Finally, we made it to the room where the dinner and dancing were. The silent auction items were in a smaller banquet room across the hall.
“Let’s find our table first, and then head over and see the auction items,” Luke suggested as we weaved through the tables and chairs.
The room was the most glamorous thing I’d seen before. When I looked up to the ceiling, I noticed twinkle lights and hanging stars draped from one side of the room to the other, mimicking a golden nighttime sky. Tables clothed in ivory linens held large floral arrangements in the center. The orange palette of long stem orchids, tulips, and roses were stunning. Three-foot tall vases created height throughout the room. Some had equally gorgeous, small arrangements. Eight gold Chiavari chairs nestled around each. Ours was located near the dance floor and the stage, and empty when we arrived, leading me to wonder who we were dining with.
“Would you like something to drink?” Luke asked as we headed out of the main ballroom to check out the auction and bar.
“I’d love a glass of champagne, but after that, I’ll just be drinking water. You won’t be able to get me drunk and take advantage of me tonight.” I gave him a wink to let him know I was kidding.
“I wouldn’t dream of taking advantage of you. I’ll only have one drink as well.”
He really was sweet and considerate.
*****
Luke
Since we stepped out of the limo, every man’s eyes had been glued to Alexa. Besides looking drop dead gorgeous in her dress, no one knew who she was. She was a complete unknown. I couldn’t believe how many people stopped by to say hello to us. I wasn’t the one who brought them over. I wasn’t that interesting of a business owner. She was the one who had them giving their well wishes. All the women flocked to our table once they heard about Dress Me Up and discovered her business partner designed and made her dress. She and Addison were going to be very busy with new clients in the next few months.
The silent auction was top notch. Besides The Rub Down’s contribution, there were Red Sox versus Yankees box seats, dinner for two at the finest restaurants in Boston, and weekends at five star resorts up and down the New England coast. Alexa lingered the longest at the weekend getaway to the Bahamas. After this past winter, the beach trip got a lot of attention. I put bids in on a few of those. The thought of Alexa all to myself, at a resort with no interruptions, sounded like heaven. Plus, I would kill to see Alexa in a bikini all day. Even if I didn’t win a trip, I would take my girl away when life settled again after the marathon. She earned it with all her hard work.
*****
Dinner was delicious. The beef Wellington was cooked to perfection, as well as the asparagus and little roasted potatoes. Our table was filled with business owners from Back Bay, the prestigious neighborhood in Boston. Most had storefronts on Newbury Street as well. Alexa made some great connections with some boutique owners, which I was thrilled about for her. I was so proud to have her next to me. She was a remarkable woman who was smart, social, and sexy as sin, and she captivated everyone around us.
Throughout the night, I couldn’t stop touching Alexa. Even during dinner, I ate with a hand resting on her thigh. She anchored me to the room. The night was high energy, high profile, and high class. As the owner of a spa with a dirty name, I never dreamt I would be in a room with this many powerful people.
The spa was my and Danny’s dream. But one day, the right person walked into The Rub Down and loved our services. That right person had many influential friends. Word got out how great the spa was, and business boomed. We moved to an even better location, and we received invitations to squash games at the country club and golf games on Martha’s Vineyard. Somehow, we were brought into the inner circle. Being a member of the business community became important. I was able to do bigger and better things for Boston. Because I was so blessed, I gave wherever I could.
I also never dreamed I would have this gem on my arm for the night.
Finally, the long drawn out dinner and speeches were over, and the band started playing more lively songs in an effort to get couples to dance. While some couples hit the floor, others headed to the auction room to make their final bids.
I stood up, placed my napkin on the table, and looked down at Alexa, holding out my hand. “Dance with me.”
She placed her delicate palm in mine, allowing me to pull her into my arms. “I’d love nothing more, tiger.”
I absolutely loved that she called me tiger. It made me feel on top of the world, and hard as a rock.
As I led her to the dance floor, the band started to play “You Raise Me Up” by Secret Garden. We found our place next to other couples, and I drew her to me, her right hand in mine, my other on the bare skin at the small of her back. She laid her head against my chest, and let me lead her around the dance floor. I sang the words along in her ear. The song was beautiful, and I felt every word.
Before it was over, Alexa looked up at me. “I should be singing this song to you. Without you these last few weeks, I would be a mess, and on Monday, you’d find me hiding under my covers and not at the starting line. Thank you for lifting me up.”
Her words slammed into me, straight to my heart. I wiped a stray tear from her face before I captured her mouth in a life-changing kiss. Her lips softly slid over mine, like a dance. Her body relaxed as she wrapped herself around me in a tight hug.
At that moment, life couldn’t get any better. I was falling in love with Alexa, and falling fast.
When I lifted my head from where it rested on hers, I gazed into the sea of people. And my eyes locked with one person I didn’t expect to see at such a classy event.
Theresa Morgan.
Chapter Twenty-three
Alexa
Our night was better than I could have imagined. Luke was the perfect gentleman. Almost too perfect. Where I wanted to haul his fine ass to a coat closet and molest him, he was happy to lightly caress my back. My blood boiled with need for him, and he seemed cool as a cucumber.
Shit, when he sang “You Raise Me Up” to me, I was ready to explode. The man oozed sex appeal, and I needed him naked and above me, as soon as possible. Once the song ended, I excused myself to touch up my makeup and cool down, and asked Luke to grab a few waters in my absence. No longer wanting to wait until after the marathon to be with him, I needed time to formulate a plan to seduce Luke. I wanted him as soon as we got home, and I was going to get him.
The luxurious bathroom was crowded when I entered. While I waited for a stall, I checked my makeup in the mirror. As I touched up my lipstick, a way-too-dolled-up wannabe woman walked into the room, wearing a tawdry red dress from a teenybopper store. She emptied her enormous purse, and set up shop right next to me.
“I know you. You’re a client at The Rub Down.” She spun her head toward me, her lacquered hair not moving an inch with the movement. “Luke’s a fine piece of ass, huh?”
“I’m sorry, what? Who are you?” I replied, annoyed with this stranger’s question.
“I’m Theresa. You ran into me, literally, weeks ago after that bitch receptionist said you saw Luke. Then you were with my Luke when I was supposed to be with him a few days ago.”
Oh, shit. This was the Theresa who wanted in Luke’s pants. I didn’t put two and two together the other day.
“Ah, yeah, sorry about that. Good seeing you again.” I needed to get away from her. She couldn’t know Luke and I were at the gala together.
Before I could scoot past her, she grabbed my arm, stabbing her fake French manicured Lee Press On nails into my skin. “I saw you here with him. He gives amazing happy endings, right? His tongue’s as amazing as his hands, huh?” She was in my personal space, and making me claustrophobic.