Published: August 18, 2019- April 8, 2020
After an hour of passing through a familiar road as it was also the way to Meme's place, Katelyn arrived in front of a driveway, designed in a rectangular block framed with concrete cobble. Surrounded on both sides by a manicured garden, and at the end of it stood a two stories colossal mansion, which speaks old money. Looking at it, no one can notice that a party was going on. It is the faint music and blaze of lights that betrayed it.
Jared parked his car not on the front of the house property line but rather at the next house as Katelyn will not go down unless he did. The reason was simple; she doesn't want anybody to see who brought her to the party.
After she told him of her intention to attend the party, he told her in a non-negotiable way that he will bring her there himself. Katelyn, whose awareness of contradicting him will trigger his childishness; just decided to affirm on his decision to avoid further discussion else it will lead him in refusing to let her go. So her plan of going with Nicole was canceled.
Fortunately, Nicole didn't dig on about her reason as she was busy raving about the surprise she had found out about Tess.
It was only the next day; Katelyn realized that to acquiesce on his decision will also showcase his dominance. All-day long, he let her do all the things he wanted without question.
After they had their breakfast, in which, of course, she made it as Mrs. Smith had a day off on weekends that Jared was at home, he went to his study. While she was cleaning the dining area, their doorbell rang. Katelyn opened it to his PA, ushering people coming in with arrays of clothes and bags. It was only then she had realized that Jared had ordered it for her to choose from as well as a make-up artist.
He was not there at those times when the stylist transformed her into what she is. Still, she felt his presence in what was done on her, maybe because she was reluctant to make a fuss on everything.
Back in the U.K., attending a party to her was just to wear a dress that was not her usual everyday outfit of tea dress and tights and put on her usual routine on her face, her favorite foundation, and a lipstick.
"I will pick you up after three hours as I will be here around. I'll go visit someone as I'm in the neighborhood," Jared told her and made her wandering mind came back to present.
Katelyn took a deep breath and turned to face him. Though a bit irritated by his bossiness since last night, she still told him in her softest voice," I can go back with Nicole, so no need to pick me up."
"I will be here," he told her in his most serious voice.
"Jared, can I call you before you come instead of being here, after three hours?" she asked sotto voce.
"Why?" he turned to look at her. In that instant, she also feels something on her eyes that made her flutter her eyelashes.
"What happens to your eyes?"
"I feel something is in there," Katelyn told him and then removed the rearview mirror to examine it. A hand touched her face. "Let me see it."
Still batting her eyelashes, she turned her head to face him but making sure not to stare at him. Being near him made Katelyn felt the warmness of his breath, and her naughty mind remembered the kiss that they had shared before. She tried to stop her mind from further divulging into those memories by trying to open her bag on her lap.
"Stop fidgeting," upon hearing his commanding voice, Katelyn stopped what she was doing. "There is a fallen eyelash," he told her, and then she heard him pulled a tissue and then felt him swiping on her lower eyelids.
"Now it is okay, do you still feel uncomfortable?"
Katelyn bats her eyelashes again and did not felt the discomfort anymore, so she looked in his eyes and shook her head and then smiled. "Thank you."
She then lowered her head and held into her bag, but then she felt his hands raised her head. Their eyes met; she with wonders on it whiles his with passion. Suddenly the softness of his lips touched that of hers.
Surprised made Katelyn eyes open wide. To see Jared's closed eyes made her felt goose bumps on her skin. She was not so sensitive to any one's touch before, though she admits that lately, her awareness of him intensified but not like this. She cannot pinpoint, but she had felt it back; on their wedding day only this time, it had increased.
She too closed her eyes to savor the taste of his lips. His insisted mouth was parting her, not so innocent lips. Katelyn felt her heart racing, not entirely of fear but excitement, this the first time she felt the intensity on his kiss as if he was trying to mark her and wait...with that in her mind she pushed Jared. She then looked at the rearview mirror only to see her kissed lips smudge of lipstick.
She turned to look at Jared, who just smirked, but seeing him with her lipstick on his lips, instead of being angry, she laughs at him.
Curiosity made him look at the mirror. Upon seeing the root of Tori's merriment, he pulled a tissue and wiped his lips. He turned to her and removed some on her lips too.
His gesture surprised Katelyn that she immediately removed the tissue on his hands and faced the mirror and then wiped her mouth clean.
Katelyn rummaged inside her bag to get her lipstick, but then Jared pulled and hug her, "I had wanted to kiss you since we left," he whispered," now I am happy to see that any man who will be there will know you have me." He then removed his arms around her.
Confused on what was happening to him, Katelyn just looked at him and then turned her attention to her bag and fished out the lipstick. After putting it on, she looked at her swollen lips and realized what he meant.
"Tori, why don't we go and have dinner instead of attending this party," Jared told her while she was returning her things on her clutch bag. She then turned to look at him with her entire eyebrows pulled up, "Wha...a...t after all those people have done to me the whole day, you will only tell me now not to go?"
She then immediately opened the door of the car before he can say anything or start the engine with her still inside," don't come here until I called you." She told him before going out and closing the door.
"Crazy guy, after I had gone through a lot of time sitting down and made up," she murmured while walking, but then upon reflecting on her behavior, she stopped. Her conscience made her felt guilty. She was mean to her benefactor, but then she saw Nicole walking towards her.
Surprised at first, then fear creep into her at the thought that Nicole might have noticed Jared and what was going on inside earlier. Katelyn tried to hide her nervousness by smiling widely to her, and once they are near each other, they greeted one another by kissing check to check.
"Was that an Aston Martin?" Nicole whispered in her ear, "Whose car was that?" she added while Katelyn turned back on Jared's car, which has already driven away. To her gladness as well as sorrow because she did not apologize and the latter because Nicole will never be wiser who was inside the car.
"The one inside is my cousin," in which Nicole's eyes bulge upon hearing it and then nudged her to tease, "You did not tell me your cousin is filthy rich."
"No, he is not. He was only a driver of one of those rich New Yorkers," Katelyn explained to Nicole while hoping she will buy her story.
"His boss is super cool that he can use it too."
"It only happens because he heard that I would be going to this area. As he will take the car from the auto repair center, he suggested driving me."
"Did your cousin mention if his boss is still single and if we can mingle with him?"
He doesn't mention who he is, so I don't know." Katelyn answered Nicole while they are walking in the driveway.
"So mysterious, just like someone we know," Nicole told Katelyn in an accusatory tone. "Imagine...it will be a disaster if I don't have a designer dress in my wardrobe in case this situation arises, it pays off to prepare always."
Even though it's true, Tess has never mentioned her family circumstances to them, but as she also has secrets to keep. She has no right to criticize. Silence is the only answer she can give.
Katelyn felt Nicole hold her arms to stop her from walking, "You looked a bit different today. I meant to tell upon seeing you, but the car that dropped you down made me so excited that I forgot to mention it."
"It is just the make-up that made the difference."
"Yeah, maybe...your face is already beautiful even without cosmetics, but adding it, emphasized your flawless skin." Nicole gushed and continued with her babbling, "But before I forget to tell you, I found a perfect date for the two of us," giggling Nicole told her.
"What with that horrified look?" Nicole probed.
"I told you I don't want to go on a date yet, remember?"
Nicole glared at her and then answered. "Did I not tell you before that you can work and date at the same time?"
"Yes, but still, some other time Nicole," with a pleading look, Katelyn told her in which the former looked at her intently and then smiled, "Okay, as long as you accompany me in meeting them."
"It will still look as if I'm on a blind date."
"It will not be," Nicole removed her hands-on Katelyn arms, and they started to walk," and why will it not be?" Katelyn clarified.
"Because all you have to do is sit there beside me.
"Like a chaperone," Katelyn interrupted,"
Nicole stopped walking, and Katelyn halted too, "yes, I had already told them that I would have someone with me, I cannot cancel it now" she put her hands on Nicole and plead. "Pity this friend of yours who had been searching for so long but still didn't find one."
With her words, Katelyn's heart softened, but on the other hand, she is thinking of Jared's reaction if he found out about this," What will I do with you?"
"Just accompany me on Monday," upon noticing Katelyn helpless expression, she added," you don't have to worry; I will transform you into someone they will not know."
After a few seconds of looking at Nicole's dreamy look, all she can say "Okay, but this will be the only time that you fix a date without asking me first."
"I swear to you. I will not do this again, and thanks."
In the meantime, Jared just arrived at his grandpa's mansion in a different suburb. It is also his Meme's family home, inherited by her sole brother and then passed on to his son, Theodore, or Teddy Baker Sr., the current CEO of S&B jewelry. The mansion is also home for his two sons, Teddy Jr., and Blake.
The main house, a 40,000-square-foot grand limestone facade, and with a ballroom that can accommodate 200 guests as was his grandma claimed. At the back are the pool and a tennis court.
Most people who have not to live in this kind of house will be in awe of the enormous structure as well as the interior of the mansion, but Jared only took it as like any ordinary house. Even the 24-carat gold bath fixtures are not new to his eyes or the elaborate carve ceiling.
The butler immediately opened the front door to usher him inside, and the first person he saw was his Aunt Melanie, going down a split staircase. He directly went to wait for her on the last flights of stairs, and once she landed on it, he took her hand and kissed it as all the gallant knights do to a lady. His aunt is also British, but not from an aristocratic family though she behaves like one.
"It is a pleasure to have you here in the house," she told Jared while they are walking to the parlor room where she usually entertains her closest friends and relatives.
"Thank you, Aunt Melanie. I, too, like visiting you and Uncle Teddy. Lately, I was busy traveling, so I was not able to come."
"When will your grandma be back from her cruise?"
"She planned to be there for a month or more, so I am not sure of the exact time," Jared answered while opening the door to the parlor room.
Once inside, her aunt sits down on her favorite couch with cabriole legs and button tufted velvet fabrics while he sits down on the chairs of the same kind on the side.
"I always wanted to travel the world worry-free like her, but as you can see, your Uncle Teddy did not retire yet."
Jared looked at his aunt, and the way she sits down reminds him of his wife's mother except that the latter was a real aristocrat. But they have similarity in stature, and the way they moved as if even there will be a fire, they will not run but walk gracefully.
As he spends more time with his wife, he noticed that she is different from what he expected. His wife is trying to be tough, but she is vulnerable. She is not like other women whom you need to cater to their every whim, not even vain, and he is sure she will run or also climb a tree if no one was around. A picture of her doing that came into his mind.
"What are that faraway look and a smile in your face Jared?"
"I just remember something Aunt Melanie,"
"Probably a woman," she softly laughs and then asked," Why are you not bringing Charlize here to meet your uncle Teddy and me?"
To hear Charlize name made Jared remembered that he had not seen her for a few days. He did not call her after they had seen each other after his trip to Germany. Though he knew it yesterday was her flight back to Paris, and every time she left the states, she will always make it a big deal. As if it will be a year, not weeks. Her silence means that she is getting used to the idea.
"She went to Paris yesterday."
"You and Blake are perfect friends. Every time I ask him to bring his girlfriend, he will answer that she is either busy or went to another place. Don't you know that they will surely find ways to leave their work if asked by the man they love to meet his family?" She lectured and will rant more but stopped after soft knocking on the door was heard. A maid pushing a food trolley came inside, followed by Blake, whom Jared was sure known of his presence from the butler.
Blake smiled while walking towards him. "Hey! Lover boy," he looked up at their ceiling and with knotted brows," there's nothing wrong in our roof, how come you are here?"
"Are you trying to make me laugh or insult me?" Jared asked Blake, and they do fist pump that made his mother looked at them in distaste.
"Didn't the both of you outgrown that greetings," she asked the two men, the other one with light brown hair and the other same as her in her younger years, dark blond hair.
But what she asked was not heard by the two, or they just pretend.
After they greeted, each other Blake went to his mother's side and kissed her hands. After the expected greeting to her, he returned to Jared's side, but before he can say anything, his mother interrupted.
"I already told the maid to add another set on the table. I am sure Jared will stay and eat with us."
"Thank you, Aunt Melanie. I will be happy."
Upon hearing his answer, she went outside the room, leaving the maid serving them with tea. Once done, Blake dismissed the serving woman. Once they are alone in the room, he turned to face Jared, "So what is the reason you were able to come to the house? I know you tried to avoid Mom if you can," and then both of them laughed.
"I brought Tori to attend a party in the neighborhood,"
"When did you become someone else chauffeur? Even Meme, you will not drive her and also making my house a waiting area."
"Don't exaggerate, you know I will drive Meme if with opportunity, but she has Mr. Smith." Upon hearing Jared's vexed tone, Blake laughed, but suddenly he became sober. "When are you going to introduce her to me?"
"I planned this weekend, but with the party and all, so maybe next week."
"Why wait when you can do it tonight? I can go back to my apartment, and we pick her up together and go to the nightclub."
Blake just received a glaring looked form Jared by his suggestion of nightclub.
END OF PART 7
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