26. Jake: The Party

Chapter twenty-six

Jake – The Party

I stare at myself in the mirror, feeling fairly satisfied with my look. Tonight’s the office Halloween party, and the whole place has been bustling with anticipation. I comb my hair. Well, I try to. Combing my hair is more of a wasted effort because it ends up looking tousled as usual, falling almost over my eye.

I need a haircut. It’s longer than usual. Using my fingers to rake my hair to the back, it falls messily over again and I sigh, leaving it like that.

I’m wearing a midnight blue tuxedo with satin lapels, paired with a crisp, white dress shirt with a pleated front. I add a waistcoat and finish it off with a bow tie in matching colors. Coupled with a pair of gleaming black leather shoes, I’m good to go. I slip on a silver wristwatch, then spray on a little bit of my favorite fragrance.

The party doesn’t have a single dress code, so party wear or costumes are both acceptable. Bella chose my outfit for me a few days ago, telling me the color I needed to get. Apparently, it has to match with Aurora’s outfit.

Bella is currently at Aurora’s place on the other side of town, getting ready for the party with her. She told me not to worry, that she’d be coming with Ryan, who will pick them up. Left to me, I would have picked them both up on my way to the party. But Aurora has argued that it makes no sense to come down to her side of town when the office is like a few minutes’ drive from my house. And as the C.E.O, it’s my duty to be there early to see that things are in place, as she said.

Locking up, I climb into my car and crank up the heater. The evenings are getting quite chilly, seeing as we’re at the end of the month. Bella leaves the day after tomorrow, but she’ll be back in time for the wedding activities she has planned for the guests and for the wedding rehearsal itself.

Their wedding is not a big one—only family members and really close friends have been invited. She was so happy with the hotel that she booked it in advance the day she asked me to drive her there a few months ago.

Since her wedding is two weeks after Thanksgiving, she says she would love for the family guests from both sides to have some fun activities and a Thanksgiving party to thank them all for being a part of their wedding, so that’s another upcoming activity. I wonder who she’ll serve up as the Big Bird Turkey this year. That’s another family tradition, but I am kind of betting she’ll go for a classier take. But who knows , I think with a smile.

The wedding will be over . . . as will my relationship with Aurora. Well, fake relationship. Most times, I find myself forgetting the relationship is fake. The time spent with Aurora doesn’t feel fake. She is real. I don’t know what I’ve been expecting, but nothing feels amiss or extraordinary. We’ve been friends, not lovers, of course. She’s a good listener and a great talker too. There’s never been a dull moment with her, and I catch myself thinking about her an unhealthy number of times. It seems she has gotten under my skin without so much as an effort.

Aurora is nice, friendly, fun, and a great baker. She’s sent pastries to my office every few days since we agreed to fake date, and my staff has gotten really, really used to it. They basically light up when her driver arrives!

Why can’t you just make it real? A tiny voice whispers into my ear, as I veer into the office parking lot. With my reserved spot it’s easy to park, and I realize that’s just one more thing in my life that blesses me. I kill the engine and hear the tiny voice that keeps whispering in my ear.

This is all a lie. We’re just two people who got out of scarring relationships and decided to solicit each other’s help for protection. That doesn’t seem like the beginning of a healthy relationship to me, and even if we consider keeping it going, the breakup has to happen first. A good relationship is not built on lies.

Seems there are some early partiers. Oops, guess I’m not as early as I thought, so I guess I haven’t been the perfect host. But I see some more guests going into the building and as I get close to the door, I’m amazed to find even more strolling in the grand foyer. They’re easily finding their way to the upstairs conference hall that is the main location for the party.

Along the upstairs balcony I can see people in different costumes, while others are in gowns and tuxedos or suits, but with Halloween flair-like masks or makeup on their faces. Apparently and thankfully my ‘hosting’ has not been missed.

I pick up my phone to shoot Aurora a quick text. “You guys here yet?”

She replies almost immediately, and I feel a smile stretch my lips.

“Almost. Ryan and Britt were arguing, and we ended up dressing late.”

I chuckle at that. Ryan and Brittney are always arguing over something. My phone dings, and I check the message, eagerly.

“Here we are. Where are you?”

“Meet you at the entrance now.”

There they are, posing for pictures, with Ryan taking them. I see Aurora. My mouth goes dry, and I gulp in the night air, almost swallowing my tongue with it.

Breathtaking is an understatement. No words can describe how beautiful she is. True to Bella’s words, her gown is the exact same color as my tuxedo, and I feel a rush of . . . excitement? Gratitude? Desire?

The gown has a fitted bodice, clinging like a second skin. It has a sweet and simple neckline, with tiny stars attached. The slightly flared skirt flows gracefully down from her waist, looking as if billions of stars are woven intricately into it. She has on a pair of silver heels, with an equally sparkly purse.

Her makeup is nothing obvious or flashy. She looks like the moon goddess herself. Her hair is a classic updo, swept up and secured at the back of her head, a few wisps of hair delicately framing her face .

All I can do is stare. I am realizing just how much I want to live the rest of my life with this wonderful woman.

Bella is the first to spot me, and she calls out my name, waving enthusiastically. She has on a long silky-red gown and is absolutely beautiful. She looks a whole lot like mom, and tonight it really shows.

Ryan has on a black tuxedo to match Brittney’s beautiful black gown. Even though they have never been coined as actual partners, I wonder at the ease by which they talk, laugh, and even fight together. Makes me curious, for sure, but I know enough to keep my mouth taped fully shut on this topic! I shake hands with Ryan and hug Brittney, saying my greetings and compliments.

I step toward them, and Bella practically jumps at me, giving me a huge hug. Ethan has driven up for the party and is dutifully dressed to the nines in a deep red velvet tuxedo to match Bells. They look and act so in love that it makes me so happy.

Finally, I turn to Aurora, who is already staring at me with her mouth slightly opened. I chuckle, but I’m practically fist pumping into the air inwardly at her reaction.

“Hi,” she whispers, and just like that, every other person seems to melt into the night.

Her smile is so mesmerizing. I don’t want to miss a second of it by blinking.

“Hey,” I whisper back at her, taking her hand in mine.

Her perfume invades my senses, making me feel lost in her warm, loving eyes. She stares right back into mine, as if trying to read into my soul. A flash of light has us both blinking, Bella and Brittney have their phones out, feverishly clicking pictures of us.

“Let’s give them something to look at, shall we?” I murmur, my voice coming out throaty.

“What?” she asks, looking confused, and I pull her flush against me, making her release a soft gasp.

I lean my face closer to hers as slowly as I can, making my intentions known. When she doesn’t move away, I close my lips on hers, my eyes closing of their own accord.

Everything and everyone else seem to melt away when her soft, warm, lips move against mine. I feel my heart burst with an emotion I can’t describe, but whatever it is, it’s addictive, and I don’t want to stop feeling that way.

Ever.