Chapter 2

"Oh, man! We just got here and I don't feel too good already," Elizabeth complained bitterly the moment Holly found a space to park in the parking lot. 

Her brows were knitted, and her gut was lurching painfully at the thought of being out there in the hotel's ballroom, needing to mingle with the hundreds of people that might have been present. She squeezed her finger nails into her palm and let out a shaky breath, as she tried to stable her breathing, the adrenaline pumping in her system, she could hear her heart pulsating behind her ears.

She was always that nervous to be around people.

"Sweetheart," Holly said in a sweet sing-song voice as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "You look amazing, there's no backing out now. I'm not letting my hard work doing your makeover go to waste."

She did look amazing. A complete contrast to what she did barely two hours ago. She looked sedate and serene in a black gown, with spaghetti straps, her blonde hair curled like a movie star's around her shoulders and she smelled sweet of jasmine fragrance that wafted through the air. Her seraph's ears were pierced by golden hoops that were concealed by her caramel colored blonde waves. 

Elizabeth wasn't beautiful in the classical way. She was shorter than average and certainly larger than a catwalk model, but in her ordinariness she was stunning. Something radiated from within that rendered her irresistible to both genders. Men desired her and women courted her friendship.

The both women set out of the car, and headed in the direction of the ballroom. The temperature outside the car was cold and they both shuddered involuntarily due to the howling autumn wind. Elizabeth, not so confident, and her eyes connected to the ground, was following closely behind her best friend. 

When they stepped into the ballroom, her mouth fell open in awe. She had rarely visited the hotel her friend worked, almost never. There was no reason to visit. She was totally out of class with the calibre of people that were always lodging in and constantly visiting there. That didn't matter to Holly though. She had always had a way of blending right in with people and was dating the manager of the hotel.

She was the personal assistant to the boss. And her lanky boyfriend, Peterson Hudson, was the manager of the hotel. Elizabeth had known Peter ever since she and Holly graduated from the community college they attended. Holly and Peter had both started working in the hotel as receptionists during their early twenties, and four years later, they'd both been promoted to better position with much more higher payment.

Aurelia - Latin-inspired name meaning 'golden' was the name of the hotel. It was co-owned by the first two Cortez brothers. They were barely ever available in the hotel, or even in town. Elizabeth had never for once met one of them physically. But on magazines covers, Forbes, on social media, the billionaire brothers were always in the spotlight, trending.

When they were in the small town there was always ballroom parties organized in the hotel in which the wealthy customers would be entertained for free at the expense of the brothers and then for weeks after the news of the lavish, extravagant party would trend and spread like wide fire on social media. 

"Perfect work, isn't it Liz?" Holly said in a slivery tone as she fell a pace slower to look at Elizabeth. "The ballroom looks just amazing, yeah?"

"Yes. Very beautiful!" Elizabeth commended with a genuine smile, though the uneasiness was still trying to numb her bones. She had to appreciate her best friend's work. "You did great, Holly."

"I know, I know," the plump girl said proudly. "Just a little bit of coordination here and there and wallah!" She stretched her hands out in a cheerful gesture. "Here it is!"

The hotel staffs outdid themselves, lavishly decorating their grand ball room, usually used for hosting sales conference banquet for realtors and lawn equipment retail executives. They had placed clusters of orchid and carnation dyed blue throughout the ballroom, filling the entire space with sweet smelling fragrance. 

Elizabeth had never been in a space that made her feel so small-or so plain. Crystal chandeliers spiraled down from the arching sky-blue ceiling, illuminating the glimmering golden walls and a floor so polished it looked like an iced-over lake. And it wasn't just the ballroom-the women sparkled like a box of jewels, shades of emerald and ruby and amethyst swirling before her, their low chatter accompanying wafts of rose and hyacinth and jasmine. She looked down at her simple dress, feeling out of space. 

Classical jazz music was being performed by a live band in tuxedos on the stage upfront and Holly was swaying her hips from left to right slowly in excitement to the music. Elizabeth could already make out some couples on the dance floor swaying slowly to the sedating music, arms hanging around each other. Despite the musis, she could still hear the autumn wind whistling and howling loud against the hotel windows, but no one was minding that... Holly continued leading Elizabeth in the direction of the counter. In a teal satin gown that hugged her shapely figure and exposed her extraordinary cleavages, she was attracting much more attention to the both of them than smaller girl wanted. 

"Ms. DeAngelo, nice seeing you tonight. You look incredible amazing, dear." 

Just as they got to the counter, a bald headed short man in grey suit, with belly protuding, reached out and grabbed Holly to place a lingering feathery kiss against the back of her hand. She was biting back a snarky remark and replacing the grimace on her face with a sickened sweet smile.

"Thank you. Thank you." She chirped in response. Her voice seeming huskily raspy in eagerness to cover up her irritation. "Mr..."

"Just call me Andrew please."

"Mr. Andrew, thank you. How are you enjoying this party?"

"Totally amazing! I heard from someone that you had organized it. You boss must be proud of you," the man ranted on, "speaking of boss, where are the Cortez brothers? The birthday celebrant? What's a party without the host being present?"

Holly let out a stifled laughter at something that wasn't even funny. She was uneasy, it was rare to see her that way. Perhaps the way the old man was watching her cleavages as it jiggled with every movement she made was what was causing her to be that uncomfortable. She looked bold though. Her high-held shoulders were quaking with the laughter and her posture was perfectly upright. From behind, where Elizabeth watched, Holly's big hour glass shape was scrumptious and eye-catching.

As Holly and the man continued chatting, Elizabeth felt out of place. Few other people had converged around Holly both men and women. The females were air kissing her and giving her light hugs. They were asking about the host of the party and why they weren't in attendance yet. 

Holly was assuring the people. "No. Have fun. They will be here soon. They definitely will."

"And Mr. Gregorio...?"

"My boss? Definitely. He's probably somewhere attending to something important..."

A woman was doing the most, which was why Elizabeth had noticed her among the crowd. She was cackling loudly in a tiny voice that seemed almost irritating to her. Elizabeth could assume why. She was extremely beautiful and wanted to be noticed.

She had made an impressive efforts with her hair pulled tightly back in a french twist, showing off her long, small neck. She had jewel encrusted combs in her hair, chandelier earrings almost reaching her shoulders, and an enormous cocktail ring on her left hand which was on the show as she raised her glass of red wine to her lips to take small sips occasionally. Her small face appeared bold, her cheekbones high. She had a warm chestnut colored hair and pastel white skin which made her beautiful lips outlined with gleaming red lipstick stand out. Her tall body frame and slender body were like a Victoria secret model. 

She had two different eye colors. Heterochromia. Rare.

Her left eye was a rapturous shade of cerulean blue, and hazel-auburn rondured sphere orbited in her right eye. Each one held a coruscate gleam that enhanced their beauty. She had everything in aspect of beauty and a confident sexy struts that tells the world, "I'm beautiful."

Her eyes breifly glanced past Elizabeth as she said to Holly, in a commanding tone. "I need to see your boss. Is he hiding from his own guest?" She then laughed, in a sultry voice. "Or is he trying to avoid me in particular?"

Holly shrugged. "I can't say. I guess. Maybe, you can meet him if you have an appointment."

"I don't think one is needed. He knows me so well and won't turn down meeting me. Just tell him Pamela Renfrew..."

"You have to book the appointment with his secretary, not me."

"And you can't serve as his secretary for the moment?" The lady inquired with a crystal-clear look of annoyance and pride. "You can't?"

Holly turned away to start attending to other guests, rather rudely. Noticing this, other women around them laughed mockingly. The tall lady turned away, her jaw ticked in anger and her brows so delicately squeezed above her eyes. 

Elizabeth, finally realizing she was on her own at this party, sighed in frustration. Her ankles were throbbing softly in her heels for having to stand for too long while Holly greeted the sea of never ending guest that were gushing towards and around her. 

She stepped closer to her friend and tapped her on the shoulder. Holly was too indulged to notice that slight, feathery touch or to hear her voice calling.

"Holly? Holly?" She retracted her hand. "I guess, I will just be hanging somewhere."

She briskly walked towards the counter and tapped to grab one of the mixologist attention. A young man with rolled up sleeves came to her aid, with a friendly smile. Before he could ask what she wanted, Elizabeth beat him at speaking.

"Jack Daniels," she mentioned in a small voice.

"A whole bottle." 

With the bottle in her hand, she wandered out of the ballroom.