Page 19 of His Housekeeper's Twin Baby Confession
‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine—just follow my lead.’
Carrie looked at Massimo, who glanced down at her hands in her lap, where she was gripping her clutch bag so tight her knuckles were white.
She realised how tense she was and took a breath, loosening her grip. ‘I don’t want to embarrass you.’
‘You won’t.’
She wasn’t so sure about that. She felt certain that everyone would see her shortcomings and lack of credentials like a branded letter on her forehead.
As if he could hear her thoughts, Massimo said, ‘You know, not everyone you’ll meet will have been born with advantages. Some have made their livelihoods from nothing. Literally from living on the streets. Some of them had rough starts in life.’
Carrie’s face flushed. She didn’t want to come across as prejudiced. ‘I know that...but if anything that makes people even more intimidating. To know the obstacles they’ve overcome to succeed...’
‘Unlike someone like me?’
There was no edge to his tone, but Carrie thought of all the stories about his young life—unbelievably privileged, but also chaotic. Losing his parents so young. Then his brother. Did wealth and privilege make those things any easier to bear? She suspected not.
She smiled a small smile, ‘I guess it’s all relative. Everyone has obstacles.’
He looked at her for a long moment. She thought he was about to ask her something, but then the car was pulling to a stop outside the very grand entrance of a building. Flashing lights almost blinded Carrie before they’d even got out of the car. Her terror was instant. She went cold all over.
She didn’t even notice Massimo taking her hand and tugging her from the car, standing up straight beside him. It was a barrage of lights. She was stunned.
‘Just follow me. We don’t need to stop.’
But as they walked along the red carpet all Carrie could hear was, ‘Massimo! Over here!’
‘Massimo, who’s your date?’
‘Massimo!’
She tried to tug at his hand, to tell him he should stop and get his photo taken, but to her relief he didn’t seem to be inclined to stop. And now they were through the doors and into the most opulent and beautiful foyer Carrie had ever seen.
Marbled floors...a domed and frescoed ceiling soaring far above their heads. Elaborate chandeliers with hundreds of tiny lights cast everything in a golden hue. Black-suited waiters moved among the gilded crowd, offering tall, delicate glasses of sparkling wine.
Massimo took two glasses and handed her one. She felt light-headed without even taking a sip. It was like the set of a Disney movie. Except it had come to life. There was a grand staircase in the middle of the space leading up to the next level, where more people mingled.
The acoustics were perfect, letting the strains of live classical music float through the chattering crowd without sounding discordant.
‘Where are we?’
She hadn’t realised she’d spoken out loud until Massimo said, ‘One of Manhattan’s oldest buildings. Newly renovated as an event space exclusively for charitable events.’
Carrie looked at Massimo as something occurred to her. ‘You own this, don’t you?’
‘It’s an acquisition I made, yes. It seemed prudent to have a space to host events.’
In spite of her lingering intimidation and terror Carrie’s mouth twitched at the thought of simply acquiring what had to be one of New York’s most expensive properties to make one’s life easier. Massimo looked at her mouth, and then into her eyes. It sent all sorts of languid heat along her veins.
He asked, ‘What is so funny?’
He had his hand on her elbow. A light touch, but it burned. The twitch left her mouth. She shook her head. ‘Nothing. It’s just a lot...to take in.’ She took a sip of wine to try and quell her nerves.
Massimo guided her to the stairs and they walked up. He greeted people with a nod here and there. Carrie couldn’t help noticing the intense interest he drew. And her. She felt all the eyes on her. Could almost hear the whispers.
Who is she?
What on earth is someone like her doing here?
