Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Brielle
After taking Stella to the park for a couple of hours, I dropped her off with my mom and headed to Bergdorf’s. When I arrived, I asked for Lila. After waiting a few moments, a tall, slim, dark-haired woman approached me.
“You must be Emmy.” She smiled as she held out her perfectly manicured hand. “I’m Lila.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lila.”
“You as well. Follow me, and I’ll take you to the fitting room where your dresses are hanging.”
When I entered the fitting room, I saw three dresses hanging on the hooks. One was red, one black, and the other a champagne color.
“Mr. Chamberlain specifically picked these three out for you. Try on whichever you want first, and we’ll go from there.” She smiled. “I’ll be right out there waiting.”
I rolled my eyes as she left the room and stripped out of my clothes. The first dress I tried on was the red one. It was an off-the-shoulder mermaid gown by designer Zac Posen. Before I slipped into it, I glanced at the price tag: $4,990. Good lord. I’d never worn a dress this expensive. I put it on and walked out of the room to show Lila.
“Beautiful. Simply beautiful. What do you think?” she asked.
“I like it. It’s a perfect fit.”
“I like it too. If you didn’t notice, it also has an extended back train. Go try on another one.”
The second dress I tried was a champagne-colored, Samar-beaded glitter tulle gown with a plunging neckline by designer Jenny Packman. This dress was a little cheaper, priced at $3,990. I walked out of the room and stepped in front of the three-way mirror.
“That’s lovely, but I feel the red dress was more you,” Lila spoke.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. I’ll go try on the last one.”
I pulled the embroidered-tulle, V-neck mermaid gown by designer Monique Lhuillier from the hanger and slipped into it. This was the one. I stepped in front of the three-way mirror, and Lila walked over.
“Oh my. Simply gorgeous,” she spoke. “What do you think?”
“I think this is perfect for the evening.”
“I agree.” She grinned. “Go change your clothes, and we’ll head to the shoe department. I have the perfect Jimmy Choo shoes that will be stunning with that dress.”
After changing and trying on the Jimmy Choo stiletto black heels with the peep toe, she placed the dress in a garment bag and the box of shoes in a department store bag and handed them to me.
“Have a wonderful evening. You’re a very lucky woman to be in the presence of Caden Chamberlain.” She smiled.
I forced a smile and thanked her.
“By the way, should I return these tomorrow?”
“No. No, darling. They’re yours to keep. Mr. Chamberlain purchased those for you.”
“Oh. Okay. Thank you.”
I texted Ben and told him I was leaving the store. He was waiting for me when I walked out of the large glass doors.
“Looks like you did well,” he said as he grabbed my bags.
“That’s ten thousand dollars’ worth of stuff you’re holding.” I smiled. “Apparently, Mr. Chamberlain wants me to stand out amongst all the other women tonight.”
“Considering what he’s paying you, you should.” He smirked as he opened the car door for me.
Caden
I tucked in my shirt, put on my cufflinks, dabbed on some of my Armani cologne, and put on my black tuxedo coat. Standing in front of the mirror, I made sure my bowtie was straight. Walking to the safe in my closet, I opened it, removed thirty thousand dollars in cash, and tucked it into my bag. Heading to the lobby, I climbed into the back of my limo and had my driver, Charles, take me to the Chatwal Hotel. When I arrived, the concierge promptly greeted me and handed me my key card. Stepping inside the suite, I set my bag in the bedroom and walked over to the bar, where a bottle of bourbon was waiting for me.
I had waited for this night all week. My desire to fuck Emmy Pine grew more profound every day. It was all I thought about, and it was all I wanted. One night with her was all I needed. I wasn’t patient, and the anticipation of discovering what was underneath her clothes was killing me. I called down to the bar and had them bring up a gin martini, neat with a twist of lemon. She’d be here in a few minutes, and I was sure she’d want a drink before heading down to the event.
Brielle
I climbed into the car and took in a deep breath. This reminded me of the first time I saw a client. I grew out of nervousness over the years because I was always in control. But somehow, I didn’t feel in control of tonight and wasn’t sure why.
Ben pulled up to the Chatwal Hotel, opened the door for me, and helped me out.
“You look beautiful, Brielle. Have fun tonight.”
“Thanks, Ben. I’ll try.”
“If you need me, call. I can be here in a flash.”
“I will, but I don’t think it’ll be necessary.”
I walked through the open door of the hotel, where the doorman greeted me with a nod and a smile.
“Good evening, Miss. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
“Thank you. I’m sure I will.”
“May I help you?” A tall man with a cheery smile approached me.
“I’m meeting Mr. Chamberlain in his suite.”
“Very good. Just take the elevator up to the top floor.”
I smiled at him, and he pushed the button to the elevator for me. Once the doors opened, I nervously took it up to the top floor. Once I approached his room, I lightly knocked on the door. When it opened, Caden handsomely stood there, his eyes raking over me as the corners of his mouth curved upward.
“You look absolutely stunning,” he spoke as he held out his hand.
“Thank you.” I placed my hand in his and stepped inside. “This is really nice.” I looked around. “I’m going to place my bag in the bedroom.”
“Of course,” he spoke.
After setting my bag down, I walked out into the living area, where he was waiting for me with a glass in his hand.
“I had the bar make this for you.” He smiled as he handed it to me. “Just how you like it.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you.”
This was definitely a change for me. I was always the one offering my clients drinks. Not the other way around. I took a sip to try and ease the nervousness that was inside me. A nervousness that shouldn’t have been there.
“Your eyes are blue—an incredibly beautiful shade of blue. Don’t get me wrong, they were beautiful green, but I think blue suits you best. By the way, I was secretly hoping you’d pick that dress. It looks beautiful on you.”
“Thank you, Caden. And thanks for the dress and the shoes.”
“You’re welcome. I have a question for you. Do you tell people what you do for work? I suspect you don’t, considering you disguise yourself.”
“As far as anyone outside my very small circle is concerned, I’m a freelance marketing consultant.”
“Excellent. So, if anyone asks, we met through my company. If you’re ready, we should head downstairs.” He held out his arm.
I hooked my arm around him, and we went to the ballroom where the event was held. It was a fundraising event for a new wing at Mount Sinai Hospital. All eyes turned to us as if we were royalty when we walked in. Men smiled and nodded at Caden as the women stared me up and down.