Standing in front of the mirror, Stephanie studied her face and applied her moisturizer. How had she let him talk her into this? A red carpet event? Granted, it was a small one, just an industry party he had said, but it was an event nonetheless. She shook her head. She must be nuts.
They hadn’t seen each other since New Year’s Day, with her working and him having to deal with getting ready to go back on tour, fashion and design issues with Nikki and school functions with Ava, they just been able to find any time to get together. Then he had shown up at her office out of the blue one day and he whisked her off for a long, quiet lunch. That’s when he asked her to go with him to this party. She had jumped at the chance, just because she wanted to spend some time with him. After seeing so much of him before and during the holidays, she missed him. Then she thought about it. And then she had told Darcy. Now the nerves were dancing an furious cha cha in her belly.
She turned from the mirror and stepped back into her bedroom. Her dress hung on the closet door. Darcy had dragged her out on her lunch hour every day for the last two weeks looking for a dress. They had found it in the very last shop they ventured into, yesterday. She slipped off her robe and hung it on its hook before reaching for the dress. She dropped the sheath over her head and it slithered down and clung to her curves. The dull gold shimmered against her skin and the neck draped, showing off the lightly tanned skin of her chest. The crystals where the dress gathered at the front of her shoulders glistened in the light of her room, but it was the back of the dress that had sold her on it.
She turned slightly, the back of the dress had the same draped effect as the front, but it left nearly her entire back bare. She turned back and pulled her hair up, gathering it loosely at the nape of her neck. Scurrying back into the bathroom, she dug in a drawer. With a few strategically placed hairpins she pulled a few strands loose and studied herself again in the mirror. The hair didn’t look half bad. She sprayed it lightly and prayed that it wouldn’t fall out until the night was over.
She was in the middle of putting her make up on when the doorbell rang. Leaning back she glanced around the door to the clock. “Shit” he was right on time. She picked up her phone and shot off a text.
[7:00] Rich, is that you ringing my bell?
[7:01] Yep.
[7:02] There’s a key in the flower pot by the door. Come on in.
She heard the door open and close. “I’ll be down in a minute, make yourself at home.”
He slipped the key in his pocket. “Take your time sweetheart” he called up the stairs and then headed down the hall. He found her half empty wineglass standing next to the now familiar blue bottle. Picking it up he downed the still cool, golden liquid and, picking up the bottle, added the remainder to the glass. He really didn’t want to go to this party, but Jon and Dorothea had flown in for it, so he really had no choice. If not for the party he and Stephanie could have found something a lot more interesting to do. He sipped from the glass again. He wouldn’t trade his life for anything, but sometimes, he wished he wasn’t quite so busy.
~
Stephanie stepped in front of her mirror once more, one final once-over. She ran her hand over the front of at her dress, smoothing it down and trying to tame the butterflies that were dancing in her stomach. Who was that woman in the mirror? She hardly recognized herself in the pretty party dress and fancy shoes. She drew her eyes up to her face. Her eyes weren’t as sad these days, her smile was easier, genuine. So much change and yet, she was comfortable here in this room, in this house, in this new life. Baby steps, she told herself. Just a little at time and she was finding a new rhythm for her life.
Reaching to the dresser, she picked up her earrings and slipped them on, the rose gold cascades dropping just far enough not to be hidden by her hair. Reaching again, she fingered the delicate gold “S” on the fine chain Richie had given her for Christmas. She had wanted to wear it, but thought the earrings, her rings and one lone bracelet were enough with the dress. Instead, she picked up her lipstick and coated her lips with a shimmery gloss. She dropped the gold tube into her clutch and thought about Richie waiting downstairs for her. Her heartbeat kicked up at the thought of him all dressed up down in her kitchen.
Picking up her wrap she turned off the light and made her way down the stairs. She couldn’t help but wonder what he might be wearing.
~
He heard her coming, the click of her heels on the hardwood giving her away. He turned just as she stepped into the room and his breath caught in his throat. She was absolutely stunning. She would put any Hollywood starlet to shame. The closer she got, the harder it was for him to breathe. Her heady, moonlight and walk-in-the-woods scent wrapped around him until he knew he would never be able to forget it.
She stopped just in front of him. “Hi.” That was all she could manage. He looked amazing. She had seen pictures of him in the black suit and gray vest combo, but pictures just didn’t do the man or the suit justice. He was one of the sexiest, best looking men she had ever seen.
They stood just looking at each other for several long moments. This was the most dressed up either had seen the other. Richie smiled and his dimple winked at her. “You are stunning, sweetheart.”
The corner of her mouth curled up in a quiet smile. “You look pretty amazing yourself, Rich.”
He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it lightly. “I don’t want to mess you all up, but I can’t not touch you.”
She gently pulled her hand from his and cupped his cheek before leaning in and pressing her lips lightly to his. “I’m fixable.”
As much as he wanted to take her up on the offer, they had to get going. Pulling her hand from his face he kissed it once more. “I’ll mess you up later. right now, we have to go.” He turned her to urge her toward the door and again lost his breath and his eyes bugged out of his head and nearly bounced on the floor. Did they really have to go to this damn party? He dragged his fingers lightly down her spine and caressed across the lovely curve of her lower back. “You are going to kill me with this dress tonight.”
She looked at him over her shoulder, a sly smile playing on her lips. “I’m glad you like it.”
He mumbled something she couldn’t quite understand and she stopped to shut the door behind them. “What was that?”
He took her hand and led her to the car. “I said I think I’d like it even better on the floor.”
She laughed as she ducked her head to get into the back of the limousine. “I’m sure you would.”
He took her hand as he settled next to her. “I’ve missed you darlin’.”
She squeezed his hand lightly. “I’ve missed you too.”
They chatted quietly as they made their way into Los Angeles. When the car slowed in front of the Chateau Marmont she looked over at Richie, “what are we doing here?” She was sure the party wasn’t at this hotel. “I told Jon and Dorothea we’d pick them up.” The car stopped and Richie had his phone in his hand before she could say anything.
Her heart started to race and she struggled for a minute to catch her breath. Holy shit. She dug her phone from her purse and shot off a quick email to her friends.
To: The Girls
From: Q
Subj: Holy Crap!!
OMG, OMG, OMG!!
Just a quick note for now... I’m out with R and we’re picking up Jon and Dorothea!
I can’t breathe!!
More later...and I’m sure there’ll be pics all over tomorrow!
Q
She tucked her phone back into her purse and when she looked up, Jon and Dorothea were sliding into the seat across from her.
They hadn’t seen each other since New Year’s Day, with her working and him having to deal with getting ready to go back on tour, fashion and design issues with Nikki and school functions with Ava, they just been able to find any time to get together. Then he had shown up at her office out of the blue one day and he whisked her off for a long, quiet lunch. That’s when he asked her to go with him to this party. She had jumped at the chance, just because she wanted to spend some time with him. After seeing so much of him before and during the holidays, she missed him. Then she thought about it. And then she had told Darcy. Now the nerves were dancing an furious cha cha in her belly.
She turned from the mirror and stepped back into her bedroom. Her dress hung on the closet door. Darcy had dragged her out on her lunch hour every day for the last two weeks looking for a dress. They had found it in the very last shop they ventured into, yesterday. She slipped off her robe and hung it on its hook before reaching for the dress. She dropped the sheath over her head and it slithered down and clung to her curves. The dull gold shimmered against her skin and the neck draped, showing off the lightly tanned skin of her chest. The crystals where the dress gathered at the front of her shoulders glistened in the light of her room, but it was the back of the dress that had sold her on it.
She turned slightly, the back of the dress had the same draped effect as the front, but it left nearly her entire back bare. She turned back and pulled her hair up, gathering it loosely at the nape of her neck. Scurrying back into the bathroom, she dug in a drawer. With a few strategically placed hairpins she pulled a few strands loose and studied herself again in the mirror. The hair didn’t look half bad. She sprayed it lightly and prayed that it wouldn’t fall out until the night was over.
She was in the middle of putting her make up on when the doorbell rang. Leaning back she glanced around the door to the clock. “Shit” he was right on time. She picked up her phone and shot off a text.
[7:00] Rich, is that you ringing my bell?
[7:01] Yep.
[7:02] There’s a key in the flower pot by the door. Come on in.
She heard the door open and close. “I’ll be down in a minute, make yourself at home.”
He slipped the key in his pocket. “Take your time sweetheart” he called up the stairs and then headed down the hall. He found her half empty wineglass standing next to the now familiar blue bottle. Picking it up he downed the still cool, golden liquid and, picking up the bottle, added the remainder to the glass. He really didn’t want to go to this party, but Jon and Dorothea had flown in for it, so he really had no choice. If not for the party he and Stephanie could have found something a lot more interesting to do. He sipped from the glass again. He wouldn’t trade his life for anything, but sometimes, he wished he wasn’t quite so busy.
~
Stephanie stepped in front of her mirror once more, one final once-over. She ran her hand over the front of at her dress, smoothing it down and trying to tame the butterflies that were dancing in her stomach. Who was that woman in the mirror? She hardly recognized herself in the pretty party dress and fancy shoes. She drew her eyes up to her face. Her eyes weren’t as sad these days, her smile was easier, genuine. So much change and yet, she was comfortable here in this room, in this house, in this new life. Baby steps, she told herself. Just a little at time and she was finding a new rhythm for her life.
Reaching to the dresser, she picked up her earrings and slipped them on, the rose gold cascades dropping just far enough not to be hidden by her hair. Reaching again, she fingered the delicate gold “S” on the fine chain Richie had given her for Christmas. She had wanted to wear it, but thought the earrings, her rings and one lone bracelet were enough with the dress. Instead, she picked up her lipstick and coated her lips with a shimmery gloss. She dropped the gold tube into her clutch and thought about Richie waiting downstairs for her. Her heartbeat kicked up at the thought of him all dressed up down in her kitchen.
Picking up her wrap she turned off the light and made her way down the stairs. She couldn’t help but wonder what he might be wearing.
~
He heard her coming, the click of her heels on the hardwood giving her away. He turned just as she stepped into the room and his breath caught in his throat. She was absolutely stunning. She would put any Hollywood starlet to shame. The closer she got, the harder it was for him to breathe. Her heady, moonlight and walk-in-the-woods scent wrapped around him until he knew he would never be able to forget it.
She stopped just in front of him. “Hi.” That was all she could manage. He looked amazing. She had seen pictures of him in the black suit and gray vest combo, but pictures just didn’t do the man or the suit justice. He was one of the sexiest, best looking men she had ever seen.
They stood just looking at each other for several long moments. This was the most dressed up either had seen the other. Richie smiled and his dimple winked at her. “You are stunning, sweetheart.”
The corner of her mouth curled up in a quiet smile. “You look pretty amazing yourself, Rich.”
He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it lightly. “I don’t want to mess you all up, but I can’t not touch you.”
She gently pulled her hand from his and cupped his cheek before leaning in and pressing her lips lightly to his. “I’m fixable.”
As much as he wanted to take her up on the offer, they had to get going. Pulling her hand from his face he kissed it once more. “I’ll mess you up later. right now, we have to go.” He turned her to urge her toward the door and again lost his breath and his eyes bugged out of his head and nearly bounced on the floor. Did they really have to go to this damn party? He dragged his fingers lightly down her spine and caressed across the lovely curve of her lower back. “You are going to kill me with this dress tonight.”
She looked at him over her shoulder, a sly smile playing on her lips. “I’m glad you like it.”
He mumbled something she couldn’t quite understand and she stopped to shut the door behind them. “What was that?”
He took her hand and led her to the car. “I said I think I’d like it even better on the floor.”
She laughed as she ducked her head to get into the back of the limousine. “I’m sure you would.”
He took her hand as he settled next to her. “I’ve missed you darlin’.”
She squeezed his hand lightly. “I’ve missed you too.”
They chatted quietly as they made their way into Los Angeles. When the car slowed in front of the Chateau Marmont she looked over at Richie, “what are we doing here?” She was sure the party wasn’t at this hotel. “I told Jon and Dorothea we’d pick them up.” The car stopped and Richie had his phone in his hand before she could say anything.
Her heart started to race and she struggled for a minute to catch her breath. Holy shit. She dug her phone from her purse and shot off a quick email to her friends.
To: The Girls
From: Q
Subj: Holy Crap!!
OMG, OMG, OMG!!
Just a quick note for now... I’m out with R and we’re picking up Jon and Dorothea!
I can’t breathe!!
More later...and I’m sure there’ll be pics all over tomorrow!
Q
She tucked her phone back into her purse and when she looked up, Jon and Dorothea were sliding into the seat across from her.
Oh what a night it's going to be.
ReplyDeleteOh crap! Now I have butterflies in my stomach to what happens next! :)
ReplyDeleteKeep it up Queenie!!!!!
Hmmm... Is Jon going to be in protector mode for his buddy? Deep breaths Steph, I'm sure Dorothea will be perfectly charming!
ReplyDeleteLOL love that she gets so excited and wants to share with the girls. I'd be doing that too. LoL
ReplyDeleteAnd the dressssssss.....yep. It's gonna look great on the floor later ;)
Breathe............ Lovin it need more please...........
ReplyDelete