Chapter 19

Holly and I were in my closet, scanning the side reserved for my gowns. I had been to a hundred charity events, but I was nervous about tonight. I shouldn't care what I looked like, but I did want to impress Graham. He was going to be seeing me as a woman, not the young lady he walked away from.

"What about this one?" I asked.

Holly turned to see the gown I was holding. It was a deep emerald green that I had worn once a few years ago. The neckline was low but modest in design, and the skirt flowed luxuriously to the floor. It was a beautiful fusion of elegance and glamour.

She gazed at the dress, contemplating. Her face broke into a knowing smile. "Yes," she said, her voice firm and confident. "This is the one. You are going to knock him dead."

I suddenly had butterflies in my stomach. The nerves kicked in stronger than before.

I pulled the dress from its hanger and held it against my frame, leaning toward the full-length mirror. The emerald green fabric shimmered under the soft lighting of my closet, making me feel somewhat like a princess in a fairy tale. A sigh escaped my lips, a mix of anxiety and anticipation.

Holly came up to me and looked at my reflection in the mirror. "You're going to take his breath away," she said, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. I managed to give her a small smile, but inside, I was a whirlwind of emotions.

"Let's go see how Sloane is coming along," I said, hanging the dress on the hook.

It was Sloane's first date. My maternal instincts were kicking into overdrive. I found myself slipping into worried-mom mode. I seriously considered telling her she couldn't go. But then I remembered when I was fourteen. And Sloane was headstrong. I could give her a little leeway and keep her close, or try and lock her down and have her break away.

"Sloane, honey, remember your curfew," I repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "And Holly will be here waiting for you, okay? If you need anything, you call me. I will have my phone on me all night."

Sloane rolled her eyes. "Mom, I know," she reassured me. "I promise I won't be late."

Despite her assurances, anxiety gnawed at my insides. It's her first date, after all, and as much as I want to trust her, the thought of her out there in the world without me by her side fills me with a sense of unease.

"Don't worry," Holly assured me. "Sloane will be fine. And if she needs anything, she knows she can call me, too."

I nodded gratefully. Deep down, I knew she was right, but that didn't stop me from fretting over every little detail. After all, she's my baby, and it's my job to worry about her, even when she's all grown up.

"You look so pretty," I said when Sloane turned to face us.

"Come on," Holly said. "You need to get dressed."

Sloane followed us into my room. My hair and makeup were already done. I quickly stepped into the dress with Holly zipping it up. I grabbed the sparkly, strappy heels and put them on.

"I love that dress." Sloane smiled. "I can't wait to borrow it."

I took one look at the neckline. "Not until you're thirty."

"Mo-om."

"Fine, twenty-five," I said.

I stepped in front of the mirror and checked myself out. Sloane stood beside me. I looked at my little girl that wasn't so little anymore. Her dress was age appropriate, but it was still a little more than I would have preferred.

Holly stood off to the side. "You two look so alike, it's uncanny," she remarked, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "Both beautiful, of course."

Sloane leaned her cheek against my shoulder. "You do look hot, Mom."

I laughed. "What do you want?"

"Can I borrow those red pumps with the red soles?" she asks, her tone hopeful.

I laughed, swatting her away playfully. "Absolutely not," I replied, shaking my head. "They're too sexy for you. Give it a couple of more years. You stick with the shoes you have. You're growing up too fast already."

Holly reached into the back of my closet and grabbed a pair of my old Birkenstocks, tossing them at Sloane. "Here, you can wear these instead," she suggested with a smirk.

Sloane's face contorted into a look of horror. "Ew! No way! Those look like dead rat carcasses!"

"Hey, those shoes may not be the height of fashion, but they're incredibly comfortable," I protested.

We all erupted into laughter, the tension in the room easing. Sloane playfully threw the old Birkenstocks at Holly.

"Alright, alright," Holly said, throwing her hands up in surrender. "No Birkenstocks for you. But seriously, Sloane, be careful tonight. First dates can be tricky."

"I'll be fine," she said, looking at me directly into my eyes. "I promise."

"Have fun," I said. "But remember to be careful. Don't let anyone pressure you into doing anything. And if that boy tries to move too fast, you tell him to stop."

Sloane rolled her eyes in response, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "Yes, Mom," she groaned. "My friends are going to be in the lobby any minute."

I watched her walk away with my heart in my throat. A part of me wanted to hold on to these precious moments forever, but I knew that it was time to let her spread her wings and fly.

"She's growing up so fast." I sighed.

"She's a beautiful young lady," Holly agreed with a hint of wistfulness in her voice. "How sad is it she has a date and I don't?"

I laughed. "Technically, I don't either. This is a work thing."

"Liar," she said. "Try to have fun. Don't hold yourself back. Just let things happen."

"That is not a good idea," I said. "Letting things happen usually leads to bad things."

"Oh, I don't think you can call good sex bad," she teased.

"Stop it. I'm not having sex with him. I just don't want to end up with his tongue down my throat again."

"Liar." She giggled. "You're craving that man."

"I hate you."

"Only because I know you."

"Indeed, you do," I conceded, smoothing my dress one last time. "Alright, I better get going. I don't want to be late. Are you sure you're okay hanging out here?"

"It's not like I'm hanging out in a hovel," she joked. "I've already ordered a pizza and I have a bottle of wine on standby. I plan to kick back and watch TV."

"You could do that at home," I pointed out.

"At home I would be thinking about all the things I should be doing instead of being a couch potato. Being here is like being on vacation."

"Thank you for staying here," I said. "I don't want her to come home to an empty house, just in case the date doesn't go well."

"I get it," she said. "Now, go. Quit stalling."

The ride to the venue was nerve-wracking. I wondered what Graham was going to think when he saw me. Was he going to talk to me or would he be surrounded by women all clamoring for his attention?

I stepped into the elegant venue. Familiarity washed over me. I'd attended numerous events like this in the past, and navigating the room was second nature. I recognized a lot of the faces. I smiled and nodded to those that recognized me. I quickly snagged a glass of champagne from a passing tray. I scanned the crowd, searching for Graham.

Suddenly, he appeared behind me. "Hi," he said, his voice deep.

I jumped in surprise. His laughter filled the air.

"Sorry," he said.

"I wasn't expecting you to sneak up on me," I said.

"Sorry. I just happened to see you come in."

"It's fine," I said with a smile.

"You look stunning," he said. "Green looks good on you."

"Thank you." My cheeks burned.

"I'd like to introduce you to some people," he said. "Although I'm guessing you know a lot of these people already."

"Not everyone," I replied easily.

He introduced me to some of his acquaintances. It was nice to have some even footing here. I introduced him to people I knew and he didn't.

I found myself constantly scanning the crowd. This was exactly the kind of thing my father would be at. I saw many of my father's associates, but I didn't see him in attendance.

The night was going well. Things were good. I didn't have to worry about seeing him, which was honestly one of my biggest concerns when I agreed to come to this thing. Graham was pulled away some time ago and I was left on my own. I was glad I did know some of the people milling about.

I made small talk, smiling and nodding when appropriate. This wasn't too bad. I could do this. Suddenly, I caught sight of Anita making a beeline toward Graham.

Instinctively, I made my way in their general direction. I grabbed another glass of champagne and moved to linger behind a group of people, close enough to overhear Graham and Anita's conversation without being noticed.

"I don't know why you think of that night as a mistake," Anita said with a pouty expression. "It wasn't a mistake. It was nice."

"It was a mistake," Graham said. "I'm sorry, but it was. It's a mistake I'd rather not repeat."

"You're a pig," she snapped. "I knew you were just like all of them. You're a jerk. Are you sleeping with your new assistant? That pompous upstart who thinks she's better than everyone else?"

Graham's face tightened, and for a moment I feared he'd explode. But instead he took a calming breath and adjusted his tie as though he was trying to loosen an invisible noose. "Anita," he said, his voice a low warning. "I suggest you reel in your claws. Isadora is here tonight as my guest, not as my assistant."

Anita's eyes flickered with surprise and then narrowed in suspicion. "Really? As a guest?" She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "And what does that make her? Your flavor of the week?"

Anger awoke within me, but before I could step up and defend myself, Graham did it for me. He vehemently told her I was not to be messed with and he said something about how I had more integrity than she could ever hope to have.

Anita stormed away in a huff. I approached Graham and looked at him. "I overheard your conversation," I said.

"I'm sorry," he said. "That was not appropriate for an event like this."

I stopped him before he started talking again. "It's fine. I'm the one who is sorry. I misread the situation."

"Why did it bother you so much?" he asked with a smile.

"Maybe I feel just as protective of you as you clearly do of me," I admitted with a shrug. "Anita had no right to speak to you that way."

He smiled. "So, are you saying you want to stop just being professional?"

For a moment, I was stunned into silence, the weight of his words sinking in. I met his gaze, thoughts swirling in my mind. Remembering Holly's advice about taking risks and following my heart, I made a decision in that moment.

"Maybe it's time for me to start following my heart, not my head," I replied, the words slipping out before I could second-guess myself.