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Stomach aflutter, Sally sent another hasty glance towards the mirror. Hair, makeup, dress. All were as they should be. The blue topaz earrings winked, catching the light. The locket gleamed softly at the base of her throat. The golden dress shimmered.
Okay. Nothing more to do here. Scooping up her small clutch purse, she hurried downstairs.
She was prepared for the impact of Logan’s total gorgeousness as she opened her front door. At least she thought she was prepared. But she hadn’t considered the formal dinner suit factor.
At first, as the door swung open, he was standing with his back to her, looking out into the street. When he turned, she was hit by the cumulative effect of his handsome face and the white shirt front, the neat black bow tie and the perfectly cut suit.
‘Oh, wow!’ she whispered.
‘Wow to you, too,’ he whispered back. ‘Sally, you look amazing.’ He stood there, with a little bewildered smile lighting his face, as his eyes devoured her from head to toe. ‘You’ll certainly be turning heads tonight.’
‘Thanks so much for this dress. I feel as if Agathe has released my inner princess.’
Logan grinned. ‘I want to kiss you, but I’d hate to mess you up.’ He offered her his elbow. ‘Let’s go and get this over with.’
He was sick with tension, Sally thought, as she slipped her arm through his and pulled the door shut behind her.
It had rained during the afternoon, leaving the streets slick and shiny, so that car tyres swished, sending up fine sprays of water. Cocooned luxuriously within Logan’s car, she smiled at him. ‘I can understand if you feel a bit nervous.’
‘I’m certainly not going to admit to nerves.’
Of course he wouldn’t. That was how he would get through tonight. He was a man who’d made an art form of hiding his emotions behind a façade of confidence and strength. It was why he was so successful in business. But she knew there was another side to this man. Deep down he was uneasy, would be relieved when this night was over.
‘You’re going to be fine,’ she told him. ‘I can’t believe how much progress you’ve made. You’re by far my best pupil.’
‘How many pupils have you had?’
‘In Sydney? One.’
They both laughed.
‘Seriously, Logan, when you take into consideration that you had to force yourself to do something you’ve never liked, you’ve achieved a miracle.’ They stopped at a set of lights. ‘You’re going to pull this off because you have a musical ear and you’re fiercely competitive.’
She saw the white flash of his grin. ‘And I had a fabulous teacher.’
‘You’ve done your share of good turns,’ Sally countered, remembering last night and how completely safe and blissfully happy she’d felt in his arms.
They continued on through the rain-washed streets, heading for Woolloomooloo, and then they turned a corner and she saw ahead of them a grand building ablaze with lights. Cars and limousines were lined up in the semi-circular driveway in front of the entrance and a crowd had gathered to watch.
Leaning forward, she peered through the windscreen. ‘Is that where we’re going?’
‘Yes, that’s the Jameson.’
‘Heavens, there are cameramen everywhere. And, oh, my gosh, red carpet!’ She whirled sideways. ‘I can’t believe there’s red carpet. It – it’s like the Oscars.’
‘It’s no big deal, Sally. Red carpets are a dime a dozen these days. They use them all the time.’
Porters rushed forward to open their doors and there was even a valet to park the car for them. As Sally emerged into the cool evening, she could hear the faint strains of a dance band coming from inside the hotel. The lights of cameras flashed in her eyes and strangers on the footpath stared.
Logan, close behind her, placed a comforting hand at the small of her back. ‘All you have to do is smile and walk.’
Once they were inside, it was clear that this ball was a truly glittering affair. The Jameson Hotel’s décor was sumptuous.
Huge mirrors hung on the walls, reflecting distinguished men in dashing dinner suits and glamorous women in Jewel-bright gowns of every conceivable colour and cut. Dazzling chandeliers hung from high ceilings and a wide, circular expanse of polished flooring shone, awaiting hundreds of dancing feet.
Round tables covered in floor length white damask had been decorated with arrangements of yellow rose buds and above the flowers, white balloons filled with helium, were anchored by silver ribbons. The tall fronds of potted palms were glossy and exotic against white marble columns. Rows of wine glasses, soon to be filled, shone like brittle soap bubbles.
For Sally, it was hard not to stare. There were so many ‘beautiful people’ here, so many famous faces – politicians, TV celebrities and sporting stars and high profile men and women in business. Many of them greeted Logan with back slaps, handshakes, kisses, or cries of ‘Darling!’
