The air felt dry as i got off the plane into the airport. I was extremely exhausted since I rushed from the restaurant straight to the airport. I couldn't wait to reach the hotel and sleep for a few hours before going to the party.
I was really disappointed that none of my friends could make it, not even Denzel who cancelled last minute because of something that came up. I walked through the airport with my zombie face, hair in a messy bun, sweatpants and sweatshirt with dimmed sunglasses.
After collecting my bag I went straight to the driver with my name written in bold on a board I hopped in and nodded off in the car without realising. A few minutes later I'm woken up and walked into the massive hotel.
MARIA
The hotel I will be staying in looked quite grand on the outside as I went in to check in. As soon as I entered my room I plopped on the bed and gosh slept like a baby on the plush bed.
I slept a good three hours before I heard the ring of the room's telephone. Rubbing my eyes I pick the call
"Hello."
"Good afternoon Ms Steinfield. There is a delivery for you Ma'am should I send your delivery up now?" The kind receptionist asked.
"Uhm yeah , you can send it up now." I said whilst getting out of bed .
A few minutes later I hear a knock on my door, behind the door stood a tall guy carrying a large matte black coloured box with a pearl white ribbon at the top.
"Thank you" I say as the charming man left the room. I was one hundred percent sure where the gift came from so I was excited.
Whoever said food is the way to a man's heart lied, food is the way to a girl's heart. I smiled as I opened the box and found it full of snacks. A life supply of chocolates, crackers, cookies, chips,e.t.c. of the side was a hand written note
Thanks for coming
JB
I took my phone instantly and called.
"Hi" I heard the voice through the phone.
" I see what you're trying to do here. It is a good attempt but it will take more than a box of food to woo me Mr Bolten." I said smiling ear to ear.
"Well it was worth the shot. So tell me how you're liking the hotel." He says
"Oooh it's wonderful, the bed is so soft I want to take it home with me .The view..... breathtaking " I say and throw myself on the bed giggling.
"Don't be too comfortable, the party is starting in a few hours. The driver will come and pick you up at 18:30." He says.
"Don't worry about me, I will be there on time. Just worry about making sure everything is perfect for your mom. Oh I can't wait to meet her. So how is the surprise going to be like?" I ask
"Jack?........ Jack are you still there" I ask hearing the dead silence behind the phone.
"Uhm yeah, yeah well it's time to board the jet. She is coming , I wouldn't want her to suspect anything just before the big surprise. I have to go but i can't wait to see you tonight okay, bye." He quickly says and hangs up simultaneously as I said goodbye.
It's okay, he is busy getting things ready for the party. I probably shouldn't have called him and asked him about the party knowing very well he is spending the whole day with his mom.
I decide to take a shower , maybe after I should go down and grab something to eat before getting ready
The thought of seeing him today kept me up for the past three days because of the excitement. I couldn't believe the day was finally here. Oooh I felt his presence in every corner of the shower as the water drizzled down my body. My smile widening by the minute. As the therapeutic hugs of water flowed down my body I gave into the pleasure of the euphoric shower
It felt amazing, I mean this excitement I can't shake off but at the back of my mind I felt a little nervous, worried.
Shaking the feeling off I put on my white blouse and blue jeans with cute sandals. Picking up my cute purse and sunglasses I headed out of my room. I still had a couple hours before the party so I was planning on walking around and treating myself to a great lunch.
Unlike Mosselbay this town was very quiet, distal and very very sunny. It was covered with lush green vegetation and it was quite hilly. It's streets were very narrow and it had a coffee cafe almost on every street.
I sat alone at a table under a giant umbrella of a cute little restaurant I had found on a local website and treated myself to a glass of rooibos ice tea. It was located in a small passageway and it overlooked the fields that graced the lowlands of this mountainous terrain. Awaiting my food I decide to take out my novel and page through a few more chapters before eating. Being away from the epicenter it was even more quiet and was a perfect place to indulge in a good novel. It was worth the thirty minutes drive.
I spent a little over two hours at the restaurant reading and eating before having to head back to the hotel to go and get ready for the party. I was refreshed and ready to face the glitz and glamour of the Jade Consàle planned party. It was 4:45 and I had to reach the hotel in time to get ready before the driver comes to pick me up.
After reaching my hotel room I refreshed myself a bit before putting on my simple makeup and simple earrings.
My hair sleeked into a neat low ponytail. After that I sprayed my favourite light Vanilla and Lilly scent perfume all over my body. I smelled like an angel. My pale light turquoise strapped heels fitted my feet perfectly.
Now it was to put on the show stopper, the game changer . I adorned myself in a metallic silver gown with a good thigh high slit and a low back and that was all that adorned my body. It had spaghetti straps and fitted my waist like a glove and flowed over my hips. The pockets on the dress were such a cool touch that made me love it even more. After zipping up the back I went and stood infront of the mirror and I was in awe of what I saw. A beautiful mature looking woman stared back at me. She looked like an elegant superstar who was ready for the cameras and the pestering paparazzi to take an infinite number of pictures of her. I smiled and applied the finishing touch, lipgloss.
18:33
With my clutch in hand I close the door to my hotel room and start swankily walking to the car waiting for me outside.
The chauffeur opened the door with a wide smile and helped me into the car. Ricardo is his name.
"Ms Rose, the venue is about forty five minutes away." He says answering my question. I was so excited to see him, I couldn't wait. My heart was doing somersaults and I definitely had butterflies in my tummy. He is going to New York tomorrow giving me not nearly as much time as I would like to spend with him.
A memory pops into my mind and I blush furiously. A memory of the last night we spent together. A lot of things happened that night. Well don't expect me to give details about it, a girl must have her secrets. I bite my left cheek to keep myself from smiling like a baffoon.
My phone rings after a few minutes of silence in the car
"Hi Becka" I say smiling
"I can't wait to catch you on tomorrow's cover page of the Allen A newspaper and being the hottest topic on all talk shows. I can imagine the title Jack Bolten's one and only or something elaborate like that ,you get what im saying?" she says excitedly
" Stop kidding around with this stuff Becka it's not funny. You know he is my friend. Plus Jack's one and only, really?" I say rolling my eyes
"Although you're down playing it i know your little heart is enjoying this. What better validation do you need than the fact that you're meeting the parents. The fact that you like each other is no secret but the fact that he invited you to a family function, to meet his parents ....... now girl that is huge."
"Ugh whatever Becks." I felt a little bit nervous now. I sometimes forget that this is his mother's birthday celebration, not some sort of a one on one outing. Plus this feeling at the back of my mind that I can't shake off, nothing can possibly go wrong tonight, right?
Becka had a way of always forcing me to admit and recognise my feelings, to say it out loud. Thinking it in your head and feeling it in your heart is definitely different to saying it out loud and that's the part I feared. The idea of Jack rejecting me again, Jack not reciprocating my feelings makes me lock away my feelings as far as possible and throw away the keys. I bury my feelings deep but Jack escavates all those emotions the moment I lay my eyes on him every time. Although I know Jack has some sort of feelings for me , I am sure they are not as deep as mine, not when he disappears and ignores me for weeks. It was frustrating how no matter how angry I get at him I always forgive him. Maybe im just a fool.
" Babes , baby girl , Rosy!" Becka shouts knocking me out of my trance.
"Mmh yes yes I'm here." I answer sighing
"Rosy are you fine? You sound a little down for someone who is going to the party of the year. Did Jack say something to upset you?" Becks asked. I feared to honestly answer that it is her, it is her who evoked this thoughts tonight . I was actually excited but now I wonder what I'm going as to this party. Where do I fit in?
" No Becks I'm just a little nervous but I will be fine."
" its okay baby girl ok and take loads of pictures okay , with every celebrity at the party. No excuses." She said adamantly
" I promise I will make sure I take a picture with everyone." I say and we giggle.
" Don't be nervous just get in there and show them what your mama gave you okay. Bye babes, I love you." She says
" I love you too." I laugh as I responded and hung up the phone. I just felt suffocated by the silence in the car. I need to calm down.
"Ricardo, how many minutes till we reach the party?" I ask
" About twenty minutes Miss"
"Okay, can you please turn on the radio. It's a bit uncomfortably quiet don't you think?" I say and smile at him as he looked at me through the rear view mirror
"Okay Miss" he said and switched on the radio and RnB music started playing .
It felt like a movie as we drive through tall trees until a large manor came into view that left me at the edge of the car sit. It was gorgeous, something drawn out of a fairytale book. Just like the other luxurious cars we drive in and Ricardo stops at the front staircase which led to two gigantic open doors with two men in black suites.
"We have reached our destination Miss Rose. You may go in, enjoy the party." Ricardo said and smiled, I blushed furiously. I swallowed and breathed in and out. Although I was excited somehow my nerves managed to get the best of me. I was anxious like, I couldn't shake off this feeling that something bad was going to happen. From last night like an unwanted bitter aftertaste this feeling lingered in my heart.
"Madam are you okay."
" I'm fine Ricardo thank you. I'm just a bit nervous you know, this is not my forte, I'm just doing this for Jack. How will I socialize with A- listers ." I blabbered away nervously. I take a moment and breathe.
" It's okay madam, you will be okay . Just take a deep breath." Ricardo said. I nodded and a man came and opened the door for me. I got off, straightened my dress and smiled.
"It's okay Rosy stop being a chicken for no reason." I whispered to myself before helping myself up the stairs
"Greetings ma'am name?" The man at the door asked.
" Rosy Steinfield." I said and smiled. He didn't even look through the guest list.
"Welcome to the party Ms Steinfield. Enjoy the party." He said allowing me to get in.
I sauntered in to a beautifully decorated enormous hall . Three beautiful women in a giant glass globe stood playing their violins.
The decorations were out of this world, nothing like I have ever seen before. It was simple, pure and beautiful. Miss Jade really out deed herself.
The people in the room chatted away, I just found myself being a bit lost you know, with no one talk. I sat at a the bar contemplating whether I should go and socialise by myself or wait for Jack to arrive then he'll help me with the socialising. I just saw Allison McGregor a few minutes ago and bit my tongue to stop myself from screaming like a maniac. She is one of the best actresses in the country, I grew up watching her on one my favourite sitcoms of all time.
"Hey" a voice came from behind me after I had been sitting at the bar for about ten minutes
A young lady in a black knee-length sequined dress stood before me. The Bob cut flattered her face and her feisty red hair complimented her skin. Her face looked fresh, completely bare of any make-up. She looked like a model, utterly effortlessly gorgeous.
"May I sit here with you." She says with a strong northern accent.
"Sure, please sit" I answer politely. She sat down on the chair right next to me and turned on her sit to face me. She checks me out from head to toe before smiling at me with mischief playing in her eyes. I felt uncomfortable.
"Two flirtinis please." She says to the bar man before turning back to me.
"This is wierd" she breaks the awkward silence. I turn on my sit too and face her whilst the bar man places the two drinks before us.
"Here have this glass ." She says pushing the glass towards me. I push the glass back gently
"No thanks, I don't drink." I say and smile. The ambiance was increasingly getting more and more awkward. Who is this woman and what does she want from me. Why out of all the people in the party, she chose to sit next to me?
"More for me." She takes a sip of her drink savours it and looks back at me.
"Uhm I don't want to seem rude but, um you're really making me feel uncomfortable. Do you know me from somewhere...?" I ask . For some reason her piercing eyes held a knowing look in them that i was just too curious to find out what is about.
"Oh sorry what am I doing? I didn't even realise that I didn't introduce myself. " She extended her arm out " My name is Jennifer Buchanan"
"Rosy Steinfield" I said whilst shaking her hand "You've got quite a beautiful ring " I said looking at the beautiful diamond ring on her left-hand ring finger as I shook her hand.
"A beautiful ring from a gorgeous man" she said and smiled.
" Congratulations " I said and smiled too. She looked at me analytically before gulping down her drink. She stood up from her sit looking at me and smiled.
"It was nice talking to you Rosy, see you around. " she said and maliciously smiled looking me in the eye, turned around and walked away frantically like she is running away from something . My eyes followed her until she disappeared into the crowd. What in the world was that?
"Hello gorgeous." I hear the voice behind me and turn
"Ohhhhh!" i say jumping off the chair and hugging him.
"Hey hey , im glad to see you too. No need to tackle me like you're the Undertaker" he says whilst giggling
"I've missed you. Come sit with me. " i said returning to my chair " I was really getting bored by myself."
"No its time to get in position Jack is about two minutes away" Mikey says just as the MC was letting the rest of the room know.
We all went and stood in place as we were told and the light acoustic music that was playing in the background grew a bit more quiet but you could still hear it. The hall's lights were darkened so that the candles' brightness could be accentuated. I turn my head as behind us a huge projector rolls down and starts playing family videos and showing family photos from when Jack was a baby. I giggle as I see how chubby his cheeks were as a baby.
I don't know if it was because I hadn't seen him in a while but Jack looks, Jack looks breathtaking. He walked in with his father and mother who broke into tears as soon as she walked in. They all walked in majestically and started hugging people who I believe are her family members. I turn back and continue watching the film being projected by the projector with a wide smile on my face.
Now Jack was a teenager on the screen slow dancing with his mother. Many pictures passed and more recent pictures and videos started showing.
And there she was, that girl that came to me as I was sitting at the bar earlier. Her face started to appear in the pictures and videos with Jack and his family. My smile slowly started fading.
Holding hands on a yacht
Sitting on Jack's lap at what looks like a family picnic
Appearing in the background kissing as Jack's mother is taking a video of a New York apartment.
Her showing off her ring in a family dinner whilst holding Jack's hand with the other hand...........
I turn to look back at Jack and his eyes now had locked with hers as she stood across the hall. Like they were lost in their own world they just kept staring at each other. It all makes sense now, it all clicks. No, no there has to be some other explanations. I look back and forth between them and saw a look i had never seen in Jack's eyes before.
My breathing became heavy, suddenly i felt like I don't want to be there anymore, i felt suffocated. When I started to move away Mikey's hand held me in place and he looked into my eyes with so much remorse tears started filling in my eyes........
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Thank you for reading guys I highly appreciate it a lot. Don't forget to vote, comment and correct me where necessary. *sighs* its been a long time I know🙈. Lots and lots of love❤❤❤❤