25. HAZING

                                    

                                          
"No drinking tonight," said Pablo as he slowly walked me down the spiral staircases.
"Why not?" I mumbled.
He glared at me, and his fingers painfully tightened around my hand.
"I don't want you to faint again," he muttered.
I noticed he had been watching me closely as I walked, staring at my feet to make sure I didn't stumble. His arm twitched every time my toes got too close to the edge of a step. I wondered, if I tripped, would he throw himself down the stairs to catch me? I guessed he probably would, but I didn't dare test him.
"You're being dramatic," I huffed as I rolled my eyes.
"I'm sorry for caring," he groaned.
Dread filled my heart as we got closer to the end of the steps. Gazes slowly turned to us as if we were the main attraction of the evening, and it felt like their weight could have crushed my chest. All around the hall were men in tailored suits, women in jewel-toned gowns, drinking from, champagne flutes, mingling mindlessly, the creme de la creme of the local criminal nobility.
It wasn't a world I felt a part of, it wasn't a place that felt like home. Pablo swapped his cold pout for a beaming smile, let down his hovering arms and straightened his back. My fingers began to tremble and my lips started to quiver. Once again and more than ever, I wanted to run away and hide in my room. But I had been noticed by the crowd now, and there was no turning back. 
"I look underdressed," I whispered, nervously patting down the ruffles of my white toga dress.
"No you don't," he groused, and tugged on my hand. "Come on, let's go say hi."
Gustavo stood right at the bottom of the steps, eagerly waiting for Pablo and me. Dressed in a classic tuxedo, with a warm smile on his face, he seemed more like a loyal butler than Pablo's Head of Security.
"Bow-tie," chirped Pablo as he patted Gustavo's neck. "How cute."
"I tried to make an effort," he answered. "You should try it, some time. Button up your shirt, for a change."
Before Pablo could answer, Gustavo pinched a single one of his chest hairs and plucked it. Watching the hairy beast's demeanor go from unchecked arrogance to a pained wince drew a discreet smirk on my lips. 
"Emilia, you look beautiful," continued Gustavo as he turned his attention to me. "You shine brighter than all of this marble."
I saw his hand reach towards mine, probably to give it a chivalrous kiss. I was uncomfortable enough without grown men licking my knuckles, and so I hid my hand in the crook of Pablo's elbow.
"Thank you," I whispered politely.
"Doesn't she?" purred Pablo as he turned to me with a proud grin. "She looks just like one of my statues."
"Yeah, she has the same nose as them," giggled a high-pitched voice.
Pablo swiveled around to face a young woman, who had bleached blonde hair, puffy lips and big breasts that spilled out the top of her pink sequin dress. Even though she was perched up on top of her sparkly pleaser heels, her head barely reached halfway up my chest.
"Cassie! I didn't see you were there," he cheered as the young woman threw herself into his arms. 
"All you had to do was look down," chuckled Gustavo. 
"Is this your girlfriend?" asked Cassie as she tore herself away from Pablo's torso.
"Yes," beamed Pablo as he proudly gestured in my direction. "This is the Emilia."