higher than she’d worn in a while. Dirk walked over to her and kissed the back of her neck. “You’ll be fine. You’ll just have to hang on my arm all night.”
She shook her head, looking at his smiling reflection. “I’ll be okay.”
“You ready?”
“Yes, I am. The Maserati?”
“No, we’re taking a limousine tonight. No one arrives in their own car to this thing,” Dirk said.
What kind of people inhabited his world that they didn’t drive their own cars to a party? Were they all planning on getting drunk?
Dirk took her hand and led her down the steps and out the front door. Sure enough, a black limousine sat in the driveway. He opened the door, and she climbed in.
He slid in beside her.
“Is there anything I should know before we get there?”
“No, the charade is gone. You are you again. No lying or pretending,” Dirk said.
“That’s a relief.”
The house they arrived at dwarfed the one they’d come from. A butler opened the door for Riley. What the hell? She’d never felt so out of place in her life.
Dirk’s hand on her lower back reassured her, but forget it if she lost him in the crowd. How was she supposed to talk to these people? She was better with code. Small talk was inane to her.
She pushed her shoulders back and chose to soldier on through. The foyer of the house was larger than her apartment. In fact, she could fit more than one of her living spaces into this area. Dual staircases wound up to the second floor. The biggest chandelier Riley had ever seen lit up the hallway.
“If I gape, just pinch me,” she said.
Dirk chuckled behind her. “It’s fine. You want some wine?”
“Yes. Might calm my nerves.”
“If you take all of these people out of their fancy dresses, they’d all look just like anyone else naked.”
She giggled, then covered her mouth as Dirk propelled her into a dining room. At one end, a bartender was serving drinks. A bartender? This was not like any party she‘d seen or attended.
This was something out of the movies. Or a Real Housewives episode.
Riley was quite happy to know she was leaving all of this behind. This was over the top. She sipped the wine Dirk had given her and looked around. She must stand out.
“No one is staring at you, though they should be. You are the most beautiful woman in the room,” Dirk said.
He led her to another room, where an orchestra played. Holy shit.
Her breath didn’t want to come out. She couldn’t catch it. “I’m going to find a restroom.”
“You okay? You look pale.”
“Just a little overwhelmed.”
“Go up the stairs, and there is a large powder room at the top. Multiple stalls.”
“In someone’s home?”
“They entertain a lot. I’ll be right here.”
He kissed her cheek and took her wine from her. She moved up the steps, careful not to trip. The restroom was exactly where Dirk had said it would be and how he said it would be. There was no line, so Riley escaped into a stall. She needed a moment.
Two women came in.
“Did you see that woman with Dirk?”
“I know. Is he slumming nowadays?”
Riley held her breath. She didn’t want them to know she was in there.
“What happened to all those models he used to bring to these things? Is that best he can do? I hear she has a job and all.”
“Yeah, they met when she was doing her job for him.”
“Maybe she gives good blow jobs.”
Riley wanted to die. She rarely worried about what others thought, but she had a feeling that these women might say something to Dirk. In her presence. They would probably smell her fear and be like sharks on a feeding frenzy.
They’d put her back in her place.
She waited until they left then found Dirk. He was talking to a tall woman who looked to be middle-aged. He introduced her as the hostess of the party. Riley smiled and shook the woman’s hand before she moved on.
“I’d like to leave. If you want, I can go and send the limo back,” Riley said.
His brow knit. “You
She shook her head, looking at his smiling reflection. “I’ll be okay.”
“You ready?”
“Yes, I am. The Maserati?”
“No, we’re taking a limousine tonight. No one arrives in their own car to this thing,” Dirk said.
What kind of people inhabited his world that they didn’t drive their own cars to a party? Were they all planning on getting drunk?
Dirk took her hand and led her down the steps and out the front door. Sure enough, a black limousine sat in the driveway. He opened the door, and she climbed in.
He slid in beside her.
“Is there anything I should know before we get there?”
“No, the charade is gone. You are you again. No lying or pretending,” Dirk said.
“That’s a relief.”
The house they arrived at dwarfed the one they’d come from. A butler opened the door for Riley. What the hell? She’d never felt so out of place in her life.
Dirk’s hand on her lower back reassured her, but forget it if she lost him in the crowd. How was she supposed to talk to these people? She was better with code. Small talk was inane to her.
She pushed her shoulders back and chose to soldier on through. The foyer of the house was larger than her apartment. In fact, she could fit more than one of her living spaces into this area. Dual staircases wound up to the second floor. The biggest chandelier Riley had ever seen lit up the hallway.
“If I gape, just pinch me,” she said.
Dirk chuckled behind her. “It’s fine. You want some wine?”
“Yes. Might calm my nerves.”
“If you take all of these people out of their fancy dresses, they’d all look just like anyone else naked.”
She giggled, then covered her mouth as Dirk propelled her into a dining room. At one end, a bartender was serving drinks. A bartender? This was not like any party she‘d seen or attended.
This was something out of the movies. Or a Real Housewives episode.
Riley was quite happy to know she was leaving all of this behind. This was over the top. She sipped the wine Dirk had given her and looked around. She must stand out.
“No one is staring at you, though they should be. You are the most beautiful woman in the room,” Dirk said.
He led her to another room, where an orchestra played. Holy shit.
Her breath didn’t want to come out. She couldn’t catch it. “I’m going to find a restroom.”
“You okay? You look pale.”
“Just a little overwhelmed.”
“Go up the stairs, and there is a large powder room at the top. Multiple stalls.”
“In someone’s home?”
“They entertain a lot. I’ll be right here.”
He kissed her cheek and took her wine from her. She moved up the steps, careful not to trip. The restroom was exactly where Dirk had said it would be and how he said it would be. There was no line, so Riley escaped into a stall. She needed a moment.
Two women came in.
“Did you see that woman with Dirk?”
“I know. Is he slumming nowadays?”
Riley held her breath. She didn’t want them to know she was in there.
“What happened to all those models he used to bring to these things? Is that best he can do? I hear she has a job and all.”
“Yeah, they met when she was doing her job for him.”
“Maybe she gives good blow jobs.”
Riley wanted to die. She rarely worried about what others thought, but she had a feeling that these women might say something to Dirk. In her presence. They would probably smell her fear and be like sharks on a feeding frenzy.
They’d put her back in her place.
She waited until they left then found Dirk. He was talking to a tall woman who looked to be middle-aged. He introduced her as the hostess of the party. Riley smiled and shook the woman’s hand before she moved on.
“I’d like to leave. If you want, I can go and send the limo back,” Riley said.
His brow knit. “You
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