masq11

Chapter 11 - Happy New Year?

At 5:30, she arrived at the Castle.
Serena let herself in the back door and snuck upstairs into her
room. She didn’t want to hear lectures. She wanted to prepare herself for
the evening. As she entered the room and closed the door, she locked it
also.
As she opened the bag. The November 8th. Not bad. She went
into the shower.
After washing her hair and taking a relaxing shower, she got out
and put on a robe and blow dried her hair. She then went into her
bedroom once more. She sat at the dressing table and brushed her hair.
She then swept it up and pinned it up. Deciding she needed to complete
the hair style with red roses, she called the maid, and asked her too keep it
quiet that she was here. She wanted red rosebuds. While she waited, she
put on a thin layer of foundation, and a little blush. She put on some red
lipstick. The maid returned, and she weaved the red rosebuds in a crown
among her golden folds of curls. She sprinkled a few pearls here and
there.
She then got up and took the dress out of the garment bag. The red
shimmering satin was beautiful. She put it on, and it fell smoothly to her
feet. It had inch-wide spaghetti straps. The dress silkily flowed her
curves, showing a nice figure, and from her hips, it flowed to the floor.
She stepped into the shoes that were packed with the dress. They were red
satin high heels and she was a whole two inches taller, at six feet. She
then put on the gold rose earrings with the ruby centers, and a red satin
choker.
Turning around to check her back, se decided she looked good
enough. She stepped out of her room, to find another person, leaving the
room next to hers.
She stopped and just gaped.
As he turned to see her, he did as well.

“D-Darien. What a, well, what a surprise!” she stammered, her
heart pounding to her very toes. Her body was reeling, the floor was
slapping her feet, and she wished it would just break already and let her
fall through.
*You’re telling ME.* “Good evening, Serena. I didn’t know you
were coming back for this,” he said, carefully. She wasn’t supposed to be
here, not supposed to cause his eyes to glaze over with something of a
dream.
“Family thing,” she stammered. It was hard to act stiff and cold
when Darien Dredsdale was standing in front of you in a tuxedo so well
made for him.
She was about to walk away when she heard her name.
“Serena!” Lita smiled from her door. “Looks like you and fiancee
came back for the ball to show each other off!”
Serena turned to Lita, who stood down the hall and almost blushed.
This wasn’t going to be easy. She controlled her voice to an icy pitch. “I
wasn’t aware we were engaged.”
“Just teasing. So are you going to ask to escort her down there or
what Darien?”
Darien looked at Serena and decided why not. When Serena
looked like THAT, you didn’t let her just pass you by.
“I was just going to ask her.”
“Great. Well, I’ve got to help my president get that bow tie
straight. We’ll see you there.”
Darien looked to Serena, “Care to?”
Serena looked at him critically (though she could find no fault) and
decided to walk away. “I know how to walk,” she stomped off, leaving
Darien to muse more over Serena’s beautiful face and what had flashed in
her furiously enchanting blue eyes. *Lots of spirit. But this will be
interesting, Miss Larynce. We’ll see.*
*It’s not as if I like her or anything. I just like to unnerve her. I
like to see her irritated, and there is just something in her attitude that I
like to irk. Nothing more. She and I would never get along any other
way,* he mused as he went down the stairs after her.

Serena looked around the room, and decided, from the looks of the
people talking in the room, that she had arrived, indeed, fashionably late
enough.
“Serena!” her mother smiled greeting her daughter with a smile.
“So you decided to join us?”
“Of course!” Serena smiled.
“And there is that charming love of yours. What was his name,
Darien?”
Serena gritted her teeth. “Mother, Darien-“
“Is right here, and I was looking for you, honey!” he said,
mockingly, putting his arm around her waist from behind, and kissing her
temple.
Serena looked at him over her shoulder, and saw the bitter
challenge in his eyes. *I have you now, Ice.*
*I don’t think so.* Serena smoothly put her arms around his neck
and gave him a cold but very convincing effusive kiss in front of her
mother.
The minute their lips met, there was electricity. Something
happened, and she felt this urge to just keep on kissing him. There was
something in her blood pounding into her mind.
And she still couldn’t believe that this was the young man that
she’d always hated in childhood. He was a good kisser. And that was an
understatement.
Darien was stunned speechless. So was Serena, but she didn’t
show it. *I can’t believe I just did that.* she breathed heavily.
“So where were you Serena?” her mother asked.
“Oh, Darien wanted to help me choose out an apartment in
Washington, and we did that. I’ll be moving there on the third. It’s pretty
nice,” she smiled softly, as Darien took her hands and played with her
fingers, his cheek against hers, looking down as he linked their hands
together.
“Great!” her mother smiled, beaming with pleasure. *At long
last!*
Serena was laughing on the inside. *So there IS a use for Darien
Dredsdale. I’ll have to remember this the next time mom starts to get mad
at me.* She wanted to move away from him though. Her heart was
pounding, and she felt her stomach up in her throat.
They stood, together, but apart inside. Serena was slightly mad at
Darien for starting this whole game, but she was determined that she teach
him a lesson.
And Darien was determined that she would not win.
“Come on, sweetheart, let’s dance,” he whispered, his lips brushing
her ear.
It tickled her ear and she shivered, feeling the goosebumps along
her skin. She told herself to calm down. *He’s only Darien, you idiot!*
“All right,” she smiled at him with a hint of ice biting it.
He took her arms and guided her out to the dance floor and they
started to dance. Since she was on high heels, her chin just reached his
shoulder and since it was a slower dance, she moved closer and whispered
into her ear, “You will pay for this Dredsdale.”
He laughed. “Hold on tight, because it’s going to be a bumpy
ride,” he smirked as he spun her elegantly out, slowly, and spun her back
into his eager arms.

At around midnight, Serena was relieved that her grandmother
called that the countdown was on, and there were three minutes left in the
year.
Darien was dancing with her and whispered into her ear in a lover-
like fashion. “So what are the worst and best things of the year, Ice?”
“Don’t call me that,” she bit back.
“Hey, just asking a question.”
“The worst thing in this year is you. The fact that I met you, the
fact that I’m dancing with you.”
“I think you just tried to burst my bubble. But I won’t take that
personally, because I can see it in your eyes that this hasn’t been an
unpleasant experience,” he said, gently doodling a pattern on her shoulder.
“Yeah. Right.” Serena rolled her eyes, wanting to pull away.
“And the best thing about this year?” “The best thing about this year is…” Serena began when she
realized one of the Larynce princesses was looking at them shrewdly and
had evidently heard every word she was speaking. Serena casually
brushed it off and decided to give her something to gossip about. “The
best thing about this year is that fact that I love you anyway.” She moved
closer, ready to kiss his surprised mocking smile when the countdown of
the last minute began.
Serena was relieved and somewhat disappointed. She really DID
want to see Darien’s face after she kissed him.
But as the countdown continued, Serena turned to the throne,
where grandma was smilingly counting it down. She felt Darien behind
her, putting his arms around her, his hands meeting at her front, and gather
her in his arms closely, kissing the crook of her neck. “Good shot Ice, I
think you just gave the Larynce clan enough gossip for the next five
months. So the Ice Queen has stolen the Dredsdale prince from the
heiresses.”
“Don’t be too sure,” she whispered, irritated. With him embracing
her so closely, heat was creeping into her cheeks, making her sweat, as
well as feel dizzy. “I plan on dumping you-“
“Happy New Year!”
Serena suddenly smiled and sang along with the crowd, looking
like a shining star. When the song was over, Serena looked around to see
the people around the room kissing others. Suddenly inspired she turned
in Darien’s arms, and placed her arms around his neck. “I plan on
dumping you on Valentine’s Day. Happy New Year, honey.” With that
she leaned forward and gave him a kiss long and passionate enough to
convince everyone in the room that was watching them, which included
the Larynce princesses, the matriarchs, and friends, that Serena and Darien
were indeed head over heels for each other.
What Darien felt at first was coldness on her lips. He placed on of
his arms right at the her waist, where she was evidently ticklish, and put
the other around the upper part of her back. She was trying to set the
rules. “Big mistake. I make the rules, Ice,” he murmured before catching
her lips in his again, and giving her a kiss that she felt she was going to
melt into.

Chapter 12 - Home for the Holidays

She opened the door of her room, and peeked carefully out.
Seeing that the coast was clear, she tiptoed out, and started walking
down the hall.
Who knew who Dredsdale was acting so weird, but she wanted to
avoid him as much as possible.
Since the New Years Eve ball, everyone in the Larynce and
Dredsdale clans had accepted the two as a happily engaged couple. And
apparently, Darien had no problem with such a belief, and did nothing to
disabuse them of the notion.
Serena did plenty. However, she was always caught in the act by a
teasing Darien, and she’d find it hard to keep on protesting…
Now, she was trying to get to breakfast without him, so that she
may at least get some time to herself. She didn’t mind having Dredsdale
around…in fact he made life a lot spicier and fun, and exciting, but at
night, when she tossed and turned in bed, she wondered what was
happening, whether it was safe or not to stay around a sexy, exciting,
handsome young man like Darien Dredsdale.
As she slipped down the hall, she turned a corner, and fell right
into his embrace.
Backing away and blushing, she stammered an apology. “I’m
sorry, D-Darien, I was going to sneak down right now for some leftover
Christmas cookies.”
“I’ll join you,” he drawled, lazily. Why not? It was a nice
evening, and he loved this. Though everyone was snowed in after New
Years, Serena Larynce helped the time pass more…easily.
“Oh, I don’t want to trouble you…”
“You’re no trouble at all,” he said, smiling that devilish grin at her.
She laughed nervously. “I’m plenty of trouble, Darien. You just
haven’t seen my good side yet!”
“Oh really?” his eyebrow lifted.
*Oh my…* her heart fluttered.

She sat back in Darien’s embrace, as they watched, “While You
Were Sleeping” with Amy and Greg, Mina and Andrew, Raye and Chad,
and Lita and Ken. His hands were in front of her waist, mingling in her
fingers, and playing with them gently.
“I love this movie, though it is totally unrealistic!” Serena sighed.
“And why do you say that?” Darien whispered, kissing her ear.
The kiss brought a blush from Serena and a warm smile from the
others in the room.
“Well, I can’t believe a woman could fall in love with a man in a
week, and agree to marry him.”
“Well…” Amy smiled smugly at them. “You met at Christmas,
and on New Years…well, everyone knows you two are in love…”
“Everyone?” Serena’s eyes widened. *Everyone but me and him!*
“Come on, Serena, isn’t it obvious?” Mina chided her teasingly.
Darien’s arms came around her waist tightly.
“Well, I knew him before Christmas too!” Serena said, softly.
“You merely heard about him…” Lita said.
“And he merely heard about you…you two never actually met…”
Raye said, her eyes glittering in the firelight, as they saw Sandra Bullock
yell yet again at Bill Pullman.
“Oh, this is my favorite part! Everybody, shh!!!” Serena sighed.
Sandra Bullock took the newspaper-wrapped bundle from Bill
Pullman, and unwrapped it, while he talked, “I was delivering some
furniture down at Little Italy, when I looked in the store window, and
then…”
She flipped over a snow down, with a city inside. “Florence…”
The strains of pretty music enveloped the room, and everyone was
kissing their spouse or fiancee gently. Originally, had it been any other
year, Serena would have mad a snide remark at that about being alone, or
she would have felt extremely uncomfortable.
Tears sat in her eyes, and she wanted to cry, as she always had.
But this time, it was different.
This time, well, Darien was here, and though she wasn’t in love
with him, she found comfort as he kissed her softly on the cheek, and
pulled her into his arms more, and rested his chin on her shoulder, as she
rested back on his chest. The tears subsided.
She sighed, happily.

Eating dinner with the family was usually a terrifyingly trying
experience. Between Ilene Tsukino’s whining about her over-ambitious
single daughter, and that daughter’s lack of family value, and Michael
Tsukino’s funny lame jokes, there was always something that made every
cell in Serena’s body cringe at it. Probably because she never looked
forward to having her mother pick on her single status.
That was why she usually sat with friends at the dinner parties.
However, her mother, wanting tradition to run her family, always forced
her family to sit together at least once during the holidays.
Surprisingly enough, this evening was not so bad. Sam had a
fiancee now, and there was that wedding for Ilene to talk about during
dinner. However, Serena had to admit that the largest and most enjoyable
change was Darien Dredsdale’s presence.
He laughed with her father, and told lame jokes as well. He
charmed her mother. Her mother talked constantly of how much she’d
like a young man like him in the family…a hint to Serena, of course, and
he kept a nice conversation with Sam.
Through it all, he held Serena’s hand.
Serena couldn’t help bit feel lightheaded and happy through the
whole episode.

He walked her to her taxi the morning she left, and carried her
baggage. Most of the family was not up yet, but some stood at windows,
admiring the couple from afar.
“Dredsdale…it’s been…amazing…this past week…thank you
for…making my holidays wonderful.
“I know how it is to be single, and home for the holidays…believe
me,” he said, quietly.
“I’ll see you in Washington…” she began.
“Yep. Don’t miss me too much.”
She smiled brightly. “I’ll be muttering your name under my breath
for an eternity, and I’ll be crying my eyes out over you. You will occupy
every thought I will have until I see you again, and once I see you again, I
will obsess about ever sngle action you make around me,” she laughed.
“For the record, Dredsdale, I’ll make it clear now. I need company during
the holidays, but when vacation’s over, it’s work time. Work time HAS
no breaks.” She said, her eyes slightly cold, as she focused on him, trying
to make him understand. “It’ll be back to normal…got it? I don’t like
you, you don’t like me. I will be this way…it HAS to be this way…”
“I wonder…”
“You wonder what?”
“What would happen if someone dared come into your life, Ice
Queen?” he said, gently taking her face in her hands.
“I’d make sure he never gets here.”
“Well,” he sighed, backing away from her. “I hope you have a
good trip. I’ll see you in Washington.”
She started to get in the car. “Wait…” he said. She stopped, her
heart froze, and she turned around. “What?”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Back to normal…”