Painted Memories (25 page)

“Are you ready?” he asked, holding his arm out for me to loop with my own.

I nodded, slipping my arm though his, and lifted my dress to carefully climb the stairs. Even though I didn't deserve to feel so happy tonight, I knew it was what Jesse would have wanted, so I couldn't argue with that.

Tonight I felt like Cinderella at the ball. Except
this
Cinderella had her Prince Charming, and a car that wouldn’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight.

We entered the lobby and turned right, making our way down a long, open hallway. Plush, regal couches and chairs were scattered at random and several guests mingled. As we passed them, I noticed they were all dressed to the nines in their glittering gowns and black tuxedos. I smiled, giving them a polite nod as we passed by and asked Drew if his father managed to make it, as I remembered inviting him at dinner when we first met. Drew wasn't thrilled about the idea, but got over it pretty quickly. I only hoped his father didn't let him down by not showing. 

He grinned at me and shrugged his shoulders. “You know, I never expected Dad would show up. I assumed all the talk over dinner that night was a bunch of crap, but he's here, looking stellar and saving our seats in the dining hall.”

“Wow, that's great. I can't wait to talk to him again. Can you show me where your paintings are before we eat? I’m dying to see the new stuff you've done.”

He laughed. “Actually, Phillip is in charge of all the contributions and getting everything set up in a separate room. They've been keeping the guests out until after dinner to give everyone a fair chance of seeing the items. I know I could go in there, but honestly, I've just been too busy with everything else.”

I made a sad face, teasing him with my pouty lips. “That's too bad. Can you at least tell me what it looks like?”

“Aren't we a bit impatient today? I can't tell you that either.”

I slapped him on the arm jokingly. “Oh, c'mon, can't you tell me anything?”

“Unfortunately, I can't. I let Phillip pick out a couple of items from the back room of the studio. He was in the area, running some errands this morning before he picked me up. I left it up to him to decide which ones he wanted. It could be anything from the beach to the mountains, or even a big bowl of fruit.”

“The fruit. Yep, I bet he picked the fruit,” I giggled.

“I hope not. There are way more beautiful pictures back there than those. Either way, it'll surprise you and me, both,” Drew said.   We rounded the corner and came to a double set of doors. Drew opened one side, stepping back, allowing me to enter first. The ambience of autumn filled the room.  Dimly lit, large, round tables filled the floor. Each table was draped with a cream tablecloth, overlapped by a burnt orange one. A tall, glass vase sat on each table with dark green glass pebbles inside. Soft, white
candlelights shimmered around each vase in beautiful displays on each table. Colorful, fallen leaves lay scattered around each centerpiece.  The candlelight glow over the table looked serene, making it actually feel like fall, minus the cooler temperature.

“Wow Drew, you helped plan all of this? It's amazing!” I said as we walked into the room.

“Thanks. It was actually pretty fun, but a lot of work.”

I looked toward the front of the room where a band played soft music and smiled as a few guests twirled around the dance floor. Catching a few stray eyes as we walked, I felt their stares and I pulled at the side of my dress insecurely, just to make sure I wasn't flashing any unwanted bare skin.

“Drew,” I whispered, “Has my hair fallen down? Is there something on my face?” I asked.

He looked me over, his brow creased with confusion. “No. Why?”

“Okay, just making sure. People keep staring at me.”

Drew raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly into a grin. “It's hard to resist the allure of a beautiful woman. The women want to
be
you, while the men want to be
with
you. Like I said, you're stunning, Lilly, and everyone here knows it. Except you.”

“Thank you.” Sure, I never saw myself as gorgeous, but hearing Drew call me “stunning” made me feel like a completely different woman.

I looked toward the table where Drew was leading me and smiled when I saw his father sitting with two other women. As handsome as Drew is in a tailored suit, there was no denying Steven was his father. He was most attractive… for an older man. The sprinkles of grey in his hair looked good on him without adding extra years to his face. It complemented his jet-black, three-piece suit. Turning, he glanced up from the conversation he was having and immediately stood up.

“My God, don't you look spectacular?” he said, reaching out to me. I took his hand and he pulled me in for a hug before lightly kissing me on the cheek.

“Thank you. Might I point out you look very fashionable yourself, Mr. McGregor.”

“Like father, like son,” said a silky voice from behind.

I peered around him, my eyes immediately catching a shimmer of sequins flowing over the crewneck of her dress, curving around shoulders and becoming an intricate pattern of beautiful lace sleeves. Its length skimmed her high silver shoes, making Victoria taller than everyone else at the table. The dress molded to her skin, showing off the smooth curve of her hips, and was split up to her thigh, rendering it moderately classy.

“
Ohh, don't you look... pretty,” she said nonchalantly, as if she could care less.

The distaste we had for each other was evident and I gave her the best compliment I could muster. “Thank you. Your shoes are cute,” I said, nodding towards her feet. Her lip twitched and I knew my compliment nipped at the chip on her shoulder. Drew slid his hand up my back until his fingers cupped my neck. His thumb lightly stroked the side of it and I grinned at Victoria as she watched Drew and me.

Her curled lip turned into a sweet smile when she stepped up to us. “Drew, dear, I hate to be a bother, but I'm going to need your help with a few details before the bidding starts.”

There was no doubt in my mind that she could handle whatever it was on her own. She was just trying to get him away from me. It ticked me off, but what could I do? This was his event.

Drew released my hand. “Absolutely. We don't want any hiccups later when bids start flying. Whatever you need, I'm at your disposal.” Drew turned to me. “I'll be back shortly. You don't mind sitting with my dad and Phillip's wife, do you?”

Duh! Of course I do if you’re going to be with her the whole time
. That's what I wanted to say, but I kept my hateful comments to myself. ”No not at all. I'd be happy to. You do whatever you need to do.” I kissed him softly on the lips before he turned away.

I watched Victoria loop her arm though his as he walked her back toward the front hall. When I saw the back of her dress, my stomach churned. It was cut so
low, it revealed the top of her backend. I couldn't believe she'd have the nerve to wear something so bare to an event like this. I cringed when Drew placed his hand against her back as he ushered her out the door. I knew then that being alone with Drew was exactly what she intended.

I sat with Drew's father, Steven, and Phillip's wife, Michelle. We had a nice dinner catered by some upscale restaurant that seemed to believe in tiny, “pretty” portions, rather than healthy, hearty meals. Though none of us were too sure what we were eating, all of it tasted exquisite. Neither Drew, Phillip, nor Victoria had returned to the table by the time they served dinner. I imagined they were all busy with more important things, or rather, Victoria was probably scheming up a way to get her claws into Drew. After scanning the room for the umpteenth time, Michelle whispered in my ear that I shouldn't let it get to me. I suppose there was no hiding the aversion in my voice when Victoria and I spoke earlier, or maybe Michelle felt the same way as I did about her. But she was right. I had to let it go. I believed Drew wasn't the cheating type. He was faithful and caring and he respected me. Plus, he had way too much on his plate to worry about messing around with her.

After dinner and dessert, the guests started to mingle and dance after all the conversation ended. Michelle was incredibly sweet and I learned more about her family and her than I ever really cared to. I'm sure Phillip wouldn't have appreciated my knowing about his secret snow globe collection, or his wife catching him using her facial
mask one night, because “he liked the way it made his skin feel.” Who knew how we got on that subject? I wouldn't soon forget it.

A sultry voice purred into the room, and everyone quieted down and looked toward the front. My lip curled when I saw Victoria holding the microphone. I looked for Drew, but didn't see him anywhere. Victoria announced that the guests could start their silent bids on any of the items in a room down the hall. As everyone began to disperse and make their way to the auction, I pushed my chair back to join the crowd.

“If you two will excuse me, I think I'm going to hunt for Drew. I don't want to sit at the table all night.”

“I don't blame you,” Michelle said, “I think I'll go mingle myself. And Drew should be smacked for leaving you alone like this. You're much too gorgeous to be left unescorted.”

“And I certainly taught him to be more of a gentleman than that,” Steven added.

I snickered over their concern for me. “It's okay. I know he probably didn't intentionally abandon me here. He's been planning this for a while now, and because of its importance, I think I'll let it pass.”

Getting up, I pulled the train of my dress closer to me and gathered the material in my hands, carrying it at my side. With so many people up and about, I didn't want to trip and fall if someone accidentally stepped on it.

Two large,
cherrywood doors were open at the end of the hall and I saw several guests lingering around the entrance. When I saw him standing amongst the other guests, I knew without a doubt, it was Phillip and my pace slowed as I approached. After he shook the hands of a few men ahead of me, they entered the room. Briefly, he glanced at me and quickly looked away before taking a second fleeting glimpse.

“Good evening,” he said when I reached him.

“Evening. Mr. West, is it?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

He smiled wide and gave a little bow.
“The one and only.”

I reached my hand out to his. “Wow. I can't believe I'm finally meeting you. It's an honor. Your song, ‘I'll Weep for You in the Morning Sun’, got me through an extremely hard time. So often I felt like it was written just for me. I can't thank you enough for composing it.”

He seemed shocked for a moment, but regained his savoir-faire before he spoke. “Wow. Thank you. That really means a lot. It was always my hope that the song would touch other people, and it humbles me greatly when someone tells me how much it meant to them.”

“I couldn't believe it when Drew told me you two were friends.”

“Oh? You know Drew?”

“I'm Lilly Morgan, Drew's
girlfri—”

“Yes!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Sorry, I didn't recognize you ‘til now. Wow, I never expected Drew to date a model. It's very nice to see you in person,” he winked, “he talks of you often.”

I looked at him, confused. Model? Sure, despite being told several times tonight how gorgeous I looked, model might be stretching it a little too far. And how could he recognize me if this was our first meeting? “Excuse me? Unless Drew was referring to his other girlfriend, of whom I'm not aware, I am no model.” Phillip's grin widened and he started to speak, but was interrupted by a short man with a pudgy belly.

“Mr. West. Excellent event you have here,” he belted out. “Might I take a few minutes of your time? It's rather important, and I assure you, will definitely be worth listening to,” he beamed.

Phillip looked to me with apologetic eyes. “I'm sorry, Lilly. May we talk more a bit later?”

“Oh, certainly.
Go. Don't let me hold you up.”

“Great.” He closed the distance between us to give me a light
hug. “You know, I have no idea where Drew is; haven't seen him most of the night since we've both been so busy. But when you see him, be sure to let him know that he's got a good eye, but he's lacking in the details.” He smiled brightly. “A paint brush could never do you justice. You're much prettier in person. So glad we could finally meet, especially considering I've heard so many wonderful things about you. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

I gave him a sheepish grin, slightly embarrassed as he walked away. I had no idea what he was alluding to and the only way to know was to find Drew and get an explanation.

Soft, classical music floated through the air, drawing me into the room. I looked for the source and discovered a young woman sitting in the back corner, playing the piano. Tables of different shapes and sizes filled the room, offering all sorts of items to bid
 on. Walking around, I saw sports memorabilia, special dinner dates with attending celebrities, several inclusive romantic getaways, consulting opportunities, and many more creative items and services. I caught the pictures hanging on the back wall and several others on easels. I knew Drew's painting would be around them, so I headed in that direction, hoping to find him.