He looked defeated and turned to Mina. “I’ll fix this…I’ll—” The ballroom doors opened and everyone began to press forward into the room. Mina was caught in the hustle and bustle of activity and became separated from Brody. She found herself off in a corner near one of the verandas and desperately scanned the crowd for him.

But with every male wearing a tux and a similar mask, it was impossible to pick him out.

Mr. Carmichael stepped up on a small stage near the seated orchestra and pleasantly welcomed the guests. He held out his hand and Melody joined him on the dais. Brody walked up the steps next to her. Mr. Carmichael continued, “We’re so thankful for your support of our theme this year. I have to give a warm round of applause to the wonderful gem who put this together—my lovely wife Melody.”

Melody smiled, tossing her head to the side, and waved to the room. Applause followed, dying down when her husband started to talk again. “I also have to say that I’m extremely proud of our son, Brody, who has become quite the eligible young man.”

The room filled with feminine cat calls and Brody shoved his hands into his tux jacket, staring at his feet. His face reddened and his dad playfully punched his shoulder. Brody gazed across the crowds, and Mina knew he was searching for her.

“We’d like to begin the evening with the first dance. So ladies, look to your cards—and gents, find your partners.” Brody moved to step off of the stage, but Melody grasped his hand. “Brody, wait.”

He turned expectantly.

His father said, “You can’t skip out on the first dance with your mother.”

Brody’s smile was genuine. “Oh, I hadn’t realized. It would be my pleasure.” He extended his elbow and led his mother onto the floor. Soon more couples joined them.

Mr. Carmichael cued the conductor and the music began. It sounded like a slow waltz. Mina looked to her card and saw a name she didn’t recognize. The good thing about wearing a mask was that her partner might not find her.

A slight tap on her shoulder crushed all her hopes. “Are you Miss Grimes?” the portly man asked. A graying mustache poked out from beneath his silver mask. An aroma of old musk surrounded him, and Mina guessed he must be in his mid-fifties.

She sighed and turned to give him her most polite smile. “Yes, that’s me.”

“The two lovely young ladies over there directed me to you.” He pointed to Lara and Daphne. “I believe this dance is mine.”

She inwardly cringed but put her hand over his and let him guide her to an open area on the floor. It was worse than she imagined. Within the first few measures, she had already stepped on his toes twice. Her partner was very patient as she struggled to find the rhythm.

“Easy now. The waltz is the backbone of all dances. It’s three-quarter time. If you can learn this, you’ll be very well off,” he said gently.

“Okay,” she mumbled, feeling better that Brody wasn’t the one to watch her fail.

“Right foot forward, to the side, and feet together.” Her partner continued to give her tips. “Now left foot back, move to the side, feet together. Imagine an invisible box and your feet can only move along the outline of this box. Do you see it? Now listen to the orchestra. Do you hear it? Can you feel it?”

After a few more measures of counting and listening, she finally heard it. When they made two full rotations of the waltz and she didn’t step on his toes once, she beamed up at him. She did have to count 1-2-3 in her head the rest of the dance, but she laughed and did a little fist pump when the song was over. “Yes!”

“You did wonderfully.”

“Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. You’re an excellent teacher.”

“That is only because you were a quick study.” The music started to transition to another number, and her partner bowed low, excusing himself to find his next pupil. Mina almost laughed when he moved on and tapped his chubby finger on Lara’s shoulder.

She gave him a horrified stare. Her face curled up into an ugly snarl, but she followed him onto the floor.

Mina couldn’t hold back a chuckle. She actually felt sorry for her previous partner. If all of the others on her dance card were like this, then maybe she could make it through the night. And as long as Prince Charming danced with her and fell in love with her, then this quest would be over. Was it too much to assume that she was Cinderella in this tale? It sure felt that way. Lara Steppes and Daphne Ziester were obviously the stepsisters.

An annoying giggle came from a pair already on the floor. Mina had to bite her tongue as she watched Daphne claim Brody for the next dance. This piece was slower, and she watched as Daphne wrapped her hands around his neck, forcing him to dance closer than he wanted to. An angry burning jealousy bubbled within the pit of her stomach, and Mina had to turn away and count to ten to calm herself.

Brody had asked her to come. He was here with her.

But Mina didn’t have much time to dwell on that. Her next dance partner, a younger man—in his late twenties, she’d guess—found her. She politely asked him how he knew who she was. He looked a little embarrassed but explained that he knew everybody’s name in the room except for her. And he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her since she entered the hall.

Mina fell silent after the compliment. She wasn’t expecting one from a complete stranger.

As they danced, Mina saw that her first partner was right. After learning the waltz, it was easier to learn another dance. Her new partner helped her through the turns and didn’t seem to mind that she didn’t know what she was doing. He seemed charmed by her innocence. The dance ended.

Finally, Brody came to claim her for their first dance. His hair was messed up and there was a smear of lipstick across his cheek. The sight made her uncomfortable, except that she knew he hadn’t left the dance floor the whole time. He’d just been the victim of Daphne’s parting gift.

Brody gripped Mina around the waist and pulled her to the middle of the floor. “How are you surviving?”

“I’m actually quite enjoying myself,” Mina laughed.

Brody frowned. “That’s unfortunate. You should be just as miserable as me, since we haven’t been able to dance together.”

“What do you call what we’re doing now?” she teased.

He had to stop and look down. “Uh, dancing.”

“And are you miserable?”

“No, I’m not,” he admitted.

“Then quit complaining.” They continued to dance, Brody leading, Mina attempting to follow. He joked and she laughed, but something felt off. Maybe it was the building tension she felt—a tremble of trepidation that sent shivers down her arms.

The song was almost over when a mirror ball was turned on and the room alit with dancing lights. A woman and her partner stopped dancing to comment on the display.

“Hey, those shoes are amazing! How much did it cost to get them to light up?” the lady in the blue dress asked.

“Light up?” Confused, Mina looked around at the faces as the crowd slowed to watch her. Lifting the hem of her dress slightly, she gasped aloud. Her glass slippers pulsed with a light that grew brighter and brighter.

“Mina, what’s happening?” Brody asked.