“Thank you, everyone. Is it not beautiful?”
A middle-aged woman stepped forward, timid in her own evening finery. “You’re beautiful. Can I take a picture, please? Who are you?”
“You are so sweet. Of course you can. My name is Ana.” She extended her gloved hand to the woman. “And what is your name?”
“I’m just Cathy.” She shook Ana’s hand.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Cathy. Unless the ‘just’ is truly part of your name, I would leave it out. You are beautiful, and sparkle in a way that makes you more than ‘just’ anything.”
Cathy blushed and released Ana’s hand. “Thank you, Ana.” Jerry stepped up and offered his arm to Ana once again. She took it, lifted her chin a bit, and smiled so widely that everyone else couldn’t help but be infected by the smile and return it. “We have friends waiting, but if you’d like to take some photographs of these lovely costumes from Island Costumes, you are more than welcome.”
“Island Costumes? Really?” Cameras flashed and photos were taken.
“Ask for Ginnius. Tell her Ana and Jerry sent you.”
“Jerry?”
“JERRY!”
Everyone turned at the deep-voiced beckoning from just inside the Crystal Ballroom. Jerry could see Manny waving from the grand hall, so he guided Ana that way. “Sorry folks, my boss beckons.”
They strolled off to the party, leaving Cathy and the other party guests to check their own coats and join the celebration. Two tuxedoed staff flanked the entrance of the ballroom, checking tickets, and Jerry presented theirs when asked. The numbers on the bottom of the tickets were checked against a list on an iPad and they were in.
“Welcome to the First Night Gala, folks. I would offer to have someone show you to your table, but I suspect that very tall gentleman waving at you has it all taken care of. Enjoy your evening, and Happy New Year.”
“Thank you. We will. Happy New Year.”
There was a bright circle of light on the floor, placed to visually highlight and announce new arrivals in a community where the higher echelons of Victoria’s society all knew each other by name and pedigree, Jerry was sure. He smiled at Ana. “Shall we start the room buzzing, My Dear?”
“Oh, please!” Arm still linked with Jerry’s, Ana led him into the floodlight and stopped. Jerry counted three heartbeats before the only sound in ballroom was the band, playing softly at the far end. It seemed like every single conversation came to a complete stop. Even Manny had stopped mid-stride on his way to greet them. Jerry let a half-smile creep onto his face but Ana was all teeth and dimples and nodded to him ever so slightly.
In that instant, Jerry saw the Grand Duchess, the Tsarevna, who knew the difference between walking into a room and making a truly imperial entrance. She waited two more beats, and then casually led Jerry out of the bright light, toward Manny. Conversation returned to the room, but so many eyes were directed at them that it was obvious that for the next few minutes, at least, Ana was going to be the hot topic.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Jerr! You two certainly know how to make an entrance. Carmella is going to be royally pissed that she missed it.”
“Who says I missed it, Manny? Just because I wasn’t at your side doesn’t mean that I was completely unaware of what was happening in the room.” Carmella, in a lovely, chocolate brown gown that matched her eyes, held her hand out to Ana. “You, my dear, must teach me how to make an entrance like that. I haven’t seen the old codgers in this room shut up so fast since Prince Charles passed wind during a speech. I’m Carmella. Manny’s warden.” Ana shook Carmella’s hand but Jerry interrupted.
“Manny and Carmella, may I introduce you to Anastasia, the young lady who has stolen my heart in such a short time. Ana, this is my boss, Manny, and his wife, Carmella. It was Carmella who did such a great job on decorating the loft, especially the Christmas tree.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you both. Jerry speaks so very highly of you, like you are family.”
“Your accent is beautiful, my dear. British with a hint of something European, isn’t it?”
“Yes. English from my mother’s family and Russian from my father’s.”
“Russian? How lovely. Not like my Manny’s raw-bones, straight-to-the-gut Aussie drawl.”
“Hey, don’t slag Australia, lovey—after all, it’s where we met.”
“Of course not, dear. Now, let’s get these two youngsters to the table. We don’t want to wear Jerry out while the night is still young.” Without waiting for agreement, Carmella hooked her arms through Ana and Jerry’s and led them off, across the dance floor and to a corner table decorated like all the others with black and white helium-filled balloons, streamers, roses, and New Year’s party hats and noise makers.
“Manny likes to sit with his back to the wall, so we’re here in the corner.”
“It’s not that I like the wall, it’s just that I don’t want anyone having to sit behind this gargantuan head, unable to see a damned thing. Just bein’ considerate, Lovey.”
“I know. And it’s one more reason why I love you so.”
The rest of the group was seated, but with a nudge from Mika, her expensively tuxedoed, pristinely-groomed, East Indian fiancé, Danveer, stood as well. Lee-Anne’s husband, Tom, joined him, getting a raised eyebrow from his wife. Her expression was more one of pleasure than of jealousy. Jerry could tell that Tom was in a rented tuxedo because he kept tugging at the collar and pulling at the sleeves, like he himself had been doing since he’d put on his own monkey-suit earlier. The two women, on the other hand, were stunning in their individuality. Lee-Anne wore a sleeveless, short-skirted, sparkly, bright red cocktail dress that would have been a dress-code violation in half-a-dozen nations if it weren’t for the silky Chinese shawl-thing she had draped over her shoulders and across her chest. It didn’t disguise her figure at all, but it hid a bit more skin than Jerry suspected she was accustomed to at these functions. He was impressed that she seemed to have heard what he and Manny had said to her.
Mika was all smiles as she introduced Danveer to Jerry and Ana, and Jerry could see that she was being true to her West Coast roots in what looked like something a Steampunk gypsy might wear, right down to the shiny gold, dangling earrings made of tiny clock gears. She wore a loose but conservative peasant-girl top, an embroidered corset, a pleated, crinkled skirt of rich rusts and browns, and what looked like a cashmere cape with tiny fringe. He wasn’t sure of the materials it was all made of, but even he could see that the overall look was well thought-out and eye-catching. Only Ana was more striking, and the women all acknowledged it. They flocked to her for introductions and to get a closer look at her “fancy frock”, as she called it. She threw him a wink just before she was surrounded and ushered off to one side by Mika, Lee-Anne, and Carmella.
Manny held up one of the two open bottles of wine on the table. “Now, can I pour you a glass? Red or white?”
Jerry shook his head. “Thank you, but the meds they’ve got me on don’t mix well with alcohol.”
“Smart lad.” Manny freshened his and Carmella’s glasses. “This’ll last me right through dinner, which this year is being served earlier, according to the Missus.”
SHORTLY AFTER ANA and the other ladies returned to the table, the buffet was opened and the band leader began announcing the table numbers. As luck would have it, Manny’s corner table was in the first group and he and Carmella led the way to the food. Ana came along to keep Jerry company, but explained that she was fasting over the holidays, for health reasons. Doctor’s orders. They were halfway down the buffet when Jerry noticed that sadness had crept onto Ana’s usually smiling face.