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With careful fingers, he fastened the strand of jewels, and I felt goosebumps cover the back of my neck as his fingers gently brushed over it.
“They’re Padparadscha sapphires,” John said about the orange and pink stones garnished with brilliant diamonds to enhance their color. “A rare, coveted stone that arguably comes only from Sri Lanka; however, Madagascar and Tanzania beg to differ.”
“It’s rare? Real?” I said, instantly reminding myself of the Appalachian hillbilly I was.
“Yes, they’re real,” John said with a laugh, staring at me through the three-way mirrors I stood in front of. “They’re highly sought after because there are so few, making them extremely rare,” he turned me to face him and brought his lips to mine for a tender kiss. “Like you are to me.”
I ran my fingertips along his freshly shaved jawline, “And you are to me,” I played back. “I feel like a princess, you know,” I said truthfully, wanting John’s usual fun and lively personality to keep me grounded.
John smirked. “Well, you’re my princess. My rare gem, and I will never lose you,” he said, but his expression didn’t reflect his sweet words. He looked burdened.
“Everything okay?” I questioned.
I’d never met this fancy version of John—and perhaps I wasn’t aware that a certain amount of wearing a mask was involved in being able to deal with these people—but I’d never known him to look so distressed … or just plain sad.
“It’s fine,” John’s funereal expression quickly brightened. He took a cleansing breath and smiled. “You look as beautiful as the day I first met you.”
“I’m not an idiot,” I said. “I’ve known you long enough to understand when something is seriously bothering you. What happened? Is it your parents?”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he reassured me. “I’m not spoiling this night with nonsense, especially when you look like this.”
“I think I should know what’s going on. I want to be prepared, don’t you agree? I mean, I didn’t even think you were coming to get me for dinner?”
All sense of extravagance running through my mind while I looked in the mirror had faded. I was a bit grateful for that, too, because, from how John was acting, I felt I needed to be sharp when I was introduced to his family. If they made him this unraveled, I could only imagine I had my work cut out for me.
“Just be yourself, gorgeous,” he smiled and touched my chin with his thumb. “You’ll steal their hearts just as you did mine. And trust me, stealing my heart should’ve been the hardest thing in the world to do, but you achieved that with ease.”
I smiled nervously at him, not knowing what to expect. I was beginning to wish Ruby was also here to give me lessons in etiquette and tell me if there were any fancy silverware rules I needed to know about. (God knows, I wouldn’t want to eat the main course with a salad fork…the horror!) It would be my luck that I’m supposed to curtsey to John’s mother or something, and when I don’t, I’m shunned forever.
John’s status was front and center and in my face. I’d love to think that flying on Jim Mitchell’s private jet to ski with a group of billionaires in Aspen was enough to break me into what I was about to face, but I could tell John’s family was on an entirely different level. They weren’t just wealthy…they were something much more.
“I feel like all of this,” I paused as I waved my hand around the room and held out my arms to reveal the princess I’d been transformed into, “is revealing that you’re some undercover prince, and the big reveal is coming at dinner when you introduce me to your family of royalty.”
He chuckled, and as warm as he looked, the John I’d come to know and love was just not present. I had no idea who this sad man was. It was a bit heartbreaking if I was honest. I had no idea what to think. Was I here to accept that this lifestyle would be my future if he and I married? Or was he terrified that he wouldn’t be able to live up to what was expected of him if we did marry and I could never fit in?
The emotions I felt were so strange, but I wouldn’t be intimidated by these people. I wouldn’t let another person’s status make me feel less than because I wasn’t born into fortune.
“I understand why you might feel that way,” John said, dismissing the stylist and her crew while pouring us glasses of champagne. “But don’t fool yourself,” he handed me the crystal flute, “all this is a show. It’s theatrics like that opera we attended. Don’t allow it to threaten who you are, which is the most intelligent, beautiful woman I’ve ever been honored to know. I love you, Mikayla Smith, and I swear that no matter how this evening and tomorrow go, you will forever hold my heart.”
“If you could go and find John Aster, I’d appreciate it,” I smirked after taking a sip of the champagne, “I’ll feel a bit more comfortable when I meet his family if he’s with me.”
He mirrored my smile. “He’s here, trust me,” he took a large gulp of his champagne. “He’s just playing the expected role and hopes to God you won’t judge him for it.”
“Play the role out there with them, but in here with me,” I laughed, “be yourself.”
“Deal,” he winked and seemed to revert to his usual self.
We walked into a significant, breathtaking ballroom dimmed to enhance the lighting of the crystal chandeliers hanging throughout. The flames that danced on the tables in their tall glass holders emitted a glimmering effect that was nothing shy of elegance and warmth. There must have been at least a hundred round tables with golden chairs, white tablecloths, shimmering silverware, and burgundy napkins folded ornately atop golden chargers.
Soft ambient music from a pianist and violinist filled the air, adding to the atmosphere of refined sophistication. John led me to a table and gently removed my hand from the bend of his arm to pull out a chair for me to sit in.
My attention was drawn to the delicate crystal wine flutes, their stems gracefully rising from the table. The placement of a floral centerpiece added a touch of sophistication, while the soft candlelight flickered in the intricately designed holders.
“Dear God, why didn’t someone teach me table manners for a dinner like this?” I said, feeling like the moonshiner’s granddaughter I was in the presence of such extravagant wealth. I looked at John, who took his seat to my left. “Your parents put all this together?”
“Once you meet my mother, you’ll understand,” he said with a slight roll of his eyes. “This is all Aster family funded, financed, and meant to make everyone who’s seen it know how we celebrate special occasions for one of our own.”
“Oh?” I questioned him with a small laugh of confusion.
