He stood at the junction, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the road ahead. Then he saw her.
She was walking toward him and every thought he had lined up neatly in his head moments before scattered completely. Jokull stood there with his mouth open, unable to look away, unable to do anything at all. He had seen Aine before, countless times, but never like this. The dress held her figure like it had been made with no one else in mind, tracing every curve with the kind of precision that felt almost deliberate, like something sculpted rather than worn.
She did not even seem to notice the effect she was having. She walked straight to the car, pulled the door open and sat down. Then without a word she reached over and pressed his jaw shut with two fingers.
"Waiting for someone?" she asked, eyes forward.
Jokull blinked. "Y-yes. I mean…" He exhaled. "I am so confused right now."
Aine turned to look at him. "Confused? I am more confused than you are. Why did you send this dress?"
"Enough with the arguing."
She studied him for a moment. "But if you are looking at me like this, how will everyone else look at me?"
Something shifted behind his eyes, quiet and certain. "That is exactly why I will be standing right there beside you." He held her gaze. "I will purge the eyes of anyone who looks too long."
"It could buy the whole school," someone in the crowd muttered.
"Is that Aine?"
"No, it cannot be her. She could never afford that dress."
"I am telling you it is Aine."
Then a voice cut clean through all of it.
"Yes, she is the one! Aine!"
Aine turned at the sound of Jessy's voice. She was already hurrying over, eyes wide, taking in every detail with unfiltered admiration.
"God, you look like an angel," Jessy breathed, circling her once.
"Thank you," Aine said simply.
Before Jessy could say anything more, Dismas appeared, his voice smooth and carrying just enough authority to pull the moment forward. "Hello everyone, the program is about to commence." His eyes swept over to Aine and something flickered in them, warm and briefly unguarded. "Wow, Aine. You look gorgeous."
"Thank you."
"What were you saying?" Jokull's voice came in low and even but the look on his face said everything the tone did not. Jealousy sat across his features like a mask he had forgotten to take off.
Dismas held his gaze for a half second then turned smoothly. "Let us move to our respective places."
The program opened at exactly five o'clock. Aine and Jokull stood at the entrance together, receiving guests with the kind of polished ease that came from knowing exactly who you were and where you stood. But Jokull was not at ease. Not even close.
He watched every greeting, every lingering glance thrown in Aine's direction, every smile that lasted a beat too long. He held himself together through most of it until one guest took Aine's hand and simply did not let go. The handshake extended into something it had no business being.
Jokull moved without thinking. He stepped forward and placed a calm, firm hand on the man's shoulder, his expression perfectly pleasant.
The man moved on.
"When will we finish?" Aine murmured beside him, her voice low and tired. "I am already exhausted."
"We are waiting for Mrs. Mendoza. That is all."
"Okay."
A few minutes later a convoy of sleek cars curved up the driveway and rolled to a quiet stop. Hilda stepped out onto the grounds looking every bit the woman her title demanded. Aine's face softened into something rare and genuine. A smile. Hilda crossed toward her and pulled her into a brief, warm embrace before turning to greet Jokull with composed grace.
"The ushers will take over from here," Jokull said. "Let us go."
The foyer was quieter. Cooler. Aine exhaled the moment she stepped inside, reaching for a glass of water from the side table and drinking slowly. She leaned back against one of the cabinets and let herself breathe for the first time since they had arrived.
She heard his footsteps before she saw him.
Jokull crossed the foyer toward her with the same unhurried certainty he carried everywhere. He shrugged his coat off without a word and laid it across the sofa. Then he walked up to her, reached out and took the glass of water gently from her hand, setting it aside on the table beside her.
The foyer was quieter. Cooler. Aine exhaled the moment she stepped inside, reaching for a glass of water from the side table and drinking slowly. She leaned back against one of the cabinets and let herself breathe for the first time since they had arrived.
She heard his footsteps before she saw him.
Jokull crossed the foyer toward her with the same unhurried certainty he carried everywhere. He shrugged his coat off without a word and laid it across the sofa. Then he walked up to her, reached out and took the glass of water gently from her hand, setting it aside on the table beside her.
"Let us get back to business," he said.
But his hands told a different story.
His arm curved around her waist, drawing her in with quiet possession, and when he spoke again his voice had dropped to something lower, something meant only for the space between them.
"I could not keep my eyes off you all evening." His lips brushed against her neck, slow and deliberate. "And now I have you right here in my arms."
His mouth moved from her neck downward, warm and unhurried. He lifted her effortlessly and set her on the edge of the cabinet, his hands tracing slow, steady circles across her back, pulling her closer like the rest of the evening had simply ceased to exist.
I could not keep my eyes off you," he murmured, his voice dropping to something low and private. "And now I have you right here."