She plopped down on my made bed and crossed her legs in front of her. As I put in my other earring, I could see her looking at me with a satisfied expression on her face.
“What?” I asked, arching a brow.
“He’s going to shit his pants when he sees you,” said Juliet smugly.
“Who?” I turned to face her.
“You know who…”
“You mean the man who is trying to make my life a living hell?” I muttered.
“You’re going to givehimhell tonight in this dress.”
I laughed, a flutter in my stomach forming at the thought. I would be lying if I didn’t have him in mind when I had selected this dress at Barney’s yesterday. I had spent the evening after work trying on dresses, trying to find the perfect one for the gala tonight. If I had to be Chandler’s handler tonight, I wanted him to choke as I did so.
I turned and looked at myself in the mirror to see if there were any last touches I needed to make before calling my driver. I tucked a lightly curled strand of hair behind my ear, the rest of it pulled up into an updo on top of my head, leaving my shoulders and neckline bare. I smoothed the black gown, the satin slick against my hands. It was stunning. From the heart-shaped, strapless neckline to the tapered waist to the dramatic skirt that jutted out. Ididfeel like a princess.
As much as I was dreading tonight, the dress made up for it. I had once been so looking forward to this night, stepping into the gala as the new CEO and getting the praise I had once thoughtI deserved. It was supposed to bemynight, but I had come to realize that nothing is ever set in stone. I sighed at the thought.
“What is it?” asked Juliet warily.
“I thought tonight would be different. So different. But now I have to accompany the CEO, instead ofbeingthe CEO.”
Juliet scooched off the bed and put her arm around me, pulling me in close. “Youwillbe. Keep your head up. Okay?”
I nodded, not quite believing her, but appreciating the faith my friend had in me.
“I should get going,” I said, glancing at the clock on my dresser.
“Knock ’em dead,” she said.
I took a deep breath before stepping out of the town car, bracing myself for the camera clicks and harsh flashes of light awaiting me on the red carpet that was laid outside the gala. My driver opened the door and I plastered on a smile as I stepped out of the car. Excited voices called my name, asking me to look this way and that. I tried my best to appease their demands as I made my way up the red carpet, stopping to pose in front of the Harold Enterprises backdrop.
After several minutes, I thanked everyone and continued up the steps to the museum where the gala was being hosted. It toweredabove me, its stone pillars lit up by golden spotlights, as if the stairs were leading up to heaven.
And they just might be as I spotted Chandler standing at the top. My breath caught as I took in the sight of him in a tux. As if he wasn’t hot enough before, this trumped every custom suit he wore to the office. His dark hair was shone under the lights, slicked to the side without one hair out of place. As if feeling my gaze, he turned, and his green eyes landed on me.
It was like time stood still as I watched his eyes widen slightly, taking me all in. It was the first time I had seen him look unprepared. I hated how good it felt.
Walk, Gabriella.Walk,I reminded myself.
I tilted my chin up and continued up the stairs, feeling triumphant, even as my nerves ate away at me with each step that brought me closer to him. My heart was pounding in my chest as the distance between us closed in, and I thought it might just stop working all together as he held his hand out to me to help me up the final few steps. I hesitated before placing my hand in his, and then every party of me became hyper focused on his touch.
As I stepped up to the ledge, I gave him a quick nod of thanks before letting go of his hand, more reluctantly than I would have liked.
“Gabriella, you look beautiful, darling,” said my father, giving me a quick kiss on each cheek. “Doesn’t she, Mr. White?” He turned to Chandler with pride.
He cleared his throat nervously and I fought back a smile as he tried to find the words to answer.
“A vision, sir,” he said, his eyes still on me, his gaze soft.
I absorbed his words and they settled into me like a soundtrack I wanted to play over and over.
“Shall we?” asked my father, offering me his arm.
I nodded and took it, walking into the room with Chandler at my other side. The museum had been completely transformed with fresh white roses and peonies draped over the crystal chandeliers that hung above. The overhead lighting cast a soft, warm glow over the room, complimenting the lit candlesticks that sat sprawled across the tables. A white and black tile dance floor sat in the center of the room, anchored by two bars and a jazz band playing on a small, white circular stage.
“You’ve outdone yourself this year, Dad,” I said, giving his arm a squeeze. “I wish mom were here to see it.”
