Song - Déjà vu by Katy Perry.
Your words are like Chinese water torture
And there's no finish line, always one more corner
Yeah, they slither like a centipede
Why do you keep me at the end of a rope that keeps getting shorter?
~~
Emma's POV
One of the downsides of living alone is that you have no one to get the zip of your dress for you. I had been struggling with the zip of my dress for the past five minutes and even the fact that I was parked in front of a mirror with my back turned so that I could see what I was doing, the zipper still proved stubborn.
After several minutes of stretching and twisting my arms to allow me zip the dress, I finally did it. I don't know why the zip wasn't at the side of the dress . It would have made it a lot easier for me. It was already on my mind to change the dress after struggling for about ten minutes but I just couldn't bring myself to.
It was a beautiful powder blue dress that hugged my body in all the right places and fell to the floor. It lacked sleeves , save for the thin straps at each side of my shoulder . The neck line was a perfect cowl neck that dipped and showed just the right amount of cleavage . What I loved most about the dress was how the back dipped to almost my low waist and whole bodice was embedded with shimmery crystals that reflected in the light. The length of the dress was was perfect too. It fell to my ankle, long enough for whatever heels I would choose to wear would show.
I had already battled with my hair earlier, forcing curls to form with my curler and I divided the front into a side parting. For a non professional , the hair didn't turn out half bad. In fact, I think I actually did really good.
I inserted a pair diamonds drop earrings into my ears and left my neck bare because I didn't want any additional drama with my outfit. My makeup had already been done earlier, but I insisted on adding another layer of lip gloss on my already rosy lips.
Convinced that I was good to go, I picked up my clutch , gave myself a once over in my mirror, before heading out of my house.
The destination was Jake's company launch event . It was holding at an event center in the upper east side of town . Jake had kept me updated with all the plans prior to tonight and I followed the preparations on the news too. Everyone had been talking about it. News stations , Social media handlers, business analysts and the likes. They all had similar questions; ' How did Jake start up a new company so fast and with all the scandal that his father's company suffered last year ?'
So many speculations were going round as to how he got the funding since most of his father's wealth was gotten illegally, some spoke in his favour while others said that the apple could never fall far from the tree. They believed that Alphavirtual would also face what Orange Inc had faced in due time too.
Regardless of everything, Jake was happy that they were talking. It was publicity for his new company. He had even done interviews to amp up the publicity. In his words , 'All publicity is good publicity .' Fortunately for him, the good comments outweighed the bad due to his intricate advertisement strategies and the company launch was sure to be a success .
Jake had never been so excited about something so much and he had every right to be . I saw how hard he worked to start up this company. He really deserved the good reports he was getting. We've had our ups and downs in the past but all that was forgotten. He was really doing well in respecting my boundaries. In fact , he hadn't even mentioned Logan's name in any conversations that we have had recently . I was sure we could go on being the best of friends and I was really glad to be celebrating this win with him.
The only thing that made me a little sad was the fact that I wouldn't be attending the event with Logan tonight. It's not like I can't go to events by myself but when you're used to having someone by your side whenever you go out, you miss them when they're not there . Logan had been in London for the past three days dealing with the Colin and Hugh issue. From the times we had spoken , he said that they were both still reluctant to make peace with each other but Mrs Cortez was working hard to make them see eye to eye. I pray it works. It would be sad to see Logan be pushed to taking legal action against the Armstrong brothers . I know he doesn't want that so for his sake, I hope the mediation process is successful.
I pulled into driveway of the building and the place was already very busy. There were other cars arriving and gorgeously dressed guests coming out of the cars. Security personnels were controlling how the cars parked outside , some were leading the guests inside the building while others where controlling the very many paparazzi and other people that were standing outside the building.
Just in front of the building, to the right side was a red carpet in front of a banner where the A-listers were taking pictures and being interviewed by some journalists. The whole arena looked more like the entrance of the Golden Globe awards rather than a corporate event .
I came out of my car, positive that I was the only person here who drove herself to this event and handed one of the valets standing around, my keys. As I walked in the direction of the entrance of the building, I spotted Jake by the red carpet, being interviewed by a female journalist and her cameraman behind her. The moment our eyes met he excused himself immediately and started walking towards me.
" You look ...wow...when last did I see you in a dress ?" He breathed, the moment he got to where I was.
" Oh, don't tell me my beauty has made you dumbfounded." I teased as we hugged briefly.
" Yes, it has." He laughed, pulling back to take a good look at me . " Seriously, Emma, you look amazing ."
" Thanks . You don't look too bad yourself too." I complimented him.
He was dressed in a dark blue velvet suit and black slacks. He had definitely gotten a hair cut and maybe had a facial done, from the way his face was glowing and the scent of his cologne? Divine. Jake Hartley was a handsome man . The kind, girls would kill for to have by their side. That fact has never changed.
" Thank you, but I don't look half as good as you." He quipped.
I rolled my eyes playfully . " Okay, you can play the humility card all night long but we both know you look better. I mean, you're the host, so you automatically have to look better than anyone else."
He nodded his head, an unfaltering smile on his lips.
" Sure, let's roll with that."
My gaze moved over to the scenery. " Everything looks amazing already. I'm so proud of you Jake . Congrats."
" Thank you. That means a lot to me , Emma." He replied in a heart felt manner . " It was hard pulling it off but we're here now." He spread his arms wide as he gestured around.
" You really did great. Your family must be so proud of you ."
" They are." He nodded.
" Are they here ? Your mother and sister , I mean."
Jake's father was still in prison over the numerous crimes he committed so he obviously couldn't be here.
" Oh , no , they couldn't make it, sadly. My mother is still not pleased with the whole situation and I guess she's still taking it out on me . She had a mental breakdown quite recently and I had to put her in care of someone."
My face scrunched up as I touched his arm . " I'm so sorry about that."
I saw a deep sadness on his face but even then he still managed to pull of a smile . " It's fine . I know that she's proud of me , even if she doesn't say it."
" Yeah, I know she is." I encouraged him. " What about Jennifer ?"
Jennifer is Jake's younger sister. If I remember correctly, she should be almost done with high school.
" Jen is at a summer program in Spain. Something to boost her college application, I think."
" Oh, that's nice . And what about your father ?"
He pressed his lips into a thin line and didn't give me any answer. That alone told me all that I needed to know.
" You didn't tell him that you were starting a new company, did you ?" I shook my head at him . " When last did you go visit him ?"
" The day I told him I was starting a new company. A month ago." He replied matter-of-factly. The way he answered my question alone did well to show the ill feelings he still had towards his father.
" And since then ?"
" I haven't gone to visit him." He muttered as he looked away.
" Jake." I scolded.
The expression on his face was adamant as he looked away. " Emma, You know how I feel about him right now."
" I know that, but he's still your father . I know you have every right to be angry at him but you should have tried to keep him in the loop."
" Oh I made sure he'll be watching this event from his prison cell. That should be enough for him. He doesn't need to know anything else about my company ." Jake replied. I had never seen him so cold towards anyone like he was to his father. He visibly looked upset that I even brought him up. I knew that Jake was really hurt after discovering all of Ben Hartley's atrocities but something tells me that there's more to it.
" Jake..."
" Please drop the topic , Emma. Tonight is not about my father and I don't need a lecture about him either." He looked like his mind was decided.
" Okay, fine." I raised my hands.
" Thank you." Jake said as the smile returned to his face once more. He looked over me and around the area then his eyes found mine again. " Hmm I see no date in sight. Your boyfriend didn't come ?"
" Yeah, he couldn't make it. He had to leave the country urgently for some business related issues."
" Interesting. I hope he's not seeking asylum in another country though ? This urgent business of his." Jake joked but I didn't find it funny . My face showed it clearly.
" Sorry, bad joke." He apologized immediately.
I smiled curtly to show my acceptance of his apology.
" Anyways, he extends his apologies for not being able to make it. He wishes he could be here."
I expected Jake to make another sarcastic or witted comment but he didn't.
" Well, let him know that his apology is accepted."
Hmm no more jokes or sarcastic remarks ?
" That's a first." I teased him.
" Come on, let's go take some pictures on the red carpet. We've been standing here for too long and you can't leave this event without taking pictures in that dress tonight ." He took my hand as he started to lead me to the over populated area where other people were taking pictures.
" What about you ? Don't tell me you don't have a date to your own event ?" I probed.
He turned to me, with an amused smile playing on his lips. " Is that such a bad thing ?"
I chuckled, nodding. " Yes, it really is. You of all the people here should have a date . Are you trying to tell me that you're not seeing anyone at the moment ?"
" I did meet someone just recently but I decided not to go through with it." He replied.
" Why ?" I asked.
" I figured , I didn't have the time to pursue anything serious with anyone right now . After my company is fully set up , I'll look into it."
" You better so you'll stop going to events alone."
" Maybe I actually like being a lone wolf." He replied as we reached the front of the red carpet where all the action was happening.
The other guests that had been standing there were already leaving and heading to the entrance of the building. This allowed all the attention from the photographers, the journalists and the cheering crowd behind the red rope to be Jake and I.
The lights hit my face and I suddenly felt nervous.
I've never really liked being in the spotlight and having the attention of everyone on me . This wasn't my first time on a red carpet but the last time I was on one , I was with Logan. He was a natural at events like this and being with him made it easier to be comfortable with the attention I was getting from everyone.
" Wow there are so many people." I said under my breath but I think Jake heard me because he looked at me .
" Just enjoy the moment. I'm sure they're all just in awe of that beautiful dress of yours."
Well , he was right about one thing. My dress was stunning , even I knew that.
" Emma, Emma, give me a pose ." One photographer yelled and I decided to oblige. I did a few poses as camera lights flashed repeatedly .
" Can we see the back of the dress ?" Another one yelled .
I turned to show them the back of the dress and the crowd went wild. Their reactions to my dress made me feel prouder than I expected.
" Wow." A female interview host exclaimed as she came over to meet me . She positioned her mic right in front of me . " Emma Durson you look gorgeous, tonight."
" Thanks," I smiled.
" You're welcome! I'm Courtney by the way and I'll be asking you a few questions. You know just to get a bit of what's going on inside your head right now. Are you fine with that ?"
As if I had a choice. All eyes were on me right now and she was literally holding a mic to my mouth.
I smiled. " Sure."
" Perfect!" She turned back to the camera, flashing the screen a big smile . So everyone , we have Emma Durson and the host of tonight's event himself, Jake Hartley. Will you say a quick hello to our viewers ?"
We took turns to say hello to the camera.
" So Emma , you're a guest at tonight's event, what's your relationship with Jake Hartley ?"
" Uh , well, Jake is a great friend of mine, we've actually known each other since high school and he's had some ups and downs in the past year but he managed to start up a new company, Alphavirtual ." I turned to Jake . " I guess I would say I'm just really proud of him."
" Oh really, that's an interesting piece of information here . I'm sure we're all surprised to know that you and Emma go way back." She said to Jake.
" Yes , Emma has always very special woman to me ." Jake chuckled as he turned to me . His hands glided around my waist as he pulled me closer to him.
The smile on my face didn't falter even though I felt somewhat uncomfortable by Jake's gesture.
" That's good to know , Jake." Courtney glanced around us and back to me . " Emma , is Logan Ross around somewhere ? Everyone knows that you two are New York's hottest couple at the moment."
" Unfortunately, Logan is unavoidably absent . So, I'm here alone tonight ." I told her .
She made a fake sad face . " That's sad. I'm sure everyone would have loved to see you two together on the red carpet tonight. We've literally been dreaming of the day you two would make a public appearance together at an event like this."
" I'm sorry to disappoint you guys . We promise to give you a show next time ." I chuckled.
" We definitely can't wait !" She chirped . Her eyes moved to Jake. " So what outcome do you expect from tonight, Jake ?"
" All good things and more . I expect more investors and more people to become acquainted with Alphavirtual because it's the next best thing . I plan to take the world by storm with Alpha virtual."
" I'm sure you will! And what do you have to say about the bad publicity going around about the company ? Many people seem to think that you'll just follow in your father's footsteps."
I noticed an emotion wash over Jake's face and felt somewhat sorry for him. For a long time , what his father did would always follow him around and he would have to proof to people for a long time that he wasn't going to follow in Ben Hartley's footsteps.
The sullen expression in his face lasted only a second and was quickly replaced with a smile . " Well Courtney, all I can say is that is that my Father and I are different people and as regards the news going around , I always say that no publicity is bad publicity. So , people can talk all they want. It doesn't make a difference. Alphavirtual is only here to offer the very best services in the tech and sports space."
She turned back to the camera. " I hope you hear that guys ." Her attention returned to me . " One last question, Emma . So with Logan absent, is Jake Hartley filling in as your make shift date tonight ?"
" Ha ha." I laughed , starting to shake my head .
" No , Courtney. Jake and I are just friends."
" Yes , just friends." Jake repeated as his hand glided lower on my back .
" Okay," She said in a sing-song manner as her eyes glanced at where Jake's hands were on my waist.
" Well, have a wonderful time tonight."
" Thanks. I will."
" Thank you , Courtney." Jake replied as he led me away from the red carpet.
" Next time, your hands should remain up, mister." I told Jake once she and her camera guy left.
" Oh sorry." He apologized immediately as he took his hand off my waist. " Reflex I guess."
We made our way to the entrance of the building.
" Remind me to avoid red carpets next time." I said as we made our way up the stairs into the building.
" She asked a lot of questions."
" Come on , she was just doing her job. You'll get used to it, seeing as you'll continue to attend more events like this. You know you're famous now, Miss Durson." He said playfully.
" Honestly, I didn't think much of it, but I'm actually starting to accept that I am." I replied. The amount of media attention I have gotten since I became affiliated with Logan was still unbelievable to me . Even recently, I was still in denial about it but now, I was coming to terms with the fact that I was no longer capable of leading an extremely quite life.
" I'm glad you've accepted it, miss big shot business manager."
I chuckled. " Don't be corny."
Jake said as he placed his hand on the small of my back to guide me up. This was the third time tonight he was placing his hand on my back. I tried not to think too much of it .
" Oh, it's fine . I can walk properly in my dress." I told him.
" Okay, if you say so. You know we can't have you tripping over in that million dollar dress." He joked as he moved his hand away.
Inside the hall had somewhat like the demeanor of Logan's product launch except that there weren't gadget stands at the corners of the hall. Only a large projector stood on the stage with tables and chairs arranged in circular forms around the hall.
Guests were mingling with each other , while servers were going round with Champagne flasks offering people drinks. The paparazzi at the back of the hall and corners were more than I had expected. Even Logan didn't let in too many photographers and journalists during his product launch. I guess Jake really wanted to amp up the publicity of this event. I totally understand that. He needed to invest in publicity to show people what Alphavirtual was bringing to the table and why people should invest in it.
Jake led me to my reserved seat which was at the second row and left to speak to some people. An event like this was bustling with the business moguls and tech experts in New York and even though I was alone tonight, I was happy to network and meet new people.
The woman seated beside me tapped me on my arm and when I turned , she flashed me a big smile . " I absolutely love your dress."
She looked like she was roughly in her late thirties . She wore a black off the shoulder dress with a V line neck and her brunette hair was slicked up into a bun. She exuded so much elegance but most importantly, she looked very familiar.
" Thanks." I replied, matching the fervency of her smile. The visible dimples at either sides of her cheek made her smile alluring.
" Who are you wearing , if you don't mind ?" She asked again. She paused , shaking her head . " I'm sorry to be so inquisitive but it's just so beautiful. The dress, I mean. Is it custom made ?"
I've heard of celebrities disliking the fact that someone else wore the same dress as them or gatekeeping information about their dresses but I didn't know it was an actual thing . For me , it's just a dress so I don't see why I should hoard information about where I got it.
" It's fine , I don't mind." I told her . " And it's a Vivienne Westwood dress."
I laughed at myself inwardly . Just a year ago , I only shopped at target and now I was wearing a dress designed by a renowned designer ; Vivian Westwood . Life is so funny.
" Vivienne Westwood." She repeated. " I love her . Her designs are just exquisite ."
" I couldn't agree more." I responded .
" Thank you for the info, hun." She smiled , before peering at me . " Wait, you're Emma Durson right ?
Business Manager at Gray Enterprises?"
What made me happy was that for once , it wasn't, " You're Emma Durson right ? Logan Ross's girlfriend?" So, I happily answered her . " Yes, I am."
" I knew the face was familiar . I've heard so much about you. Word has been going round that the revenue at Gray enterprises has tripled since you got there. And don't be modest. I work in import and export myself so I would know."
I was sure my cheeks were a tomato shade of red by now. I didn't know how much seeing someone I don't know from anywhere recognize my hard work would have such an exhilarating effect on me.
" Thank you so much . I try."
" Try ?" She repeated. " Please don't be modest. You're rocking the corporate world. I'm sure that's why you have old Logan Ross wrapped around you."
I chuckled. " Thank you...sorry, what's your name ?"
" Franca Rivers."
My eyes widened. " Franca Rivers ? Like the Franca Rivers ?"
Franca Rivers was the C.E.O of Rivers Inc and one of my business luminaries . Granted , she inherited the company from her father but she did it when she was only eighteen years old . Now, she was almost forty and she has taken the company to imaginable heights. I mentally chided myself for not remembering her the moment I saw her.
" In flesh and blood." She grinned.
I gasped, covering both hands with my mouth.
" You're my idol. I've looked up to you for years. I can't believe you're sitting next to me."
My fan-girling was embarrassing , I was sure but I couldn't help myself. It's not everyday you get to meet one of the people you look up to.
" It's nice to know that I'm an idol to you. It's an honor actually."
" What ? No, it's an honor to meet you." I laughed, hating how high pitched my voice sounded.
She chuckled, the sides of her face showing off her beautiful dimples. " We agree to disagree, then ."
We turned our attention to the stage when the M. C began his opening remark. As he spoke, my mind drifted away and I decided to text Logan .
E- I'm at Jake's Company launch. Wish you were here ❤️
Logan's text came in a few minutes later.
L - Enjoy the night , angel. I do wish I was with there with you . I'm in a meeting right now and all I can think about is you.
E - I'm sorry that I'm distracting you.😂
L - It's the good kind of distraction. In fact , I need it or else I'll loose my mind . I still haven't made head way with Colin and Hugh.
E- I'm so sorry about that, hun. I really hope you can get them to reconcile or at least come to some sort of agreement.
L - I hope so too. I have to go now , angel. It's my turn to speak. Let me know how the event goes.
E- Okay babe, I will. Love you.❤️
I stared at the screen , waiting for his reply and when I didn't see a response , I felt disappointed.
My eyes lit up when I saw a text notification from him.
L - Love you always my angel.
After putting my phone aside , I returned my attention to what was happening on stage. A man was talking about the services the company was going to offer and I tried to pay attention until I started feeling the need to pee. My full bladder was caused by the fact that I had drank an unhealthy amount of orange juice with the waffles I made before leaving home this evening .
I stood up to find the rest room so that I could rid myself of all this fluid before my bladder would explode .One of the ushers led me to the rest room which was down the hallway and I eased myself.
I washed my hands , fixed my hair and re applied my blush ( thank God for the cute compact powder blush I got from a Fenty beauty store last month ) and I re applied my lip gloss. When I saw that I was good to go in the mirror, I step out of the bathroom .
As I headed down the hallway, I was surprised to see Jake walking towards me and we met each other halfway.
" Bathroom break ?" I asked him.
" No, I saw you stand up inside the hall and I thought something was wrong so I came to check on you."
" Oh nothing was wrong. I just needed to use the bathroom." I told him. " I can't believe you left to come here to check on me."
" Forgive me but , you know how dangerous the halls could be." Jake joked.
" Oh yes, the fear of the toilet seat swallowing me up . I definitely need a protector. Next time I head to the bathroom, remind me to tell you to follow me."
I replied sarcastically.
" I wouldn't mind that actually." Jake replied as he stepped closer , closing the gap between us. I wanted to step back but he stopped me. " Wait, some strands of your hair is out of place."
He reached out to touch some strands of hair that fell in front of my face and pushed them to the back.
" There. It's all fixed ." He smiled .
From my peripheral vision, I saw two women coming into the hallway and heading towards the bathroom . They glanced at us and whispered to each other . Another man walked in and a man and woman followed. Either what was going on inside the hall was getting boring or there were so many people with full bladders at this event.
I cleared my throat and took a step back from Jake . " Uh, thanks . I guess I didn't see that when I was fixing my hair in the bathroom."
He smirked . " You're welcome. You see, you needed me after all."
" I can handle a stray hair issue , Jake." I chuckled.
" Um, we should head back to the hall before they start looking for you."
" Oh yeah, true. Let's go then." He gestured for me to lead the way and I did.
" Emma." I heard him call from behind me . I stopped and turned around .
" Yes , Jake ?"
With the expression on his face , he looked like he was fighting with himself to tell me something. " I just...you know what ? Never mind."
" You've been acting weird tonight , Jake." I forced myself to let him know . " What's going on ?"
He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something then closed. Running his hand through his hair, he shook his head. " Nothing's going on. Sorry if I've been acting off ." He apologized. " I guess I feel overwhelmed . This is all still surreal to me."
" I get that." I nodded . " But you worked hard to ensure that today happened. So , lay back and enjoy the fruit of your labour."
" Yeah, you're right." He said thoughtfully.
" You're welcome. Let's head back inside." I told him.
I found my seat inside the hall and Jake headed to his table which was just in the row before mine . The event continued and soon Jake was called up to make a speech.
I joined the crowd to clap as he walked up the stage majestically. He began making his speech and I listened attentively until I started getting text notifications on my phone. Grabbing my phone from the table , I saw multiple texts from Maddie and Tess asking me to send pictures of my dress , how the night was going and if I'd met any celebrities. I smiled at the ability of these girls to make me laugh in a serious occasion like this one and I tried to hold in my laughter because they were being so funny on our group chat right now . I replied their messages for some minutes and kept my phone aside . When I paid attention to Jake's speech again , it looked like he was rounding it up.
" ...So I want to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to stand before you today and present you with my company, Alphavirtual. Without the few of you who still believed in me and stood by me after all that had happened, I wouldn't be standing here today.
I also want to thank my family, even though they couldn't be here tonight . The love and support they've shown me through out this process reiterates the fact that nothing can beat the bond of family. I also want to appreciate my friends , especially those who are here tonight and those who weren't able to attend . You all have a special place in my heart." He placed his hand on his chest for emphasis and I couldn't help but think about how heartfelt his speech was . I love that he still mentioned his family, even if they weren't as close knitted as they used to be . I thought the speech was over , but he continued. " And finally, I want to appreciate a very special someone who has been with me through it all. Emma Durson would you please stand up."
His eyes locked with mine as my eyes widened. I didn't expect any special felicitations from Jake so clearly I was caught off guard.
" Uh , that won't be necessary." I laughed nervously, looking around and seeing intrigued and curious eyes all around the ball room , staring at me .
" Come one Emma, stand up please." He urged on . I began to hear faint whispers around so I stood up.
" This woman here has been my rock and beacon from the moment we reconnected a year ago. I remember when I was down cast over the situation with my father and Emma was the only person I wanted to talk to. We had not been on speaking terms because I admit, I was an asshole to her but I knew that she was the only one that could give me the clarity I needed . So, I called her that night and she came to me immediately. It was then I knew that I didn't want to go on living life without having her by my side ."
I started to feel very anxious . I didn't mind Jake appreciating me publicly but the way the speech was going, it seemed like he was aiming at something else . My heart started beating faster as he walked down the stage and towards me , still with the mic in his hand.
He stopped right in front of me , holding my gaze steadily. " Thank you for being there for me when everyone else had given up on me , baby. I love you."
Baby ?
' I love you ?'
Did I hear him right ?
I almost burst into laughter . Was this a skit or some sort of practical joke ? There were ample paparazzi around the ballroom taking pictures and making videos but maybe Jake would stop, start laughing and announce that this was all a big joke and that he was just trying to make everyone laugh. Then , he would go back on stage and end the speech and the whole event would go on on normally.
" Jake, what are you doing ," I whispered, still trying to act normally because this act by Jake was getting an unhealthy amount of attention.
" It's okay , baby. We can tell them now." He said into the mic.
Baby ?
Again.
Why on earth was he calling me baby ?
At this point , I was getting agitated." Tell them what Jake ?"
" About us , silly." He smiled sheepishly .
Oh no. Oh no. no.no. no . no. This felt like de ja vû. This was the same thing that happened with Calvin only this time , it was taking another form . At least with Calvin, it was just me and him. Jake was here professing love to me in front of a lot of people, including the ones watching on live tv. I couldn't believe this . Why didn't I see this coming again ?
" Us ? There is no us." I told him through gritted teeth as I looked to the side and smiled at the people on my table that were staring at us with all seriousness now . Even Franca looked confused as to what was happening as she stared from me to Jake.
Jake faced the crowd , bringing the mic to his mouth again. " Everyone , you guessed it. Emma and I are in love . We've been hiding what we have for so long but we decided that it's time to let the world know about our love."
I started to hear loud murmurs and the continuous flashing of camera lights . Why on earth did Jake let in so much paparazzi ? Why on earth was he doing this to me ?
Before I knew what was happening, he leaned in and pressed his lips on mine . My eyes widened in shock as I didn't expect Jake to kiss me at all. I wanted to push him away or slap him, anything to show my displeasure but I was my whole body was numb. I was too stunned to move any part of my body.
I didn't think things could get any worse than this but the next thing Jake did crowned it all. He got down on one knee with a very emotion stricken face as he brought out a box from inside the breast pocket of his blazer . He opened the box in front of me and inside lay an expensive looking diamond ring.
I heard gasps all around us and the murmurs increased considerably. Some people even started to clap and cheer . Maybe these were people that had no idea that I was in a relationship with someone else.
" It took us a long time to get here but now that everyone knows our secret, we're finally free to be together forever." He began. " Make me the happiest man alive and marry me, Emma."
I was still dumbstruck by the fact that Jake had just kissed me and he had just gone and made it a zillion times worse.The worst part was that he had the look of someone deeply in love on his face . This wasn't a practical joke or a prank. This was real. Jake Hartley who had promised me that we could go back to being just friends and that he had accepted that Logan and I we're together only a few weeks ago was kneeling in front of me and asking me to marry him in the presence of thousands of people from all walks of life. If the ground wasn't ready to open and swallow me whole then someone should please shoot me. Anything to take away this moment.
The most annoying part was that my limbs refused to move . In fact the only thing that moved in my body was my heart beating wildly inside my chest. My whole body was paralyzed. I had this deep confusion as to what was going on right now . If only I could pinch myself to find out if this was just a crazy dream or not but no. I was completely frozen on the spot.
" So, what do you say Emma ? Is it a yes ?" The smile on his face widened, forcing me to believe that he thought this delusion to be real. Had he deceived himself all this time that I was in love with him ? Did he think this charade he was pulling was going to make me somehow fall in love with him ? Was he mentally ill or a psychopath just like Calvin and I didn't know all these time?
" Well say something." I heard an old man who was sitting at the table across from mine say. Asides from him there were still a lot of murmuring and side comments going on in the crowd.
Say something.
I felt my brain snap open and send signals to my limbs , causing them to return from the momentary paralysis I had just experienced.
" Jake ...No!" I yelled. I grabbed my purse and phone from the table . " I...I have to get out of here.
I practically scurried towards the doors of the ballroom . I knew I was leaving an uproar behind as chairs screened , signifying that people were standing up and the voices became louder .
The paparazzi, followed me on my heels , cameras clicking, lights flashing in my face, questions being thrown at me. I barely made it outside the building , before they could surround me. Again, Déjà vu.
" Please bring my car. It's a white Maserati GranTurismo." I told one of the Valet's frantically.
Noticing my eagerness, he rushed to bring it. I looked around for where I could hide but the paparazzi were already gaining on me. There were some trimmed shrubs outside the building but that wouldn't do. These people were desperate to know what just happened in there and why it happened so I'm sure they would be determined to find me wherever I chose to hide. I myself didn't understand what just happened so I didn't know what I was going to tell them.
Thankfully, the security guards outside the building noticed the rancour and started pushing back the paparazzi. I had never been more grateful that there were security guards in a place like I was right now.
As if on cue, the valet brought my car out front and I had never jumped inside it, like I did tonight.
The moment I got home and slammed the door behind me , I kicked off my heels and paced around the foyer. All that was going through my mind was ,
' What the hell had gotten into Jake ?"
~~
Hey guys!!!
Phew! Drammmaaaaaa.
I'm sure you guys didn't se this coming , but that's why I'm here; to keep you on your tippy toes☺️
What do you think about Jake proposing to Emma in front of everyone?
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I love you all.
Xoxo Kiara ❤️❤️.