"Yes. It is."
"Great," he spat out over-enthusiastically. "Friends it is."
"Great."
"Well, have a good day. I'm going to bed." He jumped up and turned toward the hallway.
"Alex … " I swallowed, pushing the emotions back. "Thank you."
He gave a curt nod and continued walking out.
THAT WENT MUCH better than I expected-too well-but I didn't have time to overanalyze it. I needed to go over my speech, get ready, and pray I didn't faint before even getting there. This speech would be my first time sharing my past publicly, and I wasn't sure how it was going to be received.
At five p.m., William called to let me know he was running late. "I'll come as soon as we land," he promised.
"All right. Please be safe."
"Of course, darling." We hung up, and I put some music on as I started getting ready.
After perfecting my hair and makeup, I slipped on my dress. I went with a black, sparkly dress and planned on matching it with my red heels. I pulled half my hair up and kept half down in loose waves.
A soft knock on my bedroom door grabbed my attention away from the mirror. "Yes?"
"Can I come in?" It was Alex.
"Sure."
"The car is here … " he started but stopped once our eyes locked on each other. He was dressed up in a black tux with a red tie. He looked absolutely charming and ironically, our outfits were coordinating. I shot him a look, confused why he was dressed up like that. He shrugged. "I wasn't going to let you go alone," was all he said and I didn't press for more. I wasn't sure how he even knew, but the fact he dressed up for me made my heart pound.
I swallowed and broke the contact. "Just about ready," I said, grabbing the earrings off my dresser and quickly putting them on.
"You look breathtaking … " He stepped closer, coming up right behind me. My body tensed as I felt his hand on my arm.
I lowered my head but kept my eyes on him through the mirror in front of me. His hand moved down my dress and I stilled. "What are you doing?" I asked roughly, my glare warning him.
A smirk played on his lips before his fingers gripped the zipper and his eyes met mine again. "Was your plan to moon the entire audience?" His hand moved over my ass and up my back, zipping my dress together. The zipper lay all the way down my lower back, but I hadn't even noticed. My mind was a mess. The past few weeks had flipped my life upside down, making me feel like I had lost all control.
I cleared my throat and stood up straighter. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He slid both hands slowly up my arms and paused on my shoulders, gripping them between his fingers. He stood like that for a moment, his hands on me, my eyes on him, before he continued. "Ready?"
I nodded. "Yes, I just need to put my shoes on."
He released his hold on me and backed up. My shoes were on the floor next to the full-length mirror. I slipped one foot in and went to step into the other one when I lost my balance. "Shit," I cursed just before Alex grabbed my arm and steadied me.
"You all right?" he asked genuinely, but I could tell he was trying to hold in a laugh.
I used his hand as support and slipped my foot in the other shoe. "Yes." I breathed out. "God. Can you tell I'm nervous?" I smoothed my hands down my dress, giving myself a final look. "I'm not the best at public speeches," I explained when he hadn't responded.
He flashed a small smile. "You have nothing to be nervous about. You'll do great." He looked down at his watch. "That is if we ever get there." He winked. "We need to leave."
I grabbed my clutch off the bed and followed him out. The car was waiting for us in front as photographers flashed their cameras at us. They've known about this event for a while now and I knew they were going to be all over it.
Not that I minded entirely. It was good publicity for the charity. If more newspapers wrote about them, people would have a higher awareness and how they could help. That's why I got involved, besides the fact that it was a part of my childhood.
I waved lightly and forced a smile as we pushed through. The driver was ready, leaving the door open for us and shutting it as soon as we were securely inside. I heard them rambling off questions outside, asking about the event and where William was. The press knew his son was back in town and they were looking to make an extra buck off it.
"Is it always like that?" he asked as soon as the car drove off.
I shook my head. "Not always."
"Do you ever get used to it? Are you used to it?"
"Yes. And no."
"It was a nice break when I was Europe," he began. "It was nice being able to walk around without anyone knowing who I was or where I came from. It was nice that no one had those preconceived notions about me. It was nice having that freedom."
"Is that why you left?" I asked, curiosity building up inside me. I had wondered why he chose to go across the globe to school, but I always figured it had something to do with William.
He didn't answer right away, but then he looked up and responded. "Yeah, that was part of it. It becomes a bit much. The invasion of your privacy. The lies they plaster. The way they make money on your heartbreak and pain."
It was obvious he experienced some bad shit with the media beforehand. I hadn't paid attention to most of it before meeting William. I hadn't even heard of him before we met, which just showed how invested I was in my career and getting my life together. I studied and worked, and it consumed my life until I was finally hired on. Then I worked even harder.
Something told me though it was more than just the privacy issue that got to Alex. Something between him and William wasn't right, but I could tell William was trying to make amends. He didn't want to talk about it as if it never happened, but that was how he was. He just wanted to move forward without going backward. He didn't waste time trying to fix things he couldn't change, but rather he invested in the future.
"Champagne?" I heard Alex ask as he grabbed the bottle and waved it at me. "Some liquid courage, perhaps?"
He was grinning like a little kid who had just been told Christmas was coming early. He was distracting me, trying to settle my nerves. It was the side of Alex I really liked. It made all the tension I knew was there evaporate.
I was hesitant at first but decided one beforehand wouldn't hurt. "Okay, fine. Just one though."
He poured me a glass and handed it to me. He poured one for himself and then clinked our glasses together before taking a slow sip and keeping his eyes on me.
"What?" I asked, taking a sip.
"Nothing. You just look really pretty. But you're a little tense."
"Well, I've been working on this event for months. I think I'm allowed to feel tense," I mocked, taking another drink.
"The second you walk in, everyone's eyes will be on you. Stop worrying about what people think."
"Who says I'm worried about what people think?"
He tilted his head and narrowed his brows at me. "Am I wrong?"
"Don't answer a question with another question."
"Why?" He smiled.
"You're making me more nervous," I admitted.
He moved closer to me, bringing his hand to my cheek and leaned in. "I mean it. Everyone's eyes will be on you." The car slowed to a stop and I knew we had arrived at the Langham Palace. "Including mine."
I swallowed. He was purposely close to me, not at all easing my nerves, but I didn't have time to think about it. Cameras and crowds would swarm us in just a moment.
"Ready?" he asked, taking my glass and setting it down with his. The driver opened the door and offered me his hand. I took it, carefully pulling my dress up as I took a step out.
Flashes and people yelling for our attention immediately consumed me. I tried to stand and smile as I waited for Alex to stand next to me. It felt weird arriving without William, but the press knew who he was. He'd been the center of attention long before I arrived, and now the press was having a field day.
"Come on," he whispered in my ear as he placed a hand on my lower back. He guided me to the entrance, nodding at the two men who were guarding it. They opened it for us and made sure none of the paparazzi followed in. His hand remained on my back and although it was inappropriate, given our relationship, it made me feel safe. I was nervous about my speech, about the whole event, but he had somehow calmed my nerves just by standing next to me. "Ready to go in?" he asked again, still quiet.
"Yeah … I'm ready."
We walked through the lobby and to the stairs that would take us in. I gripped my dress with one hand and clung on to my clutch with the other hand. I was nervous yet anxious. I'd been working with this charity for the last year, and I just wanted this event to go perfectly for them.