Authors: Heather Leigh
Chapter
2
5
Three days later, I feel a lot better. I find that if I eat a little in the morning with my coffee, that my stomach stops roiling almost immediately. I’m still more tired than usual, but interestingly, I must be sleeping deep. I haven’t had any more bad dreams. I keep my run short this morning, not wanting to push myself too hard, but I’m afraid that if I give up my exercise then the bug I caught might take over.
I drag my sorry ass to the club, and spend the morning directing the placement of tables and booths for the main room.
Happy to snag one of the long leather booths to sit on, I rest my weary body. I’m about to take a big sip from my water bottle when I hear my phone ringing from my bag. Frustrated, my hand finds it just as it stops chirping. Missed call from Drew. Great. I dial him back as I get up to find some privacy.
“Hey sexy girl, how are you? Feeling any better? Need me to call that Jeff guy and tell him what an ass he is?”
I had told Drew the other night how I hadn’t been feeling well, so it was a good thing he hadn’t been in town or he would have caught it too. He blames it on the stress from Jeff forcing the launch party to happen a month sooner than it should have. He’s probably right, but I don’t tell him that. He’d kill Jeff if he knew that.
“Yeah, still tired, but much better. My stomach seems to have calmed some. And no, please don’t call Jeff; I need him pissed at me
like I need a hole in my head. I miss you so much,” I tell him, my heart speeding up just from talking to him.
“I miss you too baby.” H
is seductive voice makes me ache for him to be inside me. Even this sickness hasn’t dampened my sex drive, and it’s been too long since I’ve seen Drew. “So, I finally got Chad to give me a definite for next Saturday.”
“And...” Silence. “Drew
! Stop keeping me waiting.” I can’t believe I’m actually stomping my foot in frustration like a petulant teenager.
“And he managed to alter the schedule so I’ll be finished out here by that
morning. I have a flight that lands in New York at 5pm on the 8
th
and I won’t have to come back out here the following week either.” I can hear his excitement mixed with apprehension through the phone.
“So that’s great!
Right? The party doesn’t start until 9; the celebrities don’t start arriving until 10 or so. You should be here in plenty of time to make it. I’m just sorry that you’ll be on a plane on your birthday.” I roll my eyes as I mention the celebrities. It’s just so ridiculous.
“Actually, I’m hoping we could meet at your place and go together. I wanted to see you before we go.”
Good, I can tell him about my parents in private at the same time.
“That’s perfect. Just so you know, Leah made me promise that I wouldn’t revoke her invite just because you’re coming with me, so we’ll see her there. She doesn’t want to ride with us though, she’ll feel too much like a third-wheel. Her words, not mine.” I laugh.
He chuckles, “Yes, that’s fine. As long as we’re alone before we go to the party.”
I hope he isn’t thinking we’re going to have time to fool around. Not that I won’t want to, but I’m sure I’ll already have my hair and makeup done, and I need time to talk to him
without him distracting me with his sinful body and skilled hands. “We will be, don’t worry. I’m so excited, Drew. You being there is going to make this potentially shitty night so much better, so long as you don’t actually throat punch Adam that is.”
“I can’t make any promises about that, Sydney. He needs to keep his hands
and disgusting thoughts to himself. I just hope you’re glad that I’m there with you at the party,” he says sadly.
“Sydney! We need you over here!” The booming voice of my foreman, Greg, is echoing across the entire club and I see, Bethany Williams,
an assistant from the firm, gesturing for me to come over.
“Drew, I’m sorry, I have to go. They’re calling for me. Thank you so much for agreeing to go with me. Tell Chad thanks too.”
“I will baby, you’re welcome. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I have a late night of work today.”
“Okay, bye.” I end the call and stuff my phone in my pocket, a huge smile on my face. Finally, things are getting a little less gloom and doom for me.
Chapter
26
I don’t know how I found time to leave the club, but here I am on the 4
th
floor of Bergdorf’s, shopping for dresses with Leah again.
God I hate this kind of thing
. I told her I wouldn’t go unless she agreed to use a personal shopper because I refuse to stomp all over the store to find dresses for the opening of Verve.
The shopper put several dresses in our sizes in a room for us to try on. I insisted on us sharing a fitting room, otherwise Leah would try to sneak out and roam the department for dresses on her own.
“Syd, this party is going to be the biggest club opening in over a decade. Several entertainment magazines plus the Post and the Times said so.” Leah unzips another dress and puts it back on a hanger. “Apparently it’s the hottest party in town if you’ve can get on the list, which is next to impossible.”
“Leah!” I shoot daggers at her.
“Stop telling me this stuff! You know I don’t want to hear anything printed about any of that crap. It’s just making me more nervous.”
“Okay, okay!”
She tries on a black lace Dolce & Gabbana mini-dress and I zip it up for her. “But you know, Adam has done several more interviews and he mentions the club every time. He has the hots for you girl.”
“Jesus Leah! I asked you to stop! And he doesn’t have the hots for me. He never even suggested that he was interested in me
that way. Not once. All he’s doing is bringing very unwelcome attention to me with all of this shit.”
“
Okay, sorry! He doesn’t even know your last name so chill out. It’s not like anyone’s going to figure out who you are.”
“Leah, you and I both know that the press is nothing if not persistent and could find out who I was in a heartbeat if they had even just that tiny bit of information.”
“Yeah, I know.” She twirls in front of me in the D&G. “Well? What do you think?”
“Wow! That
’s the one. It’s perfect.”
She’s so gorgeous in the dress that the celebrities will pale in comparison.
“I need to be hot so I can find a new man, Syd.”
For God’s sake
!
Leah’s always on the lookout for a new guy. I hope she chooses better this time.
“Every guy there will be worshipping at your feet if you wear that, Leah.”
And they will. I mean, in just her regular jeans and T-shirt, she has dozens of admirers at the café. They come in every day under the guise of wanting a coffee, then they either ask her out or sit around and stare at her. She always says no to their requests for a date. She says it’s bad business to date customers.
I fall in love with a black and white botanical print, silk, belted A-line by Jason Wu. It has a crisscross plunging halter in front and is backless to just above the bottom of my spine. The fluted
hemline shows off my toned legs. It’s the sexiest little dress I’ve ever worn.
We let the shopper bring us dozens of shoes to wear with our dresses. Leah tells me that comfort is not a priority for Saturday, so I somehow end up with silver 4” Jimmy Choo sandals with a thick silver chain for an ankle strap. Leah goes all out and ends up with a 5” Giuseppi Zanotti black calfskin sandal, with gold metal leaves that wrap around the top of her foot and ankle.
She tried on so many I was about to stab her with a stiletto. I have so much other stuff to do besides shoe shopping that I nearly cry with relief when she picks out the Zanottis. When Leah suggests accessory shopping and I give her a look so venomous that she shrinks back in fear.
We get i
n the car with only our shoes. The dresses will be tailored and sent to our homes in two days. “Do you think Drew knows how to dress for one of these things? Should I call him and let him know…” I stop when I notice that Leah is giving me an incredulous look. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
She rolls her eyes.
“Sydney, I think he knows exactly how to dress for the party. That’s one thing I’m sure you don’t have to worry about.”
Her dry tone makes me feel kind of stupid
, but I’m not sure why.
“Yeah, he has money and obviously knows people. He’s probably been to a lot of high class functions, rubbing elbows with celebrities.” I make those annoying little air quotes around the word celebrities.
Leah and I laugh our asses off the rest of the way home. Somehow, I get the feeling we are laughing at different things.
Chapter
27
Even though last five and a half weeks dragged on endlessly, it seems as though I blinked and it’s already March 8
th
. How did it get here so fast, when every day seemed to never end?
I spend the morning pacing my bedroom which makes me so anxious and edgy that I decide to go for a long run to relax. I’ve been feeling much better
physically, so I want to get back into my exercise routine. I pop in my ear buds, crank up Radiohead and put in some miles.
I devote my run
to thinking about the conversation I’m going to have with Drew later. A conversation I’ve never had with anyone. Ever. I’m nervous, but I’ve also accepted that this has to happen.
Drew is so protective of me, that I know he’ll understand why my parents took me from L.A. and why I avoid everything Hollywood. He would want me safe from that crap too. That’s why I trust him completely with my secret. I can’t wait to tear down the wall that I’ve kept up for so long and let him know all of me.
As I run past the piers, I smile so wide that people who see me can’t help but smile back. So this is what it feels like to be in love. You act stupid out in public and it rubs off on everyone around you. I’m okay with that.
I get back to my loft and take a quick shower. I hired a hairdresser and makeup artist to come over, courtesy of the Warren Hotel, and they’re due to be here in an hour. My dress arrived two days ago and it fits perfectly. Drew should be calling me soon to let
me know that his flight landed safely. I spoke to him before I went running and he was on his way to the airport. Everything seems to be falling into place.
The concierge rings as I’m grabbing a quick snack to stop my nervous stomach. I tell him to let my guests up to my floor.
Minutes later, there’s a loud knock on my door.
“Hi! I’m Sasha,” says a spunky girl with lots of piercings and pink tips in her hair as she hauls a massive makeup case into my foyer. She jab
s a finger back toward the door. “That’s Michael.”
I see a tall man with perfectly styled
blonde hair walk in behind her. “Hi, you must be Sydney. I’m Michael, hairdresser extraordinaire.”
“Hi, Sasha, Michael, come in please.” I usher them into my loft and show them where to set up their supplies.
As they’re getting ready I realize that it’s already six o’clock and still no call from Drew. I grab my phone and notice he left a message several hours ago. Probably when I was running. I hit replay and listen to his seductive voice,
Hey babe, I’m still at the airport in LA, my flight is delayed. They think we’ll be in around 7 or so. Try to wait for me before you leave. I know you have to be there, but I really want to talk to you before we go. Miss you.
I hang up and stand in the hallway freaking out. He has to be here for this. I need him to keep my nerves in check.
I dial him back. Of course it goes straight to voicemail, he called hours ago. He’s sure to be on the plane right now. Crap, I can only hope he gets here in time for me to tell him about my past and
go over to Verve together. But I guess I can tell him tomorrow morning. I sigh, it’s not ideal but it can wait.
I wonder what he wants to talk
about?
Squeezing my eyes shut, I count to ten and head toward my room to let Sasha and Michael work their magic on my too skinny, too tired face and my overgrown messy head of hair.
By seven, I’m styled, made-up and have slipped into my gorgeous Jason Wu. I love what they’ve done. Michael gave my long auburn hair big shiny waves that he pinned to cascade over one shoulder so my exposed back would be a focal point. Sasha gave me dark smoky eyes highlighted with a tiny bit of silver. My lashes are thick and long and make my blue eyes look huge. She went for subtle blush and lipstick with just a hint of pink so I don’t look washed out.
I look young. I look like a normal twenty-four year old going to a nightclub should look. I put in my diamond teardrop earrings and am ready to go.
Checking myself out in the full length mirror, I’m a taken aback. I look almost exactly like my mother did when she was younger; except her hair is a rich, dark brown and I have my dad’s fuller lips and blue eyes. Are people going to see her in me and figure it out? I have to sit in front of my bedroom window to stop panicking. I don’t want to ruin my makeup by nervously sweating all night.
It’s 8pm and four more calls to Drew have all gone straight to voicemail, indicating that his phone is still off. I groan in frustration. I have no choice but to leave and hope he meets me there. Jeff wants
me to be there no later than 9pm, so I can greet people as they start to arrive. The tour for the CEO and CFO went off without a hitch, they loved everything they saw.
Thank God for small miracles.
They’re both going to be there tonight, so it’s important that I’m not late for the big unveiling of their flagship nightclub. Plus, I have to be there to show Adam around personally, one of the sticking points of my deal to be his “date”. I haven’t seen him since I found out that he’s super-famous or since Drew told me he thinks he’s an ass and wants to pound him into a small stain on the sidewalk, so… that won’t be awkward or anything.
Richard helps me into the sleek black Mercedes that has been waiting out front for the last hour and a half. “You look gorgeous, Miss Allen. I hope your party is a big success. You deserve it after all of those weekends you put in at work.” Richard smiles kindly at me and I give him a hug and peck on the cheek for his thoughtfulness, careful not to mess up Sasha’s meticulous makeup.
“I hope so too, Richard. Thank you so much.” I slide across the luxurious gray leather seat and apologize to the driver for my tardiness. He smiles and tells me it’s no problem and smoothly pulls the car out into the Saturday night traffic, heading uptown.
We get within a half a block of the Warren and I can see the giant crowd that
swells out from the sidewalk and onto the busy street. Traffic out front is snarled up from the throng of people. Spotlights have been installed to light the front of the hotel brighter than the Vegas strip. I’m too far away to see individual faces, but I can see a lot of cameras. Reporters with microphones and people waving pens and paper to get autographs of their favorite celebrities when they start arriving are crowding the red carpet, pressing against the ropes that were set up to allow guests to pass safely.
Suppressing the panic that I feel rising up, I instruct my driver to go around to the back entrance of the hotel, where the deliveries arrive. I sent Jeff a text when we left and he should have someone at the service entrance to let me in. I wait in the car and try Drew one last time.
Straight to voicemail, crap. Then I hear his sexy voice and a flood of heat shoots through me in anticipation of seeing him tonight after weeks apart,
“It’s Drew, now you say something…”
“Ummm, hey babe, I guess your flight is much later than we thought it would be. I have to go over to the hotel, so when you get in, just head on over. I won’t be able to carry my phone since I don’t want to lug a purse around all night. So ummm, find me when you get to the club or just ask an employee to get me, you’re on the list. Okay, bye.”
I tuck my phone back into my bag. I brought my work files in case anyone had any questions about products, and I brought business cards. A few other necessities like lipstick and breath mints are tucked into the inner pocket with my wallet. I plan on stowing my messenger bag behind the bar so I can just pull it out if I need anything. I can’t exactly wear my beat up leather portfolio across my designer cocktail dress and I certainly can’t fit it all into a dainty little clutch.
A hyperactive hotel employee with an earpiece and a clipboard eagerly greets me at the back door.
“Hi Miss Allen! I’m Stephanie and I’m going to escort you up to Verve. Isn’t this exciting? I can’t believe some of the people who are coming tonight!”
She is babbling incessantly about the party, and how awesome it’s going to be and how great this celebrity is and that television personality is and she can’t wait to meet them. I eventually have to just tune her out and say “
Wow
” or “
Uh huh
” whenever there’s a pause in conversation, which isn’t happening very often. Mostly, I just follow behind her and try not to break an ankle in my Jimmy Choos as she speed walks through the hotel loading dock.
Security gr
eets us at the elevators and Stephanie starts right in on the burly man. “Hi Alec, this is Sydney Allen, she’s on the list. She designed the club, can you believe it?”
Alec rolls his eyes at her enthusiasm and checks his list. He allows us to get into the private elevator that goes straight to the club level at the top of the hotel. None of the other elevators
will go up to the nightclub tonight, and the stairwell doors to the floor have been locked from the outside so no one can sneak in, but people can still get out if there’s an emergency.
Nervous sweat starts to make my palms slippery, damn. I wish Drew were here to calm me down. I clench my hands in
to fists and stare holes into the digital sign that shows the floor numbers fly by as we’re whisked up to meet my massive anxieties face-to-face. I take a few cleansing breaths and the elevator doors open.
Stepping out, I’m greeted by another assistant with an earpiece and a clipboard. My
overexcited friend has stayed in the elevator to go back down to the lobby to greet more guests.
“Hi Miss Allen.
Jeff and the other managers are doing a final walkthrough. You should be able to meet up with them at the main bar.”
“Thanks,” I say to her as I prepare to
face my worst nightmare.
Okay Sydney,
it’s game time. You’ve managed to read up on your dad, you’re going to let someone into your life; you can face this fear too.
I give myself my
little pep talk as I stow my bag behind the bar.
“Sydney my dear!
You look gorgeous!” Ben Walton’s booming voice grabs my attention from across the room.
I see the gray-haired CFO of the Warren Hotel Group walking toward me confidently. Behind him, Jeff Talley, Natasha Lin and the CEO Sander Yates are following slowly, chatting with each other and smiling. All of them are impeccably dressed and ready to kiss up to all of the important people that will be here tonight.
“Mr. Walton, aren’t you dashing tonight.” He leans in and kisses my cheek, then stands back to appreciate my dress. Sixty-two year old Ben Walton has been running the Warren Hotel Group’s financial matters for the last fifteen years. Distinguished and handsome in his dark suit, he’s a very charming man. I like him a lot.
“Beautiful dress, Sydney, just beautiful.
The club looks remarkable. The work you have done here is no less than the best I’ve seen. Sander and I have been talking business; we can discuss it another time with you, but let’s just say we hope to see more of your work in Warren Hotels in the future.” He moves his hands in a sweeping gesture of the room to indicate how much he loves the space.
“Thank you so much Mr. Walton, your satisfaction means the world to me.”
“Let’s have a toast. This is a celebration isn’t it?” Sander Yates says as he motions to a bartender and in minutes we are each holding a glass flute of Veuve Clicquot. “I’d like to thank everyone for their hard work making the initial rebranding of the Warren Hotel nightclubs an astounding success. And special thanks to this young lady here for her brilliant designs, and her ‘special’ connections that have made this the most important party of the year.” He winks at me when he says special connections.
Ewwww
.
“To Verve!”
We all join in and clink glasses and sip our champagne.
When an assistant runs over to breathlessly let us know that people are beginning to arrive, I turn my back and down my entire glass in two quick gulps.
Come on liquid courage, don’t fail me now!
Smoothing my hands down the front of my dress one last time, I paste on my best fake smile. It’s time to face my fears.
An hour later I
’m shocked to find myself having an enjoyable time. Leah is here, helping me navigate the who’s who since I don’t recognize ninety percent of the faces in the club. There are several older actors that I remember from my childhood, I think I’ve even met some of them way back when, but most of the guests are around my age so I wouldn’t have a clue who they are.
Leah gets giddy over a few of the young men, which surprises me since she’s not one to be easily impressed by celebrity.
“Oh my God Sydney, that’s Ryker Bancroft!” she shrieks in my ear.
“Jesus Leah, don’t break my eardrum.” I look in the direction she’s indicated and see a guy that I don’t recognize. “I have no idea who that is.”
“Ugh! It’s impossible to talk to you about some stuff. He’s the star of the
Quantum Stranger Trilogy
, Syd.” I give her a blank look and she puts her hands on her hips, glaring at me. “Come on! Haven’t you read those books? They’re unbelievable! And he plays the hero of the story.”
“I’m sorry Leah, I haven’t read them.
” The exasperated look on her face lets me know that she’s not happy with me.