Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ian
It was the night of the party, and I was getting ready in the bedroom while Eliza waited for me in the living room. She’d gone home to get ready, and when she’d walked through my door, I’d been blown away at her outfit. She had on a beautiful, long, sky-blue dress that was tight around the ass and flowed gently all the way down to her feet.
“Damn, you’re beautiful,” I said. Then I looked down and grinned. “And you’re wearing heels.”
It was the first time that I’d seen her heels. It was strange to see her look tall for a change, and while she looked breathtaking, it felt almost like it wasn’t her. She’d grinned and opened up her handbag to reveal two white sneakers inside.
“For when my feet get tired of the heels. They suit the dress way more, but these sneakers will be so much better.”
“You’re the only woman that I’ve ever met who brings sneakers to a fancy event.”
She’d giggled. “I hate heels.”
“You’re gorgeous, either way,” I said and kissed her. And she really did look beautiful, but I sort of couldn’t wait to see her with the sneakers on. I liked leaning down to kiss her.
“Thank you. Are you going like that?”
I laughed. “Yes. Do you like it?”
I was wearing black jeans and a white tank top.
“Actually, I do,” she said.
“Well, that’s a pity because I’m about to change into something else. Take a seat in the living room. I won’t be long. There’s wine if you want.”
“No, I better not drink until after I’m sure that the event has gone well.”
Now I was in the bedroom putting on the suit that I’d gone out to buy. I’d bought a suit before, but this was the first time that I actually cared what it looked like on me. So I’d ended up at a tailor who had fashioned a suit specifically for me. The suit was black, and the tie was a sky blue. It felt strange wearing a suit and tie, and I was nervous to walk out and show Eliza.
“Everything okay?” she called out, and I realized that I’d been taking far too long.
“All good. I’m coming!”
I took a deep breath and then walked out. Eliza turned around and gasped.
“You’re wearing a suit!” she said.
I grinned nervously. “Yeah. Uh, is it okay?”
“Holy crap, Gunner. It’s hot. You clean up nicely, you know.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Your tie! It’s almost the same color as my dress. How did you know?”
I looked at her dress in surprise and laughed. “Oh yeah. Well, I asked the tailor for a blue tie to match the color of your eyes. I had no idea your dress was going to be that color.”
“You asked the tailor to get a tie that matched my eyes? Are you serious?”
I had no idea if she was happy or not. So I just stood there looking confused. “Yes. Why? Is that bad?”
She got up and kissed me. “Are you kidding me? That’s the most amazing thing anyone has ever done.”
“It is?”
She laughed. “You’re incredible. And, I know you’re uncomfortable in that suit, but I want you to know that I’m grateful that you made the effort. And if it makes you feel any better, I’m uncomfortable in these shoes! Bring your leather jacket with.”
“Why?”
“We can do an outfit change later in the night. You can take off your smart jacket and tie and put your leather jacket on, and I’ll take off my shoes and put my sneakers on.”
“You know, this night is sounding better and better,” I said.
Eliza stood up and took my hand. “Come, let’s go. I want to show you off.”
The party looked like it was straight out of a Hollywood movie. Red carpets, shining outfits, a disco ball, and champagne served in tall flutes. Even though it wasn’t the sort of party that I usually went to, or even liked, it was certainly impressive. How two young women had pulled off something this big was beyond me. I wouldn’t have even known where to start. Every element had been thought of, and the more you looked, the more detail there was to be found. I turned to look at Eliza.
“You guys did all this?” I asked.
She beamed. “Yeah. I’m quite happy with how it’s turned out. It looked nice without all the people, but it was hard to imagine what it would be like once everyone was here. It’s better with all the people. Do you like it?”
“It’s amazing. It really is.”
And it was. But I still wished I was back at home, with Eliza next to me, watching old movies and eating popcorn with our feet up. I remembered why I hated wearing a suit and tie. The longer I walked around in it, the more uncomfortable it made me feel. I kept fiddling with the tie to loosen it.
Eliza and I walked around, and she introduced me to a few people. But for the most part, we didn’t know anyone, as she was only the party planner. So we mingled and eavesdropped on conversations. Eliza was still feeling nervous about if she’d done a good job or not. She wanted to know if people were having a good time, which they clearly were. We stood next to a couple who were talking to one another about the party.
“I told you this party was going to be amazing,” the woman said. She was wearing a silver outfit that was far too small for her body.
“It’s not at all what I expected,” the man said back. “It’s so extravagant. I feel like a celebrity.”
“You see. I told you that if you stuck with me, I’d take you to nice places.”
“You weren’t lying. Here comes the champagne. Quick, grab one before someone else takes them.”
I looked at Eliza and grinned. “You see? People love it. I heard someone earlier saying that it was the best party that she’d ever been to.”
“Really?” she said. Her face was flushed with delight.
“Really. So you don’t need to worry. There’s nothing else to do now except have a good time. You’ve done your part.”
“Thank you. Are you having a good time?” she asked.
“Of course I am,” I lied. “I’m with you.”
“I’m sorry it’s a bit boring,” she said.
“No, it’s not,” I lied. “And we’ve still got our big costume change to look forward to later,” I said and pointed to her handbag.
She giggled. “Oh yeah, that’s true. These shoes are already driving me mad. Okay, so I think it’s time for some champagne. What do you think?”
What I thought was that alcohol was the only thing that would make this party okay. Thankfully, Eliza seemed too nervous and too distracted by the fact that she was there to make sure that everything was okay to truly notice how much I hated the party. I nodded. “I’d love some.”
Eliza grabbed two glasses when one of the waiters walked by and handed one to me. I’d never been much of a champagne drinker, but the cool, bubbly liquid felt good down my throat. I immediately felt better.
“Oh, there’s John. Listen, I need to go talk to him about something work-related real quick. Mind being alone for a while? I won’t be long.”
“Of course. It’s your work thing; you must do whatever you need to do. Seriously, I’m fine by myself.”
She smiled, leaned in to kiss me on the lips, and then walked away. I immediately grabbed another glass of champagne. The problem with champagne was that the glasses were always so small.
So far, Eliza had stayed with me. This was nice of her because it was obvious that I had no business being in a party like this. It was too glitz and glamor for me. I was used to hanging out with guys and bikes, where if the conversation got stilted, we could just turn it to our motorcycles. Here it felt as if there were nowhere to hide. And everyone seemed too fake and too smiley for my liking. But I hadn’t minded so much with Eliza next to me. She made every situation better.
Suddenly I spotted someone from my club. It was Rusty, an older man I had known for years. He caught my eye at the same time, and we both looked at each other in horror. He clearly didn’t want anyone knowing that he was the party, and neither did I. He glanced at his wife next to him, and shrugged at me as if to say that he had no say in the matter. And I smiled back. It was clear that after this we were both going to pretend as if it didn’t happen. But seeing him there had made me feel slightly better.
I drank my champagne and looked around the room, trying not to feel too self-conscious in the sea of strangers. I had to keep reminding myself that they didn’t care who I was and that Eliza would be back soon. Having something to hold in my hand helped, but I still felt the eyes on me. Even though I was wearing a suit and tie. Even though I knew that all my tattoos were completely covered up. I still felt as if they knew. That they could tell that underneath it all, I didn’t belong.
I shook my head to clear the thoughts and wondered where Eliza had gone to. And then I saw her. She was standing with John and Mae, talking animatedly. I assumed she was talking about the party because she was beaming from ear to ear. I watched her for a while. For the first time, I could look at her without her knowing, and I didn’t dare look away. Who was this girl? Two months ago, she hadn’t even been in my life. Now, I’d spent almost every day with her for the past week. I knew so much about her, and she knew so much about me. But it felt as if it had happened in just a blink of an eye. She was the most beautiful and realest girl I had ever met. I loved the fact that I was the only one that knew that she had sneakers in her handbag. Nobody would ever guess that this gorgeous, elegant girl in blue was carrying sneakers around. The thought made me laugh. I took another sip of my champagne. And when I turned back to look at her, she was looking right at me. She grinned, and I smiled back.
And in that instant, I knew I was falling in love with her.