by Alexis Angel
“No idea, it doesn’t say anything.” I turn the envelope over, but there’s nothing written on the outside. Carefully opening it, I take a single folded sheet of paper from the inside. There’s a golden lettering on the top and it just reads Liam Donovan. My heart resumes his galloping pace once more as I read Liam’s name, and I have to take a deep breath to calm myself.
“What, Cara? Tell me!” Renee demands, getting out from the couch and hurrying to my side. “Read it!”
“Cara, I’m sorry I’ve lied to you,” I start to read, my voice fraught with tension. “As an apology, I’d like to invite you to an event I’m hosting tomorrow night. I hope to see you there. Liam.”
“That’s it?” Renee asks me, surprised.
“That’s it… The directions and time of the event are on the back, but aside from that… There’s nothing else,” I say, my brain fast at work as it tries to decode the meaning behind Liam’s note. Is he apologizing because he wants to make things right? Or is he doing it because… because he wants to end it on a positive note? “Oh, what do I do?”
“What do you mean? You go to that event, whatever it is, and you kick some ass, Cara!” Grabbing me by the shoulders, she forces me to turn toward her and then repeats her words slowly. “Kick. Some. Ass.”
Cara
Why the hell am I feeling so nervous right now?
I’ve splurged on a beautiful thousand-dollar dress, I’m wearing my best Jimmy Choos, and there’s a let’s-take-over-the-world smile on my face. And still, my legs feel like spaghetti noodles.
“Are you ready?” Renne asks me, looking out the window of our taxi, one of her hands already grabbing the door handle.
“Yeah, let’s go,” I tell her, pretending that I’m okay even though I’m a nervous wreck. But what the hell - a woman must conquer her fears, right? Even if her fears include attending a black tie event in a five-star hotel. I know, after Liam’s little note I should be feeling at least a little hopeful… But I just can’t seem to do it. What if I stroll inside to see him arm-in-arm with another woman? What if he went to all this length just to humiliate me? I don’t think that Liam’s the kind of guy who’d do such a thing, but when it comes to men… Well, you never know, right?
“Whatever Liam has on his mind,” Renee starts as we leave the taxi and start walking toward the hotel lobby, “he sure didn’t care about the cost.”
“Yeah,” I mutter under my breath. Liam booked the Mandarin Oriental, one of the most expensive hotels in New York, for his surprise event - and that just makes me feel even more nervous about the whole thing.
The moment we step inside the lobby, one of the clerks walks straight toward us and asks for our names. After checking that we’re on the list (well, I’m the one on the list, Renee’s just my plus-one) he then gets us inside an elevator; then, he leads us through a few luxurious corridors, the walls lined with what I suspect to be expensive and original paintings, and finally stops in front of two large double doors.
“In there,” he proclaims solemnly, pushing one of the doors open and allowing us a peek of the most amazing ballroom I’ve ever seen. Renee and I both step inside at the same time, and I struggle to stop my jaw from hanging open as I look around the room.
Three gigantic chandeliers hang from the ceiling, their sparkling light covering the room; instead of walls, half the ballroom has huge floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing everyone inside a nice clear view of Central Park. Circular tables, covered with red tablecloth and expensive silverware, are dispersed on the floor, and the distance between them is so perfect you’d say someone went around the room with a ruler.
More than just the decoration, the room is packed with New York’s crème de la crème. I haven’t even blinked twice and I’ve already spotted three billionaires and two famous actresses. Are these part of Liam’s social circle? What the hell is exactly going on in here?
“Cara!” I hear a feminine voice say my name, and I turn on my heels to face its owner. “So wonderful to see you again,” Liam’s mom says and, before I can do anything about it, she wraps her arms around me and hugs me tight.
“Ah, you’re choking her out,” Liam’s dad laughs from behind her, and then he offers me his hand and his wife finally releases me from her hold. Instead of taking his hand, I just take one step forward and hug him. I don’t even know why I’m doing it, but I just feel close to the Donovan’s. Which will make it all more painful if Liam just brought me here to break up with me.
“Cara, is that…?” Renee asks me, whispering in my ear as she holds my arm and points to the end of the room. My gaze follows the trajectory of her finger, and I just nod at her as I see what’s there.
“Yeah, that’s the press,” I tell, watching as a crowd of journalists set up their cameras and microphones, all of them pointing toward the stage on the opposite side of the ballroom. Something big is going to happen, and it seems that everyone in here knows what it is - everyone except me, of course. Which is driving me completely mad, if you ask me. Usually, I’m the one that knows everything about everything…
But it seems that this time the tables have been turned.
“Champagne, ma’am?” One of the waiters waltzing among the guests ask me, and I give him one quick nod. Taking a flute of champagne out from his tray, he hands it to me with a slight bow.
“Thank you,” I mutter, taking the glass to my lips and downing all of the champagne at once. God, I hope nobody was watching me - I don’t want to look like a drunken idiot that came here just because there was free booze. Still, I don’t say no when the waiter comes around a few minutes later; this time, though, I take my time with the second flute of champagne.
“Where’s Liam?” I ask his mom as she passes by me again. Even though I’ve spent most of my time in here looking around the room, trying to find Liam, he seems to be nowhere.
“I haven’t seen him in a while, dear,” she simply shrugs, offering me a kind smile.
“Oh,” I reply, having no idea on what else to say.
“I’m sure he’ll be here anytime now,” she comforts, tenderly patting my arm. “Oh, look! There he is!” She suddenly says, pointing to the entrance. I turn my gaze there immediately, and I do it just in time to see Liam walk in, buttoning up his jacket as he strolls toward the stage.
Looking straight ahead, he doesn’t greet anyone as he takes over the stage. There, he stands up still behind the mic mounted right on the center, and he scans the room with his gaze. When his eyes meet mine, I swear I can almost see a hint of a smile on his lips.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he starts, “I have an announcement to make.”
Liam
I scan the crowd from my place on the stage, searching for Cara. I know she’s here because I had some people assigned to keeping an eye out for her, instructing them to let me know the minute she arrived. I spotted her a time or two myself, but I’ve made a point of remaining hidden. I have this planned out to the finest detail, and I’d be damned if I ruined it by showing myself too soon.
The lights are bright in my eyes, so I don’t see her, but I know Connor has my back. He’ll make sure she’s here for this.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” I say, giving the crowd my most winning smile, “thank you for coming out this evening.”
Light bulbs flash as the media goes crazy at my appearance. I take a slow breath. All these years I’ve worked to keep my secrets, and now I’m standing here in front of the media. Everything I’m about to confess is going to be all over the Internet within minutes.
“I’m sure many of you will recognize a lot of familiar faces tonight. A lot of members of our community who make a point of supporting the same charities. Charities that mean a lot to most of you in attendance tonight. But even more so, charities that mean a lot to me. They mean everything to me, in fact.”
The crowd is hushed, and expectant energy is rising from them as all eyes are on me. This is it. Do or die.
“That’s because all of these chari
ties have something in common. Me.”
A murmur races through the crowd as they try to understand my words. I don’t make them wait to put the pieces together.
“Most of you know who I am.” I grin ironically. “Because I’m featured in the tabloids regularly. But there’s something no one knows. Well, almost no one.”
I look down and see my mother standing in the front of the crowd. Sure my dad is supportive, but this woman would never miss a chance to support me. Her pride and faith in me are unwavering. And she couldn’t be more excited about what I have in store tonight.
I scan the crowd again, and my eyes finally find Cara. She’s standing about halfway back and off to the right of the mass of people gathered in front of the stage. Her eyes are wide. She realized I’m about to come clean about my involvement in the charities. But she has no clue what else I’m going to say. I try to get some kind of indicator from her expression about how she’s feeling toward me, but her face is carefully blank. That sends a wave of nerves skittering through me, but I’ll just have to deal with it. Do or die.
Looking back at the crowd in general, I lean closer to the mic.
“I’m here tonight to come clean. To admit to the public that Liam Donovan is actually the face behind all these charities.”
Another murmur goes through the crowd, and I press on. “They mean everything to me. I’ve devoted my life to working to support veterans and their families because it’s the best way I know to honor one of the most important people in my life. My brother, Lucas Donovan, who died serving his country. I kept myself out of the spotlight with all my charities because I wanted them to thrive on their own merit. They do, and they’ll continue to. But there’s something else I want to do tonight. Something that I want to be public about.”
I glance at my mom again, and she gives me an encouraging smile.
“I want to honor someone else the way I strive to honor my brother. Tate Dawn, the father of the most remarkable woman I’ve ever known. Please consider this gala tonight to be the first official fundraiser for the brand new Dawn Foundation for Cancer Research.”
Now I’m looking only at Cara. No one else in the room exists. It’s like it’s just the two of us. Her hands have come to her chest, and her mouth is slightly open in a shocked little O.
“Cara Dawn means the world to me. She taught me things about myself and showed me things in this world that I’ve been missing, and for that, I’m eternally grateful.” I’m speaking straight to her now. “So tonight, I want to honor her. Her father meant the world to her, and I wish to honor the memory of the man who meant so much to the woman who I hope I’ll have the very real honor of calling my wife.”
Hushed gasps rise up in the crowd, and I glance briefly at my mother as I hop off the stage. She has tears streaming down her face.
I don’t stop. I stride straight to Cara and drop to one knee, taking her hands in mine and looking up at her, letting all the earnest love within me shine through my eyes.
“Cara,” I whisper, because now this is just for her ears. “I love you more than anything. More than I ever thought I could love another person. I can’t spend another day without you. I know our relationship has been unconventional, but if you let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you just how perfect you are and how much I love you. “Say you’ll marry me.”
Cara
Please, tell me I’m not dreaming.
Is Liam really proposing to me? Did I hear the words right or am I hallucinating?
“YES!” I cry out, offering him my hand as I purse my lips, trying to stop myself from crying like a little girl. Taking my hand in his, he takes a small blue box from inside his breast pocket and opens it to reveal the largest diamond ring I’ve ever seen.
“I promise you… I’ll make you the happiest woman on Earth,” he tells me, looking straight into my eyes as he slips the ring onto my finger, the golden band fitting around it perfectly.
“And I’ll make you the happiest man on Earth,” I repeat as he goes up to his feet, his eyes never leaving mine. Holding me by the waist, he pulls me into him and presses his mouth on mine. We kiss as if we’re alone in the ballroom, our lips locked on one another like two matching pieces from a puzzle.
Around us, the whole crowd erupts with shouts, clapping their hands hard as they see us kiss.
“NOW THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!” I hear someone shout over the chatter of the crowd, and I pull back from Liam to see a drunk Misty clapping her hands excitedly. Her hair is slightly disheveled, and her smile is a crooked one as well - I guess someone’s enjoying the free booze after all.
“You got your happy ending after all,” Renee tells me as well, coming up to me and hugging me tight, stealing me from Liam’s embrace. “All that doom and gloom… And now you’re on your way to become Mrs. Donovan.”
Mrs. Donovan - ah, how I liked the sound of these two words… After I met Liam’s parents for the first time, I fell asleep every single day wondering how it’d be like to have a relationship like them. To grow old by the side of a good man, a man whose love for me knows no boundaries… And now it seems that God himself decided to turn these dreams of mine into a reality. Cara Donovan - can you even imagine it?
“I was right after all,” Liam’s father tells me, coming up to us.
“You were,” Liam nods with a smile, and then his mother’s on him as well. We spend the next five minutes like that, hugging friends and giving our heartfelt thanks to every single person that congratulates us. Which is kinda exhausting, if you ask me - after all, there are more than a hundred people in here.
And, as good as that is to be cherished by friends and family, what Liam and I really want right now is a different kind of celebration. I can read that much in his eyes, and that because I feel exactly the same.
“How do we get out of here?” I purr into his ear, wrapping my arms around his waist and then kissing him once more.
“It isn’t going to be easy,” he whispers, looking around the room as he tries to think of a way out. “Everyone is looking at us right now.”
“I can help,” I hear Misty’s voice, and I almost jump out in surprise. She’s standing right next to me, that dazed grin of hers on her face. Even though she doesn’t look like a hot mess right now, I can tell by the glint in her eyes that she has already had a few drinks too many. “It’s the least I can do, I mean,” she shrugs, and then takes one step forward and hugs both Liam and I at the same time. Even though she looks small and weak, let me tell you - her arms feel like a guillotine.
“And how exactly will you help, Misty?” I ask her with a chuckle, but she just lets go of me and looks into my eyes, an expression of just wait and see on her face. With one final wink, she turns her back to me and then walks toward the press; there, she stands behind the sound table, the one commanding the sound in the room, and cranks it up.
“LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!” She shouts out, waving her arms in the air as loud electronic music starts pumping out of the overhead speakers. A few heads turn toward her, wondering who the hell is that shouting maniac, but she isn’t done yet.
As a waiter passes by her, she snags a bottle of champagne out from his hands and, moving too fast for someone as drunk as she is, she climbs on top of a table and starts dancing lewdly, bringing the bottle to her lips and allowing the champagne to trickle into her mouth and down her chin and neck, the front of her dress becoming drenched in it and revealing the perky shape of her breasts.
A few of the men in the crowd whistle and clap their hands, despite their wives or girlfriends not being too happy with Misty’s show. But, hey, she really did it - her plan is working.
“This is our chance,” Liam whispers, taking a hold of my arm and leading me across the ballroom. “I’ve got a room in here… And you won’t believe how good the rooms are,” he continues, grinning devilishly at me.
“The room…? Or the mattress?” I tease, smiling at him and feeling my heart racing inside m
y chest. After being without him for so many days, every single cell in my body is screaming for that sweet closeness. “Show me,” I continue back at him, nibbling on my lower lip as I imagine all the things we’re going to be doing in just a few minutes.
“Let’s go then.”
With that, we sneak through the wide double doors, somehow making it without anyone seeing us. Well, Renee saw us - but all she did was give me a wink and a nod. Like teenagers hiding from their parents, we start running down the Mandarin’s corridors, anxious to have a locked door between us and the rest of the world.
Ah, love - it isn’t so bad after all.
Cara
Like he promised me, the room is really something. But he didn’t bring me here to show me the room, did he? Oh, no, he brought me here so that we could celebrate.
Taking one step toward me and laying his hands on my waist, Liam pushes me back against the bed. My knees meet the edge of the mattress and I sit down on it; he pushes me on the shoulders and I fall back, the mattress shifting under my weight. I feel my mouth going dry as he climbs on top of me, his biceps bulging under his shirt.
“I love you, Cara,” he says, his lips just inches away from mine. He’s so close to me that I can almost hear his heart beating. And these three words… Has any sound more beautiful ever been created?
“I love you too, Liam… Always.”
“Always,” he repeats, my eyelids drooping as he presses his lips against mine. I feel my hard nipples brushing against the fabric of my bra, aching to be set free, and I pull him by the shirt, forcing him to press his chest against mine. With him on top of me, we kiss in abandonment, all of my desperation and fear from before fading away… It all goes away, and that just with one kiss. I’ve never been one to believe in fairy tales, but Liam… He’s the one, the man I’ve been waiting for all my life. And wherever the road leads, I’m going to walk it by his side.
