You Look Perfect

Elle had her back to Adam, but she watched his reflection enter the room. He took a few steps and then paused as he saw her, their eyes met through the mirror.

Adam was taken aback by her appearance. He had seen most of the elements separately, but with all of the alterations now complete, plus the hair and makeup done, Adam felt as if he was seeing it all for the first time.

Elle's makeup was done well, but it was made to look subtle. After all, they didn't want to distract from the jewellery. So instead of having bold colours Elle's makeup was done to outline her features. All her features looked more prominent; the straight bridge of her nose, her high cheek bones, and her dark brow.

What caught Adam's attention most were her eyes. A smoky brown eyeshadow had been applied, this along with the black eyeliner and her long thick lashes made Elle's eyes appear wider than usual. The clarity of her eyes stood out now more than ever, and though he wouldn't admit it out loud, Adam couldn't help but notice that he liked those eyes of hers very much.

This was also the first time Adam had seen the dress on her after the fittings. The very first time he had seen her in it was ruined by the fact that it didn't fit her. Now she looked stunning in it.

The sweetheart neckline and low back were designed to make the necklace stand out more, but the cut of the dress suited her. It showed off her slender shoulders and accentuated her chest while the billowing skirt highlighted her thin waist. The Elle in front of him didn't look like the silly girl who he had teased last night, she looked elegant and beautiful.

Everything detail about her was carefully planned. Even the stray strands of hair that fell loose were placed exactly right to curl and frame her face.

Adam cleared his throat and then continued to approach her. In his hands he held a black box. Elle had already seen the necklace's box and knew this wasn't it, so she guessed this was her mask.

"For security reasons the necklace will arrive just before you come out, but I've brought one final piece for you." As he spoke Adam opened the box to reveal the masquerade mask sitting inside.

Elle hadn't expected much regarding the mask, but now she realized she was wrong not to. Of course for MK even the standards for a simple mask would be high. This piece was far beyond her expectations.

The colour of the mask shifted from a light blue at the corners into a shimmery white towards the centre. Along the border was braided silver and blue twine. Dark blue, black, and silver swirls decorated the surface of the mask along with little diamonds.

Elle took the mask carefully out of its box and put it on. The underside was made out of a cushioned silk that felt incredibly soft. The mask fell comfortably into place where it covered most of the upper part of her face. Most of her forehead was covered, and the bottom part of the mask came down to about the bridge of her now. The hairstylist helped Elle carefully lace the ribbon under her hair so that it would be hidden underneath her bun, then she tied it tightly.

Once it was secure Elle looked around. She had been slightly worried that the mask would impede her vision, but it didn't. In fact, it was much more comfortable to wear then Elle had imagined.

She turned around to face Adam. "How do I look?" She asked uneasily.

Elle waited nervously as Adam looked at her. He had a look in his eyes that Elle didn't recognize. She had never been so dressed up before, did he think it didn't suit her?

"You look perfect." he replied honestly. Elle smiled, feeling relieved.

Adam still had a few things to check before the event started so he left first, Will followed close behind. The ladies who had worked on Elle's hair and makeup did one final inspection of her before they left too.

Elle was alone in the room again. She didn't dare sit, lest she wrinkle the satin of her dress. Instead she slowly paced back and forth as she waited anxiously for the event to begin.

When the necklace arrived Elle knew it was almost time. Like the last time, someone carefully draped the necklace on to her and made sure the clasp was secure. Elle had forgotten how heavy it was until she felt the weight of it on her chest. It was an unwanted reminder of how much such a necklace was worth.

After the necklace was on Elle was finally escorted out of the room. As she walked Elle tried not to think about how much she was worth with diamonds in her hair, on her face, hanging around her neck. The dress was the only thing she wore that had no gems on it, and that was probably worth hundreds of dollars on its own.

When she arrived at the backstage area Elle finally saw the four other girls for the first time, but she could barely take in their appearance before they were ushered into a line and led to a heavy black curtain that lead out onto the stage.

As Elle waited anxiously she recalled the plans that Adam had shown her. Down the centre of the huge venue was a walkway. All Elle would have to do was walk down it as the MC spoke about the piece she was wearing. At the end would be a few steps that led into the crowd. As soon as she stepped down stairs she would be done. The rest of the night would just be spent walking amongst the guests.

Elle could hear the muffled voice of the MC announcing them followed by applause. The curtain was pulled back and the first girl stepped out onto the walkway. Since she was wearing the main piece Elle was last in line. She could feel butterflies in her stomach as one by one the girls stepped out onto the stage. Finally one of the backstage workers signaled Elle that it was her turn. She took a hesitant step forward into the blinding light.