Page 177 of Now and Forever

Chapter 59

It was the lulling sound of the waves that made me aware that I wasn’t sleeping in my bedroom in midtown Manhattan, and a quick glance at the window told me that the storm had finally arrived. I had no recollection of getting out of the car, let alone getting myself to bed with the same clothes I’d had on yesterday.

Getting out of bed, I was about to come out of the bedroom when Drew came barging in, catching us both by surprise.

“You’re up,” he stated.

“I am.” Pausing, I glanced toward the window again before glancing back at him. “So, um, did I miss Thanksgiving?”

“No, actually, that’s what I came to tell you. They’re expecting us in an hour at the main house.”

“Main house?” Looking around, I realized this place was too masculine, too manly to be the same mansion, so this had to be somewhere around the estate.

“We’re in a bungalow half a mile from the main house. This is where I stay when I’m back here. I like having my own privacy, a hard feat in the big house.”

I gave a quick nod, as if I understood. It did give me a glimpse of his relationship with his father. Drew might still be playing family with them, but he was keeping a little distance as a precaution.

“I’ll be ready in forty-five. Is that okay?”

“Of course. Come down when you’re ready.”

Based on his birthday party, jeans or tights wouldn’t work with these folks. I should thank my lucky stars that I’d had the sense to pack the dress I had snagged from the shoot when one of the Creative Directors had suggested that the olive silk dress would look brilliant on me. That was one of the great perks of working in the fashion industry—there were just so many free products to choose from.

After a quick shower, I donned the stunning floor-length, silk dress, pairing it with gold three-inch stilettos. With the blizzard outside, I wasn’t sure I could pull off walking in them, but they were the only shoes I had that could work other than my black flats. I could literally see his stepmother aghast at the sight of those.

With a quick application of light eye shadow, a few sweeps of mascara, and my beloved red lipstick, I was set to go with my off-white wool jacket.

Standing atop the stair landing, I was caught off guard at the sight of Drew in his Italian dinner suit. I knew he looked good in them, but tonight, he truly looked knee-buckling sexy.

“Ready?” he asked the second I stepped off the stairs.

Gripping the lapels of my jacket, my eyes dropped to my shoes of choice. “I hope this won’t delay us. I don’t have any other option with me, sorry.”

He smirked. “Don’t worry. I’m going to drive us to the house; you’re fine.”

I took a breath of relief. “And here I thought I’d be walking in a blizzard with this thing.” Maybe not entirely. In my mind, we would be riding in a golf cart or something. That seemed to be quite common for big homes.

There was a silver Range Rover parked right outside the bungalow as he had promised. I was relieved that it was an actual vehicle and not a buggy.

I was just about to comment about his nice ride when he swept me off my feet, carrying me to the passenger’s side without a word of warning.

“We don’t want those little toes to catch frost bite,” he explained as he situated me in the seat before slamming the door shut and rounding the car to get in the driver’s side.

Mumbling a soft thanks as he started the engine, I dared not overthink what had just happened.

The ride to the main house wasn’t all that bad. What I hadn’t expected was to see about a dozen or so parked cars. This wasn’t a simple family Thanksgiving. In fact, it was a party, consisting of a six-course meal with a string quartet playing in the background. My dress was perfect for the occasion. I should give myself a pat on the shoulder

Apart from Caroline, Drew, and myself, the rest were aged fifty and above. During dinner, I was asked subtle questions about my background. It was a good thing Drew was sitting next to make sure no one crossed the line after his stepmother Caroline inquired about which finishing school I had attended.

First off, I didn’t want to sound idiotic, but what the hell was a finishing school? I hadn’t heard of it. Thankfully, Drew came to my rescue, changing the topic.

Caroline wasn’t very pleased that I had crashed her party. I heard her complain to Conrad about Drew not mentioning a guest and how she’d had to rearrange the table seating because of it. Add the fact that she was sending me daggers with her calculating smiles, and I knew then that Jackson’s joke wasn’t a joke at all, but in fact, a reality. How could she have designs on her husband’s son was beyond me.

Apart from her apparent disdain for me, the rest of the party seemed not to mind me at all. In fact, Conrad, Drew’s father, was constantly engaging me with questions about Drew and how he had been while growing up, a subject I didn’t mind discussing. I even brought the table to a laugh or two. Even Drew didn’t seem to care that I was telling stories about how I used to terrorize him whenever he hadn’t been playing with Jackson.

After the lengthy but engaging dinner, everyone gathered in the salon that showcased pricey artworks with the beautiful music playing in the background. Some danced, some smoked cigars, and the others gossiped. Since I didn’t really feel like mingling with anyone, I stayed put around the corner, nursing my third glass of champagne while I enjoyed the scenery and the music.

Drew joined me with his own drink in hand. Leaning over, he whispered close to my ear, “Sorry for Caroline earlier. I told her to be nice to you, but I guess, after seeing how her husband kept talking to you, she couldn’t stop herself.”

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