Marie, my stylist since I was a teenager, clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth with satisfaction as she finished putting my hair into a stylish bun. Beth sat on my bed, flipping through a magazine. Having done her hair and makeup, she was waiting for the professionals to finish mine. Beth could have used one of Marie's stylists to prepare for tonight's gathering, but she didn't trust most people with her hair and didn't want my mother to hire someone just for her. If I could do as good a job on my own as Beth did, my mother would have saved a lot of money over the years.

"All done," Marie announced as she put the last pin in my hair.

As Marie turned me toward the mirror, a long-forgotten face stared back at me. I gasped in surprise as I realized how long it had been since I had taken the time to style my hair and put on proper makeup. After my marriage to Tim, I had mostly stayed natural to please him. But now, as I touched one of the perfectly curled strands allowed to fall from the bun, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me. I remembered how beautiful I used to feel when Marie made me up just right, and it annoyed me I had stopped doing it in the first place.

Marie, along with her assistant, helped me get into the dress that we had selected for the night. The dress was designed by one of my mother's friends, and it was a sleeveless brocade dress that fit tightly through the hips and then flowed down towards the floor in a flared sweep. The dress had a beautiful pink-gold leaf pattern that thickened as it approached my chest with an underlayer of light pink mesh. The gold and pink colors complemented my skin tone beautifully, just as the designer had intended. Marie had done a fantastic job matching my hair and subtle jewelry to enhance the dress's design.

Although my mother also wore a dress by the same designer, mine was the star, and that's how my mother wanted it. In my previous life, I had been filled with anticipation for Tim to see me in the dress and had been upset to learn that he might not be able to attend the auction due to his uncle's passing. However, when he arrived and swept me off my feet that night, it felt like Cinderella's ball. It's incredible how much difference five years and a murder can make.

"Gorgeous!" Beth declared as she stood up to inspect me closer. "You will turn all the heads tonight for sure."

***

The organizers had arranged for the auction to be held in one of my favorite waterfront venues. The spacious location was once a transit center where ferries from all over the bay area docked, bringing people and commerce. However, as the city built more bridges, the building became obsolete, and they had to develop new ways to use the ample space and make it a draw for tourists. During the day, the space was lively with local vendors and shops, a marketplace unique to the city I grew up in. A farmers market appeared behind and around the space three days a week, adding to the local feel and experience.

When I first moved back after college, Beth and I used to meet up with Mikael and other friends at the Saturday market. We would buy fresh ingredients and end up at Beth's apartment, cooking and drinking whatever we fancied that day. As time passed, our lives became increasingly complex, and we found it challenging to meet up and spend a day shopping and eating together. By the time I found myself in a cabin in the mountains with Tim, I hadn't seen or even spoken to most of my college friends for several years.

"We should go to the market next weekend," I said wistfully.

"Okay, I will call everyone. We can meet Jules' new boyfriend," Beth replied absentmindedly as she admired the twinkling lights that had just illuminated the entire space. The arches that dominated the middle of the room were now glowing with magical fairy lights. Workers meticulously adjusted the auction offerings in front of each merchant stall to complement the lights above and shine brightly for the event.

"Wait, she's dating a guy now?" I stopped admiring the view and touched Beth's shoulder to get her attention.

"Love is love," Beth said with a shrug, then guided me toward the entrance where guests were beginning to arrive.

I filed the information into the back of my mind as more and more guests streamed in who Beth and I needed to greet. My mother and father joined us at the door as the dignitaries with deep pockets began to arrive. That was the Mason's role at this event, lending our prestige to the event planners. Each person entering had the chance to shake hands with the current CEO of Mason Enterprises and bask in the presence of her perfect family.

A strong hand pulled mine, and my attention flittered back to my task. Without thinking, I looked up and met the hand's eyes, floundering in their blue sea.

"Robert." My lips formed the word, but my voice didn't work, so it came out in a whisper. Robert's tapered lips tilted up in a slight smirk before he leaned in closer as if to hear me better.

"Nicole," he breathed in return. "You look beautiful." A chill threatened to release a spasm along my back as he admired me openly. Beth's chuckle beside me and my father's throat clearing brought us back to the moment.

"Thank you," I murmured back, feeling heat in my cheeks and ears. I hoped my makeup and hair could hide the redness the heat usually brought. "You look..." Before I could say anything perfunctory, I took in the Robert who stood before me and caught my breath. Always handsome and well-dressed, I couldn't imagine he would ever look better, but that night, he exceeded all expectations.

In an ocean of black and grey menswear, Robert Mason wore a maroon double-breasted suit with a matching bowtie and crisp white shirt. He should have looked stuffy or garish, but somehow, he pulled it off with style. The purplish-red shade highlighted the golden hues of his complexion and made his azure eyes stand out. As I inspected him, he raised his eyebrows and flashed a broad smile, which revealed small dimples at the corners of his lips. I wanted to touch his cheeks to confirm they were real, but I managed to stop before my hand lifted too high.

"Mr. Lamb," my father's velvet voice had a touch of steel in it as he put his hand between us, and Robert refocused his gaze on him. The smile had apparently been only for me, and Robert's face resumed its usual stoic appearance.

"Mr. Mason," Robert responded, shifting over and enclosing my father's hand with a second one. I wanted to see how he would pull my father to his side, as it was apparent Papa was not happy with my response to the handsome heir, but Beth pulled at my other hand, and I glanced up to see Tim enter behind his uncle. It surprised me that they had arrived together until I saw Tim's mother on his arm. She must have decided to come in with her brother and dragged her son with him.

Tiffany Lamb-Biernacki narrowed her eyes briefly at her brother and squeezed her son's arm before resuming a vaguely pleasant smile and striding past Beth, who was not actually in the greeting line but just slightly behind us, ensuring the flow continued.

"Nicole Mason?" Tim's mother asked as she stopped before me and smiled warmly.

Tiffany Lamb-Biernacki stood almost as tall as her baby brother, and she shared many of the facial features that were so handsome on him but not as attractive on a woman. Thirty years ago, she decided to marry into a newly wealthy European family to infuse the Lamb empire with the necessary funds. Unfortunately, after Tim's birth, his parents divorced, and Mr. Biernacki returned to Europe, leaving his first wife and child behind to fend for themselves among the Lamb family. Though Tim admired his father's business acumen, he didn't have a close relationship with him and had elected to accept his mother's maiden name instead of his father's. As Tim grew older, he occasionally spoke of his determination to reclaim the Biernacki fortune and re-establish himself as the rightful heir. I suspect this is what Tim planned to use Mason's money and connections to achieve. I didn't live long enough to see if Tim's plan would succeed. But this time, I wasn't going to give him a chance.

"Ms. Lamb," I responded, remembering her preferred title. Though she kept her hyphenated name, she used her maiden name publicly, only utilizing the Biernacki name when needed. My correct usage broadened her smile, and she leaned in for a gentle kiss on my cheek.

"I hear my son and brother helped fish you out of a pool the other day," she teased lightly, showing off her lighthearted personality. But something in the set of her eyes startled me. Had she not been as unwitting a bystander as I had imagined?

"Your son?" I stuttered, deciding to see how far Tiffany Lamb would take this line of conversation.

"Yes, Tim, he came rushing to your aid as well as Robert," Ms. Lamb pushed her son forward, and for a split second, I was back in my last life. His had been the face I woke up craving for five years. His roguish hair brushed the back collar of his dark blue suit. He didn't wear a tie, so his crisp white shirt showed off the top of what I knew to be a perfectly toned chest.

"Ms. Mason," Tim said as he walked in front of his mother and replaced her hand in mine. His face drew my attention up from his chest as he said my name, and I noticed the small amount of new-growth beard that he had allowed to frame his slightly too-thin lips. His patrician nose cast a slight shadow over the top of his mouth, and his raven eyes bore into me as he held my hand a few seconds too long. A maroon arm drifted over Tim's shoulder, and Robert came back into view. Tim's broad brow furrowed slightly before he assumed a false levity.

"Well, Timmy stayed pretty dry during the ordeal, so you may not remember him, Ms. Mason." Robert laughed at his joke, and his sister and nephew chuckled politely. My father and mother had turned to watch the exchange, and both looked contemplative. My mother stepped forward and pulled Robert toward her, whispering something that made him smile and nod. Tim frowned but accepted my father's hand as Beth gently ushered the Lamb family up the receiving line.

I surreptitiously glanced at my mother's interaction with my former husband and noticed the same discomfort that she had shown when I first brought him to our home. I had thought her distaste for my then-boyfriend was because he was the first I had brought home and a bit of a known playboy with no real future in Lamb Industries. But maybe her impeccable insight into people had zeroed in on Tim's flaws far before that, and she had only accepted him because I loved him.

This time, I wasn't going to make her choose between her instincts and her love for me. She had chosen Robert as the preferred Lamb, as had I. I watched Robert as he walked away with his family and let the heat his back frame induced in my gut warm me. His head turned almost imperceptibly and caught me staring at him. A satisfied smile lifted his cheeks before I could no longer see him in the sea of admirers that closed in around him. The memory of his hands on my waist and his lips crushing against mine spread the warmth from my belly all over my body, and I was relieved when Beth pulled me away from the door, our receiving duty completed for the night.

"Damn, the Lamb boys are both after you," Beth observed, her eyes following after them as well. "I say we switch tactics."

"I agree," I answered as I slipped my hand into Beth's arm, allowing her to lead me to the stairwell leading to the walkway above the hall that served as the stage.

"You should dance with Robert Lamb tonight. That will thrill the paparazzi. I swear, you two look like you called each other to coordinate your looks."

"Mmm," I answered noncommittally. I was wondering if there would be dancing tonight. I usually left right after the auction with my parents. But dancing with Robert did sound appealing.

My mother did an excellent job gaining the crowd's attention and introducing the auctioneer brought in from Sotheby's for the occasion. He started with some lesser desired objects to give Mother and me time to return to our seats on the dias behind him. We would bid electronically, while those on the floor would bid using paddles. Spotters were strategically placed throughout the crowd to catch the numbers. The Lamb family had been seated not too far from us, and I felt multiple eyes landing on me from their table. When I glanced up, Tim lifted his glass and smiled suggestively at me while Robert glowered behind him. Beth put a hand over her mouth to hide a chuckle, and I glared at her in response.

Lisa sat on the other side of me, our seats determined before Beth had chosen to join us. Luckily, my father was willing to move and allow Beth to sit next to me, as Lisa wouldn't budge. I tried to keep an eye on her all night and pretend nothing was wrong between us, but I have never been good at hiding my emotions.

I placed bids on the items I was interested in and won only two out of six, which was worse than my previous attempt. I wasn't sure who had outbid me this time, but I had a hunch that the Lamb family's presence had attracted more bidders than before, causing me to miss out on two sculptures, a necklace, and a painting. However, I was happy that I had secured the earrings and wine. The thought of wine brought my attention to the untouched glass before me. The night was almost over, so it would be okay to have a sip of the wine I had helped the organizers obtain from my favorite Napa winemaker.

I swirled the dark red liquid in my glass and forgot about the world for a moment while I took in its complex aroma and allowed the first drops to hit my tongue with reverence. The glass had been breathing all night, allowing the flavors to mellow and blend, giving it the soft taste I loved. I slowly took in the rest of the glass while the auction finished up, savoring each moment because I only planned to have one glass. I could not get drunk that night, not with all my enemies in one room.

It surprised me when, despite my caution, my head began to swim. When unqualified satisfaction and happiness burst through my chest, I clenched my fists and leaned over to Beth.

"I think I've been drugged. We have to get out of here in the next fifteen minutes, or I will probably make a scene," I whispered frantically as my body warmed and the lights danced around me. I recognized the drug combination from clubs I visited in college. Then, I had Mikael keeping me safe there, but it was just Beth that night, so we had to hurry before she couldn't support my weight.

Beth swore under her breath and then helped me to my feet. My whole body felt sluggish and energized at the same time. Then, I stopped caring as I began to float above the scene and watch it unfold. She dragged me to the elevator designed for disability access. The attendant didn't argue when he saw me slumped against her. I wasn't sure what the press would think of me, but I'd let my mother's PR team take care of that tomorrow.

Once we entered the elevator, I wrapped my arms around Beth and buried my head in the loose braids falling over her bare shoulder. She wore a shimmering black dress my mother had acquired for her at the last minute. My head turned to her bodice, and I noticed each glistening thread and how they changed with the varying light of the elevator.

The doors opened, and Beth let go of me to keep them from closing while I found my way out.

"Let me help you," a familiar voice offered, shooting ice down my back. I reached back for Beth while Tim's arm wrapped around my waist.

"We are fine, Mr. Lamb," Beth insisted as she put my arm over her shoulder. She waved him away, but he didn't let go of my waist.

"It looks like she could use some support. Why don't you get the car, and I'll hold her here," Tim's voice sounded concerned, and his suggestion reasonable, but when I looked at his face, a devil began to jump out at me, and I put my free hand against his chest to push him away.

"Nephew, please take your hands off of my girlfriend," Robert's voice boomed behind me, and a surge of relief flooded my senses.

Beth gave way to Robert, who expertly pulled me out of Tim's hold and put me on his own. I slipped my arms around his neck and watched the lights play in his worried crystal eyes.

"Girlfriend?" I wondered aloud.

"We'll discuss that later," Robert whispered as he pulled me out of the atrium into the cold night air.

"I'll get her things," Beth announced. "Are you going to bring her to my place? She can't go home."

"If you trust me, I'll bring her to my condo. It's closer, and we don't have much time." I couldn't hear any of the rest of the conversation above the symphony of cars and wind that danced into my ears. The heat and electricity that had bothered me since Robert touched me moments ago began to fade with the rest of the world, and I laid my head against his chest.

Strong arms lifted me and placed me into a soft seat, and I snuggled up to the warm body that came in after me. Then, I passed out.  

WC3139

RT 16,825