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“Does everyone bring a date to those types of parties?” I casually asked, since Matt hadn’t asked me to accompany him.
“Well yeah…most people don’t like to go stag to these things. Everyone is trying to show off their status, including who’s on their arm,” she said, laughing. “That’s fake Hollywood for you. But anyway, I know Matt’s bringing a date. He verified his two tickets today.”
My face fell at the mere thought that Matt was taking someone else. We had been getting along so well. I didn’t think he would do this to me, but it was a slap in the face. I was good enough to fuck, but not good enough to go to these bougie ass parties?
“Oh…okay. Well, that’s nice,” I said and looked down at my wine glass. I didn’t notice Dana staring at me, until she started her nervous laughter. “What?” I asked, not amused.
“Wow…you really like him, don’t you?”
My mouth hung open.
“What? No!” I argued. “I just didn’t know he was seeing someone. That’s all.”
Dana shrugged. “Doesn’t have to mean that he’s seeing someone. It’s a huge deal, and he would look bad not having a date.”
But why am I not that date? The thought left me, and I couldn’t deny that was exactly what I was thinking.
“I think your face is telling me that you really do like him and believe me…I can’t really blame you. He’s fine in all the right places.” She wiggled her flawlessly arched eyebrows and I looked away from her. I just needed to make sure I wasn’t thinking negative things about him, when he deserved better.
“Are you sure he’s taking someone?” I asked.
Dana heaved a sigh. “I’ll look to make sure I read it right.” She grabbed her phone, pulled up his schedule and nodded. “Yep, it says he ordered two tickets to the gala tonight.” She hesitated and gave me a somber look. “I’m sorry, Tasha.”
I laughed, blowing it off.
“No reason to be sorry. It’s not like I’m his woman or anything. I feel nothing for him, just wish I could make that extra money babysitting,” I lied.
I finished off the dinner feeling like a fool as I tried desperately to keep Dana from connecting the dots to my fling with Matt. She was my bestie, so it was a good possibility that she already knew my true feelings but was sparing me the embarrassment of addressing them right then.
I thought Matt truly liked me, but if he was putting another woman on his arm in public, then he obviously didn’t want to be seen with me. He didn’t even want me to watch Cody while he went to the party, so clearly, he was hiding this from me.
Maybe he just asked me to come home with him as a ploy, knowing he would eventually take me back to my apartment and I wouldn’t suspect anything when I didn’t talk to him later tonight. Oh, I was wrong about us. I just wondered why he was trying so hard to impress me, if I was just some convenient booty.
***
I laid on the couch to watch TV later that evening, still upset that Matt was going to go out with some other woman, when I heard a knock on the door.
“Coming!” I called, trudging my way to the door. When I opened the door, I found a delivery man standing there with flowers and an envelope. “Hello,” I said to him.
“Are you Ms. Baker?” he asked.
“Yes,” I stated, nodding my head and staring at the beautiful red roses in his hand.
“These are for you!” He handed me the flowers and envelope.
I signed the paper and thanked him, then opened the card as I shut the door behind him.
The card read:
Baby, I wanted you to come home with me, so I could surprise you with a night out being treated like a queen. My queen. With this big celebrity couples party happening in a few hours, you don’t have time to turn me down again. I need a date tonight, and I need it to be you. So, put on the black dress you picked out in Colorado. I’d love to see you in it again. See you at eight. Your man, Matt
I stared at the card and his writing. I couldn’t believe it. He wanted me to be his date all along and there I was wallowing in self-pity, thinking he was only using me. I felt guilty for even considering that he would mistreat me like that. Then, I smiled and immediately jumped to getting dressed. I had a date to get ready for.
Chapter Thirteen
Matt
Party for Charity
