by Amy Brent
“So, tonight,” she said. “I got us on the VIP list to a party.”
“Oh, God,” I said, thinking about a Valentine’s party in New York City.
“Relax,” Caroline said. “It’s an anti-Valentine’s party. It’s black-tie, and some of the richest people in the city will be there. I packed us all fancy dresses for the night. We’ll get all dolled up and go out and have a blast.”
“Ugh,” I groaned, pushing my head back against the seat.
“Emma,” Caroline said, both of the girls looking at me. “You’re supposed to be going to this party to have a good time, let loose, get away from he-who-shall-not-be-named. I want you to promise us you’ll make the best effort to relax, talk to people, have a good time, and be free for once. You’re so damn uptight, and you don’t need to be anymore. You’re a free woman, and I know you think it’s devastating but guess what? It isn’t. It’s amazing.”
“I’m in a relationship, and I’m still going to have a good time,” Gillian said. “Don’t waste this trip being dramatic.”
“I am not dramatic.” I feigned shock. “Fine! I promise to be nice and social while we’re on this trip. I will drink, have fun, wear sparkles, and pretend to be someone else for the entire weekend, someone who isn’t trying to figure out their life.”
“Good,” Caroline said, sitting back in her seat.
I stared out the window wondering what I had gotten myself into. When we got to New York, we picked up Caroline’s loads of luggage and went out to the car waiting for us. I could already feel the change in attitude in the air as we rode through the city, looking up at the huge skyscrapers rocketing into the clouds. I had to admit, it was impressive, and the number of people in that city was insane. We pulled up in front of the Waldorf Astoria and got out, following Caroline into the hotel.
“Wait here. I’ll get us checked in,” she said.
I stood in the ornate lobby watching people walking in and out of the hotel. There were tourists, there were business people, and there were people from other countries speaking other languages. It was amazing to watch, and I was starting to get excited to be there.
“Hey.” Caroline handed us each a key. “Our rooms are all next to each other. Go put your stuff in there, and then meet in my room to get ready. We can order room service and eat dinner here so we don’t have to fight for a table anywhere.”
“Sounds good,” Gillian said, following Caroline up the stairs and to the elevators.
Everything was so beautiful and luxurious, and I had to be thankful for my two best friends. They really wanted me to feel better. I told myself right then and there, going up the elevator, that I would try my best to have a good time. I didn’t want to seem like I wasn’t appreciative of it, and I knew if I let go a little, I could have an awesome weekend with my two best friends in one of the most amazing cities in the world.
I went into my room and set my stuff down, smiling and shaking my head at the room I was staying in. It was a suite, and it had a separate bedroom from the living room area. I felt like it was nicer than the first apartment I had in Camden. I walked over to the window and looked outside, gasping at the view. It was beautiful, all the people, the buildings, the edge of Central Park. It looked exactly like it did in magazines and on television. I grabbed my makeup bag, phone, wallet, and hotel key and headed over to Caroline’s suite. Her room was just as nice, and Gillian smiled at me as I walked in.
“Thank you for this, guys,” I said. “Sorry I’ve been a bummer lately.”
“Yeah, well, it was this or kill you, so we figured we would try this first,” Caroline said, laughing. “Look at the room service menu and pick out what you want. I’m going to call it down as soon as you know. I’m ordering, like, four appetizers so just pick whatever you want as a main dish.”
“All right.” I had to laugh at her excess.
We all sat around the living room talking, eating, drinking expensive wine, and feeling like we were worth a million bucks. Caroline was used to this kind of thing, but Gillian and I were not at all. It was a lot of fun, but I could see how I might want some normalcy after a while. I understood now why Caroline always came back to Camden to live. It was where she felt the most comfortable, where she didn’t have to show off. She could just be with her friends and family.
After dinner, Caroline pulled out a long, sparkling black dress and handed it to me with a pair of strappy black heels. I smiled, remembering not to complain. I slipped the dress and heels on and then sat down in the bathroom to let Gillian do my makeup and Caroline do my hair. They both said I was going to look sexy and dramatic, and when they were done, I barely recognized myself. I rarely ever dressed up, but it definitely made me feel better. I looked into the mirror as Caroline and Gillian walked up behind me, putting a faux fur shawl over my shoulders and kissing me on each cheek.
“You look amazing,” Caroline said.
“You are gonna knock ‘em dead tonight.” Gillian smiled.
When we were all three done getting ready, we took a selfie, and Caroline posted it to her Instagram. I laughed, thinking it was so silly, but smiled a bit for the camera. Then, we went downstairs and climbed into the car waiting out front for us. The city was dark, and my eyes didn’t know where to focus first. There were so many lights, so many tall buildings, and so many things to see. I watched in awe as we passed through Times Square, looking up at the enormous screen and all the people walking in and out of the streets. It was grander than I had ever imagined, and I couldn’t believe we were actually there.
We drove a little farther, and the driver pulled over to the side, opening the doors for us. We got out, and I looked up at the bar in front of us. The outside was black with large sculptures all over the front. The front doors were two large wooden doors with big silver handles. It looked like the entrance to a gothic castle in a movie. There was a line of people to the right, but Caroline walked up to the doorman and gave her name. He nodded, and the bouncers pulled open the doors. I walked in behind Caroline, checking my coat at the door and following her into the main area. I stopped and looked around, amused and in awe at the same time.
The entire room was decorated in black and silver with red floor lights shining up the edges of the walls. There were people all over the place, the men in tuxes and the women dressed in evening gowns like we were. I chuckled, ducking past the large cupid hanging from the ceiling, fake blood dripping across its chest. This was going to be a very interesting night, I could already feel it.
Chapter 5
Brandt
The party was definitely one of the hot spots in the city for the night. The music was loud, the lights were all over the place, and there wasn’t a single couple in the place. I decided to follow Trevor around the place for a while, give him the satisfaction of seeing me talking to women. That was what he wanted, for me to talk to women while I was there. I knew if I stuck with him, we would always be close to a group of them. Lo and behold, there we were, chatting up a group of ladies in the center of the room. I still couldn’t figure out how Trevor did it, but he was always so good at getting their attention. I just so happened to be standing right next to the strawberry blonde in a tiny sexy dress and perfect makeup, so I talked to her. It was kind of flirting but not really. I made the mistake of asking her what she did for a living, and she broke into a monologue about the fashion industry, who she worked for, and what she did on a daily basis. It was difficult for me to pay attention to because, frankly, I didn’t give a damn.
I looked over at Trevor who was trying to keep down a laugh. I guess he could tell the conversation was less than riveting. I looked back at her and smiled, trying to pay attention. That was when it happened, that was when I saw her. Walking into the shifting lights of the dance floor was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She was gorgeous with long brown hair, an hourglass figure that had the most perfect curves, and when she turned in my direction, I could see her striking green eyes. Her dark hair was pulled ba
ck in strands and twisted at the base of her neck. Her dress had small straps that sat on her delicate shoulders, and the dress hung enticingly over her breasts, draping down her curves. It was covered with black sequins and sparkled and shimmered in the lights. My breath was taken away, and before I could turn back to the redhead, the whole group had walked away. Trevor walked over and followed my eyes, trying to figure out what I was looking at.
“Wow,” he said with a whistle. “Look at those three.”
“The girl in the black sequins,” I said. “She is freaking breathtaking.”
“She’s hot,” Trevor said. “But that bohemian princess beside her with that wavy blond hair, she is sexy as hell. She looks like a real wild one.”
Trevor got distracted, dragged off to do shots with one of the many girls he had met that night. I kept my eyes glued to the sequined beauty, walking over to the bar and posting up on one of the stools. The way she walked, the way she looked around, and the way she giggled with her girlfriends made me wonder what her story was. She was delicate looking but at the same time held herself with a strong posture. I could tell she wasn’t a New York City girl, at least not one who had been here long if she was. Either she had a lot of money, especially since tickets to this shindig were for charity and went at ten grand a piece, or one of her girlfriends was. If I had to guess, I would say it was the blonde, the one who Trevor had instantly zoned in on. She had an air to her, a confidence that told me she was used to this lifestyle while the others weren’t. That was fine with me because there’d been a time I hadn’t felt comfortable in this lifestyle.
“Hey,” Trevor said, looking at me. “You being social?”
“Yeah.” I tried to play it off. “Just taking a breather and grabbing a drink. How are you doing with the ladies?”
“Good, though I really haven’t found anyone I’m that interested in,” he said. “Maybe I’ll run into that blonde.”
Trevor got two shots and two beers and smiled at me, lifting them up and then heading back to whoever he was talking to. The crowd was starting to get bigger, so I got up and walked around, keeping my eye on the brunette in the sparkling dress. I knew I should probably go talk to her instead of lurking in the shadows, but she was so beautiful, I wasn’t sure I would even know what to say. Usually, I didn’t have any problem talking to women. I just chose not to because I wasn’t interested, but this girl was different, I could tell it. Maybe I was being shy, making up excuses in my head to stay away because there was a good chance she was like every other woman, but maybe she really had knocked me for a loop.
“Hey there, handsome,” a familiar voice said behind me.
“Missy,” I said with a chuckle. “What are you doing here?”
“Same as everyone else.” She smiled. “You look surprised.”
“It didn’t seem like your scene, that’s all.” I smiled.
“You know, you’ve never asked me what I do for a living,” she said.
“All right, what do you do? Are you in fashion?”
“No.” She laughed. “I am the founder and managing partner of Cromwell Litigation.”
“You’re Missy Cromwell?”
“Yeah,” she said. “You really should be more careful about not judging people, Brandt. Have a good night.”
She walked away, and I stood there in shock, not realizing that the girl who had been fucking me whenever I wanted for the last two years was also the owner of the biggest litigation firm in the city. I had completely misjudged her, and now I felt bad about it. I shook my head and laughed at myself. Being blinded by anger toward my ex had made me into kind of a jerk. I turned back to find the girl in the sequined dress, but she was nowhere in sight. I raised up on my toes and tried to look over the ever-growing crowd, but I couldn’t see her. I started to wander through the people, telling myself that if I found her, I would actually talk to her this time, no matter how scared I was. I had to start growing some balls if I was going to come out to these kinds of things. Having a good time was a lot better than forcing myself to be miserable and then drinking way too much because of it. I had to embrace this new life that I had and try to move forward.
I must have walked around the club at least five times looking for her or even her friends, but I never found them. I looked down at my empty drink and sighed, setting the glass on an empty table. I wandered back up to the bar, thinking about how my life was almost comical at times. It had been the first time I had actually seen a girl who I might be interested in, and then I lost her. I lost her before I could even figure out what her name was. It was like the universe wanted me to be alone for the rest of my life. I stood at the bar, ignoring my surroundings and reading the drink list up on the board. All the drinks were listed according to Cupid’s body parts. For example, if you wanted a Red Bull and vodka, you would order a Cupid’s Ego. I wasn’t really a Red Bull or vodka kind of guy so when the bartender rolled over to me, I kept it simple.
“I’ll have Cupid’s Liver,” I said, ordering a whiskey and ginger ale.
“Personally, I think Cupid’s Pancreas is a bit more palatable,” a sweet voice came from next to me at the bar.
I smiled and looked over, pausing for a moment when I realized it was the girl in the sequined dress. She was even more beautiful up close, and I stuttered for a moment, trying to find the right words. She chuckled and tilted her head, looking at me.
“Perhaps you need his tongue,” she said with a laugh.
“Apparently.” I shook my head. “I’m Brandt.”
“Emma,” she said, shaking my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Would you mind if I sat down with you, Emma?”
“Not at all.” She waved her hand at the chair. “My friends are off dancing the night away, and I’m feeling a little more like drinking the night away.”
“Not a fan of Valentine’s Day?”
“No,” she said, laughing. “Not at all and it’s not just because of a recent breakup. I’ve always thought it was a silly holiday, an excuse for the flower company to gouge people with prices for flowers so they can sit on the counter and wither away to nothing.”
“You feel very strongly about this.” I chuckled.
“Sorry.” She blushed adorably.
“No, please don’t apologize,” I replied. “I like the passion behind it. You could start an anti-Valentine’s movement.”
“Save the roses,” she said, lifting her drink and laughing.
“I hate things like this party,” I said. “My friend dragged me here because he says I need to be more social and less grumpy.”
“Me too,” she said, surprised. “My friends said they’re trying to save me from myself. In fact, that’s what this whole weekend is for. Them, of course.”
“So, you don’t live in New York?”
“No.” She laughed. “I live in Camden, Maine. It’s the tiniest place in the world. You could fit a thousand of them inside this one city. But it’s home, so I love it.”
“That sounds nice,” I said. “New York can be a bit much sometimes, but when you get used to it, you really fall in love with the place. I live across town, but I love it.”
“Are you the guy who puts on the I heart NYC hat and jogs through the city every morning?”
“No.” I laughed. “And I’m pretty sure that’s just in movies. There are joggers but most everyone who lives here ends up burning their tourist pieces.”
“Oh, well that makes sense,” she said. “I always wondered because I know if I saw someone running through Camden with an I heart Camden hat on, I might trip them for being ridiculous.”
“You are brutal, ma’am.” I laughed. “I like it.”
“It’s in my DNA. My father is a sarcastic asshole,” she said, finishing her drink.
“Can I buy you another Pancreas?”
“I’ve never had a man offer to buy me a Pancreas before,” she said in a serious tone. “It’s very romantic.”
“It’s the mood.” I chuck
led. “The dead Cupids turn me into a romantic man, what can I say?”
“I don’t blame you,” she replied, smirking. “It’s a very sensual scene here.”
We both laughed, and I ordered her that drink, getting comfortable next to her. She was absolutely stunning, and every time she laughed, I could feel electricity in my chest. Her eyes glistened under the lights as she smiled, and I couldn’t help noticing the dimples in her cheeks deepen with each laugh. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, for even a moment, too afraid that when I looked back, she would be gone. Her personality was perfect, sassy, feisty, and very sarcastic. She was exactly the kind of woman I liked to talk to. I just hadn’t found anyone like her in the city until that moment. I could tell this night was getting better already, and I hoped the conversation would turn into something more.
Chapter 6
Emma
“I had this cabbie one time, before I moved to Manhattan, who told me he gave lifts to at least two gunshot victims a week,” he said. “I thought I was crazy for living in a city like that, but when I look out at the cityscape, there’s something about it that makes me love being here.”
I sat back listening to Brandt’s stories about living in the city, thinking about how I couldn’t believe I was there talking to such a handsome man. His brown eyes glimmered as he talked, and his perfectly groomed brown hair seemed to lie down in the right places on its own. He was tall and muscular, and his arms looked like they could wrap me up and never let me go. I glanced over his shoulder and saw Gillian and Caroline staring at us, whispering excitedly to each other. They both gave me the thumbs up, and I had to force myself not to giggle, not wanting to draw attention to them. They were ridiculous, but I would have done the same thing to either one of them.