she’d broken off the engagement.
Beth studied her reflection in the mirror. Her dress was
made of burgundy silk. It hugged her body like a glove and she felt good in it.
She actually felt a little sexy, but she wasn’t wearing it for Gerald. She was
wearing it for herself. She’d been pretty glum the past few months and she’d
realized that she needed to snap herself out of it. This night out was her
first step in returning to the land of the living, not just trying to survive.
Gerald was to pick them up at six thirty and by six twenty
both women were ready. Cleo was spending the evening with Jerry and Vince so as
to not get dog hair all over them. Precisely at six thirty Beth’s cell phone
rang.
“Hello?”
“It’s Gerald. We’re down stairs waiting.”
“We’re?” Beth was confused.
“’I’ve brought my associate Evan with me…to round out the
group. We’re in the limo waiting.”
Real gentlemanly! Beth thought. What would mum
think of that? She rolled her eyes.
“We’ll be down in a moment,” she said and hung up.
The two women left the apartment and rode the elevator down
to the lobby. Gerald wasn’t there so they exited the building and stepped onto
the sidewalk. Gerald wasn’t there either. The driver jumped from the limo and
raced to open the door for them. He helped each of them, with their long
dresses, into the back of the car. Gerald and Evan were laughing and drinking.
“Good evening,” Gerald said in his most regal accent and
held his glass in salute. “This is Evan. Evan this is Beth and Emma.”
They exchanged pleasantries as the driver pulled into
traffic. Beth sat back and watched the men fill their glasses again and she was
mortified as Emma flirted with both of them at the same time.
Eventually they arrived at the benefit and had to wait as
the limos in front of them deposited their guests at the foot of the red
carpet.
“Oooh look Beth!” exclaimed Emma. “That’s Matt Lathem!”
Beth peered through the tinted glass to see an incredibly handsome
man in a black tux pose for the paparazzi with a beautiful woman at his side,
his arm protectively and loving wrapped around her hips.
“That’s his wife!” Emma noted. “A sad day when he went off
the market,” she sighed.
“He’s not cattle!” Beth frowned, but she had to admit that
he was gorgeous and would make any woman swoon. Mrs. Lathem was a very
lucky woman. “And how do you know all about him?”
“I read the papers and the magazines. He was New York’s most
eligible bachelor for several years a while back, but then he got married. I’d
marry a Lathem,” Emma sighed wistfully.
“We don’t know any Lathems,” Beth said. “And he might be an
only child.”
“Too bad,” Emma sighed again.
“You do know your dates are sitting right here and can hear
you?” Gerald snapped.
Neither sister responded.
Their limo pulled forward and the driver once again came to
her rescue by opening the door and helping her from the car. The photographers
didn’t appear to be very interested in her group so they moved across the
carpet and into the hotel quickly.
Once inside, Beth tensed as Gerald grabbed her elbow to
guide her through the throngs of elegantly dressed people to their table. It
was towards the back of the massive ballroom and off to the right. There was a
tent card in the middle of the table that read 24 – Linton, Clark &
Davies, Attorneys at Law.
“Here we are,” stated Gerald and pulled out a chair for her
to sit. He sat to her right and Emma chose to sit next to Gerald instead of
next to her. The table seated eight.
“Are there others joining us?” Beth asked.
“Probably,” Gerald replied, trying to get the waiters’
attention so he could order a gin.
Beth sat back and watched the sea of color. The dresses were
glamorous and the men all looked like penguins in their black and white
ensembles. As the lights began to dim, everyone settled in at their assigned
tables and the
Beth studied her reflection in the mirror. Her dress was
made of burgundy silk. It hugged her body like a glove and she felt good in it.
She actually felt a little sexy, but she wasn’t wearing it for Gerald. She was
wearing it for herself. She’d been pretty glum the past few months and she’d
realized that she needed to snap herself out of it. This night out was her
first step in returning to the land of the living, not just trying to survive.
Gerald was to pick them up at six thirty and by six twenty
both women were ready. Cleo was spending the evening with Jerry and Vince so as
to not get dog hair all over them. Precisely at six thirty Beth’s cell phone
rang.
“Hello?”
“It’s Gerald. We’re down stairs waiting.”
“We’re?” Beth was confused.
“’I’ve brought my associate Evan with me…to round out the
group. We’re in the limo waiting.”
Real gentlemanly! Beth thought. What would mum
think of that? She rolled her eyes.
“We’ll be down in a moment,” she said and hung up.
The two women left the apartment and rode the elevator down
to the lobby. Gerald wasn’t there so they exited the building and stepped onto
the sidewalk. Gerald wasn’t there either. The driver jumped from the limo and
raced to open the door for them. He helped each of them, with their long
dresses, into the back of the car. Gerald and Evan were laughing and drinking.
“Good evening,” Gerald said in his most regal accent and
held his glass in salute. “This is Evan. Evan this is Beth and Emma.”
They exchanged pleasantries as the driver pulled into
traffic. Beth sat back and watched the men fill their glasses again and she was
mortified as Emma flirted with both of them at the same time.
Eventually they arrived at the benefit and had to wait as
the limos in front of them deposited their guests at the foot of the red
carpet.
“Oooh look Beth!” exclaimed Emma. “That’s Matt Lathem!”
Beth peered through the tinted glass to see an incredibly handsome
man in a black tux pose for the paparazzi with a beautiful woman at his side,
his arm protectively and loving wrapped around her hips.
“That’s his wife!” Emma noted. “A sad day when he went off
the market,” she sighed.
“He’s not cattle!” Beth frowned, but she had to admit that
he was gorgeous and would make any woman swoon. Mrs. Lathem was a very
lucky woman. “And how do you know all about him?”
“I read the papers and the magazines. He was New York’s most
eligible bachelor for several years a while back, but then he got married. I’d
marry a Lathem,” Emma sighed wistfully.
“We don’t know any Lathems,” Beth said. “And he might be an
only child.”
“Too bad,” Emma sighed again.
“You do know your dates are sitting right here and can hear
you?” Gerald snapped.
Neither sister responded.
Their limo pulled forward and the driver once again came to
her rescue by opening the door and helping her from the car. The photographers
didn’t appear to be very interested in her group so they moved across the
carpet and into the hotel quickly.
Once inside, Beth tensed as Gerald grabbed her elbow to
guide her through the throngs of elegantly dressed people to their table. It
was towards the back of the massive ballroom and off to the right. There was a
tent card in the middle of the table that read 24 – Linton, Clark &
Davies, Attorneys at Law.
“Here we are,” stated Gerald and pulled out a chair for her
to sit. He sat to her right and Emma chose to sit next to Gerald instead of
next to her. The table seated eight.
“Are there others joining us?” Beth asked.
“Probably,” Gerald replied, trying to get the waiters’
attention so he could order a gin.
Beth sat back and watched the sea of color. The dresses were
glamorous and the men all looked like penguins in their black and white
ensembles. As the lights began to dim, everyone settled in at their assigned
tables and the
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