Chapter 66

Matilda and her partner Sophia were throwing a party at a restaurant to celebrate their adoption of Charlotte, the little girl from Mrs. Addison's orphanage.

It was both a gourmet restaurant for the adults but in a setting of a high-end play area for the children. They served some of the most spectacular desserts in the city, many of which featured flames or smoke, and it was the destination place for birthday parties.

Charles looked handsome in a button-up shirt and trousers, casual but elegantly smart. I wore a little blue skirt and top to offset my eyes and put my hair half up and curled the rest.

Despite not wanting to make it a big deal, I had butterflies in my stomach as we arrived in his car. This was the first time we were appearing together as a couple and I wanted to show the world he had chosen well.

"You are stunning," he's said when we were nearing the restaurant. "I'm so lucky."

I smiled nervously and he squeezed my hand. "Don't worry. You're here with friends, and remember, you're the hottest journalist in town right now. People will be clambering to talk to you."

This made me feel a little better as we stepped from the car and walked toward the restaurant. The man at the entrance welcomed us, holding the door open for us.

"Mr. Rafe, Ms. Laurentia," he said with a nod.

He knew my name. Maybe Charles was right.

The happy laughter of children, the clinking of glasses and chatting of the adults greeted us. Waiters in elegant suits were serving champagne and hor d'oevors on silver trays to the adults and miniature hotdogs to the children who stopped long enough between turns on an enormous slide or bounce house to try one.

I recognized the children from Mrs. Addison's orphanage and my eyes widened. "How can Matilda do this on a photographer's salary?" I asked. "To host so many children and people?"

Charles looked uncomfortable and I looked at him in surprise. "Did you do this?"

He shrugged. "Rafe Media may have the rights to an exclusive story and photographs. Think you know a reporter from Social Scene that would want to cover it?"

"Really?"

"Sally says she's assigned someone so you can relax."

"Sheila," I said, smiling as I saw my colleague across the room turning down a glass of champagne while she took notes.

"I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? I think it's a wonderful idea."

When we finally found Matilda and Sophia they were chatting with another couple, their eyes already trained to follow Charlotte as she ran around with the other children.

"Oh, Elena!" Matilda smiled, reaching out and hugging me. "This man of yours, he's so generous!"

Charles leaned down and gave her cheek a kiss and then shook Sophia's hand. "It's my pleasure," he said. "It's such a happy thing to come out of all this."

"And he is really your man now, right?" Sophia said, looking at me curiously. "We weren't sure but Matilda said if you walked in together than you'd made it official."

I smiled, trying not to blush. "As much as someone can be another’s," I said, and looked at Charles.

I was surprised by the softness in his eyes as he looked at me. Sophia and Matilda noticed it as well and smiled.

"Well at least he knows how to surround himself with good women," Sophia said, and smiled at Charles. "Wait! Charlotte, don't throw your shoes, put them down gently!" And Sophia was off to help Charlotte remove her shoes for the bounce house.

We drifted around talking to people, eating delicious food, and watching the children play. About an hour in, Matilda along with Sophia, and a beaming Charlotte went up to a microphone and dinged her glass for silence. The kids continued to play in the background, but the adults quieted and a camera crew that had subtly set up in the back began to roll.

Matilda began to speak with emotion about meeting Charlotte, and about the orphanage. She invited Mrs. Addison up to stand next to her and the crowd applauded. After talking about the opportunities people had to help and praising Mrs. Addison, Matilda welcomed Charles to the front, thanking him for his support.

She stepped aside and gestured to the microphone for him.

"There has been a lot of unrest and dark things coming to light in the last few weeks, as I'm sure you're all too well aware. This, however, is a beautiful example of the good that comes when light is allowed to infiltrate the darkness. Love for our fellow man, love for those of us who may need it now more than ever, this beautiful day shows that our city is capable of that, and it gives me hope."

Applause filled the room and I found myself growing teary at his powerful words, proud that I was there with him.

"I for one am going to continue to stand up for the rights of the city's poor and disadvantaged. Myself and Rafe Media will continue to stand behind people like Mrs. Addison and the family of the journalist Nicolas Middleman because as I think you are all witnessing today, there is no greater cause than supporting love like this family has found for each other. Thank you."

Thundering applause filled the room as he embraced the family and stepped away from the microphone. When he finished shaking hands and made it back to my side, I hugged him.

"Did I do okay?" he asked, his eyes dancing with merriment.

"You killed it!"

He smiled with pleasure. "And now we will see how the powers above react when that hits the news circuit."

It was a beautiful evening, and since there were children involved the festivities concluded with the cake, bedecked with sparklers, being consumed well before 7:00. As things began to wind down Charles and I said our goodbyes and left.

We walked through the mild evening on a quiet side street, arm in arm, toward where our car waited, laughing about something we'd seen the kids doing when a figure in black stepped out from a store front down the street and looked directly at us.

Charles instantly swept me behind him and growled, standing at his full height.

They were wearing a black balaclava, but I could tell from the movements that it wasn't the same person who'd grabbed me the other night. They moved differently, and in a way that was somehow familiar.

I put my nose in the air, trying to catch a scent but the figure was too far.

We all stood still for a moment, staring at each other, all my jumbled hopes that it was nothing, that this was just some random person out for a walk, disappearing as I realized it was way too warm for a ski mask.

They took a step toward us, and put their hands out as if to pacify Charles.

"What do you want?" he growled, his voice thundering off the buildings around us.

The figure held up something for us both to see, what looked like a large manila envelope, and put it on the ground under a stone, then turned to go.

"Wait!" Charles barked, but the figure began pelt away up the vacant street with Charles instantly after them.