Chapter 6
Marcy
Well the day is finally here and I’m not any more ready than I was when Sebastian presented me with the idea of throwing this party. I know it’s going to be extravagant. There’s a part of me that doesn”t think there is anything to celebrate since my brother won’t be there, but there’s also a part of me that wants people to know his sacrifice. I know it’s been years and years but I haven’t moved on from the fact that he isn’t on this Earth with me anymore. I don’t know if I ever will. Some days are easier to breathe than others but there is always this shadow following me, reminding me that my favorite person died overseas.
After I shower, I go to my walk-in closet and pull out the dress I bought for the occasion. It’s a beautiful green satin long sleeved dress. The neckline cuts into a low v showing off my abundant breasts, the satin then flows from my chest, which has a slimming effect on my curves. I’m definitely not small by any means but I’m finally happy with my shape. I used to be self-conscious when I was younger, but I grew into them and cultivated the confidence I needed to pull off this figure. The dress hits my legs just above my knees making me decide to pair it with brown knee-high boots. As I look in the mirror, the finished ensemble excites me. I decided to wear my long red locks down and painted a beautiful shadowy eye to go with the outfit. I feel good. I feel confident and I can’t help but admit that I’m a little excited for this party.
I may or may not have gotten this outfit to impress a growly looking sex god. Surely after tonight he won’t see me as his best friend’s younger sister anymore. As we grew up, the difference in our ages became less and less extreme. I don’t see anything wrong with being with an older man. Whoa, slow down Marcy. You don’t even know if he’s with someone or not. He could be married for all you know. My stomach plummets as I look back to the mirror. I guess I didn’t think about the possibility that he could be married. I mean the man is forty-five for Pete’s sake. I’m sure he’s had many women while here I am, a thirty-six-year-old virgin.
My fingers trail down the smooth satin and for a moment I want to call the whole thing off.
“You know what? I’m not going down that road. If he’s married then it wasn’t meant to be. I might meet someone else tonight. This party isn’t about him anyways. It’s about Matthew and me and the fact that I’m so badass at my job my clients want to celebrate me. Put on your big girl panties, Marcy, and go to that damn party. You deserve it.” My little pep talk seems to have done the trick. I check my appearance once more as I grab my jacket. Tonight is going to be one for the books. I just know it.
Sebastian texts alerting me that my driver has arrived and is waiting for me downstairs, so I hurry out the door then down the elevator. My boots clink against the ceramic floor in the lobby as I rush to the car. Excitement courses through me when I see the limousine waiting for me. I haven’t been in one since my eighth grade dance, the one Sam helped me get ready for. Flutters erupt in my tummy. I haven”t thought of that day in so long.
I hear someone clear their throat and I see a gentleman is there waiting for me. As I approach him he opens the door for me.
“Miss Hillary,” he gestures toward the open door.
“Yes, thank you.” I take his hand as I slide into the car.
“You’re very welcome. My name is Charles if you need anything at all.” He closes the door behind me then enters the driver’s seat. He rolls down the window partition and says, “There is champagne back there if you would like some.” I see the fancy bottle but decide to wait until I get to the hotel to have anything to drink. I don’t want to overdo it tonight and get sloshed.
I watch out the window as all the lights go twinkling by. Nerves and excitement threaten to overwhelm me but after taking a few deep breaths I’m able to calm myself a bit.
Drawing closer to Hotel Chantelle”s entrance, I find myself captivated by its undeniable grace. Despite passing by numerous times, I hadn”t truly appreciated its opulent allure until now. Charles stops in front of the doors and parks the car before stepping out to open the door for me. I can’t help but to feel like I’m in some sort of fairytale. I take his hand then step out of the limo. Grabbing my clutch tightly, I confidently walk into the lobby of the hotel. Before I arrive at the visitors desk, I am approached by a bellhop.
“Miss Hillary, we have been waiting for you. If you will please follow me to the rooftop, the rest of your party is here. Would you like me to take your jacket?” he asks. I nod and turn, allowing him to pull it from my shoulders. He takes the jacket and heads for the bank of elevators. Following behind, he presses the button to go up. Once inside, we go straight to the top. I’m not prepared for the sight that hits me when the doors open to the rooftop. The whole place looks professionally decorated with black and gold balloons and streamers.
Lizzie and Stormy are the first to greet me by nearly trampling me to the ground. Their excitement is contagious.
“Marcy! You made it!” Lizzie shouts as she squeezes me tightly.
“You look absolutely stunning, Marcy!” Stormy croons over the music playing.
“Thank you both for putting this together. You look beautiful as well,” I reply as the two finally pull away from me. Sebastian and Miles are close behind the girls and each pull me into a tight embrace.
“This all looks amazing, you guys. You all didn’t have to go through so much trouble for me,” I tell them but they aren’t having it.
“That’s nonsense. You are like part of the family and you have done more for us than we could ever repay.” Sebastian smirks and playfully bumps my shoulder. I try to disagree but Miles jumps in and confirms what his brother said.
“He’s right. You are an honorary Knight. Now, let’s get you a drink.” The girls flank my sides with their arms threaded through my own as we walk up to the open bar.
“I love this dress so much,” Stormy gushes. “I love satin,” Lizzie pipes up and I internally give myself a pat on the back for choosing a dress that I thought was outside of my comfort zone. However I was able to pull it off and I feel comfortable and confident. Exactly what I want to feel on a night that is celebrating me.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asks as he leans over the bar toward me.
“Hmm, I think I want a Cosmopolitan. I haven’t had one in a while.” He nods his head and slings a towel over his shoulder as he gets to work making my drink.
“I’ll be back soon. Sarah just got here,” Lizzie says as she trots off toward our mutual friend. As I look around, it’s crazy that I know most of these people either from working with them in the past or through mutual encounters with the Knight family.
“Here you go, Miss.” The bartender places the drink down on a napkin in front of me. It looks delicious with a bright red hue from the cranberry juice and the lemon peel garnish. Taking a sip, I close my eyes and let the tangy taste flood my senses.
“How is it?” Stormy questions as she takes a sip of her own drink.
“Delicious. Just what I needed,” I say. Sebastian comes over to lead Stormy to the dance floor and I use the reprieve to take a look around at all the guests and decorations that I missed when I first came in. I look over to a darkened corner but before I can tell who is there, Amelia Knight appears before me. She is always regal whenever I see her and tonight is no different. I guess being the matriarch of such a prestigious family calls for a certain level of class.
“Happy birthday, my dear. I was thrilled when Miles called to inform me that you finally accepted his offer. You do so much for this family, it”s time we celebrate you.” She gestures to the bartender who obviously already knows what she is drinking and he gets to work.
“Thank you, Mrs. Knight. I appreciate your boys putting this together for me. It means so much.” Amelia nods then picks up her new drink and takes a delicate sip.
“You know you can call me Amelia, dear. We’ve known each other for years.” She grasps my arm and leads me over to a high-top table where we set our drinks. Fortunately, there are tall heaters on this rooftop, or it would be too cold for a party. Guests come up to me one right after another to wish me a happy birthday and I start to get overwhelmed until Sarah cuts in.
She gives me a hug. “You look exquisite, Marcy.” I smile at her kind words. She would tell me the truth so the fact that she is raving about the outfit has me feeling more at ease.
“Did you persuade Travis to come with you?” I look around and don’t see him.
“Yes, he’s here somewhere. I think the guys said something about getting out some really old cigars.” She shrugs her shoulders and smiles.
“That sounds about right.” I laugh at her rolling eyes. “Are Nora and Ally here yet?” I inquire.
“I haven’t seen them but I’m sure they will be here any minute. Nora wouldn’t miss this.” I nod and take another sip of my drink.
“Excuse me ladies, could I have this dance?” The handsome gentleman bows slightly and holds his hand out waiting for me to accept. I look at Sarah as a huge grin spreads across her face. I feel like he’s making an extravagant show of asking me but I can’t find it in myself to care. I suddenly like the attention.
I place my drink down along with my clutch as I slide my hand into the stranger’s warm hand.
“Sure.” He smiles as he straightens then leads me to the dance floor. He graciously spins me around then pulls my body against his, grabbing my waist. The gesture seems almost too intimate for someone that I don’t know.
“My name is Alexander Caldwell,” he whispers into the shell of my ear as we turn about the dance floor. His warm breath raises the hairs on the back of my neck and for some reason I feel unease with him.
“I’m Marcy,” I mention looking out at the crowd for anyone to save me before he twirls me out again. As I swing back into his arms he grabs my waist tighter.
“I know. I’m business partners with Miles and Sebastian and they pointed you out. Forgive me for being forward but you are very attractive.” Being a virgin, you would think I’m na?ve but I’m quite the opposite. I guess growing up with an overprotective older brother taught me to look for red flags. And this guy only has one thing on his mind and that’s getting lucky tonight. He seems nice enough but I came here with one man in mind and I won’t be able to rid him from my thoughts until I see his face again.
“Th-thank you, Alexander,” I rush out. Now I’m extremely uncomfortable but also hate to be rude to someone that works with Miles and Sebastian. I feel stuck.
“Please call me, Xander.” He spins me again and I’m momentarily shocked by his moves then I see him. I see Samuel Knight standing in the darkened corner that I was sure someone was standing in earlier. His eyes are on mine as if penetrating my soul. He doesn’t look happy to see me. Honestly, he looks pissed off to see me here on the dance floor. I try to look away but my eyes can’t help but to wander back to him.
“Marcy?” My focus comes back to Xander as I look up at him to see a questioning look in his eyes.
“Sorry, what did you say?” I ask as I try to keep my attention on him but my eyes yearn to seek out Samuel again. When I look back, he’s vanished almost like he was never there to begin with.
“I was asking if you would like to have a drink with me.” The song comes to an end but he continues to hold me tightly. I take a step back to think of what I’m going to say to get out of spending more time with him but there aren’t any words coming out of my mouth. Just as I’m about to give a response, a large dark figure looms behind me.
“She promised me the next dance,” the deep gravelly voice announces. As I turn around, I’m shocked to see Samuel standing before me. The pictures I found on the internet did not do him justice. He’s very tall, around 6’4”, and pure muscle. He always had some muscles when we were younger but now he looks like he was built like a tank. His boyish defined jaw transformed into strong and masculine. A hint of a tattoo can be seen peeking out of the collar of his shirt. In many ways he looks like the boy I always knew, just grown up. He looks down at me with a ghost of a smile crossing his lips. Taking my hand in his, he pulls me to the center of the dance floor. Neither of us have spoken a word but they don’t seem necessary. He brings his other hand to settle on my waist, a little lower than Xander did and a thrill shoots through my body at his touch. My heart is beating out of my chest and all I can think about is when Samuel taught me how to dance when I was in eighth grade.
“Look me in the eyes, Marcy, not down at your feet,” Samuel murmurs as the music begins to play on my boombox. I look up into his eyes and he nods. He takes my hand in his then his other hand grasps my waist pulling our bodies closer.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I confess as I close my eyes, casting my head away from his. Samuel drops my hand and cups my chin forcing me to look up at him.
“That’s what I’m here for. I’ll teach you everything you need to know, sunshine. There won’t be a boy there that will pass up a chance to dance with you.” He skims his fingers down my cheek and takes a hold of my hand again. “Now, follow my lead.” I nod, keeping my eyes locked on his. As he moves around the garage, I move along with him.
I get caught up in the motions and step on his foot accidently. Instantly I drop his hand and step away, too embarrassed to look at him. I probably broke his toe with how much I weigh.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going, princess? We aren’t done.” He comes over to me and takes up his stance again.
It’s not the first time he’s called me that, but every time he does I want to melt in a puddle on the floor. I think he started calling me that one night when we were down in the basement playing a video game. I was upset about something and the endearment was born. I never complained because I loved hearing it.
“I can’t do this, Sam. I’m not meant to be a dancer. I just stepped on your foot and probably hurt you.” Tears spring to the corners of my eyes threatening to fall. I try to look at anything but the beautiful boy in front of me. I knew this wasn’t a good idea. I don’t even have a date to the dance yet and who’s going to ask me? I’m an overweight girl with unmanageable red hair. I don’t scream popular by any means.
“Listen to me. You’re going to that dance. I know what you’re thinking and you didn’t hurt me, not by a long shot. Now, let’s try again.” Another song starts up and we move along to the beat. This time I’m getting more confident and don’t feel so self-conscious. Samuel twirls me and pulls me back into his body, his eyes never straying from mine. My breath hitches at his intense gaze he has on me and my cheeks flame.
“See? You’re a natural, Marcy. Those middle school boys don’t know what they’re missing out on.” Samuel gives me a wink and my heart flutters in my chest. I have never loved anyone the way I do Samuel. But I know I’m just Matthew’s younger sister to him. He won’t ever look at me the same way I look at him. My heart rejects the notion and continues to hold on to that fleeting chance that maybe, someday. The song comes to an end just as Matthew steps into the garage. Our bubble bursts and we are back to the real world.
“Hey man, you want to go shoot some hoops? Oh, and mom wants you to come help her cook dinner, Marcy.” I reluctantly step away from Samuel and run into the house to help my mother. I didn’t know that would be the last time the two of us were alone together. Everything came crashing down after that.