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“That is really amazing,” I said in awe of his generosity. “You continue to surprise me every day.”
We headed out to the event, chauffeured in style in a shiny new limo. When we got there, we went in the back entrance to avoid all the photographers out front. Nathan ushered me to a seat at the head table, and I sat, watching him prepare for his speech. When everyone was seated, the lights went down a bit, and a spotlight came up. The crowd cheered for Nathan, and I watched the charisma that just shined through his every movement. He was amazing to watch and to listen to, and I could tell that the people in that room really adored him as their boss and their friend. That was the kind of business owner I wanted to be, someone that was in touch with the heart of the company.
“I am so glad that everyone could make it tonight,” he said during his speech. “And we all should take a moment and send some good vibes to Mrs. Burlington from accounting who had open heart surgery last week. We hear she is doing amazing and is recovering as we speak. On that note, I want to remind you guys yet again of how important you are to me and this company.”
I sat there smiling, watching as he locked eyes with me several times during his speech. The intensity of his stare made my heart skip a beat, and I could feel myself falling in love with him with every passing moment. I was surprised at how easy it was for me to let go with him.
The whole night was turning out so wonderfully. His speech ended, and he got a standing ovation, and I could see the pride beaming from his face. He came down and sat next to me, holding my hand tightly in his as the awards were handed out. He clapped and cheered for every single person that crossed that stage, and I wondered if he actually knew all of them.
When the awards were done, we sat at the table enjoying dinner and drinks, laughing with the other couples around us. He was so attentive to me the whole time, never leaving me alone for more than a couple of seconds. After that, we mingled through the crowd, meeting some of the new employees and finding ourselves engrossed in conversation with several of the lower level employees. He talked to them the same way he talked to the upper management, with grace, respect, and dignity. I met so many people, I was losing track of all the names and departments they worked for. As we turned around to get a drink from the bar, I spotted Lindsey coming through the doors on Jordan’s arm, waving wildly at me. They weren’t supposed to able to make it, but I was so excited to see them both there.
“Hi,” I said excitedly, hugging Lindsey tightly.
“You look amazing,” she said, taking my hand. “I love that dress.”
“Thank you,” I said proudly. “And so do you!”
“So, this is the famed Lindsey,” Nathan said, shaking her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you. Between Jordan and your best friend, I feel like I already know you.”
“Everything they say is true,” she said, swirling her hair. “Unless it’s bad, and then they are liars to the end.”
“They speak nothing but the best about you,” he said as we all laughed.
“So, are you two having fun?” she asked.
“I always have fun with this amazing woman,” he said, squeezing my side.
“I’m so glad you’re dating.” She giggled. “Are you going to be coming to the wedding together? That would be so great. I could totally put you two at the same table. Would you want to sit next to each other?”
“Lindsey, take a deep breath,” I said, laughing. “You are overloading again.”
“She talks a mile a minute when she gets excited.” Jordan laughed. “It’s adorable.”
“Lindsey, I would love to sit next to Amanda,” Nathan said, smiling. “And I want to take a second and brag to you about your fiancé. We had a little security breach last night, and your fiancé was a badass, excuse my language. He jumped right in, tracked the hacker down, and reported back to me this morning that everything had been all cleared up. He even fixed the hole in the system that allowed the guy to slip through into the mainframe.”
“I don’t know what you just said, but I am very impressed,” she said, laughing. “Good job, baby.”
“Why, thank you,” Jordan said, beaming.
“I’m so glad that the two of you were able to come tonight,” I said, grabbing Lindsey’s hand.
“Me too,” she said. “I was able to reschedule the shoot they wanted to do, and we threw on some clothes and headed over.”
“What shoot were you doing?” Nathan handed her a glass of champagne and winked at me.
“An ad for the new Dior perfume coming out in the fall,” she said. “The photographer was being a grumpy ass anyway, so the company decided to move shoots and reschedule for next week. His equipment was being crazy, and he wasn’t getting the right lighting.”
“I don’t know what you just said, but we are glad to have you here,” Nathan said, trying to make her feel comfortable.
“Aww,” she cooed, taking the bait. “Well, we’re glad to be here.”
I beamed at Nathan, mouthing “Thank you,” to him and taking his hand as he pulled me out onto the dance floor. Lindsey smiled at me from across the room, and I swirled around into his arms. The rest of the night was just so wonderful. Everything seemed almost picture perfect. I hadn’t had that much fun in a really long time, and I knew it was because of Nathan.
We danced for quite a while and then resumed greeting people. He showed me off but not like arm candy, rather like something he cherished and adored. He even introduced me to everyone as his girlfriend. I thought it would throw me for a loop hearing it, but when I did, it seemed to fit just right. The first time he said it, my cheeks grew red, and I was almost tongue-tied. He smiled big, catching my reaction, and I melted right there on the spot. After the couple had walked away, he kissed me on the forehead and squeezed my hand tightly, pulling me toward the bar.
I felt like I was a princess at a ball, being waited on hand and foot, respected by so many people that didn’t even know me, and watching my boyfriend beam at me with pride. I was enjoying myself so much that I didn’t even realize how late it was getting until people started collecting their things and leaving for the evening. The party would probably keep going for the next few hours, but I could feel my feet starting to throb from my shoes, and I was pretty anxious to see what else the night was going to bring. I could tell by the way Nathan’s eyes moved over my body that he was thinking the same thing.
After we had said goodnight to a few people, we snuck out the side door and made our way up to the penthouse. He slid the card key in and opened the door, watching as I walked in before him. I stopped inside and looked around, completely in awe of the place. There was dark rich wood covering the floor and the edges around the ceiling. The furniture was ornate and beautiful, and there was a fresh bouquet of roses on the table. I took off my shoes and set them down, walking over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looking out over the city. It was beautiful.
