Claim
Page 30
Andrew, of course, was extremely pleased at this promotion, and had been working even longer hours than usual to prepare for his new responsibilities. After he hired and trained a replacement PA - a process that Ian feared would take months, considering Andrew’s ridiculously high standards - then he would be off to London for a month of more intense training.
Tessa didn’t know if it was her imagination - or her nerves - but in what seemed like the merest blink of an eye, the ballroom went from being nearly empty to almost overflowing with guests. She tried at first to remain glued to Ian’s side, needing the confidence being next to him provided her. But with such a crush of people wanting to greet both of them, they became separated before too long.
Oddly enough, though, she didn’t feel the sense of panic she had feared she might, and was pleasantly surprised at how kind and gracious everyone was. Marisol and then Shelby found her, exchanging excited hugs, and complimenting her on her gown, her jewels, offering belated congratulations on her engagement.
Gina came up to her next, her boyfriend of more than a year now – Alex - in tow. The brunette looked stunning in a slinky red gown, and was grinning ear to ear as she flashed her brand new engagement ring in Tessa’s face.
“He just popped the question an hour ago!” exclaimed Gina excitedly. “We’ve barely had time to tell our parents the news! You and I will have to exchange wedding planning tips now.”
Tessa gave her onetime nemesis a warm congratulatory hug. “I’m so pleased for you,” she told her sincerely, giving Alex a brief embrace next. “Have you told any of the others yet?”
Gina shook her head. “You were the first one I spotted so I made a beeline over here. Kind of hard not to pick you out of the crowd, Tessa, with this incredible dress you’re wearing. Not to mention how everyone’s flocking around like you’re a movie star. I’ll find the others in a few minutes and tell them the good news.”
Tessa’s smile faded a bit as she asked hesitantly, “Have you, um, told Alicia yet? I mean, I know she isn’t here in San Francisco any longer, but I would imagine she was one of the first people you would have called.”
Gina’s smile, too, disappeared at the mention of her former best friend and roommate. “No. I haven’t told her yet. Actually, we don’t talk much these days. We had a bit of a falling out before she moved to Boston, and things are still a little strained between us. She - well, she told me all about the scene at that party. With you and Mrs. Gregson, of course. And, well, I might have said something to really piss her off - like, she got what she deserved. The things she said to you that night, Tessa - well, she was always jealous of you, and seeing you with Mr. Gregson probably pushed her over the edge. But the way she treated you was uncalled for, and I told her that flat out. So that’s why we hardly talk anymore. Some other stuff, too, but I’m sure as hell not going to get into that tonight. Tonight is definitely for celebrating! Isn’t it, honey?”
Tessa’s smile returned as Gina planted an affectionate kiss on her brand new fiancé’s mouth before whisking him away to greet some other guests. She accepted another flute of champagne from a passing waiter, and was looking around for Ian, when she heard a very familiar voice from just behind her - a voice that sounded both annoyed and amused at the same time.
“I shouldn’t even be talking to you, really. In fact, I should be good and pissed off at you right now, Tess. I always thought of you as my younger sister, you know, tried to look out for you and all. And what’s it been - almost eight months since I saw you last - and no visits, no phone calls, not even a text to tell me ‘Hey, guess what, Kevin. I’m living with His Hotness now, and I’m the hot young piece of ass he’s been dating all this time’. But, you know, as beautiful as you look tonight, I’d have to be a real asshole not to at least say hello.”
She whirled to face him, not at all sure what to expect after such a sarcastic greeting. But she was greatly relieved to see the smirk on his face, the twinkle in his eyes, and knew that he might be a little put out with her but was still overjoyed to see her again at the same time.
“Hey, you,” she murmured, pulling him in for a hug. She was so happy to see him, and so thankful that he wasn’t really angry with her, that she didn’t even mind the overpowering scent of his cologne tonight.
Kevin returned the hug affectionately, even planting a smooch on her cheek. “And I don’t think anyone could stay mad at you for very long, Tess,” he told her with a smile. “Even former co-workers that you’ve ignored forever.”
“I know,” she sighed, giving his hand a squeeze. “I could think up a dozen excuses why I didn’t get in touch, but that’s all they would be - excuses, and not reasons. It started off by just wanting to keep our relationship quiet, to make sure speculation didn’t start about when things - well, started. And then I got caught up in traveling with Ian and meeting his family, and I started school and wound up in the hospital - but none of those are valid enough reasons for why I didn’t at least email you. Can you forgive me?”
He laughed. “Sweetie, when you look at me with those big, innocent baby blues, I’d forgive you just about anything. And all of that stuff you just rambled on about - well, they sound like pretty good reasons to me. Now, let me see the rock.”
Tessa held up her blue diamond engagement ring for his inspection, grinning when Kevin let out a low whistle.
“That is something else, sweet pea,” he acknowledged. “But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, isn’t it? I mean, look at you. That dress is - well, there are no words, Tess. But, no, can’t call you by that name any longer, can I? From this point on, you’re officially Her Hotness.”
She giggled, looping her arm through his as they began to walk around the crowded ballroom. “I guess maybe that fits, considering that Ian keeps calling me his queen tonight.”
Kevin patted her hand where it rested on the crook of his elbow. “Feels like the high school prom again, doesn’t it? With you and the boss man waiting to be crowned Prom King and Queen?”
Tess shrugged. “I never went to my prom, actually. Couldn’t afford it, and too busy working two jobs to find time to date. Did you go to yours?”
Kevin rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately, yes. And even more unfortunately, with a girl. She was my second or third cousin, actually, and a closet lesbian. We both knew the other was gay, so we agreed to go as each other’s date so that neither set of parents would guess. Turns out they’d both known all along. That little secret came out at her wedding a couple of years back. Her wife thought it was hilarious. But,” he added warmly, “even though you never went to your prom, you wound up snagging Prince Charming eventually. I never even knew you were attracted to him, Tess. Especially considering how devoted you were to Peter. Uh, oh. Were you and the boss man, uh, fooling around when -”
Tessa didn’t know if it was her imagination - or her nerves - but in what seemed like the merest blink of an eye, the ballroom went from being nearly empty to almost overflowing with guests. She tried at first to remain glued to Ian’s side, needing the confidence being next to him provided her. But with such a crush of people wanting to greet both of them, they became separated before too long.
Oddly enough, though, she didn’t feel the sense of panic she had feared she might, and was pleasantly surprised at how kind and gracious everyone was. Marisol and then Shelby found her, exchanging excited hugs, and complimenting her on her gown, her jewels, offering belated congratulations on her engagement.
Gina came up to her next, her boyfriend of more than a year now – Alex - in tow. The brunette looked stunning in a slinky red gown, and was grinning ear to ear as she flashed her brand new engagement ring in Tessa’s face.
“He just popped the question an hour ago!” exclaimed Gina excitedly. “We’ve barely had time to tell our parents the news! You and I will have to exchange wedding planning tips now.”
Tessa gave her onetime nemesis a warm congratulatory hug. “I’m so pleased for you,” she told her sincerely, giving Alex a brief embrace next. “Have you told any of the others yet?”
Gina shook her head. “You were the first one I spotted so I made a beeline over here. Kind of hard not to pick you out of the crowd, Tessa, with this incredible dress you’re wearing. Not to mention how everyone’s flocking around like you’re a movie star. I’ll find the others in a few minutes and tell them the good news.”
Tessa’s smile faded a bit as she asked hesitantly, “Have you, um, told Alicia yet? I mean, I know she isn’t here in San Francisco any longer, but I would imagine she was one of the first people you would have called.”
Gina’s smile, too, disappeared at the mention of her former best friend and roommate. “No. I haven’t told her yet. Actually, we don’t talk much these days. We had a bit of a falling out before she moved to Boston, and things are still a little strained between us. She - well, she told me all about the scene at that party. With you and Mrs. Gregson, of course. And, well, I might have said something to really piss her off - like, she got what she deserved. The things she said to you that night, Tessa - well, she was always jealous of you, and seeing you with Mr. Gregson probably pushed her over the edge. But the way she treated you was uncalled for, and I told her that flat out. So that’s why we hardly talk anymore. Some other stuff, too, but I’m sure as hell not going to get into that tonight. Tonight is definitely for celebrating! Isn’t it, honey?”
Tessa’s smile returned as Gina planted an affectionate kiss on her brand new fiancé’s mouth before whisking him away to greet some other guests. She accepted another flute of champagne from a passing waiter, and was looking around for Ian, when she heard a very familiar voice from just behind her - a voice that sounded both annoyed and amused at the same time.
“I shouldn’t even be talking to you, really. In fact, I should be good and pissed off at you right now, Tess. I always thought of you as my younger sister, you know, tried to look out for you and all. And what’s it been - almost eight months since I saw you last - and no visits, no phone calls, not even a text to tell me ‘Hey, guess what, Kevin. I’m living with His Hotness now, and I’m the hot young piece of ass he’s been dating all this time’. But, you know, as beautiful as you look tonight, I’d have to be a real asshole not to at least say hello.”
She whirled to face him, not at all sure what to expect after such a sarcastic greeting. But she was greatly relieved to see the smirk on his face, the twinkle in his eyes, and knew that he might be a little put out with her but was still overjoyed to see her again at the same time.
“Hey, you,” she murmured, pulling him in for a hug. She was so happy to see him, and so thankful that he wasn’t really angry with her, that she didn’t even mind the overpowering scent of his cologne tonight.
Kevin returned the hug affectionately, even planting a smooch on her cheek. “And I don’t think anyone could stay mad at you for very long, Tess,” he told her with a smile. “Even former co-workers that you’ve ignored forever.”
“I know,” she sighed, giving his hand a squeeze. “I could think up a dozen excuses why I didn’t get in touch, but that’s all they would be - excuses, and not reasons. It started off by just wanting to keep our relationship quiet, to make sure speculation didn’t start about when things - well, started. And then I got caught up in traveling with Ian and meeting his family, and I started school and wound up in the hospital - but none of those are valid enough reasons for why I didn’t at least email you. Can you forgive me?”
He laughed. “Sweetie, when you look at me with those big, innocent baby blues, I’d forgive you just about anything. And all of that stuff you just rambled on about - well, they sound like pretty good reasons to me. Now, let me see the rock.”
Tessa held up her blue diamond engagement ring for his inspection, grinning when Kevin let out a low whistle.
“That is something else, sweet pea,” he acknowledged. “But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, isn’t it? I mean, look at you. That dress is - well, there are no words, Tess. But, no, can’t call you by that name any longer, can I? From this point on, you’re officially Her Hotness.”
She giggled, looping her arm through his as they began to walk around the crowded ballroom. “I guess maybe that fits, considering that Ian keeps calling me his queen tonight.”
Kevin patted her hand where it rested on the crook of his elbow. “Feels like the high school prom again, doesn’t it? With you and the boss man waiting to be crowned Prom King and Queen?”
Tess shrugged. “I never went to my prom, actually. Couldn’t afford it, and too busy working two jobs to find time to date. Did you go to yours?”
Kevin rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately, yes. And even more unfortunately, with a girl. She was my second or third cousin, actually, and a closet lesbian. We both knew the other was gay, so we agreed to go as each other’s date so that neither set of parents would guess. Turns out they’d both known all along. That little secret came out at her wedding a couple of years back. Her wife thought it was hilarious. But,” he added warmly, “even though you never went to your prom, you wound up snagging Prince Charming eventually. I never even knew you were attracted to him, Tess. Especially considering how devoted you were to Peter. Uh, oh. Were you and the boss man, uh, fooling around when -”
