Needing something to wear for the upcoming evening, Dana was headed to the boutique that was run by the hotel when her cell phone rang. Pulling it out to look at it, she grimaced when she saw it was her father's number. She automatically pushed the button sending it to voicemail and dropped the phone back into her purse.
He had started calling her the week after her arrival in New York, and she had only made the mistake of answering the phone once. The things her father had said to her made her shudder. Since then she never answered, and she knew she would need to change her number soon.
Pushing the unpleasant thoughts of her father aside, Dana focused on the task ahead. It had been so long since she had worn anything but jeans, and she was secretly looking forward to dressing up for her evening out on the town.
Dana walked into the posh boutique with its quiet atmosphere that was a dramatic change from the lobby of the hotel, and even though Dana was dressed down the sales lady could smell money. She had learned to do it over years of working in upscale hotels. There were those that oozed it without even trying. Dana, utterly unaware of it, was one of those people.
"How may I help you?" She quietly approached Dana who had started to browse.
"I've been invited to a show tonight, and I have nothing to wear." Dana looked down at her jeans and gave an apologetic smile.
"Oh, I think I have just the thing."
She led Dana to the back of the shop and pulled out a gold lace cocktail dress.
Dana looked skeptical, but she insisted that Dana try it on before she made her decision, and she was right. As Dana walked out of the dressing room towards the mirrors the sales lady had a knowing smile on her lips.
"Perfect." She nodded.
Dana stopped in front of the mirror and shocked. She was no longer rail thin, and the Texas sun had added a warm glow to her complexion, making her able to pull the dress off without looking too pale.
The sales lady had brought over a pair of killer heels that added four inches to five-foot nine-inch height.
The dress was a gold slip with a gold lace overlay. It was strapless and was held up by boning in the bust. The skirt was pencil thin and stopped at mid-thigh making her legs looked endless. Recognizing that she was sold, the sales lady suggested she wear her hair up and no jewelry.
Dana nodded meekly, not even recognizing her own reflection.
"Which show will you be seeing?" the woman asked as she packaged her dress and shoes.
"Save the Last Dance," Dana answered on automatic polite.
"Oh, you're lucky. Those tickets have been next to impossible to get, and this is the closing night." She sighed. "Who wouldn't want to pass a night watching Mason Stevens sing about love to his wife? I hear that their chemistry is electric. They met during the making of the show. Did you know that?"
Dana shook her head, watching as the lady took her time with the tissue.
She started to get a little excited about the night. She knew that the dress she had picked would make her look amazing. Quinn had never seen her dressed-up before. She thought of the night she had spent in Quinn's arms and couldn't wait for the next. She would also like to see Mason and Cassie in action, and since they were pretty outrageous off the stage, she could imagine how they would be on the stage.
"Would you like me to call and make you an appointment in the salon to have your hair done?" she offered.
Dana knew that if the lady called, she was much more likely to get in then if she called herself. Dana looked at her phone checking the time.
"Don't you worry, I'll send this all to your room. You head to the salon now, and they'll be ready for you when you get there." The woman was already picking up the phone.
"Thank you, Eve," Dana said, finally taking the time to look at her name tag.
She was still in New York, and she couldn't fight it so she might as well go with the flow and try to live a little. Who knew when she and Quinn would be back again?
When she heard the knock on her door, Dana looked at herself in the mirror one last time. The dress was fabulous, and she wore it well. Her hair was styled in a tight chignon. Her lack of jewelry put all of the focus on the dress and her legs. Anyone looking at her would say she looked classy and elegant.
She opened the door to Lizzy and a beautiful dark headed woman. Lizzy's mouth dropped open at the sight of her.
"Dana?" Lizzy asked.
Dana grinned. "Yes, it's me, do I really look that different?"
Lizzy just nodded taking in her appearance. "Wow, those legs!" Lizzy shook her head. "Why do you hide them?"
"So I splurged. When in Rome..."
"I was hoping Mason Stevens would look out in the crowd and notice me; now he will only notice you," the beautiful woman next to Lizzy said laughing.
Dana laughed in return, shaking her head, feeling lighthearted knowing that it was Quinn she had dressed for.
"I'm sorry...," Lizzy said turning to the woman standing next to her. "Dana Rowland this is my best friend and partner in most crimes, Trisha Livingston. Trisha this is Dana."
Trisha held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you finally. Lizzy hasn't stopped talking about you in weeks."
Dana blushed. "That must have been very boring for you." She knew the name Livingston and couldn't help but wonder if Trisha was one of those Livingstons. If she was, then Lizzy ran if very posh circles.
"No, not at all. First, it was all about you and Caleb, then there was the talk of you and Bryce, and now it seems it's you and Quinn. It's a little bit like a real-life soap opera," Trisha said outrageously.
Lizzy took Dana's arm, shooting Trisha a look that left her in little doubt that she needed to shut her mouth. "If Trisha thinks something it pops out of her mouth, she's a born troublemaker."
Trisha trailed behind them with a grin. "I don't deny it."
The cab ride to the theater was short, and the lobby was full when they got there.
Trisha looked at her gold watch. "Oh good, we have time for a drink. Follow me, ladies," she ordered as she led the charge towards the bar.
Dana saw a few faces she knew, and her heart dropped as they recognized her by a nod in her direction. She had been a fool. She had been in living in a bubble that the Stevens had created for her, and she had forgotten about her husband and his friends. She had forgotten he had been a season ticket holder, and she should have told Lizzy that there was a high likelihood that they might see him. Maybe the reason she hadn't remembered was that he, more often than not, took his girlfriends to the shows, not her.
Dana requested mineral water, and after they were served, they made their way further into the lobby. There was a few more nods Dana's way as she tried to blend into the crowd, but standing over six feet tall in her heels it was hard to do. Luckily Lizzy and Trisha seemed oblivious since they were getting plenty of nods themselves.
"Ladies look here please." They turned to see Davis grinning at them.
"Davis," Trisha greeted warmly, throwing her arms around him.
"Trisha is a one drink minimum kind of girl," Lizzy's amused voice said in Dana's ear.
Davis seemed unperturbed as he hugged her back. "You three look gorgeous. How about a picture?"
Lizzy and Trisha flanked Dana, putting their arms around her waist. Dana forced a smile to her lips as Davis took the picture. When Davis moved away, she saw Bryce headed right towards her.
He looked stunning, his dark hair and tux a perfect foil for his shocking blue eyes. He was towing a beautiful redhead behind him.
"Don't look now but here comes Bryce, and it looks like the stick is still firmly up his backside," Trisha drawled with such a serious face that Lizzy and Dana couldn't help but laugh a little.
When Bryce reached them, he dropped a kiss on all three of their cheeks. "Trisha." He greeted drolly.
"You know you're mad about me Bryce, why do you try to hide it?" Trisha flirted over the top of her glass.
Dana looked between the two of them, was Bryce really crazy about Trisha?
Bryce's lip twitched. "I'm sorry Trisha, the only thing I feel is this stick that always seems to be up my backside whenever you're near." The comment floored Dana; it was the first time Bryce had ever hinted that he had a sense of humor.
One would think Trisha would be embarrassed by Bryce having heard her comment, but she threw back her head and laughed a deep sexy laugh that had the redhead on Bryce's arm sending her a scathing look. "Don't worry sugar. I'm not a threat." Trisha winked at her, waving her ring finger which had a massive rock on it, a fact even Dana had missed.
Bryce had obviously had enough of Trisha's wild behavior, not that it seemed to faze him much, as he turned to Dana. "I need a moment of your time. Ladies, will you excuse us for a minute?" Dana was suddenly being towed behind Bryce just like the redhead had been previously. The redhead had been left in Trisha and Lizzy's company.
"You have the right to say no, but I wouldn't advise it." Bryce stopped suddenly and looked over Dana's shoulder, and the look in his eyes made her skin crawl. Rainer joined them followed by Caleb.
"Is the whole family here tonight?" Dana asked as she tried not to think about what Bryce was about to ask her.
"Yes," was Bryce's curt answer.
Rainer leaned in and gave Dana a quick peck. "You look stunning." He complimented her, putting his arm around her waist and giving her a supportive squeeze. He too looked drop dead gorgeous in his tux.
"Marcus is here, and he wants to greet you. It is his chance to show everyone that it was an amicable divorce." Bryce looked back at her not even attempting to break the news gently.
"I thought I would never have to see him again." Dana felt her legs tremble, and was thankful for Rainer's arm around her waist, giving her his silent support. She wished it was Quinn's, but at least it was someones. As if he had heard her thoughts Quinn appeared next to Bryce, his face carefully devoid of any expression. If she thought Bryce and Rainer looked good in their tuxes, Quinn took her breath away.
Dana couldn't help herself as she reached for him automatically. "Quinn?"
"We're all here Dana." He replaced Rainer's arm with his own giving her strength as his warmth took the chill away.
It was noticed by more than a few people the stunning image that they presented standing side by side. Completely unaware of the glances she and Quinn were getting, she nodded taking a deep breath. "What about my Father, is he here?"
Bryce's gaze darted back to her. "No, not that I am aware of, why?"
Dana was silent, wishing that she had never brought up the subject.
"Why Dana?" Bryce asked when she didn't answer.
Dana couldn't talk to Bryce in the face of all of his displeasure, so she pulled out her phone, pulling up her messages with trembling hands then passing him the phone.
As Bryce listened to her father's voice, his face went blank; then he handed the phone to Quinn.
"We will deal with that later; now it is time to deal with Marcus."
Quinn handed her back her phone, exchanging a look with Bryce before passing Dana over to him. Bryce nodded to someone over her shoulder, and suddenly Marcus was there. He had a pretty young girl on his arm that seemed oblivious to the situation.
Marcus's eyes traveled over her body letting her know he remembered it well before he leaned in placing a kiss on her cheek. "I see you're still a little slut, tell me are you sleeping with all of them? I can't imagine why else they would be helping you."
Dana paled at his comment but kept the smile plastered to her face. "Are we done here?" she asked Bryce, ignoring Marcus's comment.
"Yes," Bryce said moving her away, back towards Lizzy and Trisha.
She saw Elizabeth had joined them and moved in for a hug. They were all present. As if reading her expression Elizabeth laughed. "Doug is at the bar."
Dana looked over her shoulder at Quinn, whose face was a mask. There was no sign of the night they had spent together. No special words or touch, not even a casual kiss like the ones his brothers had given her. His eyes meet hers, but she was at a loss as to what she read in them. Dana was oblivious of the fact that she was looking at Quinn like he was a mirage and she was dying of thirst.
The lights in the theater started to blink, and there was a dinging over the PA system.
"We had better go find our seats," Lizzy suggested
Dana finally wrenched her eyes away from Quinn and followed Lizzy and Trisha to their seats which were the best. Two private boxes had been reserved, and she sat in one with Lizzy, Trisha, Quinn, Bryce, and Rainer.
"Who was that handsome man that you said hello to?" Trisha asked.
"No one important," Dana said more harshly than she had intended to.
There was a hush that fell over the crowd as the lights dimmed. A voice came over the loudspeaker telling them the rules of the house then the orchestra started. Cassie's voice filled the dark. It was very dramatic and had the audience riveted.
The first act flew by, and the final song that Cassie and Mason had together was one where Mason was pining after Cassandra as she moved across the stage. Dana hid a smile as she heard Trisha sigh next to her. It was a love song, and he seemed to be pouring his heart out to Cassie.
When the lights rose for intermission, there was resounding applause. Dana was acutely aware of Quinn's solid presence behind her before everyone decided to go back into the lobby for another drink, but Dana stayed where she was she didn't want to venture back into the lobby and see Marcus. She was lost in thought when she felt someone sit next to her. When she looked up, she saw Marcus leaning back in the chair next to her.
He had found her. She turned to look behind her to see if there was anyone she could get to come to her aid but the box was empty.
"They're all in the lobby," Marcus said reading her thoughts.
He ran his finger up her arm. "You never dressed like this for me. Tell me which one of them is it that you're after? I was guessing Bryce, but now I am not so sure."
"I'm not after any of them, and if you recall you always told me how to dress." Dana kept her voice as neutral as possible, not wanting to cause a scene.
He moved his finger to the exposed part of her thigh and started trailing his finger up towards her hemline.
Dana pushed his hand away. "You no longer have the right to touch me."
"Until death do us part remember?" He put his arm around her shoulders in the appearance of comforting, but he was squeezing her as hard as he could.
She felt his finger digging into her upper arm, and she closed her eyes at the pain of it.
"Dana, you'll... Oh hello," Trisha said as if she hadn't noticed Marcus before.
"Hello lovely lady," Marcus said releasing Dana and turning the charm on Trisha.
Trisha smiled coyly. She wanted to scream at her to stop. That she had no clue what kind of man he was, and she should not be encouraging him, even if she didn't mean anything by it.
"I'll talk to you later Dana," Marcus said in a friendly manner.
Dana just ignored him, trying her best not to rub her arm.
"I'm a little chilly can I borrow your shawl?" Dana asked Trisha. She had draped it over the back of her seat earlier.
"Sure." She handed it to her as she sat down.
Dana arranged it to cover her arm. "So what were you about to say?"
"We're going to latest in haute cuisine for dinner after the show. It seems Mason pulled a few strings to get us a private seating."
Dana nodded in agreement. "That'll be fun."
"Fun, it will be epic. I have it on the best authority that the food is to die for," Trisha said taking her seat.
The second half of the show was so much better than the first half. Mason and Cassie were on the stage almost the entire time, and talk about chemistry. They were leading each other on a merry dance and enjoying the act of it.
In one of the songs, he talked about the first time and how great it would be, and Dana couldn't help the shiver that ran up her spine. She had been there; it made her think of Quinn and how he had promised that he would come to her and he had. The end of that scene, when the extreme need the characters felt for each other was so intense that you wanted them to kiss they didn't. Making you want it all the more.
The final scene was the best. It was Cassie and Mason. The song was talking about going out and having fun but remembering at the end of the night with whom you were going home. They were moving dramatically through the crowds on stage, taking turns singing, and at the end of the song they found each other, and their voices came together. It was mesmerizing.
Knowing that this was the last time they would be performing the number it seemed to mean more.
When the music ended, and the curtain came down, the audience surged to their feet, giving the cast a standing ovation. When Cassie and Mason took the stage, he dipped her and gave her the kiss that they had all wanted to see.
The audience went even crazier, and Mason pulled Cassie close and whispered something in her ear. She threw back her head and laughed as he dipped her. Then they turned to the audience and waved before leaving the stage.
The audience would have none of it, and they forced Mason and Cassie back onto the stage. Mason held up his hands, signaling the audience to stop clapping so he could speak.
"As many of you are aware I met my beautiful wife during this production, so this moment is bittersweet, bitter because it is ending, sweet because you all have made it the best show yet, and my entire family is in the audience supporting us tonight. Many of you don't know that I have a large and close family, and we owe it all to our wonderful parents. I have asked Cassie to sing for them tonight as a thank you for letting me follow my dream which leads me to an even better one, Cassie." Mason turned to the wings and held at his hands for Cassie to join him.
He pulled her close for a dramatically long kiss that had the audience hooting and hollering. Then in a sweet moment, he rested his forehead against hers, and they were silent for just a moment. Then in classic Mason style, he slapped her on the butt as he left the stage.
"This is for Mom and Dad." And that was all she needed to say. They were her parents now. The song was 'At Last,' and she sang it without the orchestra.
Dana felt herself crying silent tears. Cassie was a vision with the spotlight highlighting her red hair, and it felt as if everyone was holding still afraid to break the spell, even when the song ended there was a moment of utter silence before there was a roar from the crowd.