I can’t… I can’t see…” He blinked and then without warning, he toppled to the floor.
Nora shrieked and that was when she noticed, everyone started to drop. Thump. Thump. Thump. as they hit the floor.
Knowing that she had to get out, Nora raced toward the exit, stepping over fallen bodies. She nearly made it before her vision went. Things switched from cloudy to gray to black and then Nora, like John and everyone else, dropped to the floor.
It didn’t end there for her. She woke up to being wheeled down a hall.
She remembered everything. From the moment they put her in the encasement, until they shut out the lights in her room.
It was cold, so cold. She sensed her own heart rate dropping and breathing growing shallow.