by Dori Lavelle
Sam walked Lilliana out, and they left me hugging the dress, as if trying to become one with it. Tears squeezed out of the corners of my eyes, and I blinked quickly. If only Chris were here to see what I’d become. He always believed I’d go on to do great things.
Chapter Ten
I smoothed down my dress and walked through the doors of the Lux Hotel. I only used to admire it from the outside. I never thought I’d step inside. At least not as a guest.
At least two hundred guests, all elegantly dressed, filled the spacious ballroom. They weaved their way around candlelit dinner tables, lowered themselves onto damask-covered chairs, lifted champagne flutes from silver trays carried by waiters in black and white, or tasted finger foods from an overflowing buffet table with a sparkling champagne fountain on one side.
The crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling twinkled in time with those on the bodice of my dress. I felt like a princess. A very nervous one. I’d already spotted a TV show host, five Hollywood actors, an athlete, and a woman with her own cooking show.
I tightened my grip around the new crystal-encrusted purse I’d bought to go with the dress, and with my other hand I picked up a smoked salmon canapé from a passing waiter’s tray. I wouldn’t be able to get anything down; I just needed something to occupy both my hands so no one could see them shaking.
Walking past a marble staircase, I searched for a secluded part of the room. No chance. What if someone came and talked to me? What conversation could I possibly have with any of the glamorous, successful people around me?
I gave up the search and remained where I was, at one end of the buffet table. Soft classical music washed over me and calmed my nerves.
Soon, a familiar female voice filled the room, and everyone turned to the stage.
Lilliana, clad in a striking magenta, floor-length gown, her hair piled up on top of her head in a glossy braided bun, stood in front of a microphone, a champagne glass in her hand.
“Ladies and gentleman, thank you for being here tonight. Allow me to say a few words. It’s a special evening as we celebrate the launch of our new line, Diamond Dreams.”
The room erupted in a deafening applause.
Lilliana paused until silence descended. “Before you return to your food and drink, I’d like to thank someone special, the woman who has given the line a face. Without further ado, please raise your glasses to Carlene Adams.”
I choked back the rest of the canapé, which I’d decided to eat.
Lilliana scanned the faces around her until she spotted me. She waved a hand in my direction.
The guests clapped again, and a woman next to me gave me a brief pat on the back.
My eyes met Lilliana’s from across the room, and panic closed my throat. Please don’t ask me to come up and say something.
Drops of sweat formed on my upper lip as people stared at me, awaiting my response. I was not used to being the center of attention. Behind the camera was fine, but on a stage? What if I made a fool of myself and disappointed Lilliana and Sam?
Left with no other option, I smiled and raised my glass.
Lilliana nodded at me, but didn’t ask me to come up.
I breathed out when the attention turned back to her.
She talked a while about Stalford and the line, and thanked a few other people, including Sam and her husband, a bald but distinguished man I was seeing for the first time.
“I promised I would only say a few words, so I’m done. Please enjoy the food, drink, and music. Don’t forget to have a look at the jewelry.”
At that moment, a curtain that lined the length of the wall behind her slid to the floor, as if in slow motion, to reveal a massive glass display of jewelry. On both sides of the display hung blown-up photographs of me wearing some of the pieces. My hair shone, my eyes sparkled, my skin was flawless.
My hands flew to my mouth, and I stifled a gasp. Joy, excitement, happiness—all wrapped up in one firecracker of emotion. If only I could take a closer look. This was a dream come true. I was a model. Lilliana had even mentioned we’d soon start shooting a TV advert.
Funny how life turned out. I’d thought my happiness had died with Chris, but I was wrong.
I sipped my champagne, enjoying the tingle on my tongue. But before I even had a chance to swallow, people surrounded me, congratulating me for a job well done, telling me how great I looked. I felt as if I had fallen asleep and stumbled into someone else’s dream.
As the evening wore on, I relaxed and even enjoyed the attention.
After mingling, eating, and drinking, I needed a moment to myself. I picked up another glass of champagne and made my way through the throngs of people.
The sliding doors opened onto a lush lawn, which led to a beautiful lake. Wooden benches with lit lanterns at each end dotted the lawn. I walked up to the nearest one, wiped the surface with a napkin, and sat, placing my glass next to me. The air smelled of roses and freshly cut grass, and it invigorated me as I admired the reflection of the moon on the water.
“Nice evening, isn’t it?” A voice asked from behind me.
I turned to look even though I already knew who it was.
“Hi.” Nick lowered himself next to me on the bench. “I was looking for you.”
I blinked, just in case I was imagining things. I wasn’t. Nick sat next to me, wearing a plain black suit and white shirt. No tie, even though most men present tonight wore one.
“Hi?” I said skeptically. Why hadn’t it occurred to me that he’d attend the function? He was, after all, one of Stalford’s most valued customers. But why was he now acting like we knew each other?
“I’m sorry to disturb your moment alone. I wanted to give you something.” He reached into his pocket. “This is for you.” He handed me a pink Stalford jewelry box.
Out of instinct, I looked to see if Sam or Lilliana were around. They probably wouldn’t approve of a customer handing their employee a jewelry box. But I couldn’t resist. Nick was no ordinary customer. Not to me. I wrapped my fingers around the box. “What is it?”
“Something I thought you might like.”
Lips pursed, I tugged at one end of the slim, white ribbon and lifted the cover off the box. My jaw dropped. “Nick… No, I can’t take this.” My eyes filled with tears, as I gazed at the bracelet I had so longed for. The bracelet with the tiny silver diamond key pendant. How did he even know?
“Of course you can take it. It’s an apology. For my behavior when I came to Stalford last time. Pretending I didn’t know you.”
“You don’t owe me an apology. We barely know each other, anyway.”
“Thing is, I feel as if we do.” he paused. “I shouldn’t have kissed you that day. It was inappropriate. I guess, when I came to Stalford, I was distant because I didn’t want Elizabeth finding out about us. She’s the jealous type.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. To me, that kiss had been everything. “Why did you do it? Cheat on her? You shouldn’t have done that.”
“We were broken up at the time. Still, it shouldn’t have happened.” He paused. “Please take the bracelet.”
“N-Nick. I can’t take this.” I closed the box again and handed it back to him. “It’s too expensive.”
He didn’t take the box. “You love the bracelet. I saw you admiring it at the store. When I saw it in the display tonight, I had to get it for you, before someone else bought it.” He didn’t reach for the box.
I looked away to hide my embarrassment. He had watched me?
“There’s nothing wrong with admiring something you love. Or owning it. In fact, if you wish for something hard enough, it might just come to you.”
Those words reached into the depths of my soul and switched on the light. It was him I wanted more than anything. Maybe he was right; if I wished long and hard for him to be mine, it could happen someday. For now, he was giving me something precious, something to remind me of him. I could hang on to it until my dream came true. If it ever did. “T
hank you, Nick.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy it.” He winked.
“I will.” For a moment we gazed into each other’s eyes. We exchanged no words, and yet volumes passed between us.
“You look beautiful, by the way. Congratulations on being the face of the line. They couldn’t have picked a more beautiful woman. Enjoy the party. You deserve it.”
Before I had the chance to say anything, another “thank you,” perhaps, he rose and walked back up the lawn, hands in his pockets. Probably to return to his fiancée.
I slid the bracelet into my purse. This was comfort enough. For now.
Back home, I wore my bracelet to bed. I wanted to keep it on and never remove it. But how would I explain it to Sam and my colleagues? They knew as well as I did that I could never afford such an expensive piece of jewelry. No, I would keep it our little secret. Mine and Nick’s. He cared about me. Why else would he spend so much money on me?
***
My next days at work were spent waiting for Nick to return. I didn’t even care that he might show up to buy something for his future wife. I wanted to see him just one more time, to exchange one more glance. But it took a whole month before I even heard about him again. It was in a magazine article that announced his wedding date had been changed, and he would be getting married earlier than planned. In one week. My heart broke in places I hadn’t even known existed. I asked for a few days off from work and locked myself inside my apartment watching tearjerkers, eating popcorn, and stuffing magazine photos of Nick into a shoebox.
I slid the cool bracelet from my wrist and placed it on top of his smiling face in the box. He had probably already forgotten about it. Here I was, thinking he cared. But he’d only bought the bracelet because he had too much money and felt guilty.
The truth was, and it pained me to admit it, it could never have worked between us. We were too different. He needed someone beautiful, glamorous, and rich like him.
Someone without baggage.
A hot tear trickled onto my hand as I placed the lid on the shoebox and shoved it inside my wardrobe. I’d never buy a magazine again. Or watch TV. It would be torture to watch him marry Elizabeth—or any other woman.
I wanted to stay inside my apartment and never face the world again. But I had to continue living, just like I promised Melisa I would when I left Oasis. It would take a long time, but I’d get over him somehow.
I was now back on my feet. I had a wonderful job and a nice place to stay. A life. I thanked Nick for that.
***
“I missed you. And not just me,” Sam said when I returned to work. “Several customers came in asking for you. You’re quite popular.”
My head snapped up. “Really? Who?” I cringed inwardly, hoping I didn’t sound too eager.
“A few ladies.”
“Oh.” I continued polishing the counter, my hope wilting. “That’s nice.” No need hoping for the impossible. Nick belonged to someone else.
***
Over the weekend Nick was to marry Elizabeth, I slept at Oasis, away from TV, newspapers, and magazines. And I worked myself to the bone.
Out of solidarity, Melisa, who enjoyed some good celebrity gossip, promised not to take a peek. She, too, was disappointed. Since the day I told her the man I’d met that day at Grace Chapel had been Nick Johnson, she’d been excited about meeting a millionaire in person.
Sunday evening, I returned to my apartment and enjoyed a long, hot shower. The warm water mingled with and washed away the tears, and I vowed to let him go for good. I would forget his touch, his kiss, his eyes. He was a married man now.
Chapter Eleven
The door announcer chimed to signal a customer entry. I knew my colleagues would swoop on whoever it happened to be, so I didn’t bother turning around. Since I’d had a lot of special treatment, I was trying to step back. Not that they appreciated it.
Ignoring the shuffle near the entrance, I continued wrapping a jewelry package for a customer who was coming to pick it up in two hours.
“I’d love for Miss Adams to serve me, please,” a male voice said.
I wheeled around, and my knees buckled. I grabbed the edge of a display case to steady myself.
Nick wore a black-and-white motorcycle jacket, his hair was wind-blown, his eyes as bright as the gems around us. Tucked under his right arm was a black helmet.
My mouth was a desert. I’d never seen him in anything other than a suit. He looked incredibly sexy.
I watched as Amanda and the others stepped back to allow him to pass, their faces shadowed with envy.
“Hi, Carlene.” Nick approached me. He gazed behind him at my colleagues, and they quickly scattered themselves around the store, embarrassed to be caught staring. “Can we talk?” he whispered, pointing at a random piece in a display.
Abandoning my gift-wrapping, I stepped to the display and unlocked it, as if I were about to show him something. My colleagues would never keep their mouths shut if they knew about me and Nick. “There’s nothing for us to talk about. You’re married.”
“It didn’t take place.”
My hand froze on the slim glass door, and hope flickered inside me. “There was no wedding?”
“No.” He paused. “That’s what I want to talk to you about. Give me just five minutes?”
Julie walked by with a customer and gave us a brief glance.
“Not here.”
“Then let’s go someplace else. Somewhere more private.” He picked up a pair of pearl earrings, as if he were considering buying them.
“Where?”
“The Lux Hotel.”
“I’ll be there at six.”
“Perfect. I’ll be waiting for you at the restaurant bar.” He placed the earrings back, and less than a minute later he was gone, leaving behind a trail of cologne.
I returned to work with considerably less focus.
***
The receptionist at the Lux, a twenty-something woman with a straight bob and teeth so white they matched the walls, pointed me in the direction of the restaurant.
I felt like a million dollars walking through the marbled lobby, past men and women with monogrammed luggage.
Nick sat on a barstool, his back to me. He had changed into a brown shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Whatever he put on, he looked hot.
With every step, my heart beat faster. What did he want to tell me?
“Nick,” I said when I was close enough to be heard.
He swiveled around and flashed a dimpled smile. “Carlene, you came.”
I laughed. “You did say it was important.”
He hopped from the stool and planted a kiss on my cheek, which tingled after he pulled away. “You were hesitant when we spoke. I was afraid you might change your mind.”
“I was at work.”
He placed a hand on my lower back and moved me forward. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Thank you for coming. How about dinner?”
I halted. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be seen in public together.” For all I knew, he was still engaged. They might have simply postponed the wedding.
“Don’t worry, I’ve reserved a private area of the restaurant. Apart from the waiters, we’ll be alone.”
I nodded. He escorted me to a part of the restaurant that was so well hidden, most guests probably had no idea it even existed.
We sat, and I turned to him. “What did you want to tell me?” Better to know as soon as possible before I got my hopes up, only to have them dashed again.
“Shall we order first?” He waved the waiter over.
I ordered a Greek salad, and Nick the steak and potatoes.
“Carlene,” he said. “I can’t get you out of my mind.”
I pressed my lips together and said nothing for a while. Those words warmed my heart, but I had to be realistic. “What do you want me to do with this information?” He would never leave a woman like Elizabeth for me. Best to accept it and move on. Maybe it was a go
od thing I came to meet him, to get closure.
“No woman has ever made me feel this way. I thought you should know.”
His words reflected my own feelings for him. “But… Aren’t you still engaged to Elizabeth?”
“No.” He cupped my hand with both of his. His heat warmed my skin and reached into my very core. “Not anymore. It’s over.”
Electricity jolted through my body, but before I could respond, the waiter brought our food. When he left, I pressed the fork into my salad as Nick cut into his steak. “You mean…?”
“Yes. I called off the wedding the night before it was supposed to happen. Elizabeth and I had been together for four years, but we weren’t right for each other. I know that now. She was more interested in my money.”
I laughed. “It was obvious when you came to buy the ring.” I couldn’t help myself. I had to say it.
He nodded. “I couldn’t see how wrong she was for me until I met you.”
“She was beautiful.”
He looked seriously at me. “That’s not enough. I don’t want to stay with someone just because they’re beautiful. I want that special connection. The kind you and I have. Besides, you’re even more beautiful, Carlene. The first time I saw you, something inside of me changed.”
I inhaled slowly, breathing in his words. An involuntary smile formed on my lips, and tears burned the backs of my eyes. “You mean that?”
“More than anything. I needed to see you. To see where this leads.”
“Where does it lead?” I whispered, still unable to believe what was unfolding.
“I need to spend more time with you to find that out. I know you feel something for me too. I see it in your eyes. It was unmistakable at the launch party.”
Was I such an open book? I looked down into my glass of white wine.
Nick put his fork on his plate and placed a finger under my chin, lifting it. “It’s Friday. Why don’t we do something crazy, spend the weekend together? Here. We can have time to talk.”
“That’s crazy.” I wanted to say yes, to spend more time with him, allow him to sweep me off my feet. “But we’re still strangers.”
