The second limo pulled up to let out his second set of guests, a couple who were close friends of Zia. Nick sighed. He knew that two limos were his cue to come downstairs and greet the guests. Their selection of guests were not really his close friends, but people they knew were mega rich. It was great to have all those people coming to his event, but he was interested in just one car, his limo, and David, the chauffeur, was running late.
SARA
Even though I had earlier decided against drinking, now that I was really going to the party, I began to freak out. I looked in the mirror on the limo; I looked decent. I could see the diamond necklace. I had forgotten to take it off. I had let Amy persuade me to wear it, but I wouldn't keep it. I'd take it off as soon as the limo left, and I was far away from Amy. I reached behind my neck to unclasp it. The limo driver looked at me through the mirror and smiled.
"You should keep it on. It suits you."
"Thank you," I smiled. "But it's really not mine."
"Well, it suits you very well. Better than anyone else.”
I wasn’t sure what to say, but I murmured thank you though I was quietly steaming inside. Did David really mean that Nick Saunders gave this same necklace to a million other women? It was insulting that he would send me a necklace his ex-girlfriends have worn.
Suddenly, the necklace seemed to have caught fire on my neck, and I tried to yank it off, not caring about being careful. The diamond necklace that had graced my neck now seemed like a whore’s accessory. How dare he think he can do that to me? I calmed down as I realized that he hadn’t done anything to me; rather, he had sent that to the real Sara Nolles. So what was she? His sex-toy?
I looked at the driver, debating whether to ask him what he meant, but he had turned his focus back to the road. He probably wouldn't discuss his boss's escapades, and it wouldn’t be right for me to push him. For a moment, I toyed with asking the driver to take me back home and giving the stupid necklace to him, but if I did go home, Amy was waiting for me.
Suddenly I was mad. Did these women even know that he was using them? Or did he just think that because he could buy anything in the world, he had a right to buy women? My anger changed to disbelief, then anger again. How dare he think I was a whore? Or was the real Sara Nolles really a whore?
"Ma'am, if you'd like some water...” the driver began, but I was already pulling out a bottle of very expensive wine.
"Thanks," I said, tight-lipped. I opened the bottle and poured myself a glass, careful not to spill it on myself. I was not a wine person and didn't drink liquor or alcohol, but I felt like I needed that glass. Maybe even two glasses. The first glass to calm my fraying nerves and convince myself that attending this party was okay. And the second glass to calm my anger at Nick Saunders for peddling a necklace among all his girlfriends like they were nothing.
I wondered how many girls had worn the necklace before me. I took the necklace off and placed it in the inner pocket of my purse where I knew it would be safe until I handed it to Nick Saunders. It was the right thing to do. Maybe he could peddle it to the next girl that let him sleep with her.
"Ma'am, we'll be pulling up shortly," the driver's voice cut into my thoughts.
I hadn't been paying attention, but I now looked out the window. Even though it was dark, I could see the house, or rather, the mansion that loomed in front of us.
"Holy shit," I swore under my breath as we pulled up to the gates and security let us in. The massive house in front of me was like no other.
NICK
From the corner of the foyer, Nick watched as his limo pulled up to the house and the woman he had eagerly been waiting for stepped out of the car. For one second, he didn’t recognize her – gone were the rough edges he had seen at the café, replaced by a softness he hadn’t noticed. She had filled out some more and was curvier than he remembered. His pants tightened as he resisted the urge to run to her and sweep her into his arms. That was sure to make her leave the party. He’d be lucky if she stayed after discovering he was the guy from the café. If she chose not to stay, he wouldn’t blame her.
He tried to focus his mind on other things, but he could not stop gaping at her. She was stunning, a word he had never used to describe another woman. She wore a daring red dress, something he would never have imagined her wearing. Her red lips were eye-catching, her curves he could see from the distance, and her hair accentuated her dress. She was beyond beautiful, and even though in his wildest dreams of her he had imagined her in a black dress, or earthy, neutral colors, he loved how the red dress made her eyes shine. If only she had worn the necklace he’d sent her… it would have signified her guard was down.