Chapter 8: The Ball

Cameron Hayes' POV

We arrived at the conference ball in time. I was happy to know that Ella was stunning as we were walking into the conference ball and people, especially males, were staring at her. Not until she removed the coat that I felt like I wanted her to wear the coat back.

Her red sheer lace red dress was hugging her figure perfectly. I don't know if she was renting it or buying it or borrowing it from her neighbor. What I do know, she looked gorgeous and I have this instinct to protect her from the prying eyes.

"Shall we?" I said as I gave the server our coats before I offered her my elbow. She took it as she wrapped her tiny hands on my arm as we were walking to our table. The people were talking and I know it was the lady in red beside me.

"This is very nice. I never knew that I was being in a ball," she whispered to me as I was leaning to hear her sweet voice inside my ear. I smiled as I know that she was happy to be here and I was happy to be beside her.

"Don��t worry. It will get better. They will talk about wildlife," I said as she was slapping my arm playfully before I went to pull out the chair for her. She took her seat before I was taking my seat next to her.

"Ah, Mr. Hayes, I thought you would not make it. I was wondering when you will be showing your face in public after that stunning article about the new mineral," the Director of NSF, who happened to be Alex's ex, Aria, was greeting me before I was smiling at her.

"Yes, it is stunning. And the WWF magazine was doing everything they can to make sure that the scientific community will learn about it.

"I see. And I see you brought your plus one. You never have gone to this kind of event with someone before," Aria said as she was staring at Ella. I cleared my throat before I was pulling her hand into mine on the table.

"Aria, I would like you to meet Ella. Ella this is the director of NSF, Aria—"

"A pleasure to meet you, Ella. Say, that dress is stunning. Where do you get it?" Aria asked when Ella was looking at her. She was looking at her dress before she smiled.

"I got it from—"

"Oh, they're here. We just took out our equipment now," I whispered to her as I saw the scientists from France was coming to greet the important figure in the scientific community. It was nice and I think this was a change for Ella that was not used to this kind of conference.

"I thought they would be here and just give some talk and we would ask the question?" Ella asked me as she whispered to me. I smiled as I know what she was talking about another kind of conference.

"That was the formal conference but tonight is less formal as the scientific community wanted to make friends and expand their network with each other," I explained as Ella nodded at me.

"Now, shall we go and greet them? You need to translate them for me," I said as I was pulling Ella with me before we were crowding the scientists from France.

Ella Lattone's POV

Oh my gosh!

Oh my gosh!

Oh my gosh!!!

I was in the middle of the conversation between two scientists that were speaking in French as Hayes was trying to understand what they were talking about. Now I have to smirk at this. He thought that language did not have an advantage in the scientific community.

Hah! I showed him.

I was smiling at the scientists before Hayes urged me to ask about the new development of the research that they conducted. I smiled at them before I was inserting myself in the conversation with interest.

"Excuse me. I heard that you guys are the ones that developing some kind of new method to determine if it was real science or social science. How do you determine which is which?" I asked in French as one of the scientists was looking at me. He was kind of young, maybe the same age as me. He smiled charmingly.

"And why would a pretty lady like you want to know? I thought you're just a plus one for that oaf over here who was not talking with us because of the language barrier? Tell me, are you his translator then?" He asked as he boldly took my hand and kissed my knuckles. I gasped before I can sense that Hayes was stiffened by his bold action.

"Please, sir, are you trying to imply that you are one of those sexist scientists that thought women cannot experiment?"

"I don't apply—"

"And yet, you say that I should just sit still and look pretty. If I don't know any better, you are implying that you are narrow-minded and old fashioned, which is not idle for a scientist as they would be open-minded to any possibilities," I said as I was smiling at him while I snatched my hand away from his touch.

"Yes, well—"

"Then tell me of the operation that you have on your new research and don't delay the information just because I was a woman among men," I said as I was glaring at him. He stammered before he cleared his throat and I was smiling with triumph.

Men, I rolled my eyes inwardly.

Thankfully, Hayes has put on the recorder tape to start recording any conversation that we might have for the night and I was happy to make some notes for him as we were making some connection before I was being dragged by Hayes to meet someone.

"MacWatters, as I live and breathe," Hayes said before the man with black hair and a woman beside him greeted us.

"Cam? What are you doing here?" The man asked before I turned to look at the woman and I was surprised to see Lea.

"Ah, I see that you have your plus one now. I thought you don't do plus one at a social event," MacWatters man said as he was smirking at Hayes. He scowled.

"This is not my date, she was merely my co-worker and I bullied her to come with me so that people know I was not available for them, Alex," he explained before I was staring at Lea and Alex noticed that.

"Ah, sorry. Let me introduce to you, this is my wife and you must be Ms. Lattone. Ella Lattone, yes?" Alex asked me as I was turning to look at him sharply. How does he know my name? I smiled at him as I nodded.

"Yes. I am Ella. But I'm not sure that I ever met you, Mr. MacWatters. So how do you know my name?" I asked him before he was looking at Hayes. He smirked before Hayes was throwing him a death glare.

"Let just say, someone loves to talk about you," he said as I was shaking my hand with him before I ran away from the men with Lea.

"Do not tell me that was your husband," I said. Lea laughed at my notion.

"But you heard him, he is my husband by the way that he introduced himself earlier," Lea said as I was scowling at her.

"If I have known that you were attending this ball, I would not have to suffer the men's views on the woman cannot be a scientist," I said as Lea was taking two champagnes and gave one to me.

"Thanks," I mumbled to her.

"I figure that you want them and so I guess I just have to give it to you," she said as I was clinking my glass with her.

"To women in science," I toasted as we drank.

"Amen to that," Lea said before we talked some more until the men were coming at us.

"I guess, we have to move now, love," Lea's husband said as he was kissing her cheek. She smiled before she smiled at us.

"It was nice to meet you again, Cam. And you too, Ella," she said as she was hugging me before I hugged her back. Hayes was still waiting beside me before we were moving to get the coats and off to our home.

Hayes was kind enough that he sent me back as I know it must cost him so much fuel to go back and forth from my neighborhood to the city again.

"Thank you. You have been helpful tonight," Hayes said as he was walking me to the front door. I waved my hands dismissively as I was smiling.

"No big. And I will have that translation when Monday comes on the desk for you to check it," I said as I was putting the keys into the keyhole and unlocked it. I turned to say good night before his cologne hit me. I was dizzy from it.

"You know, I was waiting for that favor tonight but to my disappointment, you did not ask any of it. I must say I was disappointed," Hayes said as I was looking at his lips before I looked into his eyes.

"Hayes," I whispered. He chuckled.

"You do hate me, don't you?" He asked as I was blinking at him.

"No, I'm not,"

"Then why you call me by my last name?" Hayes asked before I can say anything, he leaned in and pecked my lips.

"Good night, Ella. I see you on Monday," he said before he stepped back and he pushed me inside the house before he closed the door.

"Don't forget to lock the door!" He shouted before his footsteps faded away.