Chapter 38

Ryan

I was standing in the kitchen have a pre-party whiskey when I heard Sara walking down the hall. I turned as she entered looking for me. I stood there completely stunned, my focus consumed by this woman in front of me. I could barely recognize her in that gown, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. The red dress sat snugly on her body, hugging every curve until it flared out slightly at the bottom and touched the ground. The sleeves were long and sleek and sat off her shoulders, revealing the skin of her collarbone. She looked absolutely beautiful, stunning even, and the light, whimsical material under the bottom of her dress sparkled with red sequins. Her hair was pulled up off her neck and curls cascaded down. She smiled, her red lips matching the gown, and walked toward me in her matching heels. She was the most stunning woman I had ever seen in my entire life, and she carried herself with the grace and poise of a movie star. When she reached me, she turned around, revealing the open zipper.

“Zip me up?” she said, looking back at me and smiling.

I nodded and stepped toward her, my eyes trailing down the exposed skin of her back and down to right above her ass where the zipper was. Her pale skin shimmered next to the dress, and all I wanted to do was push it off her shoulders and take her right there in the kitchen. I wanted to run my lips over her fair skin and make her moan like she had at the vineyard, a time that felt like it was decades ago. I slowly pulled the zipper up to the top and latched the small eyehook at the top. She looked back at me with a smile and then turned to me and put her hands out. I could feel my cock tightening in my pants, and I took a deep breath, knowing I couldn’t survive the night if I didn’t get ahold of myself. I went to the table, grabbing a large, black velvet jewelry case, and walked back to her. She looked at me for a moment and then down as I opened the case, the rubies and diamonds sparkling in front of her.

“I borrowed this for you for the night,” I said. “I wanted you to fit in with the other socialites, and they’re always dripping with diamonds and other stones. I figured this would match the dress.”

“How did you know what color?” she said.

“I saw the bottom of the dress when you were carrying it out of the store.” I smiled. “I have a tendency to pay attention to details like that. It’s always been a strong point for me. But go ahead take them out and try them on.”

I held the box up to her and her eyes grew wide. Her hand went up to her chest, and for a moment, I was worried she was going to pass out right there on the floor. It occurred to me then that she had never been that close to jewelry like this before. She always wore a little horseshoe necklace around her neck, but it was the only jewelry I had ever seen her in. She was in complete shock and awe of the beauty of the stones, and frankly, so was I. They were pretty gorgeous, and I was proud of my selection.

“Ryan, they’re breathtaking,” she said. “But I couldn’t dare wear something that rich and that expensive. I tend to be a klutz. What if I break something or lost an earring or something?”

“Relax.” I laughed, setting the box on the counter and pulling out the necklace. “I borrowed these from the jeweler, and I made sure they were heavily-insured in case of any mishap. Now, turn around.”

She looked at me for a moment and then turned around, letting me drape the necklace over her skin. She turned back and pressed her hand against them. I handed her the earrings, and she hung them on her ears, shaking her head at her reflection in the mirrored surface of the refrigerator behind me. The jewels looked perfect on her like she was born to wear them. I didn’t think she ever imagined that the life of money and luxury would suit her so well, but she was definitely going to be the most beautiful woman I’d ever had on my arm. She deserved to be pampered like this all the time, not just one day out of the year.

“Do they look okay?” she asked. “They aren’t too much are they?”

“They look perfect, but you’re the one making them look good, not the other way around,” I said. “You are, hands down, going to be the most beautiful girl at the gala. I have never been prouder to have someone on my arm at an event like this. You’re beautiful inside and out, Sara, and that’s what you have to remember. That is what makes you the most gorgeous woman there. You don’t harbor a bit of snotty, rich bitch attitude.”

“I might with these jewels,” she said, laughing.

“You ready to head out?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, taking my arm.

We headed to the elevator and took it down to the lobby. There were several people milling about in the place, but they all stopped and gawked at Sara as she climbed out and waited for me. She was so oblivious to her beauty that she didn’t even notice they were looking at her, but I was beaming with complete and total pride. We got in the limo waiting out front and headed off to the museum for the event. As we pulled up, I braced myself for Sara’s reaction. I looked out the window as we passed by the crowds of people lining up behind the velvet ropes. Klieg lights illuminated the front of the museum, and people draped in luxury walked together up the velvet carpet, stopping here and there to talk to reporters. It looked like every Hollywood awards show with limos lined up around the block and the flashes of camera bulbs going off through the crowd. We didn’t have to wait in line, luckily. We were ushered to the front.

I took a deep breath and turned around to look at Sara. Her face had gone from demure and calm to completely freaking out as soon as she saw the event. I reached over and touched her hand, bringing her attention to me.

“Sara, take a deep breath.” I smiled.

“You-you said it was going to be a small event,” she stammered. “This is not a small event. This is a huge event, bigger than anything I’ve even seen on television. Is that Oprah on the stairs? Holy shit, that is Oprah, and I’m going to this thing.”

She looked back at me, and I gave her a half-smile, shrugging my shoulders. Her eyes narrowed, and I chuckled, seeing the fear and irritation behind them. She was so cute when she got all fired up like that.

“Oprah is a huge contributor to this organization,” I said. “You just need to take a deep breath because it’s not as serious as you think it is. I know it looks daunting, but once you’re inside, it’s a lot less intimidating. You’re going to be the most gorgeous girl here, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“If I don’t pee all over my dress first,” she said before covering her mouth. “I need to remember not to say things like that.”

“I think it’s funny.” I laughed.

The limo pulled up to the front, and the greeters on the curb opened up the door, watching me climb out. Bulbs flashed here and there, and a couple of people behind the ropes called out my name. I turned back, reached down to take Sara by the hand and help her out. The reporters immediately started snapping pictures like crazy, and she glanced up at me with a fake smile plastered on her face. She lifted the front of her dress slightly and took my arm, walking up the red carpet to the steps. A couple of fans of mine were standing on the side asking for an autograph, so I walked over and signed their pads for them before turning back to Sara. I could tell she felt a little lost among the sea of people, but she didn’t let that be known to everyone else. She carried herself with poise and grace, and I couldn’t help but beam from ear to ear having her on my arm.

When we reached the bank of reporters, I stopped and told the one on the carpet that I had no comment. They were shouting questions to both me and Sara, but we both just smiled and waved, refusing to answer them. She clutched my arm tightly as we made our way to the end of the red carpet and up into the museum. The place was completely decked out in flowers and crystals with large pictures posted at the front showcasing some of the organization’s work. I stopped and signed in at the front and then returned to Sara. She was shaking, and I could tell that despite her poise, she was struggling with intense emotions and nerves.

“You did so well,” I whispered to her. “Everyone now knows who the most beautiful woman in Manhattan is.”

She blushed bright red and looked up at me with a smile. She was slightly taken aback by my comment, but I couldn’t help noticing how it made her straighten her shoulders and stand a little bit taller. We stopped in front of the doors to the banquet hall, and I looked over at her.

“You ready?” I asked.

She took a deep breath and nodded her head. We turned toward the greeters and smiled as we made our way into the world of the rich and famous. This was the part I always hated.