He got up and went over to the galley while I shifted in my seat and wondered what he was about to do or say. Then he returned and placed a jewelry box for a necklace in my hands as he said, “Good, because I borrowed these, so you'll shine on TV beside me.”
I clutched the box while my pulse pounded. My voice sounded squeaky as I asked, “TV?”
He tapped the box and I opened it. The necklace glittered way more than my grandmother’s tree pendant. It was like a beacon in the sky, it spread so much light. He said, “They’re filming the competition, and you should be wearing Cartier.”
The only reason I even knew Cartier existed, much less recognized the name, was from movies and TV. However, his family was their ideal customer. He gestured for me to turn around so he could fasten it around my neck.
The weight wasn’t so bad. It was like I was born to wear it, though I couldn't resist saying, “You must have learned that from your mom.”
He finished latching the necklace, gave my shoulder and gentle squeeze, and I sat beside him again, tingly with hope for the future. Maybe it was possible to be happy.
He curled his arm around me like I was precious to him and said, “I hope Maman doesn’t come across as too aggressive when it comes to my happiness.”
“No, she’s wonderful. It’s clear who you learned it from,” I said, and held his hand.
A soft, quiet, coziness took over in that second, but I didn’t care.
I finally understood and accepted that Cyrus was amazing.
Then a few tears trickled down my cheeks, though I tried to wipe them away before he noticed.
38
Cyrus
The tears in her eyes replayed over and over again in my mind, like a movie or video clip set on repeat. I wanted Sarah to share my life, and to prove she could trust me with her heart. But my stomach tightened as the fear that I might never win her love replayed in my mind.
And I wasn’t sure what to do.
When we walked off the plane to the waiting car, she took my hand.
The air outside was hot and stifling.
But not as miserable and stifling as my realization that I might have to let Sarah go for good.
She tugged my arm and said, “Let’s go, slowpoke! The limo's waiting for us.”
I nodded and followed, keeping my tension to myself.
My heart was breaking down into brittle shards of glass. I knew what emotional heartbreak could cause physically and knew that, somehow, I needed to learn how to love her without having a part of my daily life.
When we scooted into the limo, she said, “I don’t know if this dress is appropriate for a TV show. It’s awfully short, and I thought we were dancing on the beach.”
I knew my smile wasn’t from my soul when I squeezed her hand and said, “I hired stylists, so you’ll be perfect.”
“I’ll never be that,” she said, and her face turned red. I winced, knowing I said the wrong thing again, but there was no way to take it back.
Once the limo took off for our destination, she took my hand and asked, “Is everything okay Cyrus?”
“Of course,” I said, hoping it was true.
I loved her, and that love would need to be strong enough to see me through whatever happened next.
39
Sarah
We got out of the limo in front of the huge convention center hosting the event, and a red carpet and mob of photographers awaited us.
I gripped Cyrus’s arm to keep myself from jumping back into the limo. I couldn’t see a thing because of the flashing lights.
He put an arm around my waist and waved like this was normal.
Huh. I guess people wanted photos of trillionaires. I tensed for a second.
No one had ever bothered to take my picture. And that was when I knew the video Darren Davis had posted everywhere online to humiliate me could haunt Cyrus.
I shouldn’t be in his world.
But he already knew everything about me. I glanced at his profile and took a deep breath.
Today I needed to stop. Fears were just nonsense in my head that prevented me from doing what I wanted.
And I wanted to be with Cyrus. Now and forever.
So today I’d just focus on the dance and him.
Finally the red-carpet walk was over, and we entered a building.
I looked up, and up, to see sunlight pouring in from a glass ceiling while the air conditioning kept the place cool.
Everything was lovely. When my nerves finally took over, I fell back on stating the obvious. “This is a convention center.”
He gestured toward to an elevator marked "reserved," and no one stopped us. Once the door closed, he let me go, and I suddenly felt alone and chilled, though he said, “We have a private room I booked, and we’ll have our dinner delivered.”
Honestly, even a couple of weeks ago I wouldn't have gone anywhere near this place, except maybe, if I could afford to take a day off from the diner, standing outside at a distance, wondering who was going inside.
And all at once my spirits lifted. My life had changed for the better, even If only temporarily, so took his hand and prepared to enjoy myself.
As the doors opened and we headed to a room with a white door, I asked, “And you’re sure you’re not looking to win? I’ll follow you, but this is still just for fun?”
He paused to let me go in first while he gazed down at me. “Yes, don’t worry.”
Something seemed off with him, so I patted his cheek as I passed and decided we both needed to just have fun. “Okay, then let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
My eyes widened when I spotted an older lady, her gray hair in a bun, standing near a buffet table. She reminded me of a schoolteacher. Then Cyrus said, “That’s our teacher. Come, Sarah, this is Zelda.”
“Is she the one you almost dated?”
He froze and his eyes widened. “What? No.”
Heat rose to my face, and I closed my eyes. “I’m joking. I guess I’m not very good at it, Handsome.”
He put his arms out in dance form. The teacher came closer, studying us with the intensity of a general doing an inspection.
The gleam in Cyrus's eye intensified, but he walked me around a corner toward a rack of dress as he asked, “Which outfit will look good on you on TV?”
I giggled. If I was going to be on TV, then I needed to sparkle. I went through a few clothes on the rack and then stopped and showed him the gold and green glitter bikini top with pops of blue. “Oh, we’re definitely going with this glitter bikini top.”
And the matching skirt had a long slit on one side that would show one leg up to my hip. It was exactly what I thought of when I thought "dance show," and I moved it to a separate rack.
After I gave the bikini top one last pat, we returned to the teacher as he said, “You seem excited.”
I tilted my head and met his gaze, and with my hands over my heart I said, “Of course. I’m with you.”
He rocked back on his feet. “You mean that?”
“Hold proper form,” the teacher commanded us.
We complied. And his arm around my waist let me believe as we moved together to the music that just started. Once we found our simple routine, I whispered, “I’m here to dance with you while you make me believe happiness is possible.”
He sucked in his breath and almost stepped on my toes. Then he picked me up and hugged me as he asked, “You’re happy?”
The teacher made a disgusted sound, and we quickly returned to our dance.
He twirled me, and when I was back in his arms and we started the promenade, I quickly said, “I realized on the plane that dreaming and imagining the future aren't painful or scary when I’m in your arms.”
He twirled me at the end, and we fell back into our formation. Then he said, “I thought you were upset.”
We finished the song, and the teacher critiqued our routine. Then she gave us some pointers, and Cyrus asked her to come back later.
Then he restart
ed the music, but we were alone. My heart beat more wildly when he touched me now. Truthfully, my body ached to be his as I said, “How can I be upset with the best man I’ll ever meet?”
He held me tighter and whispered, “Sheereen-am.”
“I like that nickname,” I said and went up on tiptoe.
Then I puckered my lips because I needed at least a kiss. I was his if he still wanted me.
40
Cyrus
Her sweet kiss was more powerful than medicine. She gave me hope.
Now we’d practiced on our own, and our instructor had returned to ensure we were prepared, we wouldn't make fools of ourselves. However, we never had enough alone time for me to ask what had changed.
My heart now hoped she might love me back one day.
Hair and makeup and tailors all arrived to ensure we looked perfect for TV.
All I could manage to do most of the time was smile at her.
I ached to hold her.
Once we finished, we were led downstairs and given our numbers.
Then we were directed to a line where we would wait for our turn.
Finally we had a quiet moment once we found our spot, and I asked, “Are you ready?”
She laughed and said, “I half wanted to run and find a hotel room for the two of us.”
I actually started to sweat while I pressed my forehead to hers and whispered, “We can skip the contest.”
She tilted her head from side to side and tapped her fingertip on her chin, but we moved forward a step with the rest of the line. Then she said, “No. You’ve been wanting to do this, and since we’re already here, it would be a shame to waste all the efforts of those hair stylists and tailors and makeup artists and jewelers.”
We took another step forward, and the music from the arena section grew louder.
I held her hand, straightened, and squared my shoulders as I asked, “You’re sure?”
She wrinkled her nose and said, “Sure. This might be the only time I ever get to wear a tiara.”
My heart beat faster. She was adorable, and funny, and today wasn’t supposed to be pressure for her or me. I needed to enjoy our time together. We both did.
We stepped up, and the music changed again, though I said, “You can wear one every day we’re together.”
She brushed her fingers against my face and her eyes seemed brighter. “No, I can’t imagine showing up with diamonds at breakfast or while I'm rushing to feed Joshua.”
She giggled.
Okay, maybe my example might have been a little extreme, now I thought about it. However, I shrugged and simply said, “I’m just saying you can.”
The stagehand waved us forward onto the next mark, and Sarah said, “It’s time to queue up.” We stayed where we were, and then she winked at me and said, “Look at me. Picking up the lingo already.”
This time I laughed. We confirmed our music choice, and then I said to her, “You’re offbeat funny.”
She let out a sigh and squeezed my hand while the couple in front of us finished their dance and waited for their scores. She whispered to me, “Maybe that’s why you stay close to me. I keep it real for you.”
The stagehand waved for us to go. We walked through to the bright lights of the stage as I squeezed her hand, straightened my shoulders, and said, “We’re on.”
We stood in the middle and couldn’t see anything beyond each other because the lights were focused on us. We stilled, and she said, “Then it’s time for me to follow you.”
Then the music came on.
I was lost in her eyes while holding her.
We twirled, circled the floor, promenaded, and showed off our waltz with smidges of a tango sneaked in.
The time on stage flew because I was with Sarah.
Next thing I knew our music ended, and we stood while three judges told us our scores of 9, 8, and 8.8. As we walked out of the arena, she said, “Our scores were pretty good. I assumed we’d get at least one heckler, like the one we sometimes got at the diner who always complained about the coffee.”
However, I needed time alone with Sarah, without all the fuss. So we finished our post-dance interview, and then I took her hand and led her right to the elevator bank as I said, “We’ll wait for the finale in our suite upstairs.”
She walked with me, but she bounced a bit while she said, “There wasn’t anywhere to sit.”
I glanced at the clock. Then I said, “There is now. And we can be alone.”
The elevator doors closed, though there were other people riding with us for now. She whispered in my ear, “All alone?”
I nodded. We got off on our floor and went down the hall to our private room. We were in the hall when I whispered back, “Also, now we can lock the door.”
She locked her arm with mine and nodded. “Lead the way, Handsome.”
I needed to find a way to have her again. I needed her happiness, and her, as much as I needed air to breathe.
So I held the door open for her—and locked it when I followed her inside.
41
Sarah
The click of the lock rang in my ears louder than the music in the stadium earlier.
My heart hammered, but I met his gaze.
He wanted me.
Truthfully, I ached for him, too. I licked my lips as he came closer, and we were seconds from a kiss.
The space around us was electrified by our longing for each other.
My muscles tensed, because I needed to tell him the whole truth before we went any further, so I said, “We have to be downstairs in an hour.”
He reached for me, and my muscles went all tingly as he said, “True. We can be careful.”
Absolutely. I was ready for him. I lowered my eyes and gazed at his lips while the rest of the world turned fuzzy.
Then he said, "Yes, and your confidence in what you want to do is incredibly sexy.”
Oh, I absolutely wanted him. My hands curled around his muscles, and I tensed as I said, “Only you can read my mind.”
Our lips met, and I hugged him closer.
His kiss made my knees and body all melt like snow on a warm, sunny day. However, as we paused for breath, I pressed back and said, “Wait.”
He let me go immediately, saying, “Don’t feel pressured.”
I reached for his hands and tugged him back to me, saying, “I don't. I just want to talk first.”
“Sure.” He said, but his shoulders seemed stiff as we walked to the couch. We settled in, and he asked, “Everything okay?”
I scooted closer and cupped his face. “I never wanted to use you, and I fought hard against believing I could ever love you. I thought if I ended up with you, it would be like I used you forever.”
His brown eyes darkened to almost black as he said, “That’s not love.”
Adrenaline heightened my senses as I said, “No, it’s not. But that was my fear. Then I realized that by pushing you away from loving me, I was hurting you, and that broke my heart.”
His face became unreadable. I tense and hoped I hadn't destroyed us as he said, “Don’t worry about me.”
This was it. It was time to tell him how I felt. I swallowed and said, “That’s impossible. I love you. I’ve been falling for you since the day we met, and from what I understand, caring about the other person is part of loving them.”
His eyes widened, but he remained silent. Then he pressed his knee next to mine and asked, “Wait. Did you just say you love me?”
I laughed and nodded as I said, “I did. I do. I love you.”
He traced my exposed belly with the tips of his fingers sending little tremors of desire through me, but his smile got bigger and bigger as he said, “That’s all I ever wanted to hear from you.”
Once again, we kissed, and steam heat whooshed through me. I was put on this earth to make him happy because he made me ecstatic.
I tucked my legs up on the couch so I could circle him, because now we had no more secrets. And he reached for his p
ants.
His cock was ready for me. Very ready.
I swallowed and ached to feel him, but a thought popped into my head, and I tensed. So I met his gaze, because he needed to know every truth I knew when I said, “One more second.”
I didn’t move my legs back, but he froze and set the condom wrapper down next to me as he asked, “What else is on your mind?”
Maybe it wasn’t the time, but I trusted him, and I was tired of my past putting a hold our future, so I said, “It’s my sister.”
“I hardly knew her.” He sat straighter.
I went up and brushed a kiss against his cheek and said, “I’m aware of that, but it's not what I was going to say.”
He nodded like he needed a second, but then said, “Oh, okay, then what?”
My sister and brother talked when they drank. I hadn't been involved, but I overheard plenty.
I swallowed and said, “From what I understand, she enjoyed working with your brother Elon, but considered him as a backup choice if you didn’t work out. I don’t think your brother knew that about her, but she was always super-supportive of Elon, and I don’t want her to ever separate members of your family from her grave.”
He tilted his head and his cheeks reddened, but then he shrugged and said, “To be honest, I was mad at my brother when he hired her, but we worked all that out. I’ll introduce you to Elon when we get back to Warren’s birthday party tonight.”
“Okay, so I feel better.” I said and wiggled a bit to settle myself more comfortably on his lap.
He motioned with his head. “We still have forty minutes until we have to be downstairs.”
Less time, true, but now nothing stood in our way, though I said, “Well I’ll need twenty to fix myself.”
He reached behind me and said, “I’m glad you picked the bikini.”
He unfastened the dress top that was more like a glittery bra. My breasts fell out without the support, so I did a little shimmy and said, “Well, I aim to please, Handsome.”
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