7. Carina

CHAPTER 7

Carina

M y leaving the masquerade ball played on a loop in my head…

"No, wait!" he called out from behind me as I reached the door.

I didn't want to leave. But I didn't have any choice. The deal was that I would leave at midnight, and Reggie would drive me home. It didn't matter how much I wanted to stay, without a job, and with my grandmother in the hospital I needed Alex's money now more than ever.

I raced back down the hall with the numbered doors, and through the next doorway. I continued running down the hall, past the balconies, and to the wide staircase we walked up earlier.

I ran so fast down the staircase I was surprised I didn't fall. One shoe slipped off but I kept going until I reminded myself that none of what I was wearing belonged to me. Except for my panties, and I had already lost those.

I quickly stopped, turned around, and grabbed the shoe. For the first time, I looked back. My handsome prince was coming down the steps, trying to catch up to me.

No, he can't catch up. If he does then I'll never leave.

I took my other shoe off, and with the shoes in one hand, I bunched up the dress and lifted it with my other hand. I ran even faster through the crowd

The clock strikes 8 times.

Outside, the sidewalk felt rough on my feet. But I didn't have time for that. I saw the car parked at the curb up ahead and ran towards it.

"Wait!" he called out. "At least tell me your name."

I turned and looked at my Prince. Sadness consumed me. It wasn't meant to be. I had a night I would never forget and that needed to be good enough.

I took one final look at him before getting into the car, and pulling the door closed.

I roll over and look at the clock.

Might as well give up on sleep. Visiting hours at the hospital will be starting soon.

Grandma looks peaceful when I arrive. Her eyes are closed, and her breathing is steady. I sit in a chair next to her bed, hoping I don't wake her.

Odessa peeks into the room and waves. She pulls up a chair next to me, leans over, and whispers. "How's she doing?"

"She's good. They're supposed to transfer her to the rehab facility tomorrow," I whisper back. "She's been asleep since I got here."

"Have you eaten today?" she asks. "I'm starving."

"No, I'm not hungry. Plus I keep thinking about last night."

"You know that's one of the reasons why I'm here. Let's go down to the cafeteria, and I'll buy us some breakfast. You can tell me everything."

The cafeteria is empty except for a few people. We choose a table away from everyone, and as soon as I sit down I start giving her all the details of the place, and what happened.

"I know you probably think I'm an idiot," I say. "And obviously I wasn't myself, but there was something about him. Something that felt right, like I was supposed to be there last night and meet him. This wasn't just some crazy sexual experience, it meant something. At least it does to me."

"And you can't see him again?"

"It's not a question of can or can't, it's more how? He doesn't know who I am, I don't know who he is. I don't know how to find him unless I go to the next ball. And that's assuming he would be there. And that I would recognize him, and him me. It's all stupid. I need to forget about him, and just be glad I had an amazing night."

"What about Alex? He wanted you to dance with him, so he must know who he is."

"I can't ask him. I mean I have no idea why he had me do this. But I'm sure he's not going to tell me what I want to know."

I check the time on my phone and move all the garbage onto the tray.

Thanks for breakfast. I need to go meet Alex now."

"All right sis, good luck with that. Remember if he doesn't pay you, you just let me know. I know some people who owe me a few favors."

I laughed as I hugged her.

"I'll keep that in mind. Talk to you later, sis."

After leaving the hospital I stopped at home to collect the dress, the shoes, and all the jewelry I had worn the night before. The entire night is like living in a dream. The clothing is my only memento from last night, and I hope Alex will let me keep it.

I kept wishing things were different. That I had met the man in the mask and didn't have Alex as the reason for it. While I lack experience with men, I know what I felt last night was different. What happened was special.

Thinking about how he raced after me I knew he felt the same. As I walk to the hotel I replay him running after me, and how he kept asking for my name. But most of all I'm thinking about his kiss and the way his hands felt against my skin.

As I reach the door to the hotel room it opens before I have a chance to knock. Alex grins from ear to ear, then with a sweeping gesture of his arm he waves me into the room. I put the shoes on the floor in front of the bed, and place the dress and the jewelry on top of it.

I fold my arms in front of me and turn to face him.

"You can't tell me that was just a coincidence."

"I wasn't going to say it was," he says.

"Then how did you know I was at the door? Have you been stalking me? Do you have some kind of tracking device on me?"

I look at the dress and pick up the necklace to see if there's anything suspicious about it.

"Stalking you? Don't flatter yourself," he said. "I don't need to stalk you to know everything about you. You're not that special. You're actually very predictable."

"Predictable? You don't know anything about me."

"I know that your world revolves around your grandmother. I know that you lost both of your parents at such a young age that you don't even remember them. I know you've been living in that shit-hole you call an apartment for your entire life. Should I go on?"

I shake my head "Why do you have to be such a jerk?"

He looks as if I slapped him, but then quickly regains his composure.

"Sit down so we can talk. I check on everyone I'm in business with. I like to know who and what I'm dealing with. That's how I protect myself." He walks over to the dress and gently rubs the fabric between his fingers before looking up at me. "You looked beautiful last night, by the way. I apologize for not telling you that last night. My team did an excellent job of cleaning you up." He smirks as he speaks making me unsure how much I can believe.

"So did you enjoy yourself last night?" he asks.

I don't know how to answer him. I want to keep what happened between the man in the mask and myself private, but I don't feel like I have any choice.

"Yes, I did enjoy myself. It was different. Extraordinary."

"It is quite the spectacle."

I look at my watch, wondering how much more of this conversation I have to put up with. I want to leave so I get up and start heading to the door. In a perfect world, I'm out of there before he can ask anything more personal."

"Are you in a rush?" he asks as he sits across from me. "Because you do realize I know you don't have any other place to go. You just left the hospital, and you haven't gotten a new job yet. But if you answer a few questions for me I might be able to make things a little easier for you."

Gritting my teeth I walk over to the small couch and sit down.

"What do you want to know?"

"I want to know about last night. Did you find him? The man with the green mask."

"No, he found me."

Alex's eyebrows shoot up and he looks at me with a renewed interest.

"So you didn't even need to find him." He strokes his chin as a smile slowly grows on his face. "I knew he would like you."

Alex's shoulders straighten with pride. He gets up and starts to pace the room, lost in thought.

So he found you. And then you danced with him?"

I nodded.

"Excellent." Alex walks over to the desk and opens the briefcase sitting on top. From the suitcase, he pulls out a stack of hundred-dollar bills, turns back to me, and hands me the money. "That's yours. $20,000 in cash as promised. See, I told you there wasn't a catch."

I have never seen so much cash before in my life. Let alone hold it. I quickly shove the cash into my handbag before he can change his mind.

"Thank you," I say. "I still don't know why you wanted me to do this, but I really appreciate the money." I rise to my feet, ready to leave, when he raises his index finger towards me.

"Want to make some more money?" he asks.

I eye him suspiciously.

"I guess that depends on what you have in mind."

"How about you give me a few more details from last night?" He motions with his hand back to the couch that I was sitting on. Then he grabs his briefcase off the desk and places it on the bed next to the dress. He opens it, revealing that it's full of cash.

"Did he ever give you his name?"

"No. When we were in the room he asked me a few times for my name but you told me to not give it to him so I didn't." Dammit, I can't believe I mention the room.

An excited look crosses Alex's face. He grabs a smaller stack of 20s and tosses it onto my lap.

"Tell me about the room."

I sigh, disappointed at my big mouth. I look down at my lap and pick up the cash. There has to be at least a few hundred dollars there. My mind starts spinning with how much groceries I can buy.

"The room is on the second floor, away from the ballroom. We had to go up a large staircase, and then through two hallways before getting there. It has a glass wall that overlooks the dance floor." I looked around the hotel room mentally comparing it's size to the one we were in. "The room is probably around this size. It has dark walls and a plush carpet. There was a bar in one quarter and a couch in the middle."

He puts his hand up, telling me to stop before nodding his approval.

"There's no bed in that room at all, is there?"

"No, just the bar, the couch, and some chairs."

"Did you have sex with him?"

I can't believe his question. I looked down at my lap as heat rushed to my cheeks, and my anger swelled. "No! But whether we did or not that would be none of your business."

Alex chuckles as he waves his index finger at me. "You did something. I can tell. That's one of the reasons I chose you. It's nothing to be ashamed of, Carina. If anything you should be proud of yourself. You did a much better job than I would have ever imagined." He reaches into his briefcase and grabs the smaller wad of hundreds than what he paid me with before. He holds it up before handing it to me. "That's $10,000. Consider that bonus. Plus, if you'd like to keep the dress, and everything, consider it yours."

I stare at the money in disbelief. A weight lifts off my shoulders as I realize I have over $30,000 in cash. I put the money in my handbag, and walk over to the dress before putting my hand on it lovingly.

"Thank you," I whisper.

"So tell me, Carina, how would you like to go back to the ball?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

Going back to the ball sounds too good to be true. I want nothing more than to see the man in the mask again. My prince. Just thinking about it makes my heart race.

"Like I said before, I know everything about you. That includes knowing that Dr. Frederick is trying to get your grandmother into a rehab facility because insurance wants her out of the hospital too soon. Your grandmother has shitty health insurance, and I know you're relying on the money I gave you to help you pay for her care."

I nod, wondering where he's going with all of this.

"The thing is, I like you, Carina. You and I aren't very different believe it or not. I can do even more to help you than I already have. A little quid pro quo if you know what I mean. If you agree to help me, I will do everything I can to help you. I will get your grandmother into the best rehab facility, find her the best doctors, and make sure she's getting the absolute best care that money can buy for her. And I'm not talking about just now but for the rest of her life."

"Why would you do all of that for me? What are you expecting in return?"

"You still don't trust me, do you?" He shrugs. "I can't say I blame you. What I have in mind is going to be more than just one dance at a masquerade ball. What I want will require a lot more of your time. Six months worth to be exact. Just until summer. So not only will I take care of your grandmother but while you're doing this for me, I will take care of you. Your rent, clothing, food, anything you need. I'll make sure you have spending money, and everything you want or need during this time."

"Okay, I get it, Alex. You still haven't said what's the catch? Just get to the point and tell me what do you want me to do. Because the more you sweeten the pot, the more I'm thinking I should run."

The idea of his taking care of my grandmother like that, making sure that she gets the best care is more than I can ask. What he added to it, about paying my rent and everything else is too much. There had to be something more that he was going to ask of me. Something I wouldn't want to do.

"Whatever it is you're going to ask me to do, what if I say no? Or what if I change my mind mid-way? Is this the real reason why I lost my job? So you can blackmail me into doing this?"

"See, that's why I like you, Carina, always thinking. I knew it wouldn't take you long to figure it out. I wouldn't call it blackmail though. You lost your job for a reason, and that's because I need you. Last night was just a test. It was a gamble. And everything worked just as I planned. Now I need you to finish the job. I need you to go back to the ball, and find the same man, but this time you need to make him fall in love with you."

"Make him fall in love with me? Are you out of your mind? How am I supposed to do that? I've never even had a serious relationship in my life. I have no idea how to make someone fall in love with me. And then what? What happens after that?"

"See, there you go again." He patted the top of my head. "Always thinking. That's why you're perfect for this. You are the product of your environment. Everything from your past and everything from your present has made you into who you are today. And I'm willing to bet that you are exactly what he's been looking for."

"So let me get this right. You want me to go to the next ball, and you want me to find him and start a relationship with him. And what if he doesn't?"

"If you're just being yourself, and he doesn't fall for you, then no harm no foul. You'll still get paid, and your granny will still have her lifetime of care. But if he does fall in love with you like I think he will, then at the end of the six months you're going to leave him. Just keep it up until summer. Then you'll vanish from his life and you will never see him again."

His words wound me. How can I do this to the man I met last night? How can I do this to myself? The only way I can have a relationship with him is if I give in to my feelings for him. As great as it sounds, not having to worry about my grandmother's healthcare for the rest of her life, I'm not the kind of person who can do something like this.

"Are you asking me to break his heart? Because I can't do that. I don't want to do that. And what about me? How am I supposed to make him fall in love with me, without falling in love with him?"

"That my dear, is a you problem. I would recommend you don't fall in love with him. Trust me, love only causes pain anyway."

"And what if I say no? You've told me your plan, who says I can't find him and warn him?"

"Well of course that's up to you. But you don't know how to find him, and why would he believe you anyway? Also, I can guarantee that you won't be able to find another job. And you know how those hospital bills will keep on mounting without a job for you to pay for them."

"So you are blackmailing me. You're not giving me a choice."

"There's always a choice, Carina. You just don't like the options."

I think back to my evening with my prince in the mask. I don't want to hurt him. But I do want to see him again. As I sit in silence thinking about everything that's been going on, my phone starts ringing. It's the hospital.

"Hello?" I said answering the call.

Ms. Cameron, it's Annie, one of your grandmother's nurses."

"Is everything okay?"

I sit down and clutch my purse to my chest as I brace myself. Hospitals never call with good news.

"It's your grandmother. She crashed and went into cardiac arrest. She's stable right now, but we needed to induce a coma until we can figure out what happened."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

I hang up the phone grateful to be able to get those those words out before I break down into tears. My head starts spinning, and I can't breathe. Alex grabs a bottle of water from the mini fridge, cracks it open, and hands it to me.

"What happened?" he asks.

"Oh, finally something you don't know?" I snap at him before shaking my head.

I can't speak anymore. A lump plants itself in my throat. What if she dies? I'm not ready to lose her yet. I don't know what I would do without her. She is my entire world.

I take a few sips of the water and several deep breaths. I start feeling more like myself again. I stand up and head towards the door. Alex follows close behind me.

"I'll drive you to the hospital," he says. "It'll be faster, and you shouldn't be alone right now."

I nod as I turn towards him, but as I do, I catch a quick glimpse of his briefcase again. I need to prioritize my grandmother's health. This isn't about me. It certainly isn't about some stranger that I met the night before. This is about my grandmother and for my grandmother. I will do anything to help her.

As I follow Alex to his car I tug on his jacket sleeve. He turns to me with a questioning look on his face.

"You said you would take care of her. That you would get her the best care, the best doctors, the best of everything to make her well again."

Alex nods. "I promise that if you agree to do this for me, I will make sure that your grandmother will never need anything ever again."

"Then I'll do it," I say as my stomach twists into knots. "I'll make him fall in love with me. And then when it's time, that's when I'll break his heart."