"I said guess, you silly girl," Arthur chided."Aww, Arthur, you know I'm bad at guessing," Leslie whined, scrunching her nose."Oh, alright, let me tell you. I have managed to snatch you a ticket for the annual charity art gala in Tribeca," Arthur announced smugly.Leslie gasped, her brows shooting up. "Are you serious? Tribeca?!"Julian’s ears perked up at her words."Thank you so much, Arthur. I’m… I’m so grateful.""No need to thank me, little girl. It's a pleasure, really. I just need you to do something for me," he whispered."What is it? I'll do my best.""I want you to be yourself. Don’t try to fit in—you’re too outstanding to fit in, so don’t bother trying."Leslie’s nose reddened at his words. "I will, Arthur, don’t worry.""Also, bring along that boyfriend—I mean, friend—of yours too, okay?"Leslie looked over at Julian. He was still looking at her, his pools of hazel reflecting herself. Her cheeks tinged with pink."I’ll… I’ll ask him.""Okay, little girl, see you in two w
A week later, while having breakfast, Julian thrusted his black card into Leslie's hands. Leslie's eyes widened as she swallowed her mouthful of French toast."Julian, isn't this yours? Why are you giving it to me?""Yes, it's my black card. Lady P will be coming to pick you up to get fitted for a dress. The gala is in one week, and you don’t have a dress yet," Julian stated.Leslie snickered. "And who says I don’t have a dress? Have you seen my walk-in closet? I haven’t even worn 5 percent of all the stunning clothes in there. Aren’t you afraid of going bankrupt?!" Leslie asked, slightly nervous.Julian chuckled. "These butterflies are here again," Leslie thought as she watched in awe. Julian smirked at her reaction and leaned down. "I can assure you, Leslie, I won’t go bankrupt from just getting my wife clothes." Leslie's heart picked up as he said "my wife." He’d been using it when speaking to her these past few days, as if loving her reaction every time he said it."You… you kn
The interior of Lady P boutique was all soft colors, warm and inviting, with a sweet melody playing from a record player somewhere. The ambiance was lovely, and Leslie felt herself relaxing. Her hands were still in Julian's, his big hand enclosing hers. She remembered a statement Betty made in art school: "Big hands, big di-""What is wrong with me?" Leslie wondered, her whole face flaming hot."Are you alright?" Julian asked, noticing her flushed face."I'm okay," she squeaked.Vanessa suddenly came in between them, breaking their linked hands. "I'm so happy we get to spend time together!" she squealed, peering at Julian.Julian's eyes twitched. "I think you should shop on the other floor, Vanessa.""What? No way!, the dress I need is here!," Vanessa contended. She looked over at Leslie. "Please Leslie, convince him to let me stay, please!" Vanessa begged.Leslie had to bite her inner cheek to stop herself from snapping at Vanessa. Leslie shifted to Julian's side and linked their han
Finally, it was the day of the gala. Leslie, being Leslie, was in her studio as always, feeling apprehensive about the painting she'd made for the gala. “Is this even appropriate for the gala?” she muttered, biting her bottom lip in consideration. “Snap out of it, Leslie. Your art is beautiful, stop degrading yourself,” her inner voice argued.She blew out a breath and smiled. “Yes, my art is indeed beautiful. I'm sure they'll love it. It’s for charity anyway, it’s not like I’m going for a competition.”A knock sounded at the door. “Come in, it’s open,” she called out, and a maid came in. “Sorry to bother you, young miss,” she said with a bow.“It’s no problem. Adelaide, correct?” Leslie asked. “Yes, ma’am. I’m Adelaide. It’s almost 4 PM, and the master will soon be home. Don’t you think it’s time for you to get ready?” Leslie’s eyes widened. “Oh my god! I almost forgot that the gala starts at 7. Thank you for reminding me. Come on, let’s go,” Leslie mumbled, leading the way o
The flashing of cameras and voices of journalists were overwhelming. Julian stepped out of the limo and placed his hand for Leslie to hold onto. The journalists looked on in confusion, but then a soft, white feminine hand held onto Julian’s, and Leslie stepped out, a kind smile on her face. She looked around, her shoulders squared, and she looked like the epitome of grace and poise.Julian looked at her, his gaze filled with pride. She was nervously latching onto his fingers, but her expression belied nothing. He felt his heart fill at the effort she was putting in. The atmosphere quieted down for a few seconds; everyone was mesmerized by Leslie's beauty. Then, the voices resumed, everyone trying to inch closer to them. Thankfully, the bodyguards were doing their job very well.“Mr. Blackwood, who’s the absolutely stunning lady with you?”“Mr. Blackwood, over here, please! Who’s this pretty lady? Are you guys related? Is she your girlfriend?”“Mr. Blackwood, please answer us, Mr. Blac
Leslie took Julian's hand, her face flushed, as he led her to the dance floor. They intertwined fingers, Julian placing one hand on her waist while she rested hers on his shoulder as the music began. It was a slow dance, and a beautiful melody played by the orchestra filled the room. He pulled her close as they danced. "I never knew you could dance so well, Mrs. Blackwood," Julian teased."Neither did I about you, Mr. Blackwood," Leslie teased back."Well, there’s a lot of things we don’t know about each other," Julian said, and Leslie nodded in affirmation. He twirled her twice as the music neared its climax, and she flowed with him effortlessly, like they’d been practicing for ages. The tension between them was palpable as they stared deep into each other’s eyes. The music reached its peak, and they bowed slightly. Whistles and loud claps broke out from the audience. Julian pulled her to a corner and was about to ask her a question when Arthur popped out of nowhere."Mentee!" he
The auditorium was spacious, plush seats littered everywhere in an orderly fashion, and the ceilings, made of glass, showcased the bright night sky with twinkling stars. Julian and Leslie were immediately ushered to the front row, with Alexander and Vanessa sitting a row behind them—an arrangement that caused a scowl to form on Vanessa's face.The auction started, and the lights dimmed, focusing attention on the center of the stage where a petite woman clad in a jumpsuit walked up to the podium. She cleared her throat."Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am the host of this show, Mrs. Claire. I’m sure you’ve all met my son, Johnson," she said, pointing to the young man at the end of the stage. "And without further ado, let's begin with the auction of tonight. Please don’t hold back on anything you like; the money, as always, will go to children suffering from heart diseases and to talented young art students who have no capital to study further."That earned a round of applause as
During cocktail hour, Vanessa excused herself. She pecked Alexander on the lips and pouted, "Baby, I need the powder room.""Okay, but you look fine, Nessa," Alexander retorted.Vanessa gave him a pointed look. "Okay fine, you can go," he conceded.She stood up and left in the direction of the powder room, but she made a detour to a small passageway and grabbed hold of a waiter's neck viciously as her eyes narrowed."You fool! You ruined the small task I gave you. Huh, how dumb can you be?!"The waiter's face paled as she tightened her grip on his neck."Ma'am… please, I'm sorry. I did as you asked. Re… release me," the waiter gasped.Vanessa scoffed, "Release you, you stupid fool? If you don't want to be imprisoned for the rest of your pathetic life, I suggest you run from here right this instant. I don't know what made me give this task to an amateur like you. Now get out!"The waiter trembled and gasped for air when she released him."I… I'm sorry, miss. I'll g… go now," he stutte