Page 93 of Last First Date

“But I’m the event planner’s assistant.”

“You walked the runway,” I reminded her. “The minute you chose to accept their offer, you became a part of the event and not the planner.”

She looked sad for a minute. “Was that bad? Did I screw up?”

“Not at all,” I said, smiling. “I’m just saying, this is your night to shine. There will be other events.”

“But, Knox,” she started, rubbing her thumb against my arm in a way that distracted me from the worry lines etched on her forehead.

“Hey, look at me,” I coaxed softly. She did, her lovely eyes filled with equal parts fear and excitement. A heady combination that made me admire her even more. “You’ve earned this, every step of it.”

The elevator pinged and the doors slid open to reveal the glamorous entrance to the event hall. Everything was quiet as we stepped out into the deserted lobby. The crowd was waiting outside, behind those velvet ropes and flashing bulbs, waiting for her grand entrance.

“Ready?” I asked her.

“No, but I’m going to do it anyway.”

I laughed. “Good girl.”

She was ushered to the start of the carpet. I hung back behind the press covering the event. An actress that had just made headlines for landing one of the biggest deals ever for a woman was currently posing for the cameras. She was beautiful, but I found myself staring at Waverly. When it was her turn to step onto the carpet, she hesitated for a moment. The moment felt like an eternity. Every eye turned toward her, every bulb ready to flash, every heartbeat in sync with mine.

Suddenly, she took a deep breath with a determined look on her face that I found incredibly endearing. She stepped onto the carpet. The lights started to flash in a blinding barrage, but she kept smiling. The crowd erupted into applause and shouted her name. The press was shouting questions, camera bulbs were popping like crazy, and everyone was rushing to get the best shots of her.

She looked dazzling, a surprise starlet that had come out of nowhere to command the attention of everyone present. It wasn’t her physical beauty that won everyone over. That was just a bonus. It was her genuine girl-next-door thing. She was everyone’s sister, friend, and the lady they worked with. My jealousy over the spotlight being trained on her had long faded. She deserved this. I liked what it did for her self-confidence.

She smiled and waved at the crowd. Then she laughed at something one reporter said and eventually made her way to the end of the carpet. Just like that, she was forgotten, and the next star was being photographed.

“You did great,” I said. “You’re a natural.”

“That was terrifying,” she breathed.

“But you handled it well.”

“Thank you. I need a drink.”

I laughed, and together, we walked to the ballroom. The launch party was in full swing. The room radiated an air of opulence, with celebrities, models, and important businessmen and women mingling. They were all drinking expensive champagne and admiring the decorations. It looked good. The place had been transformed. Yes, we were in a hotel ballroom, but it looked better than that.

Waverly was pulled away to take some pictures with the other models. I made my rounds checking on things.

The whole event was proceeding rather smoothly. The guests were savoring the appetizers and the endless flow of high-quality drinks. The music played softly in the background. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. From where I stood, I had to call it a success.

Waverly was now mingling with celebrities from tinsel town, her innocent charm and grace making her stand out even in this crowd of people whose stars burned bright. I couldn’t help but smile at this sight. She had come a long way from the shy woman from Utah.

I observed as she effortlessly charmed the other models. She worked the room with confidence, smiling and shaking hands. A surge of pride welled within me, knowing that she was making a name for herself. Yet, a lingering question loomed in the recesses of my mind. What future awaited her after all this? Waverly had a real chance to build a successful career in New York, and part of me wondered if she would want to stay. The city held opportunities and possibilities, a stark contrast to the monotony of our lives back home.

I was miserable back home, yearning for a change, while Waverly was here, blossoming in a world that embraced her talents. She was being welcomed and I was going to be stuck in Utah. I wondered if she would take the many offers I knew were being presented to her. She was rising to the top and I was fading away to live a boring life sitting behind a desk. The more I watched her and noticed the business cards being slipped to her, the more the idea of Waverly staying in New York began to feel like an impending reality. The prospect of her absence back home left me with a sense of emptiness. Being back home was bad enough. Being there without her was not something I wanted to think about.

I approached Waverly, interrupting a conversation with a fellow model. “Waverly, care to dance?”

A smile played on her lips as she accepted the invitation. “Absolutely. I thought you would never ask.”

As I led her to the dance floor, I felt a momentary relief. We stood together in the center, and the tempo of the music changed to a slow, soothing rhythm. The lights dimmed slightly, and we started to move to the beat. She moved gracefully in my arms. The feel of her body against mine was stirring something inside me that went beyond desire. It was beyond mere physical attraction. It was a deep-seated affection and admiration. I could feel my heart beating in time with hers.

“Everything okay?” she asked quietly.

“Great,” I replied. “It’s really going well, don’t you think?”

“Everyone is having a great time,” she replied. “I feel like I’m Cinderella at the ball. Tomorrow, it all ends, and I go back to my life in Utah.”