Ana Brown smiled brightly until they reached their destination.
"You could have told me the party would be at the Italian Embassy!" she bit her lower lip, feeling nervous. She had already had enough with an Italian.
Julian O'Brien smiled warmly. "I told you they were foreigners, Italians, Greeks. What difference does it make? The same kind of people come to this type of place. You look beautiful, Ana! You're the most gorgeous woman here!"
Ana smiled. "This ball is too much for a simple high school teacher from Virginia."
"Nonsense! You're very intelligent, more than most of these women. I offered you a job at the Foreign Affairs Office in Washington, but you didn't want it. Relax, you have everything to be here among the Washington elite. Come, I'll introduce you to everyone."
"Let me introduce you to Rafael, the Italian ambassador, a great friend of mine. By the way, he's a widower, and I must say, the women in Washington will miss him when he leaves next week."
The three started laughing.
"Pleasure to meet you," Ana extended her hand. He was a very elegant man with silver hair and a friendly smile.
"Nice to meet you, Ana. Now I understand why Julian is so smitten. I hope you're having a good time," said Rafael.
"Of course, Rafael. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to dance," Julian said. Rafael smiled kindly and watched as they made a lovely couple.
The band started playing a waltz.
"Come, let's dance. I'm sure I can handle this," Julian said.
"You'll pay for the therapy," they both started laughing. The truth was, Julian was a great dancer, and they danced spiritedly for a while.
Jed Salvatore sat at the table, waiting for Sofia, who would be his fiancée from that night on. He observed the room with a champagne glass in his hand. After taking a sip and looking around, his gaze stopped at a couple in the middle of the dance floor. His glass trembled between his fingers. The man was tall, blonde, with an athletic body, and the woman he held in his arms was Isabella. Isabella Grant's image was etched in Jed's mind.
Her hair was up, and her face looked perfect. She tilted her head back and smiled at her partner. Jed's eyes traveled down her body, and he noticed the neckline of her dress. Surprised by the erection that it caused him, he realized that Isabella had always had that effect on him, and it seemed that even after five years, she still did.
Jed couldn't take his eyes off Isabella. Her dance partner made her spin, and he noticed that her hair was longer now. But what caught his attention the most was the diamond brooch she wore; he recognized it immediately, as he had given it to her. He didn't know what bothered him more: running into her, seeing her with someone else, or that she wore the jewelry he had given her, the same jewelry she took with her along with everything else, including the plant. Could that man be her husband? For some reason, he preferred not to ask himself why the idea bothered him so much. In that instant, he saw his fiancée and her father approaching. He forced a smile, feigning some interest in the man. He asked Rafael, Sofia's father, some questions and learned quite a bit about him. Julian O'Brien was a landowner and an important figure in the Foreign Affairs Office, well-known and respected. He didn't know much about his partner Ana Brown, only that she lived and worked in Virginia. He offered to introduce them.
"Come, you'll really like Julian! He's very pleasant," Rafael said.
"You go ahead; I'll catch up with you," Jed murmured.
"So, Ana Brown! Damn liar," Jed muttered.
Rafael approached the table with his daughter, Sofia, where Julian and Ana were. As soon as Rafael approached, they stood up.
"I see you're having a good time. Allow me to introduce my daughter, Sofia," Rafael said.
Ana and Julian shook her hand.
"This is her boyfriend, Jed Salvatore!" Rafael stepped aside. "Our families have been friends for many years," Rafael said proudly.
Upon hearing the name Ana, she froze. Jed was standing in front of her, heart racing, taking a deep breath. Would Jed admit that he already knew her? Of course, he wouldn't. He extended his hand, and a firm hand clasped hers.
"Nice to see you again, Jed," Ana murmured.
"The pleasure is mine, Ana," he replied with a hint of irony or anger in his eyes.
She withdrew her hand and approached Julian, seeking protection, not because she needed it, but because it was clear that Jed wouldn't reveal their acquaintance. Ana felt relieved. Besides her aunt Sara, no one knew about her past relationship with him, and that's how she wanted it to remain.
During the conversation, Ana remained silent and avoided looking at Jed; her gaze was fixed on Sofia, his girlfriend. Sofia was a short and beautiful woman, the kind of woman an Italian magnate like Jed would marry. She was a family friend, rich, and of course, Italian.
"Have we met before, Ana?" Jed asked playfully. Ana had no choice but to look at him; she didn't care. Jed had never considered her good enough for him. She was just the mistress, the disposable plaything.
"No, you must be mistaking me for someone else. This is the closest I've been to Italy," she replied.
Ana noticed the gleam in Jed's eyes and his mocking smile. The jerk was enjoying this.
"Then maybe you're a model and I've seen you in some magazine," Jed suggested. Ana knew he was teasing her.
"No, not at all."
Jed's girlfriend grabbed his arm and chimed in, "Men have no clue about models. Ana is too big, plus models are usually extremely thin."
Ana stopped feeling sorry for Sofia; she was as arrogant as Jed. Behind that fake smile and sweet gaze was a big-ass bitch.
Ana had gained some weight over the last five years, but she wasn't fat, just curvier with ample breasts. There was a reason for it, and she had no intention of disclosing it to the couple.
"Your girlfriend is right. In fact, I am a history teacher in a school near here."
"History! That's interesting. Do you prefer ancient or contemporary?" Jed asked.
"Both!" Ana replied. If looks could kill, Jed would be a dead man.
"Alright, history can teach us many things," Jed responded.
"I'm sure there's no one who can teach you anything," Ana said.
Everyone stared at her as if she were crazy. Julian burst into laughter.
"Ana, thank goodness you don't work with me in foreign affairs. You're not diplomatic at all," Julian said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek. "But in everything else, you're perfect to me!"
Jed was furious; he was bothered by Isabella's closeness to Julian.
"They're playing our song, Jed. Shall we dance?" Sofia said. After the song, they returned to the table.
"Julian, do you dance?" Sofia asked. Jed didn't care; he knew Sofia was flirtatious, and like a gentleman, Julian accepted, giving Jed the opportunity to be alone with Isabella.
"So, Ana Brown! I thought you would admit we knew each other. Do you prefer to be called Ana Brown or Isabella Grant?" Jed asked.
"I told you, Jed, it's nice to see you again. You had the chance to reveal that we knew each other, but I understand you didn't want to make your girlfriend uncomfortable. And just a reminder, my name is Ana Isabella, and Brown is my mother's maiden name."
"Sofia is not my girlfriend."
"Then go and tell that to the ambassador. He seems to be unaware, if anyone even cares. And stop these childish games."
"Perhaps Sofia has a different perception of our relationship, and she might have given that impression to her father."
"Blaming women again! Maybe you should follow her vision and marry her," Ana said.
"Why would you encourage me to marry her? You weren't this combative before; you used to be so accommodating."
"I was an idiot back then! You taught me well. You disgust me! Go and marry your Italian and stop bothering me."
"I'm sorry that things didn't end as you wished."
Ana became nervous, stood up, and turned around. Jed grabbed her arm, and when she looked at him, he sensed her fear. He let go of her as Sofia returned with Julian.
"We can leave, Julian. I'm not feeling well," Ana said.
"Of course, my dear!"
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