Loretta Brabant

Take the Time to Dream....

Alexis paused on the threshold and caught her breath. The ballroom was a haven of flowers and diamonds. The room glittered as the light from the giant crystal chandelier bounced of the wine glasses below. Ladies sparkling with jewels chatted carelessly with smartly dressed gentlemen in classic tuxedos. The heavenly smell of roses, orchids and lilies filled Alexis' nostrils. They were everywhere, from table centres to buttonholes. Most of the guests were not unknown to her. She was going to be a nobody in a sea of celebrities. That thought immediately alerted her nerves.

How could she go unnoticed? Her very anonymity made her stand out. But it was too late for second thoughts or backing out. She would just have to make the best of it.

            Even as she finished the thought her attention was drawn to the rear of the room.  The media?s favourite matriarch, Ceilia Deroux had just stepped out onto the centre of a grand horseshoe shaped staircase. Her hand rested lightly on the sculptured stone railing that curved down around her as she surveyed the guests below.

Alexis hurried forward. Despite all her repressions, a little bubble of excitement burst behind her rib cage.

            Oh my gosh. It's about to happen. I'm actually going to see him. Max Deroux in the flesh.

            It took all her concentration to stop a grin of glee from stretching her mouth. Her fingers curled into her palms and she briefly closed her eyes to calm herself. He was just a man after all.

Yeah, a man who's a singer, songwriter, multi-millionaire sex god.

            "Ladies and Gentlemen," Ceilia graciously called the attention of her guests. "It is my great pleasure to announce that my son has finally arrived."

Alexis felt the excitement in the room heighten.

And then suddenly he was there.

Standing at the top of the stair next to his mother, in all his glory. And glorious he was. 

She had expected to be slightly disappointed. The media always built up celebrities too much. In the past she found that when confronted with the real deal she would often feel let down. They were always shorter or fatter in real life, lacking in personality or not as vibrant as they were on screen. But when Max Deroux sauntered out into view, Alexis felt the floor drop out from under her feet.

He did not disappoint. If anything he surpassed expectations.

Tall, dark and handsome.

He was the very embodiment of the cliche. Dressed in a black Armani suit with a collarless white shirt, he looked like the star he was. Gorgeous, elegant, charismatic and seemingly unaware of it.

A kind of awed certainty came over Alexis as she starred up at him.

He is made for this.

He had that quality about him that you just had to be born with. He radiated allure. People were drawn to him and she was annoyed to find that she was not immune to his powers.

Her eyes widened as the carefree smile that was his trademark curved his handsome mouth -that sexy twist of the lips that every woman in the room hoped he would throw their way. Herself included.  She dropped her eyes to curb the feeling.

I can't afford to be attracted to him. I'm a journalist, not a fan.

I'm here for a story not an autograph.

A silence fell as the guests waited to hear what he would say.

            "Thanks for waiting," he drawled.

            A laugh and a cheer greeted this nonchalant sally. The band began to play the traditional birthday number that had the laughter continuing.

            She lifted her eyes to see him whisper something in his mother's ear. Ceilia laughed and then watched him descend the stairs along with every other eye in the room.  Three beautiful women moved forward, racing each other to be the first to push a glass of champagne into his hand.

            It was then that reality began to set in. She was at the back of a crowd of celebrities all vying for his attention. How could she, a nobody, get to see him, much less talk to him and escape notice at the same time?

Her mission was impossible.

And then she thought about Kayla and Holly sitting on her thread bare couch waiting for her to bring home a future. She couldn't fail them. She couldn't let her sister's children down. Not after everything they had been through.

Lifting her chin she took a deep breath and strolled forward, weaving her way through the crowd with assurance. She ignored the stinging looks of those people who she pushed in front of and maintained her path to her goal with quiet dignity. It was better not to talk to any of them. If she said anything, she would be open to questions and she couldn't afford that.

At last she was almost at the base of the stair and she could see him. Tall, broad shouldered and effortlessly charismatic, he was unmistakable. His handsome head bent to catch the teasing remark of a blonde goddess in a red dress. Alexis' heart pattered wildly in her chest but she suppressed it with outward calm.

He lifted his head and his steely gaze shot straight through hers unseeingly before he turned back to his companion. She felt burned and breathless even though she knew that he hadn't even registered her face. She looked at her hands, willing herself to get a grip. Now was not the time to be star struck.

She peeped at others standing around her, watching him, waiting for their turn. It was going to be a nightmare getting to his side and even harder to hold his attention. She read the bored disinterest on his face as he spoke with Julia Evans, the actress voted last year as the World's Sexiest Woman by Pop Magazine. If that was his reaction to Julia Evans what chance did Little Miss Nobody have?

Alexis swallowed.

Zero.

She was going to have to do something daring to get his attention.

She thought back to the jump suit in the toilets, the Labradors eating steak, the fat guard answering her mobile phone.

It's not like she had any shame left to lose.

Alexis licked her lips, tossed her head and veiled herself in an air of confidence.

Max Deroux was about to get the surprise of his life.