Impostor

Chapter 10

"Where is your date, Jane?" Michael asked breaking the silence in the elevator. I wanted to push my foot down his throat. He knew that he was supposed to be my date. "He's meeting us there, babe." Emma said and stopped the flow of curse words that had been building up in my throat from coming out. He opened his mouth and then closed it once her words sunk in. He frowned a little before turning to look at her. "Who's meeting us there?" he asked a little tensely, almost like he was jealous. Emma either ignored his tone or she didn't notice. I did. She turned to him with a cheeky grin and sent me a wink. "Jane's date." She said and both of us started to giggle softly.

He was not impressed that Emma and I hit it off so well. He must've thought that we would hate each other. He stayed silent for the rest of the ride down to the garage and even when we approached the car. Trevor was waiting patiently next to a limo. He held the door open and Michael got in. He held his hand out like a gentleman to help Emma and I into the car while Michael sat silently. He didn't look very happy. Emma on the other hand looked like she was about to burst with excitement. I was conflicted between being excited and being a sour grape. This was my first time attending a gala and I was a little nervous.

I sat next to Emma in the car and she wasn't one for awkward silences. She kept conversations going to avoid the silences that would follow shortly after. "Are you excited yet?" Emma asked while fidgeting. At first glance, one would think this was her first gala, but I had already asked and it was not her first. "I am super excited. I can't wait to meet my date. Is he handsome?" I asked and watched as Michael's jaw clenched tighter. "Oh, yes. He's quite handsome. You'll make a beautiful couple. I asked him to wear a red pocket-handkerchief so that you'll know it's him immediately." She gushed excitedly.

"You are not ditching me tonight. I'm going to stick to you like a shadow. I'm not good with people." I said warningly. She laughed and nodded her head. "Alright, but you're going to beg me to leave you the hell alone once you meet your date." She said smiling. Michael stayed silent in his corner and focused on his phone. I smiled a little more excited than nervous now. I was starting to get butterflies and my palms were sweaty. I hope this guy likes me and doesn't ditch me. I loved making friends, but I was most certainly not a social butterfly.

The limo slowly started to stop along with my heart. The place where the gala was being held looked like a palace. The place had pristine white walls and shimmering chandeliers everywhere. The windows and doors looked exaggeratedly large. I expected towers and princesses, but I was disappointed to only find people resembling princesses and no towers. There was a red carpet that stretched to the roundabout that circled an amazing water fountain. The limo stopped when the red carpet was aligned with my door and my heart fluttered before it started to race. Photographers were lined up behind bulky security guards. They were going to snap photos of me getting out of the car without a date.

Time seemed to slow down as my heart fluttered again and the door slowly opened to reveal flashing lights. I was momentarily blinded while hearing Emma reminding me to keep smiling. A smile stretched across my face as a hand reached through the blinding lights. The arm attached to the hand was covered in an expensive black suit sleeve with a diamond cufflink. I took the hand tentatively and felt a little numb as I got pulled to my feet gently. My smile widened when I took in the red handkerchief. This was my date. I lifted my eyes and my breath caught in my throat.

He had dark brown eyes that seemed to be endlessly deep. He had light stubble along his sharp jawline that framed his perfectly plump pink lips. His hair was as dark as a night without stars and was styled into neat spikes on his head. He looked muscular in his suit and my heart fluttered again. I was quite satisfied with my date. He flashed his perfect white teeth at me and kissed my hand. My cheeks burned a light pink as I touched my chest to make sure my heart was still beating. "I'm Harry. It's nice to finally meet you. Emma wouldn't stop talking about you." He smiled and linked my hand to his arm. We smiled and waved at the paparazzi. Did I mention that Harry was Michael's twin? Oh, well surprise!

Girls were screaming Harry's name from behind the security guards. I was a little dazed at the revelation that Michael had a twin. I don't know what I was expecting, but Harry was the exact opposite of Michael. He was fun, nice, and overall just a joy to be around. He supported me as we reached the stairs that led to a glamorous double-door entrance. The hosts were standing next to each other. The man took Harry's hands in his and squeezed them gently, while the lady did the same to me. "Welcome, Harry. We appreciate you taking the time to be here and what a lovely lady you have with you." The man said with a smile that brought the crinkles near his eyes out. The lady smiled brightly and motioned for us to enter.

I looked around the foyer and my eyes went wide. These people were almost as rich as Michael. "Those were my parents, Mary and John." Harry said next to me and I almost choked on my spit. I looked at him with big eyes and he chuckled. His laugh was deeper than Michael's and definitely more melodic. I liked it a lot. I couldn't help but stare at him. "Did you grow up here?" I asked as I admired the interior of the house. "Yes, we moved out when my father split his business for me and Michael to share." He said while guiding me through the house. "So you're also a billionaire?" I asked and as soon as my question registered I slapped my hand over my mouth.

He chuckled and removed my hand, stopping in front of me. "I'm so sorry. That's none of my business." I said and felt my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. "No need to apologize. I am a billionaire. I just don't like to flaunt it around like Michael does." He smiled and collected my hand to continue escorting me through the palace-like house. "You have a beautiful home." I complimented and looked over to see him smile fondly. "My mother decorated it herself. Speaking of beautiful, I have been rude so far. You look exceptional tonight." He said and kissed my hand before putting it back on his arm. "Thanks, you look handsome." I blushed and smiled when I saw that he too possessed a dimple when he smiled.

We entered the ballroom and walked to the railing to the landing. Below us, people were dancing to the jazz music in swirls of colors. It was beautiful. The ballroom was decorated in shades of gold, giving it a bright and happy atmosphere. As soon as people noticed us, they completely stopped and stared at us. It felt like time froze at that moment. "What are they staring at?" I whispered to Harry. His smile never faltered as he kept his gaze on the room. "You. You're quite the sight." He whispered back and turned his burning gaze to me. I felt the butterflies go crazy while my heart did a little flip. "Maybe they're looking at you. You don't look too bad either." I teased with a small smile playing at the corners of my mouth. "They're definitely staring at both of us." He chuckled and took my hand in his, dragging me to the stairs.

"I hope you feel good. You stopped an entire room just by walking in." He teased while helping me down the stairs. "Maybe they stopped because they weren't used to seeing you with a girl." I teased right back. "That might be true." He said and scratched his chin. I was just joking, but the thought that he wasn't a player was comforting. "Wanna dance?" he asked and held his hand out to me. "I'd love to." I smiled and followed the handsome billionaire in front of me, completely forgetting the one behind me.