To my surprise, Victor was right. Family dinners at the Klein’s home were not always formal affairs.Lana and Harry wore nice, but casual clothes, and Victor told me Lana had helped prepare the meal.“Cooking is a hobby of mine,” she explained as she removed an apron covering her skirt and blouse.“Do you like to cook, Daisy?” she asked as she took her seat at the table.“Sometimes,” I said. “I like to cook better than doing the dishes.”I wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought I would be despite Victor and his father being lost in talk about business.Lana occasionally joined in. She seemed as knowledgeable as the men. She was an excellent role model.Best of all, my fears of ruining the dinner by doing something clumsy were laid to rest in the first ten minutes of the meal when Harry accidentally spilled his wine.Lana raised her eyebrows when he continued to discuss a new client of Victor’s as the wine spread across the linen tablecloth.Saunders appeared at his elbow with a dry clot
Amy wasn’t at our usual spot outside the school the next morning. I panicked, wondering if she made it home last night. I shouldn't have left her by herself at the library.But then I saw her standing with a small group of Beta girls a few yards away. I hurried over to talk to her.“How was the rest of your evening?” I asked. “Did you find Justin?”“He was on the second floor, doing some research in the microfiche room,” she replied.“Why didn’t he tell you he was going upstairs?”“He did, but I was so involved in looking for a book for his paper that I didn’t hear him tell me he was going up there.”“Well, I’m glad everything worked out for you. And I still want to meet Justin.”Amy looked me over. “Wow, why are you all dressed up today?”I didn’t think I was very dressed up. My skirt, top, and sandals came from Gisele’s, but the outfit wasn’t over the top for school.But I looked different because I had my contacts in and was wearing my hair in loose waves around my shoulders.“Vict
I was ready to go five minutes before Victor picked me up.Jennifer and I chose a floor-length skirt and a silk top with an illusion neckline. The top showed too much of my skin, so I paired it with a short, light jacket.My hair was in a braided updo, and I was wearing red lipstick for the first time. Jennifer said my overall look was classy and chic.My reflection in the mirror gave me a thrill and a confidence boost, but the young woman I saw looked too good to be me.Victor let out a little whistle when he saw me walk down the stairs. “Wow! You look amazing.”I blushed. “Thank you. Let me say good night to Alex, and I’ll be ready to go.”Alex told me to have a good time, and we were soon out the door.We climbed into the Lamborghini, and we were off for the latest art show at Mirage, the most successful and trendiest gallery in the city.“What do you know about the artist?” Victor asked.“Emily Miller is in her early thirties. She became an orphan when she was ten and was put in t
I was downstairs wearing a pastel green cocktail dress while I waited with Alex for Victor to arrive. I told Alex we needed to speak to him before we left for the ambassador’s party.When Benson showed Victor into the living room, Alex greeted him warmly.“How are you, Victor?” Alex asked. “Daisy tells me you have something you want to speak to me about.”Victor sat next to me on the couch. “I’d like you to announce our engagement as soon as possible. There are some individuals among the Alpha males who are pursuing your daughter for her inheritance.”Alex was quiet for a long moment. “I see,” he said. “Does this attention bother my daughter?”“Yes, I hate it,” I told him. “One of them trapped me in a bathroom at the Phillips’ ball and tried to kiss me.”Alex’s face grew pale. “And you think a formal announcement would help the situation?”“Yes,” Victor replied. “Daisy would be safer from these encounters, and I would have more authority to protect her as her official fiancé.”Alex ra
The dinner party to announce my engagement to Victor was an hour away.I was lying across my bed in my plush bathrobe after showering while Jennifer rummaged through my closet, searching for the perfect pair of shoes to go with the dress I chose to wear tonight.“What about this pair, Miss?” Jennifer asked.Before I could answer her, my phone rang. The caller ID told me it was Debbie, my personal assistant at my mother’s charity foundation.Debbie and I had become well acquainted over the last week. She filled me in on the details of the day-to-day operations that even Victor did not know.I liked her very much. She respected me and my opinions and didn’t look down on me if I didn’t know something.I answered the call. “Hello, Debbie.”“I’m sorry to bother you before your dinner party,” she apologized. “But I needed to ask a quick question.”“Did you want the invitations for next month’s charity auction sent out first thing Monday morning, or do you want to wait until after the articl
William went straight to my father. “Mr. Wilson, I apologize for showing up at your dinner party uninvited.”“Nonsense. William, you are always welcome in my home,” Alex told him. “I’m glad to see you have returned to us.”Mrs. James couldn’t control herself any longer and jumped to her feet. She threw her arms around William’s neck. “William, I’m so happy to see you. Please tell me you are staying.”He returned his mother’s embrace and wiped away her happy tears. “I’m staying. I’m sorry if you were worried, but I’m back now, Mother.”“How did you know we were here?” his father asked after he shook his son’s hand.“The staff at our house told me you were here. So I had to come here to tell you I have returned to the city. From your letters, I knew you were eager for my return.”“It’s wonderful to have you back, son,” Mr. James said. “We’ll talk more later.”“It's great to be back, “ William said. He glanced across the table at me and smiled. “Daisy, it’s wonderful to see you. And you
William and I went into the living room, and I closed the door behind us. We sat on the couch, and I waited for him to speak.He nervously rubbed the palms of his hands on his slacks as he gathered his thoughts.Then he looked up at me with a smile that reached his sky-blue eyes. “It is good to be back. I did a lot of thinking while I was gone, about us and about you.”“That’s what I thought. It made me feel guilty that you left town over me,” I said. “I hope you’re doing better.”“Don’t feel guilty. I’m fine,” he said, but he still looked a little sad. “My wolf gets restless and craves Diana, but he understands the situation better now. We both do.”We were both silent for a moment.“Daisy, when you rejected me, you said you had to remain engaged to Victor because you have a deal with him.”“Yes, that’s true,” I said. “And I still can’t go back on my word.” I hope that wasn’t what he wanted to talk about because I didn’t want to disappoint him again.“I know you would never go back o
Victor noticed William’s eyes on me from across the table. “What were you two talking about?” he inquired.“We were just catching up,” William replied. “It was easier to speak privately than to yell across the table.”It was apparent that Victor wasn’t convinced, but he nodded slowly.“Everything is fine,” I assured him.Victor leaned closer and whispered into my ear, “Then we are still engaged?”“If we’re not, I am at the wrong party,” I teased. “Of course, we’re still engaged.”Victor’s fake smile turned genuine. “Glad to hear it.” He turned his attention to William. “Are you sticking around now?”“I’m not going anywhere,” William declared to his mother’s delight.I was glad to hear it too.“Daisy changed quite a bit while I was gone,” William said. “She looks even more beautiful, and she is much more confident.”“I’ve been learning about my mother’s charity foundation,” I told him. “I’m going to start running it soon.”“You’re doing a good job now,” Victor said. “I told your father