AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 23
Grace
Twoweeksaftermydinner date with Hayden, I’m sitting in my apartment with a stupid smile on my face. “You didn’t have to do this,” I say into the phone to him.
Tessa screeches in the background, “Don’t listen to her. We love you, Hayden; this is amazing!”
I’d easily convinced both Hayden and Tessa that my best friend had to come with me if I would be attending a Hanson-James event tonight. I can’t believe I actually agreed. It’s been almost two months since the night of my divorce party when Cat lured me into the lion’s den of Cash’s club without warning. I may have willingly seen Cash again after that, but that didn’t excuse what Cat had done to me. I thought we were friends—I’d been foolish enough to believe we had bonded over our hate for Vanessa, our love for dirty martinis, and her dating endeavors. I won’t be so easily fooled again.
“What color dress are you thinking?” the woman who is here to do my makeup asks.
I stare at the rack of clothes that Hayden had delivered and try not to smile. “Billionaires and their need to show off.” I tsk into the phone again. “This really is absurd, you know that?”
Hayden’s smile comes through his deep baritone. “You deserve this, Grace. No one deserves it more. Wear whatever you want…hell, if you like more than one keep them all. The only thing I care about you wearing is a smile.”
“Then consider your mission accomplished.”
He laughs, and Tessa squeals again as she sashays over with a champagne glass in her hand. “Okay, Haydes, let me go beautify your date,” she says into the phone before hanging it up. “Seriously, G, he’s a dream. If you don’t bone him soon, I will. I mean someone has to give that guy a happy ending.”
Surprised, I laugh so hard, champagne dribbles down my face. For all my nervousness over tonight, I feel surprisingly light. I guess this is what Tessa meant all those months ago when she said this is dating. I never thought running into an ex would just become a regular occurrence and that I’d grow used to seeing any member of the James family, but they live in Boston as do I, and, unfortunately, we do know the same people. It’s bound to happen, and the more it does, the more normal it will feel. Tonight is just another example of that.
It also doesn’t hurt that Hayden surprised me with these dresses, stylists, two dozen roses, and an appetizer spread of cheeses fit for a queen. And the champagne. No one can ever forget the champagne, least of all Tessa who is currently chugging from the bottle.
“Bottoms up,” she says with a giggle as she pours more into my mouth. If the stylists are surprised by our antics, they don’t give off any judgment. They simply smile and wait for us to pick out our dresses so they can get on with their jobs.
“This is officially the coolest event I’ve ever been to,” Tessa says in awe as we watch the models walk around in what are essentially pearl bras and tiny black leather shorts, carrying different liquors of the Hanson-James variety.
Hayden smiles proudly. “Jay and Cat did a really good job.”
I recognize a few of the waitstaff from Black Label and wonder how this event and the notorious club are related. I probably shouldn’t recognize staff from a sex club, but I do.
The event is held in an old warehouse on the penthouse level overlooking the city. Candles of varying sizes provide a dancing glow throughout the space, and white bouquets in gold candelabras of differing heights are strategically placed all around the room to make it feel bougie. Whoever designed this event did an excellent job, and I want his or her card.
As the night progresses, I’m happy to note that Hayden has done an impeccable job of keeping Cat away from me, and there’s been no Cash sighting.Yet. “God, G, do you see these women? They are like Amazonian sized,” Tessa whispers in my ear. She’s wearing the highest of heels so that my miniature Polly Pocket is almost my size. I agreed to go with a low heel so that I didn’t add to our height difference. I also picked a deep V-neck purple romper. I don’t trust myself in dresses around Cash James, and without knowing if he’d be here, pants it was. Tessa is in a short black dress which makes her freckled legs look impossibly long for her short stature.
“You are just as beautiful as every woman in this room,” I reply to my best friend.
Tessa snorts and shoots me a withering look. “Oh, I know!”
I laugh. My best friend is many things, but modest is not one of them. I don’t think she has a humble or embarrassed bone in her body. As always, her confidence gives me a boost as well.
“Want to dance?” Hayden asks with humor in his eyes, clearly listening to everything that comes out of Tessa’s mouth.
The smile on my face could light up the entire city, so I agree to the dance. Hayden has earned it in spades. Tessa waves us off as she goes in search of her conquest for the night. It doesn’t take long. We haven’t even reached the dance floor when I see her point to a handsome man in a suit, give me a thumbs-up and a little shimmy of her chest, before she dives right in to introduce herself. Hayden’s laughter tickles my ear as he presses his hand to my back, pulling me close to dance. “Is she always this…” He falters for a way to describe Tessa. I get it, she’s indescribable.
“Sure of herself?” I offer. He shrugs. “Yes,” I reply, “and it’s absolute perfection and fun to be around.”
Hayden raises his eyes. “I could say the same about being around you.”
A blush creeps up my chest. “Thank you, Hayden.” I lean into him, letting my head rest on his broad chest. “You really have made my life a lot less lonely.”
We sway to the music and laugh late into the night. At some point, Jay comes up and tries to get me to join him and Cat for a drink, but Hayden interjects, feigning a headache, and then he, Tessa, and I sneak out of the event without incident.
We drop Tessa off first and then Hayden delivers me back to my apartment.
As we stand at the door, Hayden wears a peaceful smile. “Thank you so much for coming,” he says, pushing my hair back from my head. I’d decided to go with an updo, but after our dancing it’s a mess falling around my face. He presses his hand to my cheek and stares down at me.
Is he going to kiss me? Oh god, I’m not ready.
