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I was woken up a few hours later by my phone buzzing under my pillow. Groggily, I sat up slightly, careful not to wake Lydia who had turned towards me in her sleep. Of course, it was my grandfather.
“Hello,” I said quietly.
“Taylor, how sick are you?” He asked.
“I’m getting better Jiji, I’ll be at work tomorrow.”
“Take your time to get better, there’s a gala this weekend. We have to be present.”
“A gala? For what?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
“It’s a charity event, one of the causes we’ve supported in the past. The women’s shelter?”
Yes, I had donated plenty to help get the shelter running. Good to see they had gotten big enough to host galas for potential donors. “I’ll be there.”
“Bring your wife too, so I can finally meet her.”
That was perfect. My mother wouldn’t be allowed to such an event. She probably wouldn’t want to go even if she could.
“We’ll be there.” I looked over at Lydia’s sleeping face. “You’ll love her.”
Chapter 8
Lydia
I had been to several fancy events in the past. In order to be anyone in the fashion world you had to be someone people knew. That meant I invited myself to a lot of fashion week after parties or snuck in with my models until people started actually inviting me. Each time I had seen the affair as business. No matter how fancy the hors d’oeuvres or how tempting the free bar was, I was always there to get my and Sew Fit’s name around. This time would be no different. This time business was just pretending to be married as well as mentioning my brand to whoever would listen. When Taylor asked me if I could go, I was still a little embarrassed having slept so close to him. But I knew that this was the perfect moment for me to prove myself to his grandfather. I was always a fake version of myself at these parties: whatever I could do to fit in best. I would be in my element.
Taylor offered to buy me something to wear, but after that wedding dress I politely declined. Instead, I had selected a champagne pink silk dress I bought myself as a birthday gift lastyear. It was held up with straps and had a slit up to my mid-thigh. Three-inch heels, some natural makeup, and a little bit of rose perfume and I was all set.
I waited by the door for Taylor to finish getting ready. He walked down the staircase in a suit. It wasn’t one I designed, and it didn’t fit him. I would offer to alter it for him, but I wasn’t sure what our real relationship was like anymore. He was obviously avoiding me in the beginning, and I started to as well since that was what he wanted. But after his sickness, he started talking to me sometimes in the morning as we left for work. He also said more than “hello” or nodding his head as he passed me in the halls in the evening. I didn’t think we were quite friends, but it wasn’t the coldness between us before. Could I offer to help him? It would require us in close proximity again as I measured him and made sure he tried on my work. I wouldn’t offer it yet. I wanted to see how this dinner and gala went first.
“You look nice.” He said in his deep monotone. But his eyes lingered on my dress even after he said that. I knew the compliment was genuine.
“You do too.” I tapped his wrist and took his arm in mine. “We make quite the pair. Everyone will be jealous.”
Taylor nodded and led me out his door. His grandfather had sent a car to pick us up. I heard Taylor trying to argue with his grandfather to convince him to let him drive, but he obviously lost that battle.
“So, I did some research about the cause.” I said as we sat in the back and drove to the other mansion this gala was taking place in.
He nodded. “Sounds like you.”
“I like to be prepared. It’s a really good cause. The center takes in women and men from abusive homes and helps them with legal fees and childcare until they can get their own place. It’s really cool that you helped get them off the ground.”
“Oh. You read that too.”
“Of course, It’s on their website. You personally donated the entirety of their initial funding goal on some crowdfunding site. I didn’t realize you were so generous.”
“I have to use this money for something. Might as well be for something good.” The last part he muttered. Almost like he was embarrassed. I had no idea why. I had agreed with Michael, silently, for weeks that he was a dick, or more that he wasn’t very nice. Obviously, I had assumed wrong. Not very looking at the glass half full of me. But if he was so generous, and supportive of such causes, why did he insist on being so short with people? He let me into his bed when I was sick and offered to sleep on the ground when he was hurting so much. He could be so nice. Why didn’t he want people to know? Why did he want people to hate him?
We arrived at the gala shortly. It was in Glencoe as well, which is why I thought it was silly his grandfather didn’t let him drive. The driver opened the door for us, and Taylor helped me out of the car. Other couples were entering in impressive dresses and suits. My mind automatically started to guess who their designers was.
“Who made that?” I was surprised to hear Taylor ask something like that. He nodded his head towards a man in a velvet red suit jacket with silver accents.
“Wendy Roe. She’s also pretty new to the scene, but she is a bit older than Michael and I and has way, way more clients,” I explained in a hush voice, leaning in so no one would hear me. “She’s good.”
He nodded and led me further into the party. He kept asking me to name designers. Did he notice that I had been doing that in my head? Was he genuinely curious? Or was this just another attempt to look more like a couple? That thoughtmade my stomach turn a little, so I decided not to ask. I didn’t want to find out.
Inside the mansion, three times larger than Taylor’s, was what could only be called a ballroom. Tables clad in uniform white tablecloths circled a large area. There was a small orchestra playing in one corner of the party. This maybe was the fanciest party I’d ever been to. Maybe I wasn’t as prepared as I thought.
