Jack gave a pained look at his dog Rex who whined to be played with. Jack had only gotten the little guy two months ago but he was sure he was going to grow huge. After all Jack Collins wasn’t the type to have a small dog. No he was definitely the big dog type. Though unfortunately he didn’t have the time to play with his newest companion. Nor was he in the correct attire to get dog hair all over him. He was sure this suit would attract Rex’s white and brown hairs.
“Sorry bud,” he said by way of apology as he went back to looking himself in the mirror and tying his tie. Not that he needed the mirror. He felt as though every day of his life was currently spent in suit and tie. What with work, business meetings, overtime. His current tie had arrived in his possession with a note telling him to wear it today. Jack knew the handwriting was not the scratchy handwriting on his fiancée’s, plus coordinating matching looks wasn’t something he would have expected from Dorothy Bennington. No this was much more her mother’s move. Just like this whole engagement was another of her mother’s moves. Jack was under no illusions, he knew Dot wasn’t the most willing bride. Marrying her though, that would be the final move Jack would make to get all he’s ever wanted.
Jack headed out and signaled for his driver to head to the Bennington’s estate. He checked his watch though he knew he didn’t need to. He’d arrive perfectly on time as he always did. Until he got what he wanted Jack walked a precarious line. Everything he did had to be perfect. Sure he’d charmed Warren, the king, but Alessandra, the queen, she was a tougher sell. So Jack had to be on perfect behavior until the wedding was done. This party wasn’t leisure or fun, it was just another business meeting that was taking place outside the confines of an office.
Thanking his driver, Jack entered the house his soon-to-be in-laws inhabited with their wealth and luxuries surrounding them. Practically suffocating them. Alessandra had done a good job with the party. Guiltily Jack would admit to have very little to do with any party planning or preparations. Though even that would be a lie because in truth Jack had nothing to do with any of it. He hadn’t even funded any of it though he’d offered several times. It seemed Alessandra was preoccupied with getting her daughter married off before she was the root of another inevitable scandal. So far from the dinner dates Jack had shared with Dot she seemed like a poised young lady, but he knew the cyclone of trouble she really was. Warren had lamented it in private around the office and of course the occasional headline of scandal has made its way into Jack’s life. He didn’t mind though, he’d grown up with his mother who was also known for erratic and reckless behavior with no forethought.
“Son,” Warren said by way of greeting, clapping Jack on the shoulder. Jack had worked his way up in Warren’s company and now sat as his apprentice. Jack knew Warren was grooming him for takeover before Warren had even known. Warren had two socialite daughters who didn’t have heads for business, so he’d taken to calling Jack the son he’d never had. To Warren this marriage was only a formality, something he’d acknowledged after a few glasses of scotch to celebrate successful business trading.
“It’s good to see you.” Jack didn’t mention that they’d seen each other yesterday at the office.
“You’d better go get that fiancée of yours and drag her down before my wife has a coronary.” Then Warren put back on his
business smile and headed off to small talk some guests his wife had been previously engaged with. Jack was proud to call himself one of the few people Warren felt comfortable enough to speak candidly with.
Jack put his head down and went to follow the instructions he was given and headed to the staircase. Though he recalled he had no clue which room belonged to Dot and this place had to have far too many rooms to check them all. Looking up the stairs with hopelessness he cracked a smile as he saw Dot descend the stairs. Only for a second before the image melted into her younger sister. From the little he heard about her from Warren, the much more compliant of the sisters. He supposed if everything went as he hoped she would also be his family one day. So he put the smile back on his face.
“Careful, you might outshine the bride-to-be,” he said politely as she reached the bottom step with more grace than he could have managed in heels like that. He meant it genuinely though, he had to mentally remind himself she was a high schooler, even if she didn't look it right now.
“Speaking of, where is Dorothy?”He looked up the stairs to see Dot appear as if summoned. She looked careful and poised. Of course she smiled but one look at any of the scandalous pictures of her grinning into the night and you’d see her eyes lacked a spark. Of course Jack didn’t mind, in fact he hoped her social poise and refinement would last their entire engagement.
“Speak of the devil,” he murmured just loud enough for Eleanora to hear.
For a girl supposed to be celebrating her new engagement with her closest family and friends in mere moments, Dorothy Bennington did not look happy at all. Inside her vast closet she sat amidst an abundance of burgundy silk and ruffles. Some dress her mother had chosen that was supposed to make her look mature and pure. That was a crock, most of the people downstairs had seen enough of Dot in gossip rags to know she was not angelic lady. Dot held her arms crossed defiantly and her signature pout in place. She had been sulking all day. All through getting her hair and makeup down she’d been silent and sullen. Her mother’s surveillance and strict instructions had taken the fun out of even something so frivolous and girly. This felt far more her mother’s day than hers. Perhaps it should also be her marrying the awfully drear man from father’s work.
“I can’t believe I’m actually about to be attending your engagement party,” Maria said from her place at Dot’s dressing table. Eleanore wasn't there because Dot had specifically requested Maria didn't go get her. Part of the deal was that she couldn't tell her sister about the forced nature of her upcoming nuptials and right now she'd rather not have to act upbeat about the whole thing. Maria didn’t look up from the second coat of mermaid green she was applying to her nails to match her mermaid green dress. Maria’s parents were also esteemed guests to Dot’s engagement party so just like the Bennington sister’s, outfit had been selected for her by someone who clearly had no eye for color.
“I know it’s tragic,” Dot replied miserably as she took another mouthful from her glass of champagne, they party hadn’t even begun but Dot was glad to feel the tingly sensation in her limbs that told her the alcohol was starting to work.
“I don't know why my mother insists on making me go through with this,” whined Dot.
“Hun,” Maria said finally putting down the nail polish and looking over at Dot.
“U.S Weekly had a spread of you skinning dipping with two guys in the dam.” Maria didn’t need to add on the worst of it. What had truly set Dot’s mother off this time was that in the snaps, Dot had clearly seen the camera and was posing. Dot didn’t believe this was an entirely fair assessment of her behavior though. Since the photographer had been her then boyfriend, Riley, and she’d broken up with him the moment she heard about him releasing the photos. Not that she could explain that to her uptight mother. No, her mother knew only what was published in those magazines and across the internet. Dot never gave her more than that. Even Dot knew introducing or even talking about one her fleeting guys would have been a new form of suicide.
“I suppose.” Dot said accepting her fate.
“Maybe if I act all mature and responsible, mum won’t make me go through with the wedding."Maria gave her a doubtful look.
“Well, you could get a job?” Dot’s face scrunched up in disgust but she tentatively asked what kind of job Maria had in mind.
“Um, you like fashion, you could start a fashion blog. That’s what’s everyone’s doing now.”Dot shook her head and reminded her friend that a few years ago she had in fact tried her hand at a blog only to get bored 6 blog posts in. Neither girl brought up the fact that Dot hand only actually written half a blog post, her assistant that she’d hired herself wrote the other five and a half. No, that would have only been kicking Dot while she was down.
“Oh, I know,” Dot said jumping up, causing some champagne to splash its way free of her glass. She felt more unsteady on her feet than she had been when she’d sat down.
"I could do the interior designer thing like Chandra does for her father’s clients. How hard could that be? A little shopping, some moving furniture around. Easy!” Dot laughed as her eyes shone with new found enthusiasm. She was determined to earn her freedom from an unwanted marriage.
“Dot, love, you have to have some qualifications for that. Remember Chandra went to Paris to study design?” Maria said reaching out to steady Dot.
Dot waved her friend off.
“Yeah but then left and came home after a year.”Maria laughed,
“Yes, for the holidays, then she went back and finished her course?” Realization dawned on Dot as she did recall Chandra spending a lot of time abroad. Of course she had assumed that Chandra had been sent away to have a secret baby. It happened more than you think. Dot wasn’t one for rumors but there was that girl at her academy who took almost a full year off claiming to be studying abroad but everyone knew she’d gotten herself pregnant. Dot was glad to not have that scandal in her repertoire. Dot must have looked really down then because Maria got up and gave her a hug.
“Don’t worry, I’m going to help you get out of this.” Then Maria pulled back and looked her blonde friend in the eye.
“If it’s going to cheer you up, I want you to wear the dress tonight.”Dot immediately perked up and gave her friend a grin before charging to the back of her wardrobe. She didn’t stick around to see if Maria was going to change her mind. Dot knew exactly where she’d put the dress for safe keeping. Throwing off the burgundy dress her mother had quite literally put her in, Dot threw on the most beautiful dress she’d ever laid eyes on. It was silver and an excessively simple dress that glided over her body like water and just skimmed the ground. Dot felt like a princess in it. Though when Dot and Maria had found it on one of their many shopping excursions they’d both fallen in love with it. The fight over the dress was dramatic and resorted to some heavy name calling. It had been Eleanore who ended the fight, saying neither of them should get the dress. Dot flew back to Maria with larger than necessary twirl.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Dot said as she continued to twirl until she felt a bit dizzy. Maria rolled her eyes and demanded that Dot in return for the dress cheer up her miserable self. Then Maria poured them both another glass of champagne as Dot turned up the music. Now successfully dressed a little tipsy the two proceeded to dance and pose in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror Dot had demanded as her fourteenth birthday present. Both girls giggling like the teenagers they had once been in this room sneaking in from late night
activities.
Then the voices begun in the lobby and Maria suggested they head down. Her advice before leaving to find her parents was for Dot to at least try and enjoy herself a little bit. Dot smiled what she was sure would be her final real smile for the evening before putting on her fake elegant smile she reserved for her mother’s gossipy socialites and her father’s business partners. All of whom she was sure had seen her backside in more than one gossip rag. Then Dot descended the staircase with all the poise and grace her forced schooling had given her.