Chapter Dedication: balix197.

Song of recommendation for the chapter: Busted - Crash the wedding. 🎶 🎶

The SoHo Grand Hotel was like something out of a movie, Lee thought as she and Rainy— her designated babysitter for tonight as appointed by the rest of the Promise sisterhood— strolled down a wide, decorated hallway to the ballroom overlooking the private garden.

They'd managed to slip inside without anyone asking them questions or accusing them of being there without an invitation; although she felt as if everyone knew they were imposter guests on a mission to find a one night stand.

"Relax," Rainy said as she slipped an arm around Lee's waist. "There have to be at least three hundred people. No one would notice us."

"Okay, but no eating or drinking. We probably shouldn't sit down and take a real guest's place."

Rainy smiled at her. "You've not always been much of a rule breaker."

"Only under very specific circumstances. Like the no more than four items in a dressing room rule. That one I'm good to break."

They circled the ballroom, avoiding the tables clustered at one end and staying towards the dance floor. A waiter came by and offered some kind of pastry treat. Rainy reached for it, but Lee pushed her hand away.

"We're not supposed to eat," she told her; voice low and insistent.

Rainy chuckled. "You're making this too much fun."

"We're not here to have fun. This is serious. Okay, they're setting up to play. This is good. Let's just get down to what we came here to do."

"Coward."

"I'm ignoring you." Lee watched the orchestra seat themselves. "There aren't many single men tonight. What was I thinking coming here?"

Suddenly, a well-dressed older couple moved toward them.

"Kitty and Emilia Blake," the woman said as she reached for Lee's hand. "How good of you to come."

Lee froze. They were caught!

But Rainy smiled smoothly and responded. "Everything is lovely. Very impressive. Such a happy day."

Kitty Black, the stepmother to the groom, beamed. "Isn't it? We're so delighted."

"Of course you are," Rainy told her.

Jason Black leaned down and kissed Lee's cheeks, then did the same with Rainy. "Thank you so much for joining us today. It means a lot."

"We wouldn't have missed this for anything."

The Black's left.

Lee waited until they were out of earshot, then covered her face. "We're so going to hell. I can hear them etching our names on our chairs."

"We get chairs in hell?"

Lee glared at her. "You know what I mean."

"Nothing happened. We were polite and gracious. In five minutes, Kitty and Jason Black won't remember us. Come on, you can handle this. Look, the orchestra is about to start."

"Maybe. It's not that I want to feel guilty."

"Listen, chicken, go and get us a drink while I search for your potential one night stand."

Before Lee could protest, Rainy was halfway across the room. Sighing softly, Lee picked her way across the room, stopping slightly to greet other guests. She wondered if they would still smile at her like that if they knew that she was here to find a man to sleep with tonight.

As the night wore on, Lee found herself with several men, who either tried to hard to impress her or were just boring her with business talks and blah, blah, blah. She finally dodged Rainy— she had a dark haired man, victim number five, trailing behind her as her eyes scanned the room for Lee— when she managed to slip into a corner of the ballroom undetected.

The floor-to-ceiling windows provided a clear view of the pool. The clear black sky shone with muted stars. She longed to step out into the night and away from the people in the ballroom behind her.

However did I let myself get talked into this?

She sighed again.

She'd later learned that the owner of the matchmaking agency Rainy signed her up for, Cupid Match Agency, and his secretary were the ones getting married, which kind of explained why Rainy had gotten them in without any qualms.

Lee stared at her reflection in the window. Her fringe was trimmed to the top of her eyebrows, while the rest of her hair cascaded down her back in bright, red waves. A dark blue floor-length evening gown hugged her curves. The colour complimented the honey brown of her eyes. The image was marred by the sadness in her eyes and slight slump of her shoulders.

"Lee."

She started, then smiled. "Hey, Devon." She turned and accepted the champagne glass he held out.

Lee met Devon earlier in the evening while getting a drink from the bar. He had been lamenting over the fact that his partner had gotten called away for an emergency at work. She had quickly enlisted his help in keeping Rainy at bay.

"Sorry I took so long," he said. "Everyone is getting ready for the arrival of the couple." His gaze darted around the room and his mouth pursed as if he had tasted something sour. "Where is she?"

At least she wasn't the only one that found Rainy's attempt at the one night stand matchmaking hard to take. Lee laughed and her mood lightened just a bit. Rainy seemed shocked when she came up to them earlier with yet another man for Lee to meet and found her standing with Devon. Rainy had quickly recovered and grilled him on the spot. They only escaped when Devon asked Lee to dance.

She patted his arm. "I have no idea." He had really gone above and beyond tonight in helping someone he had just met. "I really appreciate all you've done tonight in helping me. It's too bad that I wasn't smart enough to insist in driving myself. I could've just left and pretended I left with some hunky guy."

Devon shrugged. "No problem. I know how family can be." His gaze shifted to a point over her shoulder. His eyes started to sparkle and a loving smile covered his face.

Lee turned around to see a handsome blonde man approaching. His smile matched Devon's.

Ah. This must be Brandon.

Devon had spoken glowingly of his partner several times while they danced. Lee couldn't help the wistful thought, if only I could find someone who would look at me like that.

"Brandon!" Devon said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Brandon lengthened his stride. He reached for Devon's hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "I told you I'd make it back in time."

Devon beamed at his lover.

Lee was saddened but not surprised the men did not embrace. The tolerant attitude toward public display of affection between same-sex couple that was common in California was not overly appreciated by some people in NY.

Smiling warmly at Devon, she reached out and touched his arm. "Thanks again for your help." She gave Devon a brief smile and a nod, she started to walk away.

"Wait, Lee. You don't have to go." Devon tugged his partner closer. "Brandon, this is Ledia Arden. I've been helping her keep her friend from shoving men at her all night."

A blush heated Lee's face.

Brandon laughed. "Nice to meet you. Dev's right, you don't have to go. Stay with us until the couple arrive. Otherwise, I'm sure your friend will find more than one man eager to kiss you."

Lee shivered. "Thanks, but I think I'll just find myself a quiet out-of-the-way-spot."

"Are you sure?" Devon's voice was full of concern.

"I'm fine." She smiled at both men. "Thanks again."

"Anytime." Devon said.

Lee nodded before heading towards the bar to sit on a stool. Everyone was still chattering and the couple's parents was going around to thank the guests.

The bride and groom were still nowhere in sight.

She summoned the bartender, shaking her empty glass at him until he nodded, winked and came over to her, abandoning the new set of people that just walked up to the bar.

"What would you have, Lee?" The hunky man asked, clearly so proud he had memorized her name in the two hours since she'd arrived.

"Bourbon." She answered spontaneously. "Lemonade and lime."

The bartender cocked and eyebrow and shook his head. "Good choice, beautiful." He answered approvingly, pulling a tumbler from beneath the shiny oak bar that held the attention of so many people clad in expensive attire.

"Ice and a slice?" He asked, and Lee nodded in agreement.

She watched for a second as he concocted the brew, watched it turn lighter as he added the cordial and watched it fizz as he threw in a slice of lime.

"Here you go." He placed a napkin in front of her and put the drink on it, threading two thin straws down the side of the glass, parting the ice as it effervesced against the lemonade.

"Signal to me if you need another drink," He said with a wink and turned away from her, heading down the bar to take the orders of waiting guests.

From her peripheral view, she watched a man approach the bar; sure to keep her eyes trained forward so he couldn't detect her appraisal. He was well tall, pushing just over six foot, broad shoulder encased in Royal blue tux and feet that were clad in black loafers.

He lifted a finger, beckoning the bartender, and as she sipped, clearing the last of the vodka from the bottom of the glass, she could hear him order a glass gin and tonic. His voice was not hindered by any trace of an accent, his words equally eloquent and friendly. She could have listened to him speak all day, his golden drawl the perfect combination of masculine and tender.

God, why am I thinking like that?

Had four years with one man really made her so hopeless that she could turn into a puddle at just the sound of a man's voice?

She chided herself, slurping angrily at the watered-down dregs of vodka that clung to the bottom of the glass. The mirror behind her reflected her face back at her. She had once been beautiful, a naturally youthful face that made her look younger than her true twenty-six.

Lee stared at herself in the mirror and the foreigner that stared back, the one who wore her face but wore it badly. In a ballroom full of vibrant couples, she was the odd man. The gaze of the foreigner became too much to bear so she looked away. Then she felt a soft brush of gentle fingers at her arm.

She turned, shocked to see who had sought her attention, spinning almost quickly enough to sweep her from her stool in her unsteady, partially, inebriated state. The strange man looked into her eyes with a smile.

"Hi."