Chapter 15 #3
He reaches into his inside pocket, pulls something out with his hand and moves behind me.
He reaches around my neck and fastens a dainty chain.
There’s a pendant attached. A diamond encrusted circle with a heart shaped diamond suspended from the center.
The length of the chain allows it to sit just below the hollow of my throat. It’s stunning.
“It’s an eternity necklace,” Denham says quietly. “Wherever you are. Whatever happens. I want you to have this to remember tonight.”
Several things flash through my mind. What’s going to happen? Does he know something I don’t? His words couldn’t be more poignant if he tried.
“Don’t overthink, Stunner.” He brushes his knuckle down my cheek and holds my gaze in the mirror in front of us “You’ve made me aware that before I met you, I was just existing.
But you made me feel. You made me realize that every day counts.
You never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next.
And, like you said if we have fifty days or fifty years, we need to make every one of them count. This is just me making today count.”
I feel tears prick the backs of my eyes. He’s right. So right.
“Nuh uh.” He shakes his head gently. “No crying, you’ll ruin your make-up. Besides, there’s a selfish reason behind it …”
I tilt my head at him curiously and he leans in to whisper in my ear, “Later, I get to unwrap you out of this dress and see you in heels and diamonds.”
His breath sends tingles across my skin, and I feel him smile against my cheek as he pulls away.
“Now, let’s get your sexy ass downstairs or your best friend will be hammering on the door.”
***
The minute Lottie sees me exit the elevator, she runs across the foyer squealing. How she can run on a marble floor in heels is beyond me, but she does it.
“Ari, you look fucking amazing! Good job you didn’t have to wear that piece of shit I made you buy the other day, huh?”
“Lottie!”
“What? We both know that black number wasn’t a patch on this baby. And Rocara too. Lucky bitch.”
“Babe,” Spike says softly from behind her. “You could’a had any dress you wanted, all you had to do was choose one.”
“I know,” she says, looping her hand around his waist and snuggling under his arm. “I chose this one.”
“So stubborn,” Spike mumbles, and I shake my head at her. She really is the most stubborn person I’ve ever met. I admire her independence, but even I can see that she’s missing out by being so tough.
“The limo is waiting,” Denham says. He takes my hand and we walk out of the foyer, being followed by everyone’s eyes. A lot of the people there are visitors and have no idea about the Grand Summertime Ball, so we look overdressed compared to most.
“I thought you said the next time we were in a limo, we would be alone?” I whisper to Denham as we set off to the venue.
He snaps his head toward me with a comical look on his face.
“Don’t even think about it, Stunner. It was bad enough last time, but now …
ah damn. Shoulda left them to get their own ride,” he mumbles, trailing off as he turns his focus out of the window.
He squeezes my hand, which is joined with his, and resting in my lap.
“How long will it take to get there?” I ask.
“Long enough for you to drink this and possibly one more,” Lottie replies, handing me a glass of champagne. “I want to propose a toast,” she announces, passing a glass to Denham too. “To the first summertime ball with my best friend. May we get drunk and dance on the tables.”
We all clink glasses, and Denham and Spike look at each other, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.
There is no way that Lottie will get me dancing on any tables, no matter how drunk I get.
And besides, I won’t be getting too drunk, because I’m looking forward to what’s to come when we get home as much as I am the rest of the evening.
The limo travels just out of town, and after one and a half glasses of champagne, we reach a gated drive. I’m amazed at Lottie’s ability to measure distance in glasses of champagne, and she’s right, by the time we pull up, we will have managed two of them.
I gasp as the limo sweeps around the corner, and the venue for the evening comes into view.
It’s a castle. A beautiful castle, decorated with fairy lights and it feels magical. It doesn’t seem like we are in Las Vegas any longer and I never even knew this place existed.
“You like it?” Denham whispers into my ear.
“Oh my god, Denham, it’s gorgeous.”
“Wait until you see inside.” He smiles at me, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
We pull up to the front entrance and a butler automatically steps forward to open the door.
We let Lottie and Spike exit first. How she manages to be so graceful getting out of a limo is beyond me.
Denham then steps out and holds out his hand for me to take.
I step out in wonder. The lights are off white with a hint of pink making the place feel enchanted, and I follow the others through the huge imposing wooden doors and into the grand hall.
The ceiling is high. You would expect everything to echo, but it doesn’t.
The air is filled with an excited energy coming from the people who have arrived already.
“Let’s get a drink,” Denham suggests.
He weaves us through the crowds, nodding his hellos and stopping occasionally to shake hands. A butler comes past with a tray of full champagne flutes and Denham whisks two off and hands me one.
“Well, hello there, handsome.” A female voice comes from behind Denham and my insides tense when I see perfectly manicured, red polished fingers slip around his waist.
Denham rolls his eyes but smirks before turning, kissing her on the cheek and pulling her in for a tight hug.
This is what I was worried about. I don’t know any of these people, except from Lottie and Spike and they abandoned me the minute we walked through the door.
“Ari,” Denham says, looking between me and the six foot beautiful woman that looks like an Amazonian goddess dressed in a Grecian white gown that makes her Latino skin seem even darker. “I want you to meet Corey, she’s—”
“Evening, King.” A familiar voice comes into our circle and then Beth appears.
Only, I have to take a couple of glances at her.
There is no hard business persona this evening.
Her fiery hair isn’t scraped into a neat pony with not one hair out of place.
It’s loose, hanging below her shoulders with soft waves that make her look just breathtaking.
She has a stunning sharp black gown, which looks exquisite against her pale skin.
“Ari, darling. You look just … that dress! I knew it would look amazing,” Beth comments, then steps forward to kiss me on the cheek. She clasps my shoulder reassuringly when she sees that I’m a little overwhelmed by this whole thing so far.
“You knew? Of course you knew,” I mumble, how else could Denham get in touch with the designers at such short notice?
“Yes, darling. Of course I knew! And it’s even more beautiful on your model frame. Monday morning, we need to talk.”
“No shop talk tonight, babe,” Corey interjects, now slipping her free hand around Beth’s waist and pulling her tight.
“Have you been introduced, Arianna?” Beth asks.
“Uh, yes, kinda …”
“This is Corey, she’s my other half,” Beth announces proudly. “Corey, babe. This is Denham’s girl, Arianna.”
“Arianna! Oh my god, girl. Beth has talked about you nonstop. I was beginning to wonder if I had something to be worried about. Look at you all beautiful,” she gushes, dropping her arms from Beth and Denham either side of her to embrace me in a hug.
“Corey, babe. Shall we leave these guys to it?”
“Sure thing,” Corey replies. “I expect to see you dancing later, Arianna.” She winks and they walk off hand in hand.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting that!” I exclaim, shocked and a little blindsided.
“They’ve been together for nine years. One of Las Vegas’s strongest, long standing couples.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. Corey is an absolute kook, but she’s great.”
“Guess I have a lot to find out, huh?”
“All good things, Stunner. All good things.”
“If you would all like to make you way through to the ballroom, dinner will be served.” A host announces in a booming voice.
The sea of people starts to move, and we are swept along with it.
As we move through the archway and into the ballroom, people start to filter off to each side and we are presented with the full view of the room from the top of a wide staircase.
It is an immense room. White billowy drapes hang from the ceiling in between ornate crystal chandeliers. Tables decorated with huge crisp white floral designs, and the sound of at least three hundred people talking below us rises to meet me in an excited hum.
Denham steps down the first step, holding my hand and leading the way, until we reach our table where Lottie and Spike are already seated.
Each table seats eight. We are lucky enough to be seated with Spike and Lottie, and an older couple who introduce themselves as Mr. and Mrs. Steinham, they are also hotel owners along the strip.
The other two seats are still empty when we start to eat and it’s not until halfway through the dinner that Tara comes running in, dragging a rather harassed looking date with her.
“Oh my god,” she puffs. “I’m so sorry. I had a wardrobe emergency, then the cab broke down. What’d I miss?”
“Well, you missed half of the evening so far,” Lottie says sharply and Tara shoots her a look.
“Didn’t miss the dancing though, did I?”
“No.” Lottie smiles and winks out of the corner of her eye, showing that she’s only joking around.
“Did I miss dessert?” Tara says nonchalantly, scooping up a glass and helping herself to the table wine.
The table silences. Denham leans into Mrs. Steinham next to him and says, “I’m sorry. Please excuse my sister. She clearly has no manners and shouldn’t really be allowed out without supervision.”
Mrs. Steinham laughs, and Mr. Steinham picks up the wine bottle and tops up Tara’s glass to the brim.
“You drink all you like, dear, I’ve got three drinks on you so you’re playing catch-up.
” He winks, clinks glasses with her and the table settles back into comfortable conversation.
Tara says some things that make me gasp and hold my breath, but she seems to charm everyone around her and no one takes offense at anything she comes out with.
Her date, Chad, is very quiet. I have no idea how well she knows him or anything else about him.
Denham doesn’t help the poor lad feel at home by throwing him cold warning glares, and I elbow him a few times to let him know that he needs to chill out about it.
Spike laughs and jokes with everyone else, but food is the main thing that’s on his mind.
The room comes to a hush as a speaker taps the microphone and starts to talk.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I do hope you’re enjoying the Summertime Ball so far.
Those of you that return to the ball year after year will already know this, but for those who don’t, please let me explain.
The Summertime Ball started eight years ago when a group of people culminated together to find a way of raising money for a local charity.
That charity was The Las Vegas Children’s Leukemia Trust. For each subsequent year, there has been a different local charity to support.
To tell us more about this year’s charity, which is a fairly new one but no less important, could you please welcome the founder of this special charity, James Ellis. ”
The room erupts in claps and cheers, and the spotlight moves to the side of the stage where James Ellis enters.
It takes approximately three seconds for my blood to run from cold to iced.
James Ellis.
AKA Jonny Ellison, steps onto the stage.