Authors: Tamsyn Bester
Mr. and Mrs. Blake decided to host their wedding anniversary party at the
Four Seasons Hotel, and invited one hundred of their closest friends and
family to celebrate the milestone in their marriage. I’ve never been to a place
as ‘swanky’ as the Four Seasons and the worry that I won’t fit in nags at the
back of my mind. I’m only going because Quinn kind of begged me. Apparently Drew doesn’t really know anyone else, and after apologizing a thousand
times, I gave in and agreed to be his date. We haven’t even left yet and I’m
already regretting my decision. I look at myself in the mirror one last time,
filling my body with false confidence. My dark hair is curled, and pinned up
just above my nape. Loose tendrils frame my face and expose the skin on my
shoulders. My make-up is modest, with a slight blush on my ivory skin and
nude lips that complement the shimmer of my beige eye shadow.
The black, over-priced dress that hugs my figure is held up by two thin spaghetti straps and dips low at the back.
So low, that Quinn suggested I leave my underwear at home. Admittedly, I
know she’s right. Because this slinky material is doing some amazing things
for my butt. And my breasts. The material in front drapes in the middle of
my cleavage and somehow makes my breasts look bigger. Even I don’t recognize the brunette bombshell staring back at me. She looks stunning. And
confident. I just hope she doesn’t disappear as soon we get to the hotel.
A soft knock at the door makes me look away. “Come in.” I say, looking at
the door as it opens. Quinn’s eyes almost pop out of her head when she sees
me. “Holy shit,” she breathes. “You look…just wow.”
My cheeks flush with the compliment. “Thank you.” I smile. “You look…
wow yourself.” And she does. Her floor-length, Emerald colored dress wraps
around her tiny body and pools at the floor. The top part, above her breasts,
is made of a chiffon-type material that’s cut into a halter neck and reveals
her creamy skin beneath it. Her make-up is a little darker, a smoky-eye affect
around the eyes and a pink blush on her cheeks. Add her perfectly straight
bob and she looks like she just stepped out of the fashion pages of Vogue
magazine. “Did you leave the underwear like I said?” she asks matter-of-factly. If it was anyone else I’d think they were joking. But it’s Quinn. She never
jokes about looking your best. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I duck my head
but nod. I’m afraid that if I talk about my lack of underwear, I won’t be able
to stop thinking about it, which will most likely lead to me embarrassing myself. It’s much safer to just remain tight-lipped about my ‘Commando’ status
until we get back home and I’m alone. “Kyler is going to flip.” she adds, grinning wickedly. I didn’t tell her about what happened in his office yesterday. I
decided it wasn’t worth talking about, and I didn’t want to explain to her why
I was so upset, especially when I can’t explain it to myself.
“Seriously, Quinn?” I admonish a little too harshly. “Why can’t you just let
that go?” I slip past her through the bathroom door and take a seat on my
bed. I slip my feet into my black stiletto heels and stand, making sure there
are no creases in my dress. “I can’t just let it go,” she replies, leaning against
the doorjamb.
“Every time I’ve walked into your office this past week, the sexual tension
between the two of you even made me horny. I have no idea how you got
anything done with him being so close. And I just can’t get past the way he
looks at you, like he wants to eat you for breakfast, dinner and dessert.”
I scoff, rolling my eyes for dramatic effect. “He does not want to eat me.
That’s ridiculous. He’s my boss.” And I caught him doing only God knows
what in his office yesterday with another woman. Quinn’s eyebrows lift.
“So?” she quips. I frown. Before we can discuss the issue further, there’s a
knock at the front door and Quinn bounds down the hallway to answer. I
hear her voice, joined by Jarred’s and Drew’s, and grab my clutch purse. I take
another calming breath, once again filling my body with false confidence. I
can do this I tell myself. My insecurities have chosen the worst possible time
to make themselves heard. I have every reason to believe that I won’t fit in
with the kind of people Quinn and Jarred, and most likely Drew, are used
to rubbing shoulders with. My family doesn’t have good breeding, or class
for that matter, and certainly lacks the financial credentials to associate with
people in these circles. But if I’m good at one thing, it’s faking it. It’s the only
way I’ve been able to make something more of myself.
The chatter in the kitchen grows louder as I make my way down the hallway.
Quinn, Jarred and Drew have started the festivities a little early, their champagne flutes lifted in a toast.
Drew looks handsome in his tailored black suit. It hugs him perfectly, showing off a lean but muscular body underneath. His black hair is gelled back;
a classic yet modern style used in men’s fashion magazines. He could easily
pass as a model, he really is that handsome. But none of that changes the fact
that he’s an asshat.
The three of them ‘clink’ their glasses, laughing at something Jarred said, and
when Quinn’s eyes fall on me, Drew spins around. His mouth lifts into a
boyish grin. “Wow,” he breathes. “Cassey, you look incredible.” Again, I blush
with the unexpected compliment. He’s kissing ass, but I won’t point it out.
“Thank you. You look very handsome.” I reply. Any woman in my position
would be salivating at the sight of him, maybe even falling over her own feet.
But he’s a dick, and while looking at his face, his suit, and even his shoes,
only one word comes to mind. Safe. He passes me a flute filled with champagne and when our fingers brush.
I wait for the spark, the electricity. Nothing. He solicits a whole lot of nothing from my body He’s everything I should be attracted to. But I’m just not.
I smile weakly, swallowing the fizzy gold liquid, along with any reservations I
may have had, in three gulps. Quinn’s eyes almost bug out but I ignore it. The
only way I’m going to survive this evening is if I start topping up on liquid
courage now.
“You girls ready?” Jarred asks. His eyebrows furrow slightly, noticing my odd
behavior. Quinn nods, grabbing his hand and walking out the front door. I
turn to follow and stiffen, if only infinitesimally, when Drew’s hand touches
my lower back. I remind myself that it’s only one night, and having Drew’s
hands on me won’t be that bad. I can tolerate it. I hope. I lock our apartment
door behind me and we walk downstairs, piling into the town car that will
drive us to the hotel.
After a short, yet awkwardly silent drive, I’m grateful when we come to a
stop outside the Four Seasons. The door is opened and Drew climbs out first,
reaching his hand down to help me. Camera’s flash and I’m caught a little
off guard. Drew straightens next to me and wraps his arm around my waist,
smiling widely at the paparazzi. I almost forgot that we were at an event that
garners the attention of most of the city’s social Elite.
Of course there would be paparazzi. “Sorry about that,” Drew whispers, leading me up the stairs. “I didn’t know Press are allowed here tonight. It’s a private party.”
“It’s okay,” I reply. “I should’ve expected it.”
Quinn and Jarred follow behind us, stopping to greet some people they
know. An older gentleman stops in front of us and shakes Drew’s hand. He
doesn’t acknowledge me and Drew doesn’t think to make an introduction. I
step out of his embrace and walk into the banquet room, in search of more
liquid courage. I don’t need to stick around just so that I can be ignored.
Thanks but no thanks. A waiter decides to walk past at that exact moment
and I grab a glass of whatever is on his tray. I down the amber liquid quickly.
“Hey, why’d you dash of like that?” Drew asks, reaching my side. I resist rolling my eyes. I may not be from a hoity toity family, but I still have manners.
“I was thirsty,” I reply dryly.
He starts to speak but is soon cut off when Quinn and Jarred finally join
us. “I didn’t think Mom and Dad were going to have so many people here,”
Jarred remarks, obviously addressing Drew, who’s frowning at me. He looks
back at Jarred and replies, “You know what they’re like. I bet you Mom
bribed Dad to let her have this party.”
“Mom probably threatened to hide Dad’s Viagra for a month,” Jarred chuckles. Drew scrunches his nose in disgust. “Seriously dude, we do not need to
be talking about Mom and Dad’s sex life right now. It’s gross.”
“Agreed,” Quinn intercedes. “And speaking of parents, Cassey and I better go
say hello to mine before they come find us.” She kisses Jarred on the cheek
and starts walking in the direction of her parents. She waits for me to catch
up and then threads her arm through mine.
Something about it is comforting and I feel a small bit of my insecurity
diminish. “Are you okay, Cass?” she asks. I look into her eyes and see the concern swirling around her irises.
“I’m fine,” I lie.
We reach her parents before she can question me further and I’m somewhat
thankful. I don’t want Quinn to know just how out of place I feel. She will
feel guilty when it has nothing to do with her. She is the only person who
doesn’t make me feel inadequate simply because I lack wealth or social standing. Well, her and Kyler too. He hasn’t made me feel inferior in any way.
“Hello, darling!” Quinn’s mother, Bree, chimes. Quinn lets go of my arm and
hugs her mother, who could easily pass for Quinn’s older sister. Bree Avery
is a stunning woman, with her waist-length platinum blonde hair, green eyes
and genuine smile. Her build is very much like Quinn’s, except she’s a few
inches shorter. She smiles warmly at me, her eyes sparkling with genuine
kindness and sincerity. For a brief second, I wish my own mother could’ve
looked at me that way. But she never did.
“Cassey, sweetheart, how are you?” she asks, wrapping her slender arms
around my shoulders.
“Very well, thank you Bree. It’s so lovely to see you,” I reply. Quinn hugs her
father, kissing him on the cheek, and steps back. He hugs me hello, his big
arms engulfing me in a fatherly embrace. David Avery is a burly man and
those who don’t know him would be intimidated. But he’s a teddy bear, and a
man who’s unafraid of showering both his wife and his daughter with affection. Their family dynamic is strange to me, unfamiliar.
I’ve only ever known a father who hits his wife and drinks alcohol to deal
with the emptiness of his life. I don’t know what a fathers’ love feels like, because I’ve never had it.
But when David Avery looks at his wife and his daughter, I see it.
“I didn’t think we’d be seeing you here, Dad,” Quinn says.
Her father smiles warmly at both of us. “Clive Blake and I went to college
together, we go way back,” he says.
Quinn’s manicured brows dip into a frown. “Jarred didn’t mention it,” she
says.
“I didn’t mention what?”
We turn around and see Jarred and Drew step up to us. They greet Quinn’s
parents and resume the conversation with ease. A sight in my peripheral
catches my attention and the chatter around me falls away as I turn my gaze.
Kyler strolls into the room and it feels like the air is sucked out of my lungs.
I’m not prepared to see him. I don’t know how to handle what happened in
his office yesterday and I was hoping some time away from him would help
erase the image of him and Jessa from my mind. The traitorous butterflies in
my belly take flight, flapping around wildly trying to find an escape. Where
Drew looks handsome, Kyler looks very – I search for the right word – debonair. Sauvé. I watch the way his suit moves with each step he takes, clinging to his long, lean muscles. My heart drops when I see a certain redhead
wrapped around his body and I can’t help but notice the way she looks up at
him, adoringly, laughing at something he’s said. When he smiles down at her
my jealousy claws its way up my throat and I swallow to stop it from boiling
over. I have no reason to be jealous.
He’s my Boss, and I’m foolish to think he’d want more.
“Hello? Earth to Cassey?”
Drew’s voice breaks my trance and when I look at him, he’s frowning. Again.
I can’t seem to please him tonight. Not that I want to anyway. I didn’t even
want to attend this stupid thing.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?” I ask, not in the least sorry for not hearing
him. Coming here with him was a mistake. Too bad I can’t just hail a cab and
leave. My manners are getting the better of me, and convincing me to stay.
“I said I’d like to introduce you to my parents,” he half snaps.
His sudden pissy attitude fuels my irritation. I bite my tongue, afraid I’ll
say something that will be far from lady-like, and simply nod. He takes my
elbow and I keep my head down as he leads me to the center of the room
where his parents stand. Drew clears his throat and I straighten, smiling politely.
“Mom, Dad, this is Cassey Emerson. My date.”
Drew’s parents eye me from head to toe.
“Cassey,” he says, looking at me. “These are my parents. Joanne and Clive
Blake.”
The plastic smiles stays fixed on my face and I stick my hand out to greet
them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I greet politely. “And congratulations on
your wedding anniversary. Jarred and Drew speak fondly of both of you.”
Drew’s mother accepts my hand, though she touches it like it’s diseased.
“Drew,” she says, ignoring me. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing a date.”
“Joanne.” Drew’s father gives his wife a stern look and then takes my hand.
I’m surprised when he places a gentle kiss on my knuckles. I expected him
to greet me no better than his wife did. “It’s a pleasure to meet you my dear.
Thank you for joining us. I do hope you will enjoy your evening.”
“Thank you,” I reply.
Drew’s parents are greeted by several other friends and Drew joins in their
conversation.
He makes no gesture to introduce me. In fact, he’s acting as if I don’t exist.
When I excuse myself, the only person who shows the tiniest bit of acknowledgement is Drew’s father, Clive.
I don’t miss the way his guests look at me, like they can smell that I’m out of
place. I walk away from their group, head held high, no matter how small I feel
right at this moment. The tears I can feel welling up threaten to spill so I bite
the inside of my mouth to keep them at bay, at least until I’m alone. I escape
the banquet room, mostly unnoticed, and go in search of the bathroom. When
the ‘click’ of the door sounds behind me, I close the toilet and take a seat just
as hot liquid escapes over the rims of my eyes. I’ve never been ashamed of who
I am or where I come from. I used it to my advantage, to drive me to make
something better of myself, my life. But the way these people looked at me,
like they know I’m not part of this world, has left me feeling abashed. I wrap
some toilet paper around my fingers and dab under my eyes. The sight of my
smudged and ruined make-up spurs up sudden anger. I don’t have to prove
myself to these people, nor do I have to change just to fit in. I may not have
attended a fancy prep school or grown up in a mansion with maids and butlers
to cater to my every whim, but I worked my ass off in college to be more than
what I came from. Damn these horrid snobs I tell myself.
Damn them all to hell.
I gather my pride, and my composure, and step out of the safety of the cubicle.
At first glance, the mirror reveals what I already know. My make-up is ruined
and I have the worst case of raccoon eyes ever. So much for waterproof mascara. I open my clutch, grateful that I remembered my emergency make-up
bag. I wipe away the smudges of black under my eyes and apply fresh concealer, followed by a new coat of mascara. I add a bit of color to my cheeks, more
so to hide the redness from crying than anything, and as I swipe my nude gloss
across my lips, the bathroom door swings open. I’ve never seen Jessa Price up
close until now.
Sure, I’ve seen her in every female glossy magazine in publication, along with
a few gossip magazines, but not like this.
I can definitely see what all the fuss is about though.
Her red hair is fiery, and from what I hear it matches her personality. Her complexion is creamy, like porcelain, and her skin is as flawless as it looks in those
skin care adverts. Her legs are long, longer than I mine since she looks to be a
head taller than I am, and connect to what men would describe as the perfect
ass. But none of those are part of the reason why I’m jealous of her. No. Only
one thing has made me hate her before even knowing her and it’s the fact that
I caught her in Kyler’s lap yesterday and that she’s here with him tonight. And
yes, I hate her for it, but I won’t analyze why seeing them together has me unglued. She catches me staring and her Angelina Jolie like lips lift into a knowing smirk. Bitch. I roll my eyes and put my lip gloss back in my clutch. Now
that my make-up is fixed, and I’ve given myself a ‘pep talk’, I feel ready to get
this night over with, without the courtesy of another mini breakdown. You’ve
got this Cass, I remind myself. I step into the hallway, making my way back
towards the banquet room, and find Quinn arguing with Jarred. Her hands
flap around, making dramatic gestures that only Quinn can, while he stares at
her angrily, hands on his hips. They haven’t seen me yet, so I take a step closer
in the hopes that I can hear what’s going on without getting caught.
“I can’t believe you’re defending him,” she snaps angrily. “After he’s been a dick
to her all night.”
Jarred sighs, clearly exasperated with their argument.“He’s my brother, Quinn.
And I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Quinn huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. It’s the stance she takes when
she’s really pissed. “And she’s my best friend, Jarred. Do you think I didn’t notice how he ignored her in company? Or how he didn’t say anything after that
shit your mother pulled? I won’t even mention the fact that he insulted her
earlier this week by referring to her lack of money!”
Jarred frowns. “What shit?”
“Oh for God’s sake! Just never mind. Your brother is a total douchecanoe and
I’m so done with this conversation.”
I take that as my cue and walk up to them as if I didn’t just hear their entire
argument. I didn’t realize Quinn was close enough to see what happened with
Drew’s mother, or how he’s been treating me this entire evening until now.
“Hey guys,” I greet, trying for nonchalance. They startle and both look at me
like deer’s caught in headlights. Quinn scowls at Jarred one last time and then
hooks her arm in mine. “I need a drink,” she states. We make our way to the
bar and order two shots of tequila and two whiskeys on ice. We wait for the
barman to get our drinks.
“What was that all about?” I ask her casually.
“Nothing. Jarred got upset because I almost lost my shit with his brother. If I’d
known he was going to treat you so poorly I would have never encouraged you
to be his date tonight.” Her eyes meet mine. “I’m sorry, Cass. I can see you’re
not having the best time.”
I shrug. “I didn’t know you saw what happened with Drew’s mother.”
“I was walking past, and even if I hadn’t seen what she did, I would’ve wanted
you to tell me. I seriously wanted to kick Drew in the nutsack for not saying
anything to his mother.”
“It’s fine, it’s not like I have to see any of these people ever again. Except your
parents.” I chuckle. “But at least they like me, poor girl status and all.”
Quinn smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She’s the only person I’ve ever
told about the kind of life I really lived before college. I don’t think I could’ve
found a worthier friend in this city, even if I wanted to. We are more than best
friends. We’re sisters.
The barman places our drinks in front of us and we grab the tequila shots first.
“To douchecanoes and mamma’s boys!” I say, lifting my shot glass.
My Southern accent rears its head at the end and Quinn chuckles. We tilt the
glasses back. The hard liquor burns all the way down my throat and warms my
belly.
“I have no idea why you hide that accent,” Quinn remarks. “It’s sexy as hell and
I bet you’d be reeling guys in once they hear you talk.”
“I didn’t think people would take a small town girl from Georgia seriously if I
sounded like a hick. So I decided to work on making it less obvious.”
Quinn takes a sip of her whiskey. “Whatever, Cass. I think you should use it to
your advantage. I’m sure you can use it to find a willing man, just for a night.”
I roll my eyes. “We’ve already spoken about this, like a million times! I don’t
think I can do a one night stand.”
Quinn stands, fixing her dress and picking up her clutch from the bar. “All you
need is a man that interests you,” she pauses. “And it doesn’t look like you’ll
have to search far.”
I turn around and walk straight into Kyler.