“None of that,” Charity snapped.
Natalie attempted to control the blush that had tried to surface. Her hands trembled as she reached up to adjust the necklace after the paper was removed from her neck.
“Beautiful.” Charity’s face crumpled into that kind of smile. “Stand up so we can make sure there aren’t wrinkles on the back.”
Natalie straightened, and for a moment was disoriented as she gained a few inches from her heels. Her heart fluttered in time with the butterflies in her stomach.
Charity circled around the back of her and picked at the fabric. She hurried over to a pile of purses and scarves and came back with a small beaded handbag. The lipstick she dropped in it filled the bag.
“This is all you need.”
Natalie nodded and stared at the transformation in the mirror. Someone else stared back at her. The dress made her appear taller and was the richest fabric she’d ever touched. Tall and elegant just wasn’t her, but if it made Chase happy…
She sighed. Who was she kidding? These past weeks had been the most trying of her life and the most wonderful. Seeing her picture in the magazines Rachel read was disconcerting. Next to Chase, she looked like a small, insignificant girl. But she was with him.
Being in his spotlight was the only way to be in his life. She wasn’t sure how much more of the spotlight she could handle. The woman staring back at her in the mirror looked like she could take on this world, but inside Natalie couldn’t help wondering if this was who she was. If maybe life would be better without the constant scrutiny.
When one magazine had done a spread of Chase’s past lovers, she couldn’t help noticing that she was shorter, less blond, less leggy and less everything compared to them. Chase loved her and showed her every night. Her body tightened. But would she be enough? When would he tire of his dalliance with an accountant from the Midwest?
“Chase should be here to pick me up in a few minutes.” Natalie felt the need to reassure Charity and maybe even herself that this was real.
“You’ll do fine if you remember everything I told you. Just remember the way you present yourself reflects on Chase and on me.” Her eyes softened slightly before hardening again. It passed so quickly Natalie wasn’t sure it had actually happened. “I need a smoke.”
Charity breezed out of the room. Natalie almost sat down but then thought of her dress. How was she supposed to not sit all evening? Would she have to stand in the limo Chase was bringing?
Every move had been rehearsed. Chase had gone over how the red carpet would be. How he would do interviews down the line while she stood back with a handler or was shown to her seat. One misstep would be played for a decade on E! in some red-carpet oops show. She wasn’t afraid of a wardrobe malfunction in this dress, but she could easily fall off these heels.
A movement in the mirror caught her eye. Her breath stuck in her throat as Chase stepped into the room. He was positively stunning in his tux. From the devilish glint in his eye to his slightly tousled blond hair, Chase looked every inch a movie star.
His appreciative gaze drifted slowly over her, taking in everything from her hair to her painted toes peeking out from under her hem. Her body flushed where his eyes touched.
He stood utterly still as his gaze returned to hers. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”
She fought the urge to duck her head and stare at the floor. Chase strode across the room and took her hand. “I’d kiss you but I don’t want to smudge your lipstick.” He brought her hand to his lips, and little shivers rippled through her.
“You don’t look half-bad yourself.” Her heart spilled out, making her face pull into a wide grin.
“Shall we?” He led her out the door and past Charity inhaling a cigarette. The limo driver held open the door, and Chase helped her into the back.
After they settled and were on their way to the Kodak Theatre, Natalie’s nerves started to fizzle. She was about to walk down the red carpet with Chase in front of thousands of people with cameras everywhere. Live TV. Her chest tightened, and she struggled to draw in a deep breath. Her hands felt soggy as Chase wove his fingers through hers.
“Are you nervous?” His voice startled her in the darkness of the limo.
“Aren’t you?” She managed to control the shaking that was starting in her hands.
“I used to be, but I never really had stage fright. One of my teachers told me that old adage, think of the audience naked.”
“Oh, God, now I’m going to see everyone naked. I think I’m going to be sick.” Natalie struggled with the controls on the door, frantic to get some air.
Chase leaned across and gently moved her hand to the right button and helped her depress it. She gulped in the cool air that floated in. His hand rubbed her back.
“It will be okay, Natalie. I won’t let you out of my sight. We’ll get through this together.” His tone was reassuring and helped to calm her down a little. “Besides, it’s not like you’ll be the first one to vomit on the red carpet.”
Natalie turned to glare at him.
He held his hands up. “It was a joke, love. Only a joke. You’ll do fine.”
The limo drew to a halt, and Natalie saw the lights through the tinted window. It was now or never. How the heck had she gotten here? Cameras were prepared to take pictures of Chase and, because she was with him, Natalie.
“I love you.” His whispered words and the gentle caress of his lips on her ear sent shivers down her spine.
She turned on the seat to face him and rested her forehead against his. “I love you.” She couldn’t imagine a day without him in her life. This was just another test, another trial by fire that proved she loved him.
This was his life and if she wanted to be part of his life, she had to be part of this, too. She tried to absorb his confidence. He wouldn’t have brought her if he didn’t think she could handle it, right?
Her heart slammed against the cage of her ribs as the door opened, and lights flashed in her eyes. A thousand voices rushed into the limo. Her ears ached from the volume, and her hands tried to move toward her ears, but Chase’s hold on her hand reminded her where she was.
He brushed his lips across her knuckles and preceded her out the door. Standing for a moment, as cameras created a strobe-light effect in the interior of the car, he turned and offered her a hand.
She stared at it. Could she just sit back and ignore his hand? She wouldn’t have to go in front of everyone and make herself available to their ridicule. The butterflies in her stomach threatened to make an escape attempt as she continued to stare at his hand.
Chase leaned in the door. His smile was the one she’d grown to love, the one meant only for her. “Come on, Natalie. What’s the worst that could happen?”
She could probably name a hundred things that could happen, each one worse than the next. The one that came to mind was stepping on her hem with her pointed shoes and falling while tearing off the dress. Not only would she be facedown on the red carpet, but also only in her underwear. The heat rose to her face as she met his eyes. “I could trip?”
He clasped both of her hands and tugged gently. “If you fall, I promise to catch you.”
She allowed him to help her to her feet outside of the limo. She tried her hardest to ignore the flashing and focused on his smiling face. He was worth it. She tamped down the butterflies as he wrapped one of her hands in the crook of his elbow and gently led her away from the safety of the limo.
The red carpet loomed before her. It glowed bright from the many lights. Colorful gowns swished and dark suits blended to create a beautiful picture. Crowds of people milled along the outskirts and pressed in on the flimsy barriers holding them back. The color left Natalie’s face as they passed people she’d only seen on a movie screen. Her fingers clenched into Chase’s flesh. What was she doing here?