Once inside, Bradley brought them to the expansive arched entrance which led to the spacious formal living area six steps below them. Looking out across the room, Addison and Joanna saw before them a sea of white and black evening gowns and tuxedos. While Bradley had colored outside the lines by wearing his glittery waistcoat, all others had followed the rules. Well, almost all others.

The color of Addison’s tux matched the others in the room, but that’s where the similarities ended. Most wearing dinner suits had chosen the classic single-breasted shawl collar jacket, whereas hers was double-breasted with a peaked lapel trimmed in satin. Like her tailored trousers, it was made to fit her curves, not to hide them, and it announced her sex in a way subtle yet undeniable. Addison had also chosen to wear a red waistcoat, but unlike their host, Addison’s was the deepest of reds and made of the finest of silks. Forgoing the masculine ties that had become her norm, her black silk shirt was open to where it met her waistcoat, revealing not only more than a hint of cleavage, but also a loose-fitting silver mesh necklace dotted with well over a dozen blood-red Burmese rubies. Between the buttons on her shirt, the cufflinks on her sleeves, and her shimmering waistcoat, it was clear to all that Addison Kane had not quite followed the black-and-white theme of the night...and it would soon be discovered her wife hadn’t either.

Slowly, a hush grew over the room as guest after guest turned their attention to those standing next to their host, and when Bradley announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. and Mrs. Addison Kane,” the room went still.

Addison held her head high, but instead of focusing on the crowd in front of her, she looked at her wife, and unable to stop herself, she gave Joanna a wink. It surprised them both, but it took the edge off the ceremony surrounding them, and carefully they descended the stairs. Although they already had the attention of everyone in the room, Addison knew Joanna would soon own the room...and she did.

Fran knew Addison didn’t take disappointment well. So, when she was assigned the daunting task of finding the perfect gown for Joanna, Fran went in search of a dress designer whose excellence bordered on sainthood. Ignoring the cutting edge of the new and bold, and the boredom of the tried and true, Fran set her eyes on the most sought-after dress designer in all of England – Terrance St. John. Without batting an eye, Fran tripled the man’s going rate and paid for a gown like no other.