by Juliet Woods
“Daddy, I decided that I like Lily.”
“Oh, really?” I smile.
“Yeah, I think she’s a good influence on you, Daddy. You spend too much time alone.”
I try to hide my laugh. I love when my daughter makes verdicts about my well-being.
“So you think Lily will help me?”
She nods.
“And do you like being around her?”
She smiles and nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, she’s really cool. You know how the living room used to be all white and gray, and now it’s all green and pink and purple? Lily’s like that. She brings life to the house.”
“I totally agree with you.”
I don’t think I could have said it better myself.
I’m pleased with myself for coming up with such a perfect solution to all my problems. I have a wife to improve my image for the custody case. Harry approves of her and Masie likes her. The fact that my wife just happens to be a virgin waiting to be plucked like a ripe fruit only sweetens the deal.
The day of the gala is here before I know it. Lily has improved leaps and bounds with her dance instruction. She’s looking poised and graceful – just right to show her off on the dance floor.
Unfortunately, just like most women, she takes forever to get ready.
My new assistant has arranged a makeup artist and hair stylist to get Lily ready for the event, and I’m pacing back and forth in the foyer waiting.
“Lily! We have to go now!”
I hear her heels clicking on the marble floor before I see her. Finally.
I look up from my watch and feel the air hitch in my lungs. She’s absolutely stunning.
The black dress fits her curves like a glove. Finally I can admire that body I’ve been thirsting for – her narrow waist, perky tits, and round ass. Her hair is pulled up into an elegant style, and her pouty lips curl up at the corners.
“How do I look?”
“Like a princess!” Masie shouts behind me.
And she does. She’ll definitely be the star of the show tonight.
I watch as Lily glides down the staircase with her slender arm on the rail. I have to blink as she gets near, remembering how just a week ago she was dressing like a nineteenth-century schoolmarm.
I hold my hand out for her as she steps down onto the floor, taking her place beside me.
“OK, Masie, remember, bedtime is at 8:30 pm!”
Masie groans and mutters about never getting to stay up late.
The nanny and I exchange a smile, and I kiss Masie goodnight.
“Have fun at the ball!” Masie calls in her fake British accent, reminiscent of Julia Childs. “And remember your manners!”
“I wonder where she gets that from,” Lily says sarcastically as I open the door for her.
“I have no idea,” I say, getting a good look at her perfect backside as she walks out.
Chapter 17
Lily
I’ve been nervous about this for days, and as Ethan opens the door of the car for me, it really hits me that this moment is finally here.
Over the past week, I’ve had to learn how to dance, how to walk in heels, and Ethan even gave me some pointers about fine dining. Growing up in a working-class family, and then a foster care system, I didn’t exactly learn much about the social rules and etiquette of the billionaire class.
I can’t believe that a week ago I was living in a studio apartment and trying to figure out how to pay my rent. Now I’m teetering around in high heels wearing a designer dress.
And luckily, I did find a strapless bra in my closet.
This dress is tasteful, but fairly revealing compared to my usual long skirts and loose pants. It skims over my body, and I’m nervous about that. I’ve never been the type to want to be in the limelight. I’m hoping we’ll just keep to a corner of the banquet hall and not have to mingle too much.
Knowing Ethan, though, that’s probably out of the question. I think he likes to push me out of my comfort zone just for his amusement. He seems to enjoy it when I get nervous. Though he’s always careful to assure me that everything will be OK.
In any case, I have to focus on my breathing as we climb the stairs into the hall. I’ll never get over my anxiety without facing my fears. Even though I want to run the other way, I lace my hand through Ethan’s bent arm, and walk beside him. My husband.
I gasp when I step into the banquet hall. Everything is gold and white, with rich marble floors and an indoor balcony. The ceilings are impossibly high and lit up by massive chandeliers. And the flowers! Such beautiful arrangements of endless white roses. The entire scene is so beautiful and classy.
People mill about – the men in tuxedos and the women in stunning dresses. The clothes alone cost enough to feed my neighborhood in Queens for a year. I feel my cheeks turn red and my heart pound as I take the scene in.
“You’re tensing up,” Ethan mutters. “You don’t need to. You’re my wife, and you belong here. You’re going to charm the pants off everyone here.”
I blow out the air through my tight lips and hope he’s right.
As we enter the room, Ethan nods and smiles at various people. He seems to know everyone. They all look at him, then me, inspecting my dress, my face, my hair.
I stay close to his side as he makes small talk with couple after couple as we sip on glasses of wine. He laughs at their lame jokes, asks about their families, and introduces me to everyone as his wife. They’re polite to me and shake my hand, congratulating us on our new marriage. I can see the look of surprise in all their faces when Ethan says “my wife.” It seems no one ever expected Ethan to get married again.
I take it he’s had a lot of different women on his arm before me.
“Well, well, is this your new wife, Ethan?”
An icy cold voice behind me interrupts my thoughts.
I turn to see a beautiful but haughty woman standing before me, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She’s dressed in a stunning peacock blue floor-length dress, and her blond hair tumbles down her statuesque shoulders in soft curls. But her face is not kind, and her eyebrows sharply frame her beady eyes.
Ethan sighs when he sees her.
“I didn’t think you’d be here, Vivian,” he says between clenched teeth, and I realize it’s the sister-in-law who is trying to get Masie from him.
“Really? Why not? You know my family has always attended this charity’s functions,” she says in a tightly controlled voice.
“They used to,” Ethan says. “In the old days.”
Vivian sniffs, then turns to look down her nose at me. “Aren’t you going to introduce us, Ethan?”
“Lily, this is Vivian Stone, my sister-in-law. Vivian, this is Lily Cairns Davidson, my new wife.”
“Pleased to meet you,” she says in a very inauthentic and stuck-up voice.
I force a smile and project my voice to come out smooth and even-toned. “Very nice to meet you, Vivian.”
She shifts her eyes over my dress, at my hand hooked around Ethan’s arm, and then away. “Yes, Paul told me you had married. Such an amusing turn of events. And such interesting timing, I might add.”
“Well, love runs on its own time,” Ethan says. “You know that.”
“Yes, well, I suppose we’ll be seeing each other in court, as they say,” she says, lifting her chin and standing upright.
“Don’t you want to know how Masie is doing?” Ethan asks.
Vivian blinks, looking startled. “Masie? Yes, of course. How is the lovely girl?”
“She’s great, Vivian, just great. A happy, well-adjusted girl. I’m sure you’re pleased to hear that.”
“Yes, of course,” she says. “You know how dear that child is to me.”
“I know perfectly well,” Ethan says. “Goodbye, Vivian.”
He guides me away, holding my hand tight in the crook of his arm, his eyes furious.
“She’s horrible,” I whisper. “She’s a caricature of a cold hearted, arrogant bit
ch. There’s no way she’d be good for Masie.”
Ethan doesn’t respond, just silently stews. I wish he would talk to me, but I know better than to press him.
Suddenly he sweeps me around so that he clasps me between his arms, and he lowers his face next to mine, pressing his mouth against my lips. He holds me tight, pressing his hand against the small of my back, and envelopes me in a hot, fast kiss. He pulls his mouth back and I stare into his wild, intense eyes, then he kisses me again, warm and overpowering.
He releases his grip on me, and his breathing is quick and deep. He returns my hand to the crook of his arm and continues to guide me through the hall as if nothing had happened. I feel dazed and heady. This is shaping up to be a very surreal evening.
And then, it’s time to dance, I realize to my horror. Ethan leads me out onto the dance floor. The panic starts to rise up in my throat like bile. My hands are suddenly cold and sweaty, and I start to feel a little dizzy.
“Ethan, I – I can’t do it!”
He stops, standing before me, and looks at me straight in the eye. “I know you can, Lily. You can do anything. I’ve seen you dance. You’re a better dancer than most people here, and you’ve only been doing it a week.”
I want to run away. The urge to bolt is so strong I have to fight it back. “But I’m an impostor!” I whisper frantically in his ear. “I’m not one of these people, and everyone knows it!”
“Yes, you are. You’re my wife, first of all, so you belong. And frankly, you’re a better, and more interesting, person than the rest of these power-hungry morons. They can’t carry on a conversation about anything not involving investment funds, and most of them would throw their grandmother under a train to make a buck.”
His harsh words snap me out of my fixation on the panic for a moment, at least.
“Wow, that bad, huh?”
“Yeah, they’re here for the exposure, for the publicity it gives them when they donate to charity.”
I want to ask him why he associates with them at all, but something holds me back. I bite my lip, looking downward.
He lifts my chin so that my eyes can’t escape his gaze. “Lily, I mean it. You’re no less of a person than anyone here.”
I take a deep breath, bracing myself and trying to block out all the other couples filing out onto the dance floor.
“Besides, everyone wants to see how beautiful you look, Lily,” he says. “Why deprive them the pleasure?”
I manage a small smile and lift my arms in my newly perfected waltz posture. He raises an eyebrow as he lifts his right arm to support my left and grasps my right hand in his left hand, raising it high in the air. The moment our arms lock, I feel the anxiety start to drain away. Maybe this will actually be fun.
“Look at you, you’ve learned a lot this week. The framing with your arms is excellent.”
I smile and turn my head in the formalized gesture my teacher taught me. As the music starts, I let myself be moved by his confident, practiced steps. All my hard work with the dance instruction has apparently paid off, because I feel much more poised and fluid than the last time I danced with Ethan. I also know how to let myself be guided by him and follow his lead.
On the dance floor, that is, I think to myself.
“You’re an excellent dancer,” he murmurs in my ear, drawing me in a little tighter, “and an apt student. I’m sure you could learn how to do all sorts of new things.”
My face burns with embarrassment and excitement. He’s right, I’d like to learn many new things, and I want him to teach me.
“And you look exquisite tonight, Mrs. Davidson.”
Mrs. Davidson. Will I ever get used to being called that?
And is he planning on doing something more tonight than just saying goodnight at home and letting me sleep in the guest room?
Focusing on the music and my dance steps takes so much of my attention that I forget all about the panic attack I nearly had just minutes before. The glass of wine I drank when we were schmoozing has gone to my head, and it mixes with the loud music. On top of everything, Ethan has me twirling and spinning around as we dance.
I can’t believe how good my life has suddenly become, and I definitely can’t believe how sexy my husband is.
It all feels like a beautiful, seductive dream.
Chapter 18
Lily
After the dance, we all sit down to eat. Ethan and I are seated at a table with three other investment bankers and their wives. I find that Ethan wasn’t kidding when he said these people can’t talk about anything but investment funds. Ethan’s engaged in a lively conversation with them about the stock market. The wives chat a little with me, but they soon move on to gossiping about people I don’t know.
So I eat my food in silence, which doesn’t bother me. What could I talk about with these people? How I used to live in a cockroach-infested apartment up until a week ago? How I was living paycheck-to-paycheck until I got married to a very rich man? These women are talking about which of their friends got plastic surgery, and where they’re going on their next extravagant vacation. Maybe Ethan’s right and I do belong here because I’m married to him, but I hope he doesn’t expect me to spend all my time with his colleagues and their wives.
I wish Callie was here for me to chat with.
At least the food is delicious.
The bright side is that I was successfully able to calm down after my panic attack on the dance floor. With the help of Ethan, of course. Dancing has always been difficult for me, and to do so in front of a banquet hall full of strangers is a major accomplishment. I’m damn proud of myself for facing down my fears, and I’m pleased to see that Ethan can help me. There’s something very comforting about hearing a man with wide shoulders and muscular arms tell you that everything’s going to be OK. His beefy physique makes me feel safe and protected.
After I finish the main course of game hen, wild rice and perfectly sautéed vegetables, there’s a lull as we wait for dessert. Everyone at the table is wrapped up in their conversations, so I excuse myself to the ladies’ room.
The restroom is just as elegantly decorated as the rest of the building, and I take a picture of the extravagance on my phone to show Callie.
I roll my eyes at myself. Yep, you’re really out of your league if you take a picture of the bathroom just to brag to your friend.
Checking myself out in the mirror, I am again surprised to see myself looking so grown-up. Standing here in my designer dress and perfect hair and makeup, I hardly recognize my image. There were so many times I felt unattractive or awkward. But tonight, I feel like a princess – just like Masie said.
“Cinderella at the ball,” a vaguely familiar voice startles me, and I feel embarrassed to be caught admiring myself in the mirror.
I turn to see Vivian smirking at me, having just walked into the room.
I reach for my handbag, wanting to leave immediately, but she steps in front of me, blocking my escape.
“I know your marriage is bullshit,” she says, frowning at me. “There’s no way he would suddenly marry a child like you.”
My throat constricts. I just want to get out of there, but she won’t move out of the way.
“Why are you doing this?” she persists. “Are you trying to get at his money?”
“I should ask you the same thing,” I frown at her, surprised to hear the words coming out of my mouth. “You obviously don’t care about that little girl one bit.”
“If I were you, I’d be worried about your own skin,” she hisses. “You may have Ethan’s friends fooled. It wouldn’t be hard. But your little act is pretty see-through to me. You don’t belong in this world. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were Ethan’s maid before he convinced you to sign the marriage papers.”
“Get the hell out of my way.”
“I know you’re a fake, and the judge will see right through you too. Once Ethan loses Masie to me, he’ll drop you so fast your head will spin.”
My he
art’s pounding through my chest. I want her to stop. Now.
“Just do yourself a favor and disappear from his life,” she warns. “Because I will ruin you if you stay.”
I push past her and storm out of the restroom, my head swimming, my hands shaking.
I feel my racing pulse in my head, beating like a drum. I want to get out of here.
Looking around, I see a side exit door, and I make a beeline toward it. I fling it open and escape into the cool night air.
Breathe in for 5, breathe out for 8…
The dizziness starts to die down, the out-of-control sensation of falling recedes. My hands stop trembling.
I sigh, wiggling my fingers as the warmth returns to them. I thought I had broken free of the grip of anxiety, but it always comes back to haunt me.
And what if there was truth in what Vivian was saying? I shudder to think about it: what if Ethan is just using me? And when this is all over, will we get a quick divorce? Will he just toss me aside?
Maybe she’s right. Maybe I am Cinderella at the ball, and it’s just struck midnight.
Chapter 19
Ethan
I nod half-heartedly to the old associate sitting next to me who is talking my ear off about hedge funds. Lily’s been gone to the ladies’ room for a while now, and I’m starting to get uneasy. I wasn’t expecting Vivian to show her face tonight after all the controversy surrounding her family’s business practices and decline in assets the past couple of years. Then again, Vivian’s lack of grace never lets me down.
In any case, I don’t like Lily being without me for so long when Vivian is lurking about. I wouldn’t put it past my sister-in-law to corner my new wife.
I tear myself away from the dinner talk and the boring conversation, and I see Vivian at the other end of the room, exiting the side hallway with the ladies’ room and returning to her seat at the dinner tables. She meets my gaze, her eyes narrowing into slits, her tight lips turning up into a sick smile.
