I sat up, rubbing my eyes. I leaned back, letting out a yawn as I struggled to wake up. "Em?" I asked, pulling off the comforter. I looked around my room, finding her bed pristinely made and tucked under my own. I stepped down, standing up as I looked out the window, trying to gage the time. I came up with late morning.
I stumbled into the hallway, running my hand through my hair which stuck up in all directions. Last night had been a good sleep, one heavy, dreamless sleep. I pushed open the door to my father's office, stumbling in.
My father sat at his desk, Emma leaning over the desk next to him, Nick on the other side. They all glanced up, a slight blush on my cheeks. "Morning sleeping beauty" Emma grinned, my father cracking a smile.
"What are you all doing up so early? And without me?" I asked, running my hand over my hair as I tried to smooth it down. It failed, my hair unable to be tamed before a shower.
"Son, the fact that you don't know what we're doing is why you weren't invited" Dad chuckled, Emma smirking as she wrote something down on the notepad in front of her. I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest as I waited for further clarification. "Tonight's your mother's memorial ball that we have every year, that you forget about every year"
I slapped my hand to my face, feeling like a complete jackass. I knew the anniversary of my mother's death was coming, there was no way I could miss it. Every year it resulted in an awful nightmare, flashbacks, and a panic attack. But every year the ball snuck up on me. "Crap" I groaned, running my hand over my face.
"Don't worry, we've got it all covered" Nick sent me a glare, and I frowned at him in response. I still hadn't forgot the harsh things that he had said about me to Emma the first night we had met. His hesitancy towards me hasn't lessened, those piercing blue eyes sending me glares before looking lovingly at Emma. I had done some digging and found that they weren't dating, nor had they ever been. So I guess Emma had friend zoned him? I had a hard time piecing it together.
"Our suits are being picked up now so you won't have to worry about finding one" my father hummed, bringing something to Emma's attention. She nodded, scribbling something else down on her notepad.
"Okay, so you guys are going over security details? Because it's a little late to make a guest list" I joked, earning no laughs. I frowned, figuring that everyone was just stressed, because let's face it, my jokes are hilarious.
"Yes, Fletcher. We've had the guest list, caters, evening plan, invitation and everything else done for months. Nick, Emma and I were just going over some last minute security things" my father explained as I inched forward, peeking over at the blueprint of our ballroom. I hadn't been in there for ages, seeing as it was only really used for my mother's memorial ball and using it for anything else felt weird.
"So, sweetheart, you're wearing a suit?" I joked, Emma glancing up.
"No, actually I'm wearing a gown" she responded, my jaw going slack at the thought of her in a gown. She chuckled, shaking her head. "If things go well tonight, none of the guards will have to take action."
"And we want Emma to be uncover, just incase someone from the gang does try to infiltrate the event. So Emma will be going as your date" my father informed me, my heart stuttering as butterflies filled my stomach.
"Sounds great" I breathed, ignoring the hateful stare I was getting from Nick. "So, what do we do now?" I asked as Emma and Nick stood up, walking towards the door.
"Nick and I are going to go help set up and inform our squad on the plans. You, bud, will go take a shower and finish your english assignment" Emma informed me, pausing in front of me. She licked her thumb, scrubbing my chin. "You had some dried drool" she winked before her and Nick walked out of the room.
I turned to my dad with wide eyes. "Did she just mom me?" I asked in disbelief, my father chuckling as he nodded.
"Yes, yes she did" he hummed, glancing up with warm eyes. He looked at me for a moment, his smile growing wider. "She's right, you do need a shower" he muttered as I released an exasperated sigh, trudging towards the bathroom. I froze as I looked in the mirror, horrified by my appearance. I ran my hand over my chin, a chuckle escaping me as I started up the shower. She fricken' momed me.
+
"You almost ready sweetheart?" I asked, leaning against the door as I rapped my knuckles against the wood. I heard her mutter something from the other side, my hand tugging nervously at the collar of my tux. I hated wearing these formal suit, they always made me feel so awkward.
"Okay" Emma announced, pulling the door open. I jerked back, my eyes going wide. She looked stunning, her blonde hair curled, resting on her shoulders. She wore a baby blue dress which had a satin blue belt around the ribs. She looked beautiful, like-like an angel. "Well?" she asked, smoothing out the dress with her hands.
"You look beautiful" I breathed, a smile coming across Emma's face along with a blush.
"You look pretty good yourself" she teased, poking me in my ribs. I laughed, shaking my head. I held out my arm, Emma linking hers with mine as we began to descend the stairs.
"You know, when you told me you were wearing a dress, I definitely pictured a tight dress with a slit up the leg. Something very Mrs. Smith" I teased, Emma rolling her eyes as she elbowed me. "I'm kidding!" I laughed as a smile cracked across her face. "I like this much better" I complimented as she tucked her hair behind her ear.
"So, you ready for this?" she asked as we reached the bottom of the stairs. I glanced down at her wrist, noticing her watch which was between pearl bracelets. At a closer look, I noticed an earpiece too. It set me on edge, because there was always a possibility that there could be someone in my house who wanted me dead.
"Yeah, of course" I lied, offering a convincing grin. Besides the fact that someone who wants me dead could be here, there was also the fact that this was a ball in my mother's memory. My mother who was killed by the same people who want me dead now. The anniversary of her death was right around the corner and I wasn't sure I was ready to face it.
"Good" Emma grinned, squeezing my arm. We paused in front of the grand doors, our eyes meeting. The crowd inside could already be heard, seeing as we were making a late entrance for, as I called it, a dramatic effect. That and the fact that I wanted to spend as little time in there as possible. "Everything's going to be just fine. I'll be there, the whole time" she reminded me, as if sensing my anxiety.
"Good" I breathed, nodding as I convinced myself that this would be just fine. "Let's go then" I smiled, pushing open the doors. My eyes went wide as the room was full of people, people in fancy gowns and people in suits. People around the bar and people sitting at the many tables. There were people dancing to the classy music that filled the air, and there was a lot of talking. "On second thought, lets go back up stairs please" I whispered, Emma giving my arm a reassuring squeeze.
"It'll be fine. Over before you know it" she whispered, leaning her head on my shoulder. I nodded, taking a deep breath in before letting it out. She was right, I was over reacting. We entered the crowd, groups of people coming up to us.
It consisted of the same thing. "Fletcher! My how big you've gotten! Who's this lovely lady with you? How's college going?" all the same questions, over and over again. Yes, I've grown up. It's called science. This is Emma, my best friend, girl who I may have a pretty big crush on, and my bodyguard. College is shitty like always. After a while I was having a hard time coming up with bullshit small talk which is when I let Emma take over.
We made a pretty good couple, not that I ever doubted we would. Emma would do the small talk when she sensed I was fading, carrying the conversation as she gave me prompts to fill in, making it seem like I was interested. She was really good at networking, not that she particularly liked it, just more that she understood it, and understood that I was the mayor's son and it was a necessary evil of my life.
"Hey you two!" my father smiled, placing a hand on each of our shoulders. We turned around, his smile greeting us. "How's it going?"
"If I have to tell someone how my classes are going one more time-"
"Things are going great" Emma smiled, sending me a scolding look. "Just, a lot of small talk is all. But we don't mind, right Fletcher?" she asked, blinking her wide eyes. I nodded, putting on a smile. My father only chuckled, shaking his head softly.
"Well, that's good I suppose." he laughed, looking around. I saw his eyes land on the sign with my mother's picture that stood at the door way, his eyes watering as he stared at it. He cleared his throat, turning back towards us. "Everything good, security wise?" he asked, Emma nodding as she glanced down at her watch.
"All guests that are attending are here. Doors are secured. Caters are serving food now, and overall, guests seem to be having a good time. No problems yet" Emma read from her watch before shutting it off, looking up with a smile. "Everything's going very smoothly, knock on wood" she muttered, my father nodding in agreement. His eyes looked tired as his smile faltered, a sigh escaping him.
"Everything okay Dad?" I asked, glancing down at Emma to see if she was getting the same impression. Her lips were pressed together in a tight line, her eyes studying him softly.
"Yeah Fletch, everything's fine" he replied with a look of surprise on his face. He waved to someone past us, that fake smile on his face again. "I've got to go do some networking now, so you two go dance or something" he smiled before dissapearing back into the crowd.
"I would but sweetheart here doesn't dance" I muttered to myself, Emma laughing as she pushed me lightly.
"I could dance, here, if you wanted" she offered, a look of pain on her face as if she was regretting her words. I looked up, listening as a slow instrumental song came on.
"You know it's a slow song, right?" I asked, Emma smirking before nodding. She grabbed my hand, squeezing gently.
"I know" she grinned, tugging me towards the dance floor. I let a large grin come across my face, my heat fluttering as we reached the floor where couples around us danced eloquently to the music. I had always seen them dance, but I had never been one of the people dancing. In fact, I don't even know how to ball dance. And if Emma doesn't dance, well, we'll both look like idiots.
We stopped in the middle, Emma wrapping one arm around my neck. I looked around nervously, a hot blush climbing my cheeks. "Emma" I whispered, getting her attention. "I don't know how to ball dance" I admitted, a chuckle coming from her.
"Put your hand here" she instructed, guiding my hand to her lower back. "And your other one goes up in the air with mine" she showed me, her hand resting in mine. I stared down at her in confusion, my mind spinning.
"But I thought you said you didn't dance?"
"Doesn't mean I don't know how" she responded, a sly grin on her lips. I could only laugh, relieved that one of us knew what we were doing. "Just follow my steps, okay?" she stepped forward as I stepped backwards, and then I followed her as she stepped to the side.
It only took a few songs for me to get the hang of it, the moves suddenly coming naturally. We moved in sync, stepping around the dance floor with our hands together. My eyes didn't leave hers, a smile on my face as I watched her dress cascade out as I spun her around.
I couldn't help but feel a deep fondness for her, and everything about her. The way she spoke, the way she acted, the way she was, the way she danced. Everything that I found out about her, I loved. And honestly it was scary, to be so entranced with one person, and to have that person know everything about you. There was nothing I could keep from her, and being so venerable was usually terrifying, but not with her.
I don't know how much time went by, but my feet began to ache and my back became sore from dancing so long. I only noticed how much time had passed when Emma's eyes broke away from mine, landing on her watch. She stopped dancing, worry clouding my mind. "Everything okay?" I asked, a pang of fear in my chest.
"Everything's fine" she told me, glancing up to offer a convincing smile before looking back to her watch. "There's just a small disturbance at the bar that Nick wants me to look into while he deals with paying the caterers" Emma muttered, plugging something in.
"What kind of disturbance?" I questioned, hesitant to let her go. I had lost track of time in her eyes, and I know she had felt the same. I hated to have our moment broken, although I suppose I'm being selfish.
"Just someone who's had a little too much to drink" she hummed as if this was a usual occurrence for her.
"But Em, you're supposed to be undercover, aren't you?" I asked, trying to find an excuse to keep her next to me. Emma glanced up, smiling at me.
"Yes, which is why I'm not going to interfere if I don't have to. I'm just going to get a drink like a regular party goer. I'll only get involved if I have to" she explained, my lips pressed into a tight line. "Seriously bud, it'll be fine" she got me to smile at my nickname.
"Well, what am I supposed to do?" I sighed, not wanting to be thrown into the masses of high class business men and women. Emma chuckled, patting my arm.
"Work on your small talk skills" she teased, a groan escaping me. "Seriously, it'll make your dad happy. Look, he's calling you right now" she pointed to my dad who was waving me over to a group of people. I sighed, glancing back at her. "Go. I'll meet up with you when I'm done" she smiled before dissapearing into the crowd.
I trudged over to where my dad stood with a group of people, plastering on that fake smile moments before I arrived. "Fletch, there you are! We were just talking about you" my father greeted, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he pulled me into the discussion about the college that was in the city.
I glanced over at the bar, spotting Emma. She stood next to the obviously over intoxicated man, her eyes watching him sharply. He took notice, turning towards her as he began speaking. I was too far away to hear, but Emma's body language told me it wasn't good. "So what do you think about the college, Fletcher?" some woman in a too tight, red, satin gown asked.
"It's great. There's great classes there, many opportunities for real world jobs and I think it does wonders for the city's economy" I let the rehearsed words flow from my mouth as I tore my eyes away from Emma to meet the woman's stare, concluding my sentence with a smile. The woman seemed to like my answer, spouting about some other topic which everyone joined in on. But I turned back to Emma, anxiety in the pit of my stomach.
I watched as he leaned closer, sliding his hand down her arm. He was making a move on her. I felt my lip pull up in a snarl, relaxing when Emma pushed it back. I closed my eyes, reminding myself that she was a highly trained guard who could take care of herself. "Isn't that right Fletcher?" my father drew me back into the conversation, my eyes fluttering back to them.
"Um, yeah" I smiled, having absolutely no idea what we had been talking about. My father shot me a look, figuring that much, before quickly changing the topic. I glanced back over again, the guy's hand on her arm again, grabbing it tightly. I felt myself grow warm with anger, my eyes narrowing on him. She tried again to politely decline, not wanting to cause a scene.
He pulled her closer, Emma turning away as his breath hit her face. My heart began to thud loudly, my hands clenching into fists. "Excuse me for a second" I managed to breathe, repressing the growl that fought its way up.
I moved from crowd to crowd, inching closer and closer. I stood as close as I could, taking in a deep breath. I watched from the corner of my eye as his hand moved to her shoulder. "C'mon babe, let's get out of here" he slurred, his voice sick with delusion. My heart raced, my breathing becoming heavier as it was hard to constrain myself.
"Sir, I don't know you and you're extremely intoxicated. I would like to not make a scene out of this, so please remove your hand and escort yourself home" Emma responded in her strict voice that she used in times of stress, but I could hear the slight waver that meant she was scared. I couldn't help but remember her story, the night of her first gig which was a ball, where a drunk man caused a scene. I looked into her eyes, and it hit me then that she was thinking about it too.
"C'mon baby, don't be like that" he breathed, my skin crawling at his words. She wasn't his baby. "Let's get out of here and get you out of that dress" he grabbed her hips, pulling her closer. It was at that point where my judgment left and my heart took over.
I stormed forward, my fists at my side. Emma's eyes went wide as she saw me approaching, the guy taking notice too. "Who are you-" I punched him square in the nose, sending him stumbling backwards. Screams irrupted from the guests, the man growling as blood dripped down his face. He lurched forward, punching me hard in the eye.
My head snapped back, my vision blackening for a second. I felt Emma grab for my arm, but I was too worked up. I lunged forward again, punching him in the face, the man grabbing the collar of my suit. "Nick! Back up at the bar" I heard Emma speak, my senses too consumed with punching the living shit out of this piece of scum. How dare he talk to her like that? How dare he think he could just-just have her? It was disgusting and it made me sick with rage.
"Enough!" Emma's voice cut through the commotion, her hands grabbing my shoulders as she pried me off of him. She jerked me back, causing me to let go. She moved in front of me, pushing the guy back. He lurched for her, Emma acting quicker as she took out his legs, forcing him onto his back. She put her foot on his chest, keeping him pinned. I went to lurched forward again, her hand pressing against my chest. "Fletcher, enough" she warned, a stern look in her eyes.
I nodded, panting as I tried to catch my breath. Nick came forward in his suit, relieving Emma of holding the man down. His eyes were wide with confusion before his eyes met Emma's, an instant understanding between them. He lifted the man to his feet, holding his hands behind his back as he escorted him out. "What the hell is going on over here?" my father pushed through the crowd, sending me a stern look.
I had no words, none that would really make it up to him. My father narrowed his eyes on me, and I knew I was in trouble. The whole reason Emma hadn't fought back was to avoid a scene, and that was exactly what I had gone and made. I knew she could stand up for herself, rationally, but something about seeing him treat her like that, my Emma, just made me crazy. "Fletcher, wait on the balcony" Emma said softly, my eyes moving from my father's disappointed face to hers.
"What?" I panted, the pain from the man's punch setting in. It ached, pain shooting through my whole head.
"Go, now. Go sit on the balcony. I'll clean this mess up" she instructed, a slow nod coming from me. "Good. Now go" she removed her hand from my chest, my body moving without my consent towards the door. I watched as the room started to calm down, the music starting back up again as people began to forget about the scene. I slipped out of the door, peeking back in as I watched her.
She pulled my father aside, explaining to him what had happened. My father shook his head, shouting something back. Emma only nodded, her face remaining calm. She placed a hand on his arm and I watched as tears came to his eyes, one slipping down his cheek. I had messed up my mother's memorial ball, all because I was too hot headed.
Emma pulled my father into a hug, my father hugging back as he tried not to cry. I bit my lip, guilt eating away at me. She patted his back, trying to calm him down. But I know she can't make it better, because how can you make loosing the love of your life hurt any less?
I couldn't watch any longer, the pain becoming too much. So I let the door fall shut, slinking away to the balcony where I sat, looking over the city as I watched the sun set, a warm pink covering the sky. Why did I always fuck everything up?