I stare at myself in the mirror, unable to believe that the woman staring back is actually me. I gingerly touch the tendrils of hair framing my face, a slow smile spreading across my face. My dress is black with intricate embellishment on sheer lace at the top. The back is bare, covered in lace with beautiful work too. My hair is up in a complicated yet slightly messy bun, tendrils of hair framing my face to soften the look. My makeup is natural with a dark red lipstick to complete the look.
My mum walks into the room, Aunt Kaley and Belle behind her. She spots me and gasps, holding back tears.
"Oh, sweetie you look gorgeous." Aunt Kaley and Belle share her opinion exclaiming how I'll be the belle of the ball. Scoffing, I say"I seriously doubt that. The guys won't be able to keep their hands off you girls." and it's true. My mum is dressed in a dark blue gown with off the shoulder sleeves while Aunt Kaley is wearing a dark green dress with a one shoulder strap. Belle looks absolutely ethereal in a baby pink gown with a sweetheart neckline and a sexy slit up one thigh.
"The boys are waiting downstairs for us."my mum says. I nod clasping on a pair of diamond earrings and a diamond bracelet.
"Us four adults will riding in one limo while you kids will be in another." Aunt Kaley says to me and Belle. We nod with the arrangement. My mum and Aunt Kaley walk down first and I can only imagine my dad's and Uncle Jack's starstruck expressions.
"You ready?" Belle asks.
"I'll be down in a minute. You go ahead." She nods and heads downstairs. A few seconds later, I hear her squeal, most probably at Jay lifting her up or something. Grabbing my clutch and making sure everything I need is in it, I take one last look at myself in the mirror and take a deep breath. This was my first major social event since coming home and I was not eager to answer the thousands of nosey questions. Alex, why didn't you come home for 8 years? Alex, what have you been up to these past few years? Alex..Alex.. Alexx.." I sigh, knowing that as much as I wanted to hole up in my room and watch Netflix, I couldn't keep the others waiting and make us late to our own event.
Slipping into my heels, I exit the room and walk to the stairs. Keeping my eyes trained downwards so that I do not miss a step and fall, I lift my dress a little and slowly descend the grand staircase.
I hear gasps of surprise and awe but I don't dare look up in fear of tripping in these damn death traps. I reach the last step and only then do I look up and instantly my blue eyes meet a darkened brown gaze, wide open with awe and admiration. He hands his hand out to me and I slowly slip mine into it, noticing how it fit perfectly. I ascend the last step and he pulls me a little closer to him and I fight a blush, desperately failing. He exhales sharply, a small smile of awe playing on his lips.
"Angel, you look...stunning. God, you look absolutely otherworldly."
I blush and avert my gaze, shyly mumbling a Thanks. I wasn't a generally shy person and I would normally receive compliments in stride but something in Damien's compliment made me breathless. Maybe it was the way he looked at me, like I was the his last breath of life or maybe it was the deep husky baritone voice of his that sent shivers down my spine. Shaking my head, I take a step back to clear my head of his musky cologne. I take a quick glance at him and suck in a breath silently at how handsome he looks.
That's when i realize that the room is silent like pin drop silent. I glance around and blush when I notice everyone's gaze on the two of us. Belle and Jay are wiggling their eyebrows suggestively while my mu, Aunt kaley and Uncle jack have a knowing smirk on their faces. My dad, well my dad's half smiling and half frowning. He steps forward, a huge smile on his face.
"baby girl, you look beautiful...though not as gorgeous as my wife here."he says winking at me. Everyone laughs as mum playfully thumps dad on the chest, blushing furiously.
"Thanks dad. You're looking good too."
We share compliments but Damien keeps staring at me and I'm eager to get out there before my blush becomes worse.
"We should get going." wincing when my voice sounds raspy and cracks at the end. Everyone murmurs in agreement, heading towards the door. Damien offers me his arm and I loop my arm through his. Whispering in his ear, I say,
"You're looking quite dashing yourself." He smiles,"Thank you Angel."
We get into the limo along with Jay and Belle. During the 20 minute journey, the three of them chatter about various things but I can't bring myself to join the conversation. To not make it look so obvious, I add in a few 'Yeah's and laughs in between but unfortunately Damien notices. Leaning over, he whispers,"Hey, you okay?" I force a smile,"Of course."
No, I wanna say. I'm scared and nervous. I don't wanna step out to flashing cameras and meet nosy people who can't mind their own business. But all I do is muster a smile and turn my attention to New York's bustling night scene outside. Damien however doesn't believe me and nudges me gently.
"You don't have to be nervous. and ignore all those stuck up snobs. I'll be by your side all the time, kayh?" I nod, sending him a grateful smile. Too soon, we pull up in front of the venue and I gasp at the number of paparazzi outside. It looks exactly as I remember it. The limo pulls to a stop and I can see my parents as well Uncle Jack and Aunt Kaley walking the red carpet, posing for pictures and answering questions. The limo door opens and immediately, blinding lights start flashing. Jay gets out first, holding his hand out for Belle. She gets down so gracefully and I mentally pray that I don't trip on my dress. They walk down the red carpet, Jay's arm possessively around Belle's waist. They stop halfway and pose for pictures. Damien and I chuckle as Jay pulls Belle in for a kiss and I bet you a million bucks that she's blushing like mad right now. Then it's our turn. Damien turns to me, and stares right into my eyes.
"You ready?" I square my shoulders and nod. He gets down, and immediately cameras start flashing all over again. I can hear people shouting his name and I smile. Looks like someone is the paps favourite. He holds out a hand for me and I gracefully get out of the car. If I thought his reception was loud, then mine is deafening. The lights blind me and I resist the urge to shield my eyes. The press are yelling out questions to me and I take a deep breath to regain my composure. Suddenly, a dark shadow blocks them and I look up to find damien standing in front of me.
"We're a team. Don't forget that." hearing those words bring about a surge of courage in me and I nod, mentally chiding myself for acting like a chicken. Looping my arm through his, we slowly walk down the red carpet, my Ice Queen mode out.
"Alex, are you and Marcus dating?" a microphone is thrust in my face.
Calmly I answer the guy,"No, Marcus and I are just friends."
"Alex, Damien,are the two of you dating?"
"Yeah, I thought you guys despised each other?"
"Damien, how did you manage to win Alex over?"
"Alex, is it true that you're pregnant with Damien's child?"
"Alex, were you engaged in London to a wealthy businessman?"
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at their outrageous questions and muster up a polite smile.
"No, Damien and I are not dating and I'm definitely not pregnant with anyone's child. Damien and I have overcome our differences and are friends now."
"Damien, you have not been spotted at any nightclubs lately. Why is that?"
"Damien, is it true that you are secretly seeing someone?"
"Damien, rumour is you have a son hidden away is Switzerland."
Damien, just like me is back to being the cold business man everyone knows and replies without any emotion,"No, I'm not seeing anyone and I sure as hell do not have a son hidden anywhere on this planet." With that, he places a hand on the small of my back and gently tugs me along to the door, ignoring the shouts of protests by the paparazzi.
Entering the ballroom, I look around, admiring the red and gold decorations. My mum and Aunt Kaley have surely outdone themselves. I'm so busy looking around that i don't notice everyone's eyes on us. Only when Damien nudges me towards my parents do I realise that everyone's pointing and whispering at us. I mentally sigh. This is what I hate. I may not read the tabloids but I wasn't stupid. I knew that many people taught the only reason Damien and I were friendly to each other now was because we had slept together. As we walk towards my parents, I whisper to Damien, the both of us maintaining our composure.
"Everyone's staring at you." He glances at me from the corner of his eye, bending his head slowly,
"Trust me, they're staring at you."
Deadpanned, I look straight ahead whispering,"You're wrong. They're trying to figure out where in Switzerland you hid your son." Walking ahead, I glide towards my parents, a smile on my face. I can feel Damien's glare at the back of my head but something tells me he isn't really angry. Reaching my dad, he asks
'what did you do?"
I feign innocence, placing a hand on my chest."What do you mean?"
Both mum and dad roll their eyes, not buying my act when mum says,
"If you didn't do anything, why does Damien look like he can't decide between killing you or laughing?"
I shrug,"he has issues."
"Oh, really now?" A warm breath tickles the back of my ear and I turn around to find Damien standing there, a glare on his face but I can see the amusement in his eyes. Nodding at him, I say,
"Yes, you do." He raises an eyebrow at me, as if to say 'haha'. Patting his chest, I say,"Truth hurts but it's okay. We're all here for you." Mum and dad can't control their laughter at Damien's expression and even I let out a giggle. He shakes his head at me, before muttering"Lord help me." I playfully glare at him and he just smirks.
"Ok kiddos, Why don't you mingle ?" mum says, a smile on her face.
We agree and head towards our table where Jay, Belle, Jack and Kaley are already seated. What should have been a 30 second walk to the table became a 10 minute one as we were stopped multiple times by business associates and friends. I'm stuck with some pot bellied guy who looks vaguely familiar and he's rambling on and on about the time he was served a raw steak. Seriously dude, get over yourself. Inconspicuously glancing around the room for an escape route, I spot Damien who's wrapping up a conversation with an investor. I beg him for help using my eyes and he smirks before walking over to us. Pasting a fake smile on his face, he says,
"Mr Jackson, how are you?" Jackson turns to Damien, shaking his hand,a huge smile on his face.
"Aah, Damien. I'm fine. I was just telling your lovely business partner here about that time I was served raw steak at that bloody restaurant in Brooklyn."
Damien fakes sympathy,"That's a shame, sir. I'm sorry to interrupt your lovely story but we really should get seated. The auction's about to start any minute now." Jackson nods, turning back to me.
"You're right. it was lovely talking to you, alex. I hope to see you soon." I smile, shaking his hand.
"Likewise, Mr Jackson. Likewise."
He leaves and I breath a sigh of relief.
"You are a lifesaver." I say to Damien gratefully.
Smirking at me, he says arrogantly,"I know."
"You're full of yourself, aren't you?"
"Angel, is that any way to talk to the person who just saved you from dying of boredom?'
"Shut up, Arius." I say walking towards out table, ignoring his silent chuckles behind me.
I take a seat just as my parents and Damien's parents walk on stage to give their speech. The lights dim and Damien slips into his seat beside me. He's seated beside his dad while I'm between him and Belle with Jay on her other side.
Our parents welcome everyone and thank them for being here. I honestly tune out not because it was boring but because I wrote their speeches for them. I felt bad that our mums were organising this instead of Damien and I so I offered to write their speeches as compensation.
A huge round of applause brought me out of my reverie and my eyes refocused on stage to find the four of them walking off and the emcee for the night taking over. The auction begun and I was happy to see that we were raising quite a bit of money. There were various items auctioned off ranging from handbags to luxury holidays. I had donated a luxury ski trip at the Little Nell in Aspen while Damien had donated a two night stay at a luxury hotel in Monaco. The night went on and I immersed myself in conversation with Belle. We had no interest in buying anything while Damien had switched seats with her in order to chat with Jay. We were in mid conversation when she suddenly gasped, her attention turned to the stage. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion, instantly swirling my head around. Spotting the item of admiration, I hold in a gasp. It was beautiful, beautiful was an understatement. The diamond pendant hung off a white gold chain, uniquely elegant, dazzling in the light.
i wasn't a jewelry girl but even I had to admit, this was simply stunning. I turned to Belle, who had returned her attention to her phone.
"Do you like it?" I ask her.
"it's beautiful but it's not really me. It would look wonderful on you though." Laughing silently, I say,"it is beautiful but I'll pass. Let someone else have it."
The bidding war had begun and the starting price was a million dollars. Almost instantly, the price had skyrocketed to 5 million dollars. Feeling a small nudge in my side, I turn to find Damien staring at me, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Do you think Dana would like it?" Not sure if I heard him correctly, I whisper back,"What?"
"Do you think Dana would like it?" Resisting the urge to snort, I say dryly,"Sure, if you added a much larger diamond."
He nods,"it's beautiful, isn't it."
I nod in agreement,"Yeah." wondering what he was up to.
He stares at me for a few seconds, an unreadable expression on his face before turning in front and raising his number card.
"$10 million dollars." the room falls silent, everyone scrambling to see the person who shouted it out. The spotlight was on Damien but he remained unfazed, a blank expression on his face. Everyone at the table stared at him in shock and I lightly pinched him on his arm.
"What are you doing?" All he does is turn to me, smirking and he gives me a wink. Seriously, the nerve of him. The emcee on stage comes out of his shock and shouts out,"10 million dollars from the Mr Damien Black. Going once...going twice.....and sold!"
Loud applause rings through the room and I can hear murmurs going around the room. people were curious. Who was the diamond for? After all, Damien was single so was it for his mum or his sister or did he have a secret girlfriend. truth be told, I was curious too. As one of the management staff brought the velvet box containing the diamond over, I turned to Damien who had a neutral look on his face.
"I didn't know you were into diamonds."I say teasingly. He smirks,"I'm not."
I watch him take the box from the guy, thanking him. He opens it and nestled in the black box is the beautiful masterpiece. He gently takes it out and unclasps it.
"Turn around." I stare at him as if he has grown three heads.
"What?"
"Turn around, Angel."
Realisation dawns upon my face when I realise what he's trying to do. Everyone's eyes are on us and I widen my eyes indignantly.
"damien, please tell me you're joking."
Calmly he says,"No. This is yours. Now, turn around."
Shaking my head vehemently, I say"Absolutely not. You're nuts if you think that I'm gonna accept such an expensive gift for no reason."
he sighs as though knowing that I would put up a fight.
"Please, angel. Let's not make a scene here." Looking around, I realise that everyone's watching and I have to agree with him.Standing up, I say,"You're right. Let's go make a scene in private."
He sighs and gets up but not before sending a glare to a chuckling Jay and Belle. Our parents are staring wide eyed but I notice the slight smirk on our mum's faces. Walking to an empty hallway, i turn and lean against the wall, trying to contain my anger. Damien stands in front of me, hands in his pocket, the box no where to be seen. Good. Before he can say another word, I whisper-shout angrily,"What the hell were you thinking?"
"angel, I don't know why you're overreacting."
"I'm overreacting? You just bought me a ten million dollar necklace for no reason!"
"Aren't we friends reason enough?"
"Friends don't freaking buy each other 10 million dollar gifts, not unless they're trying to butter someone up." Noticing the flash of expression on his blank face, I stop, raising an eyebrow.
Calmly, I say"arius, why did you buy me that necklace? And don't give me this friends bullshit."
He sighs, knowing that he'd been caught.
"look, I know diamonds are a girl's best friend so when I saw that necklace, I thought of you."
"Really? Or did you think of Dana?"
"No, I wasn't sure if you liked it but then I figured if it was something Dana would wear, it would mean you wouldn't because Dana's all for glitz and glam while you like simple and practical."
"In other words, I'm boring?" I knew i was being childish but I was just so angry. Did he not realise the implications of his actions back there?
"God, no angel. You're far from boring. I just thought that if I bought you something you liked, we would..you know..our friendship would strengthen."
As soon as he said that, I froze, anger coursing through my veins. In a cold calm voice, I sais,
"You thought that by buying me expensive gifts, you could buy my friendship too. is that what you mean?"
Damien stiffens at my tone and he knows that I'm not just angry, I'm furious. Regret is etched on his face as he realises just how bad his words sound.
"Shit, angel. I didn't mean it that way. I just thought that .."
"You thought what Damien? thought that that's how I became best friends with Jay? Because he showered me with lavish gifts all the time? Thought that I would expect such a thing from you? God, I thought you changed but evidently, I was wrong. You still view me as one of your bimbos who can be bought."
Damien's face is one of horror and he tries to defend himself but I've heard enough. I storm off, completely in Ice Queen mode, ignoring his shouts behind me. Not ready to face the family yet, I take a detour to the ladies room, grateful that it's empty. Staring at myself in mirror, I lean my palms against the counter taking deep breaths. Staring at my expression, I notice that my blue eyes that were alight with happiness are now blazing with anger. But, beneath that is a layer of hurt and betrayal. I honestly thought Damien had changed and we were friends. But apparently, we had very different definitions of friendship. Taking a deep breath, I walk back to the table, glad that Damien was no where in sight. The auction was over and everyone was dancing now. Taking my seat, I meet the inquisitive gaze of my parents and his parents. Jay and Belle were on the dance floor and I smile at the sight of the two lovebirds. They had recently moved in together and were closer than ever. Sipping my wine, I brace myself for the impending questions.
"Spit it out." My dad and Uncle jack chuckle and my mum and Aunt Kaley grinned at the invitation.
"What happened?"
"What happened is your son is a douchebag,no offense, and he can give that necklace to some other girl." The two ladies groaned,
"Oh no, what did that boy say now?"
I force a smile,"Nothing you should worry about. So, the auction went pretty well huh?"
They share a look at me changing the subject but decided to let it go. Soon, both couples left to go dance and I was the only one at the table. Not for long, though as I felt someone slide into the seat next to me.
"A pretty girl like you should not be sitting at a table looking so lonely."
Turning with a smile on my face, I hug Marcus.
"Hello there stranger. Where have you been all evening?"
"Oh, you know me. popular with the ladies." Raising an eyebrow at him, he sighs,"More like popular with all my dad's business associates. Seriously, this is work away from work."
I laugh at his expression and he brightens up suddenly.
"So, where is it?"
"Where's what?"
"The diamond, of course. Why aren't you wearing it?"
I roll my eyes, "That's cause I did not accept it."
Noticing the anger in my voice, he changes the topic. Holding a hand out, he says in a terrible British accent,"So,milady, care for a dance?" laughing at his antics, I take his hand, standing up.
"My pleasure."
We slow dance on the dance floor, chatting about multiple topics. We were so deep in conversation that I practically jumped when a husky voice interrupted us,
"Sorry to cut in but may i have this dance?" Turning to Damien who was in every sense not looking sorry at all, i frown not wanting to be near him at all. Although I was pissed at him, my body still reacted to him and his voice. Marcus smiled knowingly and nodded,
"Sure. I'll see you later." Placing a kiss on my cheek, he and Damien do that man nod at each other and he's off. glaring at Damien, I say,"What do you want?'
He smirks, taking my hand just as new song started playing. He pulls me close to him, my head at his shoulder since I was in heels.
"i told you, I just wanna dance...and talk." He notices me about to argue but he cuts me off,"I talk, you listen. How's that?"
Grudgingly, I nod,"Fine but don't blame me if I accidentally step on your foot." He chuckles and despite my anger, I find myself smiling.
Swaying to the music, he says,"I'm an asshole." A few seconds of silence pass and I dryly say,"Don't wait for me to disagree." since I'm closely pressed against him, I can feel his body shake lightly with laughter and I hide a smile.
"I wasn't. When I saw that necklace, I instantly thought of you and how amazing it would look on you. I wasn't lying when I told you that I asked if Dana would like it to gauge your reaction. Probably not the best approach but you are full of mysteries, angel and every time I think I've finally figured you out, you surprise me. Yes, 10 million dollars is a lot of money but I don't mind spending it on you because believe it or not, you have changed me. You've made me see what an irresponsible person I was to the company and to my family. I don't view you as some bimbo that can be bought because you're not. You're a spitfire and deep down, I knew you would never accept the gift because you're not that kind of person. You don't expect anything in return for your friendship."
"If that's the case, why did you say you thought we would be closer if you bought me this?"
"i panicked when you got angry and I..I..everything just came out wrong. I bought it for you as a gift not because I want you to feel obligated but as a thank you gift for being an amazing friend and even more amazing business partner. Seriously, I don't know how I would have gotten through the last 8 months without you. It's also sort of an apology for being such a jerk in the beginning to you. I'm not the easiest person to deal with and you don't put up with my shit. You're not like everyone else who agrees with me all the time just to get in my pants or have a taste of my money and I appreciate that. So, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being an asshole from the time we met and I'm sorry for making you feel like I don't respect you."
I stare into Damien's regretful eyes and I can see that he means every word. He truly is sorry. Sighing, I say,"Yes, you were an asshole when I first came home and you still can be sometimes but I've also seen sides of you that the world does not know. I've seen the side of you that's caring and kind and even downright silly."I smile softly in his direction as his eyes fill with mirth.
"But, like you said, I don't expect any gifts from friends.You don't need to spend money on me to show me that you're sorry or you're grateful. I did not change you, Arius, you did. I just helped get that huge head of yours out of your ass a little. When I realised you bought that necklace for me, I panicked. Your previous reputation as a ladies man is still fresh in many people's minds and some just can't believe that you've changed. Being a woman in this ruthless world is not easy. Men think that we can't make it and when we do, they can't accept it so they start making comments on how we slept our way to the top or did this and did that. I know that some people think the only reason we've become friends is because I'm screwing you behind everyone's back and I really don't give a damn about those idiots but when you publicly bought such an expensive gift, I guess it made me feel like you were confirming those rumors and I hated it. Your words later did not help either. I hope you understand."
Damien's eyes soften and his arms around me tighten.
"I'm so sorry angel.I never saw it that way. I never stopped to think how it may affect you and I truly regret that."
Lightly squeezing his hand that was in mine, i say"Look, how about we put this behind us, okay?"
I feel him smile against my hair,"I'm all for that."
Glad that we got this over with, I say,"Now, care to tell me why your girlfriend is glaring daggers at me?" I can imagine him furrowing his eyebrows in confusion at my question.
"girlfri..you mean Dana?"
"Who else?"
He laughs,"How did you know she was glaring at you? Your back is facing her."
Rolling my eyes, I say"I can feel her burning holes in my back."
"Don't roll your eyes." Pulling back slightly in surprise, I say"How did you know?" He smirks, twirling me around, making me squeal,"I know you very well angel." Scoffing at his arrogance, I reply,"If you say so. Now,how about you go get to know Dana better?"
He shivers in disgust,"Hell no. I just told her to stop harassing me or there will be consequences. Needless to say, she's pissed at me."
Raising my eyebrows in surprise, I say,"You did huh?"
"Yeah, sorry to say but she's a heartless bitch desperate for attention. I mean, look at her. She's practically wearing nothing." and it was true. She was in a sheer gown that really left little to the imagination. giggling at Damien's disgusted expression, I say,"Yeah, no doubt she's gonna have something to say to me after this."
Damien turns serious, looking me straight in the eye and leaving me breathless,"If she comes anywhere near you, let me know. She's dangerous angel."
Smirking at him, I say slyly,"Don't worry. If she's dangerous, I'm lethal."
Damien laughs, pulling me close."That you are."
"So, does this mean you're going to accept the necklace anyway?" he asks, slightly hopeful.
Shaking my head at him, I say adamantly,"Absolutely not."
He sighs, looking down at me. "You're really stubborn aren't you?"
I shrug lightly,"You say stubborn, I say determined."
He chuckles and the song comes to an end. I begin to pull away but he pulls me back.
"Uh-huh, where do you think you're going?" he says a smirk on his handsome face.
"You talked, I listened, we danced. I kept my end of the bargain."
He shakes his head as Us by James Bay comes on. Pulling me close so that my head rests on his shoulder, he says
"Now, we just dance. No talking."
we dance in silence, enjoying the song in each other's arms. As I lean my head against his chiselled chest, I close my eyes, listening to the lyrics and feeling a strange warmth in my chest.
I feel him smile and I swear I felt him place a soft kiss on my head. In that moment, I felt at peace. I felt at home and the thought scared me more than ever. I wasn't stupid, I knew I was falling but right now, I just wanted to enjoy the moment and not worry about anything else. That could wait till tomorrow. For one night, I just wanted to be free, free from all the voices in my head, free from the guilt and pain and everything else. Tonight, it was just me and him. No one else. It was the least I deserved before tomorrow came bringing along its share of storms.