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“Finally!”
“I’m so sorry I’m a little late,” Monica says, as she begins to unpack her things. “Traffic was a nightmare. But don’t worry, I have plenty of time to work my magic.”
She takes out an array of makeup, brushes, and applicators, and lays them out on the vanity in my bedroom. She brought everything she needs, and she applies the foundation with expert precision.
“This is going to look perfect for tonight. It’s a smoky night of enchantment, so let’s get the makeup to match.”
Monica reaches for her eye shadow pallet and chooses the colors for the perfect smoky eye. A deep gold for my lids and a darker, smoky brown for my crease. She shows me how to blend the shadows together, then adds a thick line of gold eyeliner along my upper lashes.
“Now, for a bit of sparkle,” she says, reaching for her glitter pot. She dabs a bit on the center of my lids, then tops it off with a few swipes of black mascara.
“There. Absolutely gorgeous.”
“Oh Monica,” I say, turning to face her. “Thank you so much.”
“You are a princess,” Monica says, giving me a hug. “And tonight, you have an entire kingdom of eligible bachelors to choose from.”
She realizes that tonight I’m Zane’s. My eyes can’t be roaming around to other men. No one can know we aren’t dating. That’s the whole point of me going. “Tonight is the night I get to attend a wedding with a wealthy man. Boss or not, it’s an upgrade from the usual men I end up dating.”
I receive the text from Zane. It’s five-forty-five, and he’s asking if I’ll be ready to be picked up at six. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my heart, and reply yes.
My mind is flooded with thoughts of what it might be like to kiss him. I’ve built up so many fantasies in my head, and now I’m having doubts. What if he goes to kiss me and he’s horrible? It will ruin all my fantasies, and worse yet, what if he kisses me and it’s the best thing I’ve ever experienced in my life?
My face flushes. I close my eyes and imagine what it would feel like to have his lips on mine, and my stomach does a nervous flip.
I wait for time to pass, counting down the minutes. Finally, the time strikes six, and the limo pulls up outside. I smooth down my dress, take a few deep breaths, and open the door.
“You got this, girl. Go bag a millionaire,” Monica says, tapping me on my ass.
Zane stands outside looking handsome in a dark suit, flowers in his hand and a nervous smile on his face. My worries slip away, replaced by anticipation and desire. My heart flutters as I take the flowers, and Zane takes my hand.
“Shall we?” he asks, and I nod. He leads me to the open the door. I slide into the seat and then he comes in next to me and shuts the door.
We drive in silence, the only sound the hum of the engine and the occasional passing car. I sneak glances at Zane now and then, admiring the way the light catches his hair. He shoots me a few equally admiring looks, and I can’t help but feel my heart race with each one.
Finally, we arrive at our destination. Zane helps me out of the limo, and we make our way inside. We sit down, and my heart pounds. I’m so nervous!
As people take their seats waiting for the ceremony to start, a woman comes over and Zane kisses her on the cheek.
“Mom, this is my girlfriend, Willow.”
I’m so not ready to meet his mom yet. Hell, I thought I would at least have until after the ceremony to prepare myself. “Hi, ma’am. You look beautiful.”
She smiles, taking a once over and then walks away.
“Don’t worry. She will come back and talk to you later. Hopefully, you are prepared. We never did discuss our magical meeting. You know that beautiful story they always tell in the movies about how they first met... we need one of those,” Zane says. He is leaning over and whispering into my ear. Anyone else thinks he might just be flirting, but he’s just about business.
“How about we met at the grocery store? Simple enough, right? We both touched the same frozen pizza, and it sparked a conversation. You asked me out and we’ve been dating ever since?”
“Well, I don’t go to the grocery store. It gets delivered so they wouldn’t believe that. How about we met at... Stevenson’s?”
My brow raises. “What in the world is that?”
“It’s a fancy restaurant over off 69th. I go there often, so it makes it easy enough to remember.”
“Okay, if that’s what he wants me to say, that’s what I’ll do, but if I end up saying the name of the restaurant wrong, I’m not taking blame for it.”
He laughs just as the music begins.
