“I’m not so sure,” I said with unease.
“So, he really doesn’t know I’m coming tonight?” I asked as we handed over our coats to the hostess.
“Nope,” she confirmed with a wink. Catherine focused her attention back on to the hostess. “We’re here for the Ryan McGraw private party.”
As we followed the hostess through the restaurant, my panic returned. I took a deep breath in an effort to calm myself down. “I’m really having second thoughts about this, Catherine. I’m crashing Ryan’s birthday party. I could ruin this night for him.”
Catherine stopped mid-way to the private room and turned to face me like a parent giving her child a pep talk. She held each of my hands in her own and said with self-assuredness, “Listen, Julia. Remember that he loves you. You are everything to him.” She gave me an encouraging, hopeful smile. “There’s a roomful of people in there that mean something to him, but there’s no one that he would rather be with tonight than you.” She studied me for a moment to ensure that I had relaxed; she looked for a clue that what she’d just said had resonated with me. “Okay?”
I took a deep breath and nodded in affirmation. She held my hand as we both walked to the entry of the private dining room.
When the hostess opened one of the double doors, several faces turned in our direction. Dinner had not yet started. About thirty people stood around in groups, mingling and drinking cocktails.
I spotted Ryan immediately. He was in the middle of a conversation. Maybe he saw the door open in his peripheral vision or he sensed he was being watched, but he looked up and our eyes met. With the exception of his eyes, his body stilled; he blinked several times, like he was seeing an apparition. His confusion was visible by the crease that formed between his eyebrows.
He looked back and forth between Catherine and me. After recuperating from his momentary shock, he excused himself from the person he was speaking to and started walking towards us. Catherine squeezed my hand and then intercepted Ryan before he could reach me. His intense blue eyes followed her as she approached him, and then continued to dart back to me in a worried expression, like he was double checking to make sure that I wouldn’t run away.
Catherine pulled Ryan aside. I noticed a few curious glances in my direction. Everyone already knew who Catherine was and they probably just thought I was a good friend she had brought with her tonight. In my peripheral vision I noticed an older woman eyeing me curiously. She was also watching Ryan and Catherine. This had to be his mother. She was average height and thin, but held herself tall with almost regal grace. She had shoulder-length wavy hair, blond but gray at the roots. Her most striking and noticeable feature was her eyes, which were the same shape and held the same soulful depth as her son’s. When she caught my eye, she smiled warmly at me, so I smiled back.
As Catherine spoke to Ryan, I watched him closely. His eyes darted back and forth between us like he was watching a tennis match. I figured she was filling him in on the details of our morning meeting. He was trying to listen to what she was saying, but also checking to make sure I was still there. At one point in their discussion, he looked emotionally touched. He embraced her before walking over to me with renewed purpose. Finally.
My heart was beating so quickly it felt like it was about to leap straight out of my chest. The sight of him made it positively flutter. When he reached me, he grabbed my hand and had me follow him just outside the private banquet room. I instantly felt the tingle and heat of his hand and the warmth radiating from the close proximity of his body. Despite his attempt to get us a bit more privacy, we were still in nearly full view of his guests.
Ryan looked self-possessed and determined. I, on the other hand, was breathing unsteadily and starting to feel a little dizzy. Just being this close to him again caused heat to rise in my body and made my stomach clench. We met each other’s gaze, taking one another in. Within those few seconds, I saw a myriad of emotions on his face ranging from confusion, love, desire, sadness, and regret.
Ryan lifted one hand to tuck a wisp of my hair behind my ear. His light touch made me tremble. I scanned his face, his eyes; I breathed in his wonderful familiar scent. He wore a dark blue sweater over a pinstriped blue and white cotton shirt with an elegant pair of dark gray trousers. He looked polished and incredibly sexy. I ached to touch him, to feel his hair in my fingers, to feel his strong arms surround and ground me, to have his lips seal mine with desire and promise.
“I can’t believe you’re really here,” he said in breathy, husky voice, his eyes drinking me in. “You look beautiful.” He gently caressed my cheek with the palm of his hand.