Heartstrings by Belinda Williams

Author:Belinda Williams [Williams, Belinda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BWrite

Chapter Nine

It was happening. The party was actually happening.

Despite my nightmare confrontation with Ben the night before, I couldn’t have been prouder of La Vita é Bella’s first party.

I watched the guests mingling from my position in the corner of what had been Bennett’s unused room. The space had seemed huge when it was empty. Now all the guests were here, and with the bar and ginormous Christmas tree, it felt just right.

I gripped the stem of the champagne glass tighter when I saw Ben enter the room. I wasn’t actually drinking, the glass was a prop to make it appear as if I was one of the guests. I wasn’t sure where I’d learned it, but it was always better when an event planner blended in with the crowd.

I felt a painful tug at my heart as I watched Ben. He was wearing a suit. I guess his mother hadn’t told him about the dress code. Only Ben could pull off walking into a room in a boring suit when everyone else was dressed in costume.

I’d already breached my non-disclosure agreement and taken a few snaps on my smartphone of the array of costumes. It was almost like Comic-Con the way everyone was dressed, with one small difference—there were no evil characters.

Entry to the party had been on the strict requirement guests came dressed as a famous hero or heroine. Despite the memory of last night in the back of my mind, I was finding it hard to keep a smile from my face. Spider-Man, Batman, Thor, Captain America—they were all here. Not to mention the female characters, including one particularly delightful fairy godmother, who must have been about eighty.

The colorful costumes fit perfectly among the glittering fairy lights and Christmas decorations, like gifts waiting to be unwrapped. I’d even heard one of the older ladies tell another woman that this was the most fun she’d had in years, which came close to making my night.

“Uncle Ben!”

A whirl of blue and red color streaked across the room toward Ben.

“Hey, Wonder Woman!” Ben’s face lit up and my chest tightened as I watched Kelsie launch herself into his arms.

Ben caught her easily and twirled her around in a circle so her red cape fluttered behind her, making it look as if she was flying.

Kelsie squealed and laughed until Ben set her down gently. “Caught any bad guys tonight?”

“Bad guys?” Kelsie scoffed, loud enough for the guests to hear her. “There’s no bad guys here tonight, Uncle Ben. We killed them all.”

Ben crouched down next to Kelsie and raised a finger to his lips. “Shh. Look.” He undid a button on his shirt to reveal a blue costume with the famous red-and-yellow S.

My heart clenched and I turned to set my drink on the bar behind me. It didn’t matter if my eyes had gone wide at Ben’s Superman revelation. No one was looking at me, they were all focused on Kelsie and Ben. Besides, in my black outfit and black mask I was just another Batgirl.

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