Chapter3
“It's a perfect fit, Heather,” Janey said as they stood in the small bathroom after work one Thursday evening.
“You sure this isn't a bit too showy? A bit too low cut?” Heather asked staring at herself in the mirror in the dress she’d borrowed from Janey. It was only a mirror over a sink so it was hard to take in the detail and to get an idea of length.
“I would never lie to you,” Janey said. “I've never worn that dress because I really don't fill it right, not the way you do. When the billionaire sees you, he'll go absolutely crazy.”
“Don't get too excited, Janey. The matchmaker said there'd be lots of other girls at the mixer. The billionaire has to pick me above all the others, meaning a lot of us will come home disappointed.”
“How does this work? If he doesn't pick you, do you get to go on another mixer or is it your only chance?”
“Laura Madison said she'd keep calling me back until I'd met the right guy.”
“So it's win-win,” Janey said clapping her hands together. “And, you can wear the same dress every time you go on a mixer. You keep it; the shoes too.”
“I couldn't.”
“Yes, you can and you will. Besides, the billionaire will replace it with a whole new wardrobe and maybe a whole new house to put it in. Just don't forget me, that's all.”
“As if I would.”
Janey's boyfriend had agreed to drop Heather at the restaurant for the mixer on their way to the movies. He was waiting outside the factory and smiled when he saw Heather.
“Doesn't she look like a million dollars?” Janey asked him.
“Sure does.”
He wound his way round the city streets to the Palladium Restaurant and Bar. The mixer was taking place in the top floor bar. Still self-conscious, Heather fiddled with her hair, in which Janey had pinned a silver slide that had tiny fake crystals embedded in it. The lights in the bar reflected onto the tiny crystals as Heather walked tentatively into the bar.
She heard voices, all female, and looked around. She was the only black face amongst a group of about twelve girls, all blond, all tiny and all with bosoms so large she was sure they would topple over. Heather thought she was in the wrong place, but the girl downstairs had definitely said the top floor bar.
Then Heather saw Laura Madison in a corner talking to the person Heather knew to be her assistant. She walked over to them.
“Hello, Heather,” Laura said brightly. “You look good.” Her eyes scanned up and down Heather's body. “You could have worn higher heels, but that's okay.”
“Okay?” asked Heather. “I'm already miles taller than these girls. Any taller and... Look, Laura is this right? Am I in the right room? Everyone else here is...”
“Blond? Yes I know,” Laura said. “My billionaire told me his type in terms of looks but I decided to do something a little different. I wanted to see if he'd gravitate to a different look if he got talking to someone who shares all the same interests as he.”
“So, we have something in common?” Heather asked.
“Yes, don't worry so much. Don't forget, you're also here for the same reason: so you don't find yourself winding up with the usual types. Am I right?”
Heather nodded.
“Just you go and get yourself a drink and I'll bring my guy out in a few minutes. Okay?”
Heather nodded again and did as she was told. She noticed she was getting odd stares from some of the other girls but they all smiled to her.
“Okay ladies!” Heather heard Laura's voice and turned.
This must be it, she thought. Time to get the misery over with.
“This is Yuri, he's thirty-five. He made his millions while working at a computer programming company where he worked as an apprentice. As most of you know, Yuri is the guy who brought us exciting new ideas for improving the computer gaming industry. He was only a kid when he got his patent, and that patent has earned him the billions he has now. So not only is he intelligent, he likes to run...”
With those words, Heather's eyes finally turned to the man on Laura's left. She'd seen him before; he was the tall man who ran past her just weeks ago. His image had never left her mind for some reason. Instead, it kept returning to her throughout her day. She had no reason to think she'd ever see him again but somehow hoped she would, even if it was just to see him run by her again. There was just something about him she couldn't put her finger on.
Suddenly, Yuri was amongst the blonds, talking and smiling. Or rather, they were talking and smiling to him, while he politely nodded and acknowledged everyone yet not fully engaging. He seemed to be working his way around the semi circle of girls that kept crowding around him. The closer he got, the more she realized he was doing his best to be polite. Bit by bit, Heather felt she was being edged away from him but felt too nervous to elbow anyone out of the way to get her turn.
In a while, Yuri was a close enough to her that she could see his face in profile. She thought he had a large nose but somehow, it suited him and didn't take any of its beauty away. She had used the word beauty to describe a man but that was exactly how she saw him: he was an outstanding specimen of a man who was more than good looking, more than handsome – he was beautiful.
“So Yuri,” one girl exclaimed. “I guess you must be super intelligent to invent all that computer stuff.”
Yuri blushed and was at a loss for words. “Well, I just like to read and figure things out,” he said.
There was a brief silence, during which Heather decided to speak up, “'There’s only one good; knowledge, and one evil; ignorance.'”
“Exactly,” Yuri said turning quickly to face her. “Socrates was right about that. The more we know, the closer we are to being good.” Yuri was taking slow steps towards Heather.
She had her head down and was smiling.
Yuri extended his hand. “What’s your name?” he asked her.
“My name is Heather.” She looked into those silver blue eyes. She remembered them so well from the park. “I've been reading a book about Socrates lately, sorry for the quote – it just came out.”
A lull fell over the other girls as they all eyed up Heather. One girl, whose hair had been dyed blond, badly, so many times, pushed in front of Yuri but he ignored her to keep making his way to Heather.
“What else do you read, Heather?”
“Oh everything, from the daily newspaper to world history, even science magazines if the cover takes my fancy.”
“What do you do?”
Before Heather could answer the question, Laura Madison had decided that it was time for Yuri to make his choice. He could see two girls one to one, very briefly, before making his choice for a main date. Heather hung out at the bar while Yuri stood to one side, talking with Laura before making his decision.
“Okay, ladies,” Laura called them all to order. “Something slightly different this time; Yuri has gone straight to his main date choice, Heather.”
Stunned for a few seconds but so happy to be chosen by Yuri, Heather made her way to the front of the disappointed girls. Yuri kissed her cheek. His lips were soft, his actions positive and strong although Heather felt as if she were walking on air.
All she could think was, “I can't wait to tell Janey.”