What Nobody Knew

Part 41

All of these events looked the same, every last one of them. This one had the same gold trimmings around the edges of everything imaginable to express the grandiosity of the host. The main hall was once again huge (even bigger than the previous one, to accommodate all of the extra guests) and immaculately put together. 

The room was completely packed with people who looked so different and yet, completely the same. There was not a single hair out of place in the building. It seemed as if everyone was bred for this kind of living and only I did not quite fit in. Sure, I wore a glamorous dress, but no matter how many expensive dresses or pieces of jewellery I threw on, I suspect the judgmental gazes from the other young women wouldn't stop. 

I had not felt the intensity of everyone's stares until William had left my side. Now, I'm not saying that I am a woman unable to stand on my own, but one thing is for certain, none of these women had the guts to blatantly gawk at me like they were currently doing while William was still by my side. There was no doubt that everyone knew who he was and it was because of that reason, I presume, that I was first off drawing this unwanted attention and secondly why no one would even think of throwing a sideways glance at his "date" in his presence.

"Here you go," William said, reaching my side once more with my drink in his hand.

"Thank you." I accepted it with a smile.

We had already made a full round around the room, stopping at everyone that William (or his family) knew, shaking hands and listening to stories of children and grandchildren being accepted to different prestigious universities. If the children had less than favourable reputations, the focus was rather drawn to current business deals or new vacation homes that had been bought or renovated that William "simply had to pay a visit to" if he was in that part of the world again. 

After about 30 minutes of conversations like these, I was about ready to gauge my own eyes out. May I never be so wealthy that I become a walking tranquillizer to anyone unfortunate enough to cross my path. You would think that people would become more interesting with an increase in financial riches, you know since they have more opportunities to see new places and experience new things. But it has quickly become apparent during my short visit in the circles of the 1% that this is simply not the case. It seems the more you have, the more you aim to impress. Life experience and expanded world views be damned!

The orchestra started playing a new song and more people were filling up the dance floor.

William turned to me, his eyes trained on my profile while I continued to keep my eyes forward, watching the couples turning in time with the music.

"Would you like to dance Elizabeth?"

I froze.

I must have heard him wrong because there was absolutely no way that William Knight had just asked me to dance.

But sure enough, as if his words had not been confirmation enough, his one hand was stretched out to me in question.

I was still stunned as I placed my hand in his, not completely comprehending my actions.

We both discarded our drink glasses by placing them on the tray of a waiter walking by.

William spun me towards him with his one hand as soon as we reached the middle of the dance floor and placed his other hand on the small of my back. Our eyes met and he took a step forward starting to lead us in the dance. 

I followed him willingly. He was a very skilled dancer and it had me wondering why he had so abruptly dismissed my offer when I asked the last time. Clearly, it wasn't because he didn't know how, so why then?

William gently pressed his fingers into my back, pulling my attention away from his chest where my eyes were focusing and back towards his green ones.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked his eyebrows furrowing.

I bit my lip, not sure whether to bring it up or not. We were dancing now, there was no need to make a perfectly pleasant situation uncomfortable.

Since when has that ever stopped you?

"Why didn't you dance with me last time?" I asked, looking him straight in the eye. "You are very capable of doing it without any embarrassment."

I could feel his shoulder stiffen ever so slightly under my touch once I finished talking.

He never missed a step and for a few beats, we simply continued dancing without saying a word.

I almost thought he wasn't going to reply when he pulled me closer to him, so my ear was mere centimetres away from his mouth. As if my body needed any more reason to react to his closeness.

"This might be hard to believe Elizabeth, but I do not let people get close to me."

"Even if it's just a dance?" I asked confused.

Dancing wasn't a big deal, people did it all the time and usually, it was in way closer proximity and the nature thereof wasn't nearly as innocent as the form of dancing that William and I had been doing. What was the harm in joining me in one simple dance?

His thumb caressed the exposed skin on my back, momentarily turning my thoughts somewhere where they most definitely should not be going in this moment.

Focus Elizabeth...

"Even if it's a dance. This is not something I do with everybody and I don't understand how other people manage to do it. To dance like this," He gestured with his hand that was holding mine, "takes a form of trust which isn't there between strangers. This is too intimate an act to share with someone you hardly know." 

My cheeks turned scarlet at the mention of intimacy as if it made the fact that our bodies were moulded together by this point more apparent. I was acutely aware of every part of his hard body that was now pressed up against mine.

"That makes sense." I breathed.

His words made me question every time I had ever danced with someone from the opposite sex in my life. How had I done it without thinking twice about it? Had almost any of those guys tried to even stand as close to me as when we were dancing (you know, minus the music and party atmospheres which were present at the time), I wouldn't have been comfortable with it.

But if that was the reason why he said "no" before, why did he ask me to dance now?

My eyes searched his for answers. And his took me captive with their intensity.

Our bodies slowed down as the song came to a close. 

Everyone, including William and myself, turned with smiles on our faces and clapped hands for the orchestra.

William lead me off the dance floor with a hand on the small of my back. My thoughts were swimming with conflicting thoughts and unanswered questions.