Seven Years of Bad Luck (16 page)

“There is a charity function I have to attend tomorrow evening, and I would like you to come with me.”

Confident and demanding as ever.

“Mr. Chase, I don’t know if I can.” He cocked his head to the side and looked a bit confused.

“And why wouldn’t you?” My eyes darted about the room hoping to come up with a decent excuse. I came up with nothing, so I did the next best thing. I answered a question with a question.

“What type of charity is it?”

His smirk returned. I could tell he saw right through me as always. It was quite uncomfortable when he made me feel so transparent.

“It’s an annual black-tie ball that raises money for an inner-city children’s mentor program. I go every year.”

Come up with something, Kat.

“I see. Well, I think that’s great, and I’m sure it would be fun, but I can’t go because I, um, I don’t have anything formal in my closet, and neither does Cheyenne.” With that lame excuse, I could almost see my inner self looking down, arms crossed, shaking her head in disappointment with my lack of originality.

“You’re right. It is a fun event, and the good news for you is you will get to find out for yourself since you do have a formal dress.”

“Uh, Mr. Chase, I don—”

He interrupted me, of course. He held up one finger, signaling in his bossy way for me to shut my lips. I complied.

“I have arranged for a suitable dress to be delivered to your apartment tomorrow. Also, you have an appointment tomorrow at the best spa in town. A car will pick you up at eleven am. I’ll pick you up at six for the ball.” My mouth hung open in shock.

“Indulgence?” If he was sending me to the best in town, I knew it had to be there. He was already standing to move to the sitting area where we always ate lunch.

“What?” he questioned, appearing confused.

“The spa. Indulgence? Cheyenne works there.” I inched behind him, following in his path like a dumb struck puppy. His head cocked to the side, and his brows rose for a second before he shrugged casually.

“Yes, that’s the one.”

“But that’s pretty high-end. I don’t know if I can afford that, and what about work?” He let out a long, exasperated breath, and I feared I was irritating him.

Why the hell should I care so much?

I battled against my frustrating train of thought and tried to focus on the conversation with Ben.

“Kathleen, it’s all paid for, and you have the day off tomorrow.” I stopped inching towards him and just walked to the sitting area to join him.

“Oh. I still don’t know if it’s a good idea. I have tons to get done tomorrow,” I lied.

“Honestly, you would be doing me a favor by being my date. I despise going to these types of events alone. Please.” He huffed and absentmindedly rubbed two fingers against his temple.

He is getting frustrated for sure. Or nervous? His date?

“Well, if it helps you out, I guess I can go.” There was no way I could refuse his pleading eyes and the mixed expression written across his face. If I were being completely honest with myself, I wanted to go. He smiled triumphantly and visibly relaxed after I agreed.

“So it’s settled then,” he said with a grin and a wink.

And there’s Mr. Cocky.

Friday, June, 28th, 2013. Day 37 since starting work at the firm. I was a bundle of nerves while I waited for the car Ben was sending for me. I didn’t even think to ask him what I was getting done at the spa. I wasn’t sure if he just expected me to know what I was having done to prepare for the ball or if he already spoke to the staff about what to do with me. Knowing Ben, he would have covered his bases and spoken to the staff. When the car arrived as scheduled, I was taken directly to Indulgence. After I arrived, I was immediately given a Mimosa and fresh fruit. I had already told Cheyenne about the ball and my appointment at the spa, so seeing her there was no surprise. The moment she saw me, she practically ran to my side.

“Hey gorgeous! So, guess what I heard this morning?” Cheyenne waggled her eyebrows while smiling ear to ear. She leaned in and spoke in a whisper like a high school girl sharing juicy gossip with her ‘BFF.’ I bugged my eyes out, gasped dramatically for effect, and made sure to speak in my shocked soap-opera voice.

“O-M-G, Chey,
do
tell!” Cheyenne rolled her eyes at my little show of drama while I laughed.

“Ha. Ha. Very cute. Okay, cut the crap. I’m serious.”

“Okay, Okay. What did you hear, Chey?”

“The word on the street is that some hot shot called to make an appointment last week for his ‘friend,’” Cheyenne used air quotes with her fingers.

“And he demanded the full treatment, head to toe. He said to provide whatever his ‘friend’ aka, you, wanted. The girls at the front desk said he made a big fuss over you. Do you know how pricey the works is?”

I shrugged.

“It’s damn expensive, Kat! Ben must seriously have a thing for you if he is willing to do all this. Have you seen the dress yet?” She was talking a million miles per hour and being her typical giddy self. It was hard to keep up.

“Cheyenne, you’re getting excited over nothing. He may be flirtatious, but there is nothing going on between us. Besides, he’s probably asking the staff to give me a full make over so that I don’t publicly embarrass him.” Cheyenne rolled her eyes and guffawed.

“You must be deaf, dumb, blind, or all of the above, Kat! She held up two French-tipped fingers, then jabbed them at my chest. “First, have you looked in the mirror? You’re a smoking’ hot babe! And second, news flash, no one goes to all this trouble for someone they are not interested in.” I swatted her hand away.

“That’s debatable, but we’ll see, I suppose.”

“Come on. Give yourself some credit here. Does Ben know about law school? Does he know about you acing the LSAT?” I narrowed my eyes on Cheyenne.

“Nope. Does Tuck know that you are a culinary genius who refuses to pursue her dream?”

Cheyenne glared at me. “
Touché
,” she grumbled. I gave her a pat on the back and swallowed hard.

“No need to relive the past, right? Gotta run. I’ll see you tonight at home.” Cheyenne just sighed and nodded her head as I followed my masseuse away from the spa’s lounge.

Two weeks prior, I went to Tucker’s shop to complete my tattoo, and Cheyenne came along. I had managed to give Tucker just enough information about Cheyenne to appease him, and it was easy work convincing Cheyenne of how great he was. She jumped at the opportunity to go on a date with him. They seemed to be getting along great and spending plenty of time together. I had hope that he would be good for my best friend, and so far, he was far exceeding my expectations.

Despite my reluctance to go, I had to admit that the spa day was amazing. I was pampered, polished, massaged, waxed, soaked in essential oils, manicured, and pedicured. The stylist shampooed and styled my long auburn locks into loose waves that hung down my back. The makeup artist applied my makeup for the ball, and it was perfect. My green eyes have a burst of amber jutting outward from the center of my irises, and the makeup artist accentuated the emerald green and amber flawlessly. My eyes were a light smoky gray around the edges with bronze fading into a metallic copper colored shadow across my eyelids.

I paced around in the apartment looking ready to impress except I had no dress. I was wearing a ratty bath robe over my polished skin. I had become nervous with only a half an hour before Ben would be arriving and still no dress. I was digging through my closet for formal wear when at last, the dress he bought for me was delivered. I unzipped the wardrobe bag and stared blankly at what he sent for me. It was a jade green Grecian-style designer gown.

Holy shit!

It was positively breathtaking. I had to admit, Ben had great taste. I slipped on the dress, and Cheyenne came bounding into the room and froze.

“Kat! My God, you look… incredible!” She leapt at me, grabbed my shoulders to spin me for a full view.

“Thanks. But it does seem a little scandalous. Yes? No?”

“Are you joking? Hell no, it’s not scandalous. It’s beautiful, and you wear it like it was made for you.” The coloring of the gown made my green eyes vibrant. The dress was chiffon and silk. It had a halter V-neck line that plunged between my breasts. The base of the plunging V had a crystal beaded ornate bronze embellishment. The straps clasped behind my neck, and the front of the gown had draped chiffon that streamed across and over every curve. It exaggerated my hips, my breasts and the contour of my waist, creating an hour glass figure like none I had ever seen. The gown had a plunging back that rested at the small of my back and barely covered my rear from being exposed. It had a thigh high slit, and the hem just barely grazed the floor in the front and a little more in the back. I looked like I had been skillfully wrapped in an expensive bed sheet. He also sent a box that held a beautiful, strappy pair of pricey designer heels that matched the embellishment on the gown perfectly, and a metallic fold-over clutch. All in all, I was sure that the total cost of this ensemble was likely worth more than my car. I had Cheyenne snap a photo of me with my cell phone, then I uploaded it to my social network. It was just too enticing not to share.

Ben arrived right on time as I knew he would. I grabbed my tinted lip gloss, cell phone, compact mirror, and a little cash, stuffed all of it into my clutch and walked out the front door where he stood with his back to the door. His hands were in his pockets, and he spun to see me once I exited my apartment. He took his hands from his pockets and swallowed hard. I blushed slightly when I saw his eyes skate over me appraisingly.

“You’re radiant, Kathleen Cooper.”

“Thank you…” I wasn’t sure what I should call him.

“Please, it’s just Ben to you.”

To me? What’s that supposed to mean?

Ben extended his arm. “Shall we?”

I slipped my arm into the crook of his elbow, and he led us to the waiting car. The driver opened the door to the car, and Ben nudged me ahead of him to slip into the back. When I stepped ahead of him, his hand landed on my lower back, and the skin-to-skin contact sent my senses ablaze. My stomach turned over and felt leaden; a thin sheen of sweat blossomed from my pores and heat pulsed through my core. I hesitated for a moment with his hand on me, and I heard him take in a sharp breath. I slid across the leather upholstery and glanced back at Ben. He stood beside the open door of the car with a curious look on his face; then he shook his head and slid into the car next to me. Our thighs were only inches from touching. I was longing to touch him, to be touched by him. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I felt Ben staring at me.

“What?” I said in a whisper. Ben glanced toward my shoulder, and suddenly I realized what had him so stupefied outside the car.
Holy shit! The tattoo!

I was so consumed with the beautiful outfit that Ben had sent over for me that I didn’t even think about the ink that covered the full span of my back. I was sure that he did not expect such a tattoo on a person like me.

Crap! He is going to be embarrassed by me in front of all these high class people. Should I explain? I can’t explain this to him, nor do I want to. Should I back out and ask to be taken home? I don’t want to insult him. Shit!

I decided to just do my best to let my long, styled wavy locks conceal my tattooed flesh as much as possible. We rode to the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in silence, but there was more than plenty of communication between the two of us. The sexual tension was palpable, even if ignored. When we arrived, the driver opened the door to let us out, and the arousal that assailed me at my apartment was replaced with sheer nervous terror. I definitely didn’t belong in that circle of people. Ben would be just fine there, even though he didn’t really seem to be that hoity-toity when I met him in his faded tee and rugged vintage jeans. Although standing before me with his hand extended to help me out of the car, he looked amazing and every bit high class in his flawless, tailored tux.

The stone circle drive was surrounded by large trees that twinkled and gleamed with thousands of tiny white lights. There was a magnificent awning extending from the entry to the hotel. The place looked like a tawny-colored castle, boasting white-trimmed terraces and balconies. The roof was terracotta tile; the windows were massive and arched. The grounds were immaculately manicured, and there was ornate wrought iron everywhere. The hotel was two-story, and at one point was a private home, but that was eventually transformed into a premiere resort with lush accommodations and amenities. In short, the place was old, expensive, and absolutely enchanting. I felt very out of place. The men and women I saw milling around were well-dressed and obviously the upper class of the Dallas area. In an effort to assuage my faltering confidence, Ben leaned into my ear and wrapped his arm around my waist possessively. I relaxed in his grip.

“Kathleen, you are stunning. I hope you like the dress. I do.”

I felt like such an idiot. I was so consumed with my thoughts in the car I didn’t even think to thank him for the gown, heels, and clutch. “I love it, Ben. Thank you for everything.” I smiled just as sweetly as I could manage through my anxiety. Looking at my handsome date made everything much easier to take in. Ben winked and removed his arm from my waist, and we were once again arm in arm. The disappointment I felt when he freed me was disconcerting.