WLUV Box Set: Ignited, Consumed, Burned (20 page)

Her makeup
was not the typical, overly dramatic look a dancer but that of a glamorous
movie star. They lined her eyes and used a smoky shadow effect, applied a soft
pink shade on her cheeks and finished with a matte pink lip to match the pink
of the shoes they’d chosen. The makeup and hair were provided in exchange for
an ad in the program, Miss Dara explained. The woman spent any dime she had on
the ballet.

Shelby’s
dress was sleeveless and off the shoulder, and her pink gloves went to her
elbows. The dress flaunted her décolletage with its “v” in the front, and it
plunged halfway down her back. Miss Dara said it perfectly displayed her taut
muscles without revealing too much, “It shows you have a dancer’s body, despite
those boobs.” She wasn’t one to beat around the bush. The dress fit tightly
around her waist and skimmed her hips fairly closely as well, but the skirt
flowed loosely and had a slit to just above the knee so that she could move
freely.

Shelby
surveyed the hair, makeup, and dress situation. She loved it. It wasn’t quite a
ballet costume, but it was a costume nonetheless. She would at least look the
part of a glamorous attendee of the city’s big fundraiser.

“What a beauty
you are,
cherie
.” Miss Dara gazed in the mirror as well.

“Thank
you. I feel very…done up.” Shelby fiddled with her hair.

“Listen,
you’re too sexy. Those boobs,
ooh la la
! If my brother gets fresh, you
let me know.” Miss Dara fastened a beautiful bit of jewelry around her Shelby’s
neck, a simple silver chain with a navy blue sapphire. Even though it was fake,
the jewel caught the light and collected it there beneath her collarbones.

“You look
lovely yourself.” Miss Dara was wearing a white silk dress shirt tied at the
middle and a long, black, impossibly tight skirt, complete with a slit up to
her thigh. Her cane was decorated with rhinestones.

“Thank you
sweetheart, now go mingle and be with your WLUV friends. They’re meandering
near the table. Say hi to my brother too. He’s going to need a little moral
support.” Miss Dara was already on to the next task, her tiny limp and the cane
not slowing her down at all. Shelby never had the guts, reporter though she
was, to ask about the cane. Miss Dara would tell her when and if she felt like
it.

Shelby
walked the carpeted hallways until she found the main ballroom. It really was
breathtaking, looking for all of the world like the 1900s inside, complete with
a jazz combo and singer playing tunes from the Great American songbook. While
Miss Dara would have wanted her dancers to perform to Classical music, as per
custom, she also knew how to plan events and get real people dancing. With this
crowd, that meant Gershwin and Cole Porter. Shelby figured she was the only
twenty-something in the room but then spied a few older gentlemen with much
younger women on their arms.

She made
her way to the WLUV table and was pretty well dumbfounded as she took in the
scene. Several sales people were there, and then Macy Green, in a black column
dress, looking drop-dead spectacular. Her auburn hair hung in waves, held to
one side with a glittering comb. Shelby felt like a dumpy child next to her
statuesque boss. The woman just oozed class. She had a string of pearls wrapped
around her neck and Wes Thompson, looking like he could out-Clooney Clooney,
wrapped around her finger. Macy was laughing as Thompson kept her attention
with his ridiculous amount of charm.  He appeared to be trying not to eat her
alive.

They
seemed so sophisticated and grown up and Shelby hoped they would be proud of
her tonight. For her, this was a performance; the gown, the hair, the makeup,
and the surprise with the mayoral candidate, all of it was more or less her
job. But Macy and Wes looked like they were enjoying a night out and Shelby was
glad. They’d worked hard for it.

Next to
Wes was Fawn Clawson, WLUV’s premier anchor. Fawn’s good looks were equally
intimidating. All these women were so impossibly lithe and long. Shelby, even
in her heels, was still probably only five-four if she was lucky. Clawson’s red
dress covered her completely with its long sleeves and skirt, but it hugged her
from top to bottom. With her sleek blonde hair— just wow. Shelby hoped she
looked like these two when she was their age though it was tough to put an age
on either of them.

Shelby was
getting a little bit more nervous, what if she tripped? Ugh. Why did she say
yes again? Wes Thompson interrupted her doubting thoughts.

“You look
beautiful, Shelby. No one here tonight will ever dream of watching another
station after seeing Fawn Clawson and Shelby Virtue in person.” Wes managed to
compliment his on-air talent without seeming creepy. It had to be because his
affections were clearly taken up with Macy, Shelby surmised.

Fawn Clawson
gestured to a chair next to her. “Come over and sit a bit.” She and Fawn hadn’t
talked much since she’d started at WLUV. While Macy was mentor and coach, Fawn
was an ice queen— not ever mean, just fairly unapproachable.

“You look
lovely, Miss Virtue, just lovely.” Fawn offered.

“Thank
you, you do too. Of course you always do.” Fawn was as cool under pressure as
Shelby had ever seen. Never a wrong word, or an “uh” or a slouch, Shelby often
wondered why Fawn never moved to a bigger market. But she’d learned a lot of
people had their reasons for being in Grand City.

“Well,
years of practice. I hear you’re going to be offering us a little entertainment
with the man of the hour, wannabe Mayor Cooper.” Shelby noticed a bit of an
edge to the comment. Hmm? A crack in the ice?

“Yes. Macy
approved it.” Shelby didn’t want Fawn to think this was some sort of attention
grab.

“You’ll do
wonderfully, just keep your toes clear. This place will be eating out of your
hand.” Fawn gave Shelby’s hand a little squeeze. And the edge was gone. Fawn’s
warmth was a nice surprise before Shelby’s big moment.

Miss Dara
stepped up to the podium and introduced her brother.

Here
goes nothing
,
Shelby thought…

Mac had
agreed to work the Saturday night shift. Why not? Normally, low man on the
totem pole took the worst shift, but when Macy asked him, he said yes. He
didn’t have a reason not to. It would be relief actually, to just shoot video,
not to worry about where Shelby was, how she smelled, or how many of her stray
curls had escaped from behind her ears.

He’d shot
a car accident then the scene of a shooting and sent them both back to the
station. He was about to cut out for the night when the assignment desk made
one last request.

“Can you
head over to the Grand City Athletic Club? You need to be there by 8 p.m. The
talent is doing a charity benefit.”

“Really?”

“Yep, it’s
a “must get” per Macy G. Tell you what, just Dropbox it to us. Take your own
vehicle and go home from there. You’ve helped us out here with this extra
shift. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Mac never
minded any sort of actual news shooting, but a charity event? Featuring on-air
personalities “out in the community” was part of the job but it was annoying to
shoot. It was PR, not news.

Alright,
just get it over with.
At least then he’d be done for the day, he figured. Maybe he’d have a few
drinks before bed. It wasn’t all bad having busy work from WLUV, though. He was
on edge and would probably go stir-crazy otherwise.

When he
walked into the club, a man in a tuxedo stopped him and explained no one could
be permitted to enter without a coat and tie. Mac most definitely did not fit
in at this joint, his trademark fatigues and T-shirt a far cry from the dress
code.

“Really?
My station’s sponsoring this huge event – which I’m going to put on the news –
and you’re going to throw me out?”

“I guess
not…but here, go through the service hallways.” The man motioned towards a door
off to the side. Mac rolled his eyes. The smaller the town, the snootier the
“social set.” He made his way through the kitchen and finally into the
ballroom.

An event
volunteer pointed the WLUV table out to him, it was up front and center, right
next to the podium and a parquet dance floor. He recognized Miss Dara as she
stepped to the podium and thanked the attendees for their generous donations.
He got a few shots of her and a few of the table of WLUV employees.

“And now a
special surprise. My brother, former police chief, and currently leading the
polls in the mayoral race, has two ridiculously left feet…“ She paused for the
ripple of light laughter, “
But,
in order to demonstrate the skill of the
instructors in our ballroom classes, he’s agreed to trip the light fantastic in
our opening dance.”

She tapped
her leg with her rhinestone cane, “Since I mostly just trip these days with my
wooden leg, I’ve recruited a face you might recognize. You know her as WLUV’s
newest star reporter, I know her as my 7 p.m. advanced pointe instructor.
Before we start the music, I want to give a big thank you to WLUV’s coverage of
our school, and for being our main sponsor tonight.” She put an elegant hand to
her chest, “And to Shelby Virtue, thank you for shining a light on the work we
do. I apologize in advance, Miss Virtue, for any toes my brother might mangle.
Maestro!”

The band
struck up “Fly Me to the Moon,” and when a spotlight found Shelby, Mac’s heart
jumped into his throat. She was stunning.

The
plunging evening dress let just the tops of her breasts peek out. He’d never
seen her hair softly piled on her head like that. The curls escaped down the
back of her neck as she turned to put her hand out to her partner, some
goddamned handsome fucking politician douche bag. The guy took Shelby’s hand.
That
better be all he takes
, Mac thought.

“Mac, get
your act together.” Macy had left her seat and was whispering in his ear.
Pretending to advise him on what shots to get, she motioned to different
aspects of the room.

“What?”
Mac couldn’t pay attention to what she was saying when that candidate guy had
moved from holding Shelby’s hand to putting his other hand on her waist and
pulling her in close.

“I
said
stop fuming, take the video. And make sure we get a shot of Fawn in there,
too.”

“Right.”
Mac put his eye to the viewfinder hoping that it would provide a little
separation from him and his desire to go ballistic on— what’s his name? Brock?
Brick Cooper? What the hell kind of name was that?

The music
swelled and he watched Shelby dance with Cooper. She whispered in his ear and
then he twirled her across the floor. Her beautiful leg came up one side of his
and Mac struggled to maintain his composure. He wasn’t sure if he was just
thinking the growl or if he’d done it out loud.

Cooper’s
hand was splayed across Shelby’s back, dangerously close to her rounded little
bottom. Mac squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.
Okay, it’s okay…

They
moved, thankfully, and more importantly, the hand moved. The pair of them
walked side by side to the music.
Good god when will this be over?
Cooper twirled Shelby into his arms. She was tucked in tight against him for a
moment, her back to his stomach, and she whispered something to him again. He
swung her outwards, both of them smiling. When he drew her back in, she leaned
her head on his shoulder.
Did he just stick his damn nose in her hair?
Mac
had never come closer to dropping his camera. 

Finally
the song seemed to be finishing but not without – no, this was more than he
needed to see right now – a dip. Cooper had one hand on the back of her
delicate neck and with the other he bent her low in a dip and hovered over her.
If that guy’s nose got anywhere near her chest, Mac was going to lose it.
Society event, work, whatever, he didn’t care.

The crowd
erupted in applause and Cooper held Shelby’s arm to help her balance while she
took a bow. She did one of those deep ballet bows and then stood up and
gestured to him so the audience could applaud. The politician waved it off,
faking modesty for the crowd.
No, she’s not about to…

Yes, she
was. Mac watched in horror as Shelby leaned in for a kiss on the cheek from
this fucking guy. Soon other dancers crowded the floor for the next portion of
the performance, and she disappeared.

“That was
fucking annoying.” Fawn Clawson was next to him.

“Uh, what?”
Mac didn’t really know the woman. Those may have been the first words she’d
ever spoken to him.

“Mayor
Wannabe just gets on my nerves, that’s all. Thank god Shelby made him look
good, at least.”

“Right.”
Mac got one shot of Clawson mingling with several of the dancers from the
ballet company. All the while he saw red. The images of that guy’s hands on
Shelby, the kiss…he was livid. And he didn’t see where she’d disappeared to,
either. Mac imagined her with the prick politician.

“So how
long does this go?” He asked Macy when she came over again, as she explained,
to be sure Mac wasn’t going to kill anyone.

“Shelby is
committed to this event until eleven. We promised to see to it that she gets
home but uh, well, I think Brick Cooper is planning on it. He mentioned he’d be
happy to drive her home since he brought her here.”

“That’s
not going to happen. I’m feeding this video and then I’ll see to it. That
Cooper guy has another think coming.”

“Well,
that door over there is where she’ll come out when she’s ready to leave. She’s
got to turn in her jewelry, I’m told.”

“Thank you,
Macy.”

Macy
nodded.

“I mean
really.” Mac understood the trust Macy had placed in him when it came to her
protégé. He wondered if she would have done that a year ago. Wes Thompson had
been good for her.

“No
problem. Mac? Please, just don’t punch the mayoral candidate. I do not want to
have to explain that to the lawyers.”

Mac
stalked out of the ballroom and to his SUV so he could send his video. He tried
not to look while editing the Shelby fucks— uh, dances with Dick Cooper, or
whatever, segment but  he had to if he wanted to be sure mostly Shelby and
nearly none of Cooper made it to the air.

It made
him jealous and angry all over again as he watched. Mercifully the editing was
quick. He finished it up and put it in the file for the station.

Now it was
time to make sure Shelby didn’t go home with Brick Fucker— Cooper. Whatever.
She wasn’t going home with the dude, period. That was all he could think about.

By 10:45
p.m. he was waiting by the doorway she’d be coming out of. Mentally, he thanked
Macy again for that information. He pulled out his phone to send her a quick
text, “Make sure you tell that Cooper asshole that I’m driving Shelby home.”

“Covered,”
was Macy’s texted reply.

He heard
Shelby’s voice before he saw her, “Thank you again for letting me be a part of
this.” She was with Miss Dara in the hallway near the dressing rooms, handing
her the necklace she’d worn during the performance. The two women embraced and
Shelby started walking down the deserted hallway towards the door. Mac was
hidden in the doorway and leaned forward as she passed.

“Shit, you
scared me! Mac? What are you doing here?”

“Where’s
your coat?”

“My
stuff’s all in here,” she indicated the garment bag over her arm. “Why?”

“It’s cold
out. You can wear mine.” Mac swept his jacket over her shoulders. It could wrap
around her twice, he noticed. He took the bag from her with one hand and
grabbed her hand with the other.

“What are
you doing?”

“I’m
taking you home.” Mac dragged her behind him as he made for the door.

“But Brick
was waiting to—”

“I don’t
want to hear his name come out of your mouth again.”

“
Excuse
me?” Shelby’s voice was starting to rise.

“And he
won’t be touching you again, either.”

“Wait, let
me get this straight,” Shelby stopped where she was, jerking her hand out of
his. “You won’t touch me, but he can’t touch me? I think I just might like him to
since you won’t.”

And
without thinking about it Mac backed Shelby up against the wall and trapped her
mouth, her body with his. He pressed a hungry kiss on her pink lips.

This time,
there’d be no going back.