CHAPTER 13
Kimberly slowly slips into the red strapless dress, adjusting her breast to fit into it. The dress perfectly wraps around her body. She smiles at her reflection although she felt naked even though it was a long dress.
She steps out of the bathroom.
"Well..." she says, "What do you think Yaya?"
Yaya's eyes beam with delight, "Oh my..." her jaws drop, "Look at you Kimberly! You look so
gorgeous!" she runs up to her, checking out her frame, "Tom sure did a perfect job at picking out a dress for you!"
Kimberly felt her cheeks blush, "You-- you don't think is too much?" she covers her chest, feeling as though she's exposing too much of it.
"Are you kidding me!?" Yaya gasps disbelief, "You look fabulous Kimberly! That dress just hugs you so perfectly. Tom knows how to woo a woman!!" she shouts.
"I feel naked though Yaya--"
She laughs, "Come on Kimberly, you look fine! You're thinking too much! Trust me--" she wrapped her arm around Kimberly, "Once you enter the party, all eyes will be on you... All the woman will envy you and all men will drool over you!"
Kimberly laughs, "I don't want any problems Yaya. I just don't want to make a fool out of myself."
"You won't! Now come on-- we gotta start on your hair-- the clocks ticking and we're wasting time just talking!" She pulls Kimberly by the hand and drags her to the makeup table.
An hour later, Kimberly was all set. Her makeup and hair done just in time. Yaya braids her hair to the side, pinned down with loose curls. Her makeup was subtle, not too heavy. She adds rosy blush to her cheeks. Yaya finished her with a touch of soft red lipsticks.
"There..." she spins her around in the chair so Kimberly can see herself in the mirror, "You... look... fabulous!" She accessorizes her for final touches.
"Wow..." She couldn't believe herself. "I hope Tom likes it..." she touches her hair gently, not wanting to mess it up.
"Nonsense--" Yaya hissed, "His jaw and his eyes will drop to the ground! He'll have to pick up them up because you look so damn gorgeous!" she crosses her arm.
Kimberly laughs. Then there was a knock on her door, "Oh I think that's Tom--" she quickly walks her room to open the door for him.
She opens the door to see Tom standing in front of her looking real sharp. She felt weak in the knees, thinking how drop dead gorgeous he look. His hair was slick back, eyes shining brighter than the stars. Her heart beats a bit fast.
Yaya was right-- Tom's jaw dropped at the sight of her in the dress.
"You... look...
WOW..." he tries to find the words, "I'm-- I-- You just look so... amazing... just absolutely stunning..." he smiles from ear to ear.
Kimberly blushes, moving out the way so he can enter, "Thanks Tom," she giggles, "You look very handsome tonight too," she tells him.
"I'm almost done, I just need to gather my clutch," she tells him, quickly disappearing into her room to grab her clutch and her stilettos
Yaya walks out of the room, "So Tom--" she walks up to him, "What do you think of Kimberly?"
He chuckles, "She looks absolutely stunning... I'm just amazed..." he couldn't stop smiling.
"Well I'm glad you like her. Please take care of her tonight," she tells him, "oh-- and I hope you two have a wonderful night." she smiles.
"I sure will-- and thank you," he waits patiently for Kimberly.
She returns minutes later, with her stilettos in he clutch in hand. She puts her pumps down struggling to put it on.
"Here, let me help you--" Tom bent down to help slip the her heels on.
She was feeling like Cinderella as Tom helps puts on her stilettos. She couldn't help but smile. Her knees grew weak and she wasn't sure if she'll be able to stand.
"There..." he whispers, "You're all set, my beautiful princess..." he smiles, holding out his hand for her.
She puts her hand in his and they both make their way towards the door. She thanks Yaya for helping her.
"No problem! You know I'm always here for you!" she smiles at Kimberly, "Don't worry about me. I'll just lounge around your apartment until I feel like going home," she laughs.
Tom said goodbye to Yaya and he left with Kimberly.
"Are you ready for the event tonight?" He ask her.
"uh..." her heart beats faster, "I think..." she whispers, "I'm kind of nervous now..."
"Don't be... you'll be fine... I'll be by your side..." he winks at her.
Kimberly nods her head. Tom's gentle words soothes her nerves and she was ready to tackle the world.
"I can't wait to announce it to everybody that the woman by my side, Kimberly, is my beautiful girlfriend..."
"his beautiful girlfriend..." his words rings in Kimberly's ears. Her heart flutters with excitement and nerves. Everything felt just right, having him right next to her. Everything about him was just so perfect and for the first time in her life, God has finally answer her prayers. She's falling in love with Tom...
---------------------------------------------
"Dennis... This way..." Alicia whines annoyingly, pulling him towards the hotel lobby, "The event party is down the lobby and into the banquet hall... we're gonna be late... hurry..." she tugs him even harder.
His feet drags the ground, going slowly as possible, "No need to rush..." he tells her, getting irritated, wishing the night would end already before it even started.
They finally make it to the end of the lobby.
"The party's down here..." Alicia directs him, clinging on to him like honey.
They make it down the stairs, and Dennis looks around. A band was playing music very subtly. Servers were walking around serving drinks and snacks to the guest. Everybody look elegant and fancy. This was an upscale party, something he wasn't used to.
"This is some kind of party..." he said to himself, trying figure out who would plan an event at a place like this.
"Come on Dennis-- I want you to meet Daddy," she pulls him.
"Daddy!" She screams annoyingly, "I'm here with Dennis!" she calls to her father, who turns around with a serious look on his face.
"Glad you finally made it," he smiles at Alicia, but gives Dennis a dirty look, "You must be Dennis," He doesn't shake his hand.
"Yes-- Yes Sir" Dennis stutters, feeling nervous to be around him, "Nice to meet you."
He doesn't say anything else. He gestures them away and Alicia pulls Dennis in a different direction.
"Daddy doesn't want to be bother," she tells Dennis.
"Who's event is this anyways Alicia?" He asked curiously, trying to see if he recognized anyone.
"I don't know," she shrugs, grabbing two glass of champagne from the server, "Daddy just told me to come so I came--with you." she drinks her champagne quickly reaching for a new one.
"Slow down Alicia," he tells her, feeling embarrass to be seen with her. Her style of clothing was rather repulsive, she looked like a cheap whore-- a cheap stripper to be exact. If anything strippers looked better than her.
She doesn't listen to him, "It's an event but a... Mr..." she thinks about it, "Mr.. Welling..."
Dennis's eyes grew bigger as he looks at Alicia in disbelief, "Mr. Welling you said??" his heart beats faster and faster.
"Yes.. a Mr. Welling..." she finishes her second champagne glass, "He's that fat jolly man over there," she says loudly.
Dennis looks around, hoping no one heard her. She sure was an embarrassment to be around. What was Dennis thinking, messing around with a woman of her class.
He ignores Alicia and scans the hall for Tom, wondering if he was going to be there-- not in sight. He checks his watch, wondering if Tom's running late.
Slowly, more and more people begin to make an appearance. Dennis slowly sips on his champagne, still keeping an eye out for Tom.
Alicia has left him alone and he didn't care. She was an embarrassment to be around. Dennis finishes his first glass of champagne and he takes another glass of champagne. From a near distance, he overhead a few woman gossiping. He turns to them and noticed them staring at the stairs, gasping in awe.
"what are they staring at..?" Dennis ask himself, slowly turning around in the direction of the stairs, curious to what the girls were gasping about.
His extends his neck over his shoulder, suddenly at the corner of his eyes, he sees a beautiful woman in red slowly making her way down the stairs.
"Who is she...?" he asked himself, turning around completely to get a better glimpse.
[This song plays as she walks down the stairs
BRUNO MARS - JUST THE WAY YOU ARE]
Suddenly his jaw drop to the ground. He could feel it beating faster and faster against his chest, almost as if it's about to burst out of his chest. His couldn't believe his eyes. Surely, it must be deceiving him-- It just can't be her. The woman he's staring at is no one other than...
Kimberly.
Everything around him stands still. Time doesn't move and no one makes a sound. His heart stops beating as he held his breath, taken by surprised by how amazing she looks tonight. The smile won't wipe away from his face.
Dennis watches in dazed as she moves gracefully down the stairs, not wanting to blink for second. The dress contours to her every curves, which took him by surprised. She smiles from ear to ear. A sudden halo glow appears above her head. It was as if she was an angel sent down from heaven. Light shines on her and she was shines brighter than a star.
He was starstruck by her-- just captivated by her looks.
"Amazing...Just amazing..." he smiles from ear to hear, feeling his heart warm up with joy, completely mesmerized by her flawless skin, unable to snap back to reality.
However, the smile quickly turns into a frown when he realize she was with Tom. His heart sank into the depths of the ocean.
All he could do was watch her from a distance-- watch as she held on tightly to his arm. While she's all smile, Dennis's drowning in frowns. He still couldn't believe his eyes. It must be playing a trick on him-- he quickly shakes his head, blinking his eyes several time. Nope-- she was as real as could be.
He watches as Tom and Kimberly makes his way to the front, heading to the mike. Tom makes it on stage to give a little speech.
"Good evening everyone--" Tom begins, trying to get everyone's attention, "Thank you all for coming tonight and sharing this big event with my father, Mathew and-- It's a pleasure to have you all to be here tonight."
Everyone claps.
"I would like to thank the serves and staff for making this night possible," he pause and scans the hall, "I'd also like to thank my father, Mathew for being the great father that he is," he turns to his dad and smiles, "and lastly, I'd like to thank everyone who has helped my father with his business. Everyone claps their hands again.
Tom clears his throat, "I have one more announcement to make-- This lovely woman in red, --" he gestures Kimberly to come on stage. She slowly makes her way up, "This beautiful woman right her..." he rest his hand on her lower back, ".. is Kimberly-- She's the love of my life... and I'm glad to have her in mine..." he smiles down at her. She smiles and blushes in front of the audience.
The crowd claps and whistles with joy. He leans in on Kimberly and gives her a peck on the cheek. She smiles from ear to ear, unable to stop smiling.
"Tom and... Kimberly..." he utters his breath, unable to finish his sentence. Immediately feeling a sharp pain in his chest. It was as if his heart has popped out of his chest and stops beating-- a dead heart.
A feeling of defeat overcomes him as he watches Kimberly smiling and laughing with Tom. He says to himself, feeling his body go numb all around. Jealousy and anger suddenly engulfs him..
)
