"VSIP?"
"Very special important person. In fact, you'll be the first VSIP I'll ever have the privilege of escorting around Stellardyne. As an extra bonus, you also get to have lunch with the president."
"Will we have lobster for lunch?"
"If you wish. And you can wear a bib with a lobster pictured on it."
Ariel managed to keep a straight face and say, "Wow, I can't wait."
Chapter Twenty-Six
ARIEL PIVOTED IN different directions in front of the floor-length mirror in her dressing room, checking her appearance. The cherry-red dress softly molded to the shape of her body and fit her perfectly. The bodice was asymmetrical, leaving her left shoulder bare. The length was bias-cut, a tad above her right knee, and continued diagonally to mid-calf of her left leg. A pair of matching stiletto heels and matching evening bag completed the elegant ensemble. The jacket she chose was glacier white and designed from man-made and very expensive nature-fur material that was hard to tell from real fur in either texture or feel.
To complement the asymmetrical design of the dress, she had her hair swept back to one side, and held with a gold-tone clip. She wondered whether she should wear jewelry. She wasn't much on wearing jewelry, except for a pair of gold ear studs, and owned only a few pieces. None would go with the dress, nor were they quality pieces.
She heard a knock coming from her sitting room and hurried out. Before she reached the main door, the knock sounded again, and she realized it came from the door to Kiernan's suite. She opened the door to find Kiernan standing there, smiling.
Kiernan gave her an appreciative once over. "Oh, my. You look fantastic." This was one of the dresses Kiernan had specially made for Ariel before the wedding, and it was obvious by her expression she was pleased how it went with her hair and complexion.
Ariel gave Kiernan an equally appreciative once over. "So do you. Black looks very good on you. It shows your hair and coloring to advantage."
"Thank you." Kiernan beamed at the praise. She wore a black silk crepe dress, heavily beaded with a variety of tiny jet beads tapering off at the skirt. The slim skirt hung to a couple of inches below the knees. Tiny jet beads adorned the edging of the hem. The sleeveless fitted bodice showed off her trim figure.
Kiernan held an oblong black velvet box in her right hand. "May I come in?"
"Yes, of course." Ariel stepped aside and Kiernan entered.
"I have something for you--a gift to celebrate your acceptance into Georgia Tech. I think it will go well with your dress."
She held out the box and Ariel accepted and opened it. She drew in her breath when she saw the thin rope of sparkling diamonds and the matching solitaire ear studs. "I--oh, Kiernan, it's beautiful." She impulsively hugged her and whispered in her ear, "Thank you," before moving out of the embrace.
Kiernan's pleasure reached to her eyes, turning them bright emerald. "You're very welcome. Here, let me put the necklace on for you." Taking the box from Ariel's hand, she walked over to the mirror hung over the console table.
Ariel followed and Kiernan said, "Turn facing the mirror."
Ariel gave a slight shiver when Kiernan's hand brushed her bare shoulder. She lifted her hair and shivered again as Kiernan's warm fingers placed the necklace around her neck and touched the nape. The heat radiating from Kiernan's body, so close to hers, caused her heartbeat to quicken.
Kiernan moved back and Ariel fingered the necklace, admiring the beauty of its sixteen sparkling diamonds. Each was at least a carat and set in gold in one single strand. She caught Kiernan's reflection in the mirror and their eyes met. Ariel saw a melting, softness in the depths of Kiernan's eyes, and held her gaze, saying, "You're right--it goes perfectly with the dress."
"It does. Don't forget to put the ear studs in. I'll help you, if you wish."
"Thanks."
Kiernan sidled up close, almost against her, and removed the gold stud in her left ear. Ariel watched in the mirror, again feeling the heat of Kiernan's closeness. The brush of Kiernan's arm against her shoulder sent a delicious shiver down her spine. Kiernan carefully inserted the diamond stud into the earlobe and fastened it into place. "Turn toward me and I'll put the other one in."
Kiernan removed the gold stud. "This one isn't as easy to get in as the other. Hold very still." Kiernan's breasts brushed against Ariel's right arm. She inhaled deeply, holding her breath for a moment, and closed her eyes as she felt her arousal grow. Whether Kiernan noticed her intake of breath, she gave no indication. She successfully inserted the diamond earring, edged back, and said, "There. All done."
Ariel swiveled toward the mirror, admiring the ear studs. She took the moment to try to get control of her libido. "They're beautiful. I might not take them off after the fundraiser."
"Leave them in. Though I must say, I don't know how well they would go with your black motorcycle jacket and Harley. Might ruin your image as a tough biker babe."
"Biker babe?" She gave Kiernan a stare. "As I recall, that's your role. After all, you were the babe on the back."
Kiernan gave her a hard look, but Ariel knew she was trying to smother a smile. "I might have been on the back, but I'd hardly call myself a babe. Ready to go?" "Let me get my coat--babe."
THE ORDERED CHAOS outside the limo's window held Ariel's riveted stare. A roped off area, complete with a red carpet, led up to the Norwood Country Club located on the northeast side of Marietta, Georgia. The media surged around the carpeted walkway behind the rope. Everyone jostled for the perfect spot to take videos and pictures, and each reporter was intent on getting interviews or reactions from the arriving dignitaries and celebrities. A line of uniformed security guards on the inside of the cordoned area worked to keep the throng out.
Kiernan slipped out of her seat by Ariel, and took the one across from her. "I'll go out first and wait for you to exit. Remember what I told you. Keep by me, and don't acknowledge they're there. Keep on smiling, even if you hear some outrageous questions thrown your way. Ignore them."
Ariel nodded her understanding as a valet in a black coat and tie opened the limo door. The valet offered her hand to Kiernan, and she gracefully exited the limo to stand a few feet away and wait for Ariel.
The sea of voices and shouts reached a crescendo as soon as the media realized it was Kiernan O'Shay. Ariel took the hand of the valet and exited the limo to stand beside Kiernan. She heard the voices rise to garbled shouts as questions were thrown her way.
Kiernan took her by the arm and led her up the carpet. The guards pushed back some individuals attempting to cross the barrier.
"Ariel O'Shay, look this way please."
"Ariel O'Shay, how long did you know Kiernan O'Shay before you married her?"
"Ms. O'Shay, is it true this marriage is a business arrangement?"
"Kiernan O'Shay, do you have any comments on your wife's involvement in a notorious motorcycle gang?"
Kiernan muttered under her breath to Ariel, "They have got to be kidding."
Ariel didn't know whether to be appalled or amused. She decided she would go with the latter and said out of the side of her mouth to Kiernan, "I should have worn my black jacket and black biker pants."
Kiernan laughed throatily. The sound caused pleasant goose bumps to tickle the back of Ariel's neck.
Finally, they came to the end of the gauntlet, and two door attendants in black tailcoats opened the double doors of one of the South's most prestigious country clubs. They strolled into a grand lobby with marble flooring where a dozen people conversed. Conversation lulled as heads turned to see who entered. Within a matter of seconds, Ariel realized all eyes were focusing in their direction. She heard a few low whispers, then suddenly a voice close by said, "Well, well, if it's not my favorite cuz, fashionably late, as usual."
A gorgeous woman in a strapless sapphire dress with a pageboy cut of silver hair came up to Kiernan and hugged her.
Kiernan said, "As usual, I'm here. And you're as gorgeous as ever, cuz." She turned
to Ariel. "I would like you to meet my cousin, Beverly. She's throwing this shindig tonight. Beverly, this is my wife, Ariel."
Ariel took Beverly's hand. "Hello. Kiernan has told me about you and the wonderful work your foundation is doing."
"Why, thank you. It's people like Kiernan who keep it afloat." She hugged her and said, "Welcome to the family, cuz." Ariel flushed when Beverly planted a brief peck on her lips.
Kiernan narrowed her eyes and said with a playful warning, "Hey, watch it there. That's a little too familiar."
"Kissing Cousin, Kiernan," Beverly said, and then added, "you better keep her close by. It's the full moon tonight, and there are some foxes--and a few skunks--here who will try and raid your henhouse."
Kiernan put a proprietary arm around Ariel's waist, wryly saying, "I can arrange for them to take a one way trip to that full moon if they try that."
Beverly and Ariel both laughed.
Beverly said, "Come on, I want Ariel to meet Helen."
Kiernan took Ariel's hand and followed Beverly. Many of Kiernan's friends and acquaintances stopped them on the way, and she made quick introductions, but didn't linger long enough to engage in conversation. Some of the names and faces Ariel recognized from the media. The people she met were very cordial, but several scrutinizing stares made her uncomfortable.
They sauntered through the lobby and into a cavernous ballroom with a high ceiling from which hung crystal chandeliers. Over a dozen round tables with snowy white tablecloths and place settings for eight were scattered about the room. Cards by each place setting designated who sat where. The front floor of the ballroom was clear for dancing, and the members of an orchestra were setting up their equipment on the stage.
A couple dozen guests socialized in groups of four or five on both sides of the ballroom. A few people were already seated.
Many of the guests directed their attention to the trio as Beverly led them to the corner of the room where the bar was located. The people procuring drinks from the bartender stared. A few friends and acquaintances of Kiernan's stopped her, and she introduced Ariel.
A voice behind them said with humor, "Why, I do declare, it's the one and only Kiernan O'Shay. I see you decided to come down from that mountain fortress of yours and grace us with your presence, Your Majesty." A petite, vivacious woman with caramel skin and raven hair done into a twist came up to Kiernan and hugged her.
Kiernan hugged back, and they separated. Kiernan appraised the black silk tuxedo with a red cummerbund. "Helen, I must say, you're very debonair tonight. I think I'll get me a tux."
"Debonair? I like that description. You're as lovely as ever, and that dress is so you." She appraised Kiernan with approval, before turning her attention to Ariel, her soulful ebony eyes seeming to drink her in. With a dazzling smile, she said, "Hello, I'm Helen. You must be Ariel."
Ariel shook the offered hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Ortiz."
"Please, it's Helen." She didn't let go of Ariel's hand and stoked her megawatt smile up a few kilowatts. "Your pictures don't do you justice. You're stunning." She gallantly kissed the back of Ariel's hand. Ariel blushed hotly.
Kiernan narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "All right, Don Juanita, you want me to challenge you to a duel?" She removed Ariel's hand from Helen's and held it.
Beverly shot a slightly reproving look at her wife. "Helen, sugar, behave."
"I am behaving." Helen grinned wickedly. "Why, you can call me-- Ms. Behaving."
Kiernan said, "Ha! That line is older than my Uncle Theodore. Speaking of whom, has he arrived yet?"
"Not yet," Beverly said. "He and Jack will be seated at my table along with you two and Joshua and Casey Chou." Beverly's expression changed to stony. She whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "Heads up, here comes trouble."
A skinny, blonde-haired woman approached the group. She was dressed in a strapless black dress that did nothing for her gaunt figure but emphasize her prominent collarbones and bony shoulders. She stopped in front of the couple, glanced dismissively at Kiernan, and focused her attention on Ariel with a haughty squint down her aquiline nose and sarcastically said, "I hear congratulations are in order."
Kiernan displayed a feral grin. "Thank you, Millicent. I want you to meet my wife, Ariel. Ariel, Millicent Tyler."
Ariel disengaged her hand from Kiernan's and extended it for a shake. Millicent ignored it and said disdainfully, "I believe I heard you were a school teacher before marrying Kiernan."
"I'm a--I was a physics professor at Missionary Ridge Junior College."
"And you met Kiernan through your mother, who was employed by her?"
"That is correct."
"How fortunate for your family to now be associated with the O'Shay name--and social station. How long did you know Kiernan before you married her?"
Ariel knew what Millicent was implying. She took Kiernan's hand and surreptitiously squeezed it. Kiernan drew in a breath as if she were going to reply.
Ariel said facetiously, "Long enough."
"Oh? Funny how I never heard your name mentioned when Kiernan and I were...together...a mere few months before you married her. In fact, no one, that is no one I know, has ever heard of you."
"And why should they? Given the media's interest in anything Kiernan does, we thought it best to keep our relationship private, and between us." She glanced to Kiernan. "Kiernan was clever enough to throw the media off track by--" she paused and grinned at Millicent "keeping up--pretenses. Very clever of her--don't you agree?"
Helen snickered, and Kiernan's grip tightened briefly in approval and support.
Millicent's face glowed red and she twisted her mouth. "Why--"
"Oops," Beverly said, "it's getting to be that time. I better get this event rolling." Beverly hastily jerked Kiernan's hand and she and Ariel chugged along behind Beverly like two little train cars.
The sound of Millicent's retort followed Ariel. "Why you little upstart--"
Ariel heard Helen say, "Hey, Millie, let me show you to your table."
Ariel glanced back to see Helen grab Millicent's elbow and try to steer her away. Millicent flung her arm out of Helen's grasp. "My name isn't Millie," she shouted before stalking off.
At their table Kiernan said, "Sorry about that. Good lord. Seems my past has come back to haunt me."
"Let's be glad it wasn't my past, or we'd be heading to the emergency room to fix your broken nose."
Ariel saw Kiernan's eyes widen and mouth drop open, but she recovered her composure at once. "I'll depend on you to protect me."
"Protect you? Something tells me you can take care of yourself. But just in case, I'll be there holding a towel with ice in it for your nose."
"You handled that very well."
"I can take care of myself." A part of Ariel enjoyed besting that snotty socialite. She wasn't going to let anyone put her or her family down because they perceived them as being lesser in that they weren't born wealthy and were from a different social strata. Another part hoped this wasn't the type of behavior she could expect in the future from very many of Kiernan's friends and associates.
"I can see that." Kiernan was surprised at Ariel's quick and clever retort. Every day she realized there was so much more to learn about her wife than she'd initially imagined. Now she knew that Ariel would amaze her and confound her, please her and aggravate her, make her laugh and make her cry. She was looking forward to it.
DINNER WAS A pleasant affair. Ariel discovered the Chous were both motorcycle enthusiasts. They owned a Honda Goldwing they used in touring various parts of the globe for four months each year. They'd recently returned from a motorcycle trip through the Balkans.
Ariel regaled the Chous with her most recent day tour with the
H.O.G chapter to the Smoky Mountain National Park. She took delight in relating information about her trips down the infamous Tail of the Dragon, more than three hundred treacherous, twisting, and turning curves covering eleven miles o
f mountain road. Joshua had taken the ride down the Tail sans his wife, and he and Ariel discussed the thrills of maneuvering the tail and some of the spills they'd witnessed.
Kiernan wasn't at all thrilled to hear their accounts. She was glad Ariel planned to give up riding during her pregnancy and wished she would give it up permanently.
The caterers went table to table to remove the last of the dessert dishes, and the orchestra, which had played sedate classics throughout dinner, changed to up-tempo pieces meant for dancing, starting with a contemporary waltz. Helen pulled Beverly up from her chair and turned to Ariel and Kiernan. "Why don't you two hit the dance floor with us?"
"Shall we?" Kiernan held out her hand to Ariel, and they followed the other couple out onto the dance floor. She placed her arm around Ariel's waist only to have Ariel shrug away and reposition herself. Kiernan said, "I see you're accustomed to leading."
Ariel smirked. "I see you are, too."
"How about we take turns. I'll lead this dance--you lead the next."
"Okay, I'm versatile."
"We'll see." Kiernan guided Ariel in the box step. Ariel had no problems following. "Where did you learn to dance?"
"At Mountain Airs Studio. A member of my Harley group owns the studio and she donated the lessons for the annual Christmas drawing last year. They drew my name."
"Let me see what you learned from those lessons." She led Ariel into some underhand turns and a promenade step across the floor. Ariel followed flawlessly. Soon Kiernan went back to the basic box step and pulled Ariel in closer, feeling the heat emanating from her. There was the slight brush of Ariel's breasts that heightened Kiernan's senses. She smiled up at Ariel. "You dance very well."
"So do you."
"Mandatory lessons from sixth grade to tenth grade, and years of attending events such as these," Kiernan said lightly, before leading Ariel in a series of complicated moves, impressed how her wife followed every one perfectly.
THE SONG ENDED and another began. Ariel took the lead and guided Kiernan in a slow foxtrot. As the dance progressed, Ariel spun Kiernan into a few turns and executed a dip. She pulled Kiernan close against her at its conclusion and felt the warmth of her body and the press of her soft breasts. Ariel caught her breath as a tremor of arousal coursed through her. At that instant, she stared into Kiernan's eyes, knowing they were both aware of what was occurring between them. She folded her left arm, bringing Kiernan's right hand against her bare shoulder, held the soft, warm palm against her skin, and melded against her. Taking a slow, deep breath, she drew in the scent of perfume and Kiernan's own intoxicating scent, and excitement flooded her senses. The softness of a smooth temple and the silky texture of hair rubbed lightly against her cheek.
The Dreamer, Her Angel and the Stars Page 24