Page 30 of Then There Was You
Bent over, resting my hands on my legs, I can’t breathe. My tears fall from my eyes like traitors hell-bent on revealing my weakness. Him. It will always be him.
Wrapping her arms around me, she pulls me to her. “Oh Sos, I’m so sorry.”
It takes a minute for my eyes and mind to clear, and when it does, I take a deep breath. “We should get out of here,” she says, hooking her arm with mine and pulling me away. “This was not my best idea.”
Just out of the spotlight of the building, I stop in the shadows and look back. “It’s okay. This was the closure I needed.”
CHAPTER 13
TWO YEARS LATER
KEATS
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a black-tie affair, and this is the first one I’ve agreed to attend where I wasn’t serving others. “No, thank you,” I say to a server as she passes hors d’oeuvres through the crowd on a silver platter.
Admittedly, I would be more comfortable carrying a tray than mingling with strangers I’ve been sent to charm my way into connecting with, also known as networking. I’ve found success on a more personal level with my clients. I’ve made more money than I ever thought I could, and I was a big fucking dreamer. In four years, I’ve had a handful of promotions, earning me a title that sits under the president of the finance department. I didn’t have to fuck anyone over. I didn’t have to step on coworkers to get to the top. I kept my head down and focused on the clients, meeting them where they are in their businesses. From Kickstarters to established firms, I shook hands in their office, at coffee shops, and at small dinner parties.
Standing in the middle of this crowd, I adjust my silk bow tie and wish I had stuck with the black tie I originally chose to wear with this tuxedo. I don’t feel like myself.
Taking a drink of champagne even feels pretentious. I work my way to the bar. It’s tempting to order a beer or even a whiskey neat, but I’m supposed to be blending in, so I go with a bourbon, as if that makes a difference.
As soon as I take a sip, my shoulder is squeezed, and from behind me, someone says, “Here’s the star I was talking about.” I instantly recognized my boss’s voice. I hadn’t seen Mr. Young even though he insisted I come to this event at the Plaza when I could have been at home wrapping up edits on the manuscript I just finished. With the goal of sending it off to agents on Monday, I would rather be working on it than making appearances at over-the-top parties.
Wealth is seen in every detail, from the crystal chandeliers to the scale of this event and the guest list.Money. Money. Money.
I turn to look behind me, already grinning. Mr. Young has treated me well at the company. It’s good to have one-on-one time with him out of the office. Though I have a feeling this conversation will no doubt end in business. “Nice party,” I say, shaking his hand.
“It’s been fruitful so far. How are you hanging in there?” He tugs at his bow tie like I had just done to mine. Leaning closer, he keeps his eyes forward like he’s about to reveal a secret he doesn’t want others to hear. “I don’t love these events, but they’re a necessary evil.”
“I believe that.”
He chuckles although I wasn’t. “David?” He angles away from me, between two people, to shake hands with someone he sees. “David?” Signaling back with a nod toward me, he says, “Come over. I want you to meet the guy who’s killing it in Manhattan financing right now.”
The other man says, “The one you were speaking so highly about?” Our gazes hit like a head-on collision.
Although I’ll never forget Sosie’s father and his threats, I’m surprised he would remember me at all by how he tried to make me feel so small and meaningless. I was nothing more than an ant he tried to stomp out. Look at me now, fucking up his world on the recommendation of one of the most respected businessmen in Manhattan.
Still glaring at me, Mr. Stansbury clears his throat, plasters on a grin that holds no love, and shoves his hand forward. “David Stansbury.”
I take his hand, not moving toward him an inch. “We’ve met, Mr. Stansbury, at a holiday party you hosted at your house.”
The back of Mr. Young’s hand lands against my chest. “That’s the hottest ticket in town, Matthews. How’d you score an invitation?”
Mr. Stansbury laughs too loud, and it’s too forced to sound natural. Watching him squirm is a long-overdue reward. He keeps his attention on my boss. Guess he’s not comfortable with me seeing him for who he is. “I’ll make sure you and your lovely wife are on the guest list this year, Jeffrey.”
Refusing to deviate one millimeter from his discomfort, I reply, “I worked it. I was a server for the catering company they hired.”
“You always have been a hard worker,” Mr. Young says. “Did you know he graduated at the top of his class from NYU?”
“I didn’t.” David Stansbury looks me over as if he misjudged me the first time. “That’s quite an achievement. Berry & Young are lucky to have you.” His shoulders ease, which is his first mistake. The smile comes naturally, which is his second. “Seems everything worked out for the best then. Wouldn’t you say, Mr. Matthews?”
My boss redirects his attention to me as his confusion grows in the jagged lines of his expression. I don’t mind exposing this asshole for who he is, even if he’s friendly with Mr. Young. What I can’t tolerate is that smugness sitting on his face like he has a right to it.
Fuck him.
I reply, “Manipulating a situation with threats and?—”
“Ah!” His eyes go over my shoulder, and he waves as if I wasn’t speaking at all. “My lovely wife and daughter managed to find me talking business.” My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach as the words I was going to say choke in my throat. I slowly look over my shoulder, not sure what to expect, only to be greeted by a goddess in a peach-colored dress. Sparkling beads only highlight the sparkle in Sosie’s eyes as she smiles at someone in another direction. As much as I wish that smile was for me, an ache tugs in my chest, remembering how leaving me came so easy for her. Her father whispers to Mr. Young, “I promised I’d take the night off.”
