Taming the Whirlwind

by L. M. Heidle

  “Well then, let the torture begin.” She glared at me. She’s never understood my aversion to shopping. If she could spend all day doing it, I really think she would. We started walking to the back when I grabbed Meg’s arm.

  “What?”

  “That’s it.” I pointed to the dress on a mannequin.

  She swung her head to where I was pointing. It was a beautiful fuchsia color. “That dress is gorgeous.”

  The saleslady walked up behind us, causing us to jump. “It’s quite breathtaking, isn’t it? We just got that one in. Would you like to try it on?”

  “That would be great, thank you.” She brought me the dress and I stared at it. It was absolutely stunning. The fuchsia color was lovely. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline. It had a darker fuchsia ribbon crisscrossed right below the bust to the back. It had a fuchsia overlay over the entire dress that was tight around the bodice and helped the bottom look like it was flowing. It also had a slit up to mid-thigh. This dress was a little more elegant than last time because it had a back but the slit still made it sexy.

  “Would you hurry the hell up already? Some of us are dying out here.” I walked out the door to not only Meg, but the saleslady as well.

  “Yep, we don’t need to try any others on.” Thank God! “It shows just enough to make it alluring, but not slutty.”

  “Thanks so much. I just love to hear I’m not slutty.”

  “Ma’am, that dress does look amazing on you,” the saleslady agreed.

  I looked at the sales lady. “Thank you. I guess we’ll take this one.” She nodded and walked away. I turned towards Meg, “Do I want to know the price of that dress?”

  “Oh, Liz, there is never too high a price to pay for fashion, especially when said fashion may help with a rich boyfriend,” she said as she nudged me.

  “Please. There is when you don’t have a lot of money, and he’s not my boyfriend.”

  “Yet. He’s not your boyfriend yet. One look at you in that dress might change everything.”

  We were walking back to the apartment after grabbing a quick bite to eat when I got Brent’s text: We will be at your apartment at 6pm. You can’t miss us; we’ll be the ones in the limo.

  Once we made it through the door, she pushed me down the hall towards my bathroom. She made me wax and buff every surface possible. “You’ll be thanking me if this all goes as planned.”

  “Goes as planned? I’m not planning on sleeping with him tonight if that’s what you’re getting at.”

  “Don’t kid with me. I know you’ve thought about it and if you haven’t, I officially disown you.”

  I sidestepped that question. “So what are you doing tonight?”

  She gave me a look, letting me know she knew I was avoiding. “I have plans with Derrick. Derrick, who is my boyfriend. You remember what those are right?”

  “Very funny. You better watch it or I’ll cut a chunk of your hair out while you’re sleeping.”

  She laughed at me. “You wouldn’t dare.” She’s totally right. I’d be terrified of what she would do back. “Quit bitching and sit your butt down. I need to figure out what I’m doing with your hair.” She ended up sweeping it to the right with a loose bun. She did my makeup in what she called the ‘sex look.’

  I had decided on simple jewelry, so I borrowed Meg’s diamond anklet and hooped earrings. I also dug out the one thing I cherished most from my mom. It was a light pink diamond bracelet. I was putting on my heels when Brent walked in.

  “Hello, boobs. I mean, Gel, look at you. Didn’t think you could pull this off after what you looked like this morning.”

  “Brenton Michael, you’re a jerk. Where’s Andrew?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I not good enough anymore?”

  “Shut up, you idiot.”

  “They had some emergency at the charity he had to attend to but he’ll meet up with us when we get there. That is if we ever make it.” I guess that was his subtle hint to hurry up. “By the way, I did a little research and his sister is hot.” He winked at me. Men.

  “All right, all right, I’m coming. Have fun tonight with Derrick, Meg.” She air kissed both my cheeks.

  “I hope you have a fun night as well. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Well, that left open a lot of options.

  Brent and I were sitting in the limo when he let out a dramatic sigh. “Would you chill out? You’re bouncing over there. It’s not like you haven’t been to one of these before.”

  “Yeah, but that didn’t count; it was with you.”

  “Ouch.” He faked insult.

  “Stop it, you know what I mean. This is different. I’m just glad it’s going to be small.”

  We sat in comfortable silence as we made our way through the New York traffic. My mouth dropped when I saw where we were being dropped off. “Smaller, my ass! This is probably twice as big as yours.” There were paparazzi everywhere. I instantly regretted coming, knowing what kind of stories they would probably cook up.

  “Wow, you could say that. Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.” The limo door opened, shocking me back into the real world. “Here we go!”

  I was expecting Brent’s hand to be the one to help me out, but much to my surprise and pleasure, Andrew was there.

  “Elizabeth, you look stunning.” He gave me a devilish wink. “I’m glad I was able to escort you in. I wouldn’t want them to think you were here with anyone else.” He offered me his arm, “Shall we?”

  “We shall. By the way, I wouldn’t exactly call this event small.”

  He shrugged, “Well, it’s small compared to last year.” I couldn’t even imagine that. We made our way up the red carpet to pose for pictures. This part was a little overwhelming to me. If it were just pictures, I probably would’ve been okay but the paparazzi were relentless. I thought the story was over since it had been weeks and Kade hadn’t been seen anywhere near me. Just thinking about it still hurt. I missed him as much today as I did the day he walked out. I missed everything about him, even his domineering pain-in-the-rear attitude. ‘Ms. Day, looks like you have moved on. Are you planning on dating all the most eligible bachelors in New York?’

  Andrew started to say something, but I put my other hand on his arm, “Don’t worry about it. Eventually, they will find someone new to torture.”

  “I hate those guys. Plus, I want everyone to know that the most attractive woman here is with me, not Parker.”

  “I’m not sure about the attractive part, but I’m sure they know that, considering I’m on your arm.” Idly, I wondered if Kade was going to be here tonight. I was torn. I wanted to see him badly but then again, it would be hard having him so close. I won’t lie. I also wanted to see his reaction to this dress, considering I might have had him in mind when I picked it out.

  He smirked, “Damn right you are.” He dropped my elbow and pulled me in close for a kiss. He leaned me slightly back so that I had to grab his biceps. It took me a moment to open my eyes when he pulled me back up. He was looking at me with that devilish glint in his eyes again. “Now, they know for sure.”

  I smiled, “Well, that was an interesting way to start the evening.” Why did I always feel like a shiny toy? Between Kade throwing punches with Brent, and now Andrew kissing me publically to let everyone know I’m here with him.

  When I felt a familiar charged sensation, I turned to see him. My breath caught when I noticed he was looking right at us. There was no doubt he had seen Andrew’s little display, which was probably brought on by the fact that Kade was so close behind us. His blue eyes and handsome face were shooting daggers towards Andrew but when he looked at me, everything softened a little. No matter how much time had passed, that man still took my breath away.

  Andrew pulled slightly on my arm so I gave Kade one last look then turned away. “Are you ready for this? It should be quite boring.”

  “I’m sure the four of us can shake it up a little.”

  “It’s already better than last year. I could sta
re at you all night, and I would be perfectly content.”

  “That’s sweet,” I knew that came out a sounding a little annoyed, but seeing Kade threw me. “We should go find Brent and your sister. I wonder if they’re hitting it off.”

  “If I know my sister, they’re over at the bar. She likes to get a stronger drink to make it through dinner. The speeches can sometimes be dreadful.” They’d already made it from the bar to our table by the time we found them. “Amber, this beautiful creature is Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is my sister Amber.”

  Her whole face lit up with a smile. “So, you’re the one I’ve heard about. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She leaned forward to air kiss my cheeks. I’ve never understood that tradition, but whatever. She, at least, seemed genuine.

  “Amber, it’s a pleasure to meet you too and please, call me Liz. I hope Brent is behaving himself.”

  “What me? Why wouldn’t I be behaving myself? I’m always a perfect gentleman.”

  “Yes always,” I sarcastically replied. I took a sip from the champagne Andrew offered.

  “He‘s behaved himself so far this evening, but if that changes I’ll let you be the first to know,” she smiled at me.

  Brent interrupted our conversation. “Ladies, I’ll be right back. I’m going to use the gentleman’s room before everything starts.” I snorted at his emphasis on the word ‘gentleman.’

  Andrew leaned over to kiss my forehead, “If you’ll excuse me as well, I think I’ll join him.” When I looked up at him, I noticed Kade staring at us again. For some reason, I had this nagging feeling Andrew was doing this solely to piss Kade off. If so, he was playing a very dangerous game.

  “So Liz, do you know my brother well?” Amber asked, interrupting my thoughts.

  “No, the first time I met him was last night. We talked for quite a while at the club. He asked me to join him tonight, so I suggested we do a double date since he normally went with you. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Oh, the way he talked about you, I thought he knew you better. He must really like you to drag you here after only just meeting you. Of course, I don’t mind doubling. Have you seen Brent?

  “Yeah, he wears on you after a while.”

  “What’s his story? I saw the photos in the newspaper a while ago. They made it seem like you guys were dating.”

  “No, we dated in high school, but are just close friends now. We recently reconnected when he came to New York to help his aunt.”

  “Do you know if he’s dating anyone?” Looks like Brent can add another name to his list of admirers.

  I smiled at her. “No, he’s single at the moment.” I couldn’t get over how sweet she seemed.

  “That’s good to know. Can you give me any advice about him?” I started to reply, but the guys showed up before I could. I mouthed the word ‘later’ to her, and she nodded.

  “All right, ladies, it’s time to sit through an incredibly long dinner.”

  Andrew apparently knew the other couple sitting with us. Their names were Anna and Gavin. Once he introduced me, he and Gavin started a debate about something or other. Anna was quiet and didn’t say much throughout the entire dinner. Amber and I chatted, with Brent butting in every once in a while.

  Andrew leaned over, “Are you having fun?”

  “It’s not too bad. The food is excellent, at least.”

  “I hope the company isn’t too bad either.”

  I giggled a little. “No, the company’s not too bad.” He winked at me before leaning over to place another kiss on my forehead. It was official. I was pretty sure he was trying to piss Kade off, considering Kade happened to be walking by our table when he did that. I silently prayed this evening wouldn’t come to blows. Brent and Kade already hated each other enough to fight, but now Andrew was throwing coals on an already smoldering situation.

  My head jerked to the front when I heard Kade’s voice in the microphone. “As many of you know, this is a cause that is near and dear to my heart because I was an orphan once. I know what it feels like to be bounced around from foster home to foster home only to end up in an orphanage.” What did he just say? Was he an orphan? “There are hundreds of orphans in this city alone living in conditions most of us wouldn’t consider appropriate for our pets.” After that, I didn’t hear much of his speech. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact he was once an orphan. The strong, powerful, and demanding man standing in front of me was once a scared child without a home. Our eyes met and I saw a hint of a smile play on his lips, but I had no idea why because I was still lost in my own thoughts. Before I knew it, everyone was clapping.

  Andrew stood up, offering me his hand. “Now, it’s time for dancing while they reset for dessert and the auction. Would you care to dance?”

  “I would love to.” He led me to the dance floor and whirled me around the room. It amazed me how one night these guys could be at the club grinding and the next be dancing the Waltz. He was different from Brent and Kade in the dancing department. He was an excellent dancer, but Brent was more comfortable to dance with and Kade, well, he was a dominating dancer. Andrew seemed more refined and proper.

  “Have you decided you hate me yet for dragging you here?”

  “Of course not; it’s not that bad. It’s for a wonderful cause. Plus, what woman doesn’t love to get dressed up every now and then?”

  He laughed. “Especially when that woman is as excruciating beautiful as you.”

  “You better be careful. A girl could get used to this kind of flattery.”

  “I think it’ll be okay since I plan on giving her plenty of flattery for a long time.” Oh really? We had danced a few more dances before Brent tapped his shoulder to cut in.

  “Mind if I cut in, Andrew?”

  “Yes, I do mind.” He winked at me. “He gets one dance then I’m back.”

  Brent grabbed my hands and we started dancing. “So how are things going with Amber? She seems very sweet.”

  “She’s very sweet and damn, she’s hot.”

  I rolled my eyes at him, “Besides her being hot, are you guys getting along?”

  “Yeah, we actually are. I was afraid she would be all snooty like a spoiled rich girl but she’s pretty down to earth. I think I might ask her out again. How’s your date going?”

  “That’s good; I really like her. My date is fine. I just…” I paused. I didn’t want to say I thought he was trying to piss Kade off on purpose, because it seemed a little far-fetched the more I thought about it.

  “You just what?”

  I looked up at him, “I just have this feeling that Andrew is using me to piss Kade off. That sounds crazy, right?”

  “No, it’s not crazy. I’ve noticed he’s more affectionate whenever Kade’s near. You know I’m not a fan of Kade, but I would understand if he felt like punching Andrew.”

  “It better not come to that.”

  “You should feel special. Most women would love to have three guys, now two I guess, fighting over her. I may not be vying for your attention that way anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop looking out for you.”

  “Look at you being all sweet.” I poked his chest. “Are you turning into a softy?” He playfully glared at me. “I know you’ll always be there for me possibly even when I don’t want you to.” He laughed at me. The song ended and I expected Andrew to be back at my side but instead, Kade cut in.

  He looked at Brent. “May I?” Brent looked back and forth between us, not knowing exactly what to do.

  I gave a slight nod when he looked at me. He squeezed my hand while muttering something close to, “This isn’t going to be good.”

  Kade took my hands as we started to dance. I saw Andrew look up from the table when Brent got back. He looked seriously pissed, but Brent stopped him from coming over.

  “You look lovely tonight, Liz. Even more beautiful than the last time I saw you, if that’s possible.” His eyes were still the most beautiful shade of blue.

  “Th
ank you. You look handsome as ever, Mr. Park...”

  He raised an eyebrow before I could finish. “I think we know each other too well for the formality out of the office. Don’t you?”

  I blushed slightly. “I guess you’re right about that one. Your speech was beautiful, by the way.”

  He stared into my eyes. “Thanks. I’m not a big fan of talking about it, but it’s for a wonderful charity.”

  “Yes it is.” We both fell silent but our time together would end shortly and I didn’t want to be silent, so I said the first thing that crossed my mind, “What’s your middle name?”

  “It’s Ian. Is there a reason you needed to know that?”

  “Kade Ian Parker? I like it. Your nickname would be Kip.”

  “I feel special, but what if I say no to that one?”

  “I’ll say I don’t care.” I smiled as sweetly at him as I possibly could.

  “Why does that not surprise me? I can deal with it for you on one condition.”

  “What would that condition be?”

  “That I get to give you one too. No arguments.”

  “This could be interesting.” Before he could come up with one, Andrew was by our side.

  “I’ll be taking my date back now.” Taking back? The two men stared each other down a minute before I placed a hand on each one’s arm. I felt a spark when I touched Kip’s arm. I know he felt it too because he looked down into my eyes.

  “If you gentlemen will excuse me, I think I need to use the ladies’ room.” With that, I turned to walk away. Andrew was at my side in an instant, guiding me to the restroom.

  “I’m sorry if I offended you in any way. I just don’t like that guy.”

  “Can I ask why? I would think you two would have a lot in common, both being businessmen.”

  “Besides him being an ass, he refused to invest in the club at start up. My partners and I went to him with a business proposal because my father knew him. He didn’t agree with our plans at all and refused to invest. It took us two more years to raise the capital to start the club.”

  “Oh, I see.” That feeling of being used reappeared. I gave him a small smile as I walked into the restroom. After checking my makeup and reapplying my lip-gloss, I headed out the door. I was surprised to see Brent waiting for me instead of Andrew.