Before I knew it, Daniel was all moved into his new house and he had yet to ask me to move in with him. Which was fine. We could take it slow, but one thing I knew for sure was we would be appearing at the gala as a couple. My inner college self wanted to squeal, while my guilt-ridden self slowly faded away.
Over the past few days, Daniel had met me at the hospital for daily afternoon coffee breaks while he went over the new wing with the CEO. Life finally felt like it was on track again—well, at least it would be once I told my parents.
This weekend I would tell them, when I could see them in person again. I had been avoiding their calls. They left a few voicemails, mainly saying that they wanted to see me, since I’d missed mandir, and talk about my future. I assumed they meant work, since they hadn’t mentioned Yuvan. I’d texted them to let them know I was doing well but was busy, hoping to catch up as soon as possible. I knew pushing it off would make it harder, but I wanted the stress of the gala over first. A couple more days wouldn’t hurt.
When Thursday night came around, Reema and Sana came over to “fix me up” while Liya watched on video call.
“Dayum.” Reema whistled.
“What! Let me see! Turn the phone, Sana,” Liya said.
“Oh! Sorry!” Sana turned her phone to me, as stunned as Reema, while Liya nodded appreciatively. “Now that’s what’s up.”
I grinned at my reflection, eager for Daniel to see me, and actually excited about meeting his circle.
Reema went to work on my makeup and hair while Sana and Liya chatted and commented.
“Daniel will be taking you home tonight,” Sana declared.
We gaped at her before bursting into laughter.
“Done!” Reema said. “And just a little glimmer…” She patted highlighter on my cheekbones, nose, and clavicle.
The girls oohed and ahhed as I checked my reflection. The blood-red dress shimmered with metallic strands, covering one shoulder, snug at the bust, and flowing from the waist down. My hair was subtle in long waves and actually left down. It felt weird not to have a hair tie nearby.
My makeup was on the natural side, but Reema went with red lipstick to match the dress.
“Um. Are you sure that I don’t look like a clown? I’ve never done red lipstick before.”
“You look stunning!” Reema argued.
“Don’t take it off!” Liya warned.
“At least it’s not nude.”
“At least it’s not just ChapStick,” Liya added.
My phone pinged with a text. “Daniel had to get to the gala early. He’s sending a car for me to meet him there.”
“That’s our cue! Go get ’em. Remember, those rich people at the gala are about money and prestige and blah blah blah, but you are amazing and intelligent and you’re going to wow them,” Reema coached.
Reema and Sana hugged me on their way out.
I stuffed my phone, credit card and cash, keys, and lipstick into this tiny clutch purse and flung the studded metallic strap over one shoulder. It wasn’t even big enough for a water bottle! Forget about emergency tampons or ibuprofen or hand sanitizer.
I took the elevator and walked extra carefully to the lobby, wobbling a bit in these heels and clutching the railing the entire way. I expected an Uber, not a sleek SUV with a driver in a suit holding the door open.
“Thank you,” I said to the driver. He nodded, made sure my entire dress was inside the car, and closed the door before hopping into the driver’s seat.
We arrived in twenty minutes, and I’d found my calm before the driver opened my door. I thanked him again and steeled myself for whatever was to come.
The hall was grand and glittering with lights, bustling with conversation, and smelled of money. The front doors automatically slid open. The next set of doors was propped open, inviting me in with subtle sounds of clinking glasses and classical music.
I stood at the top of a majestic staircase, controlling my shaking, although it didn’t help that so many people were watching me.
Everyone was so poised and elegant, dripping with expensive clothes and jewels, cultured elegance. The way they stood, chins high, full of swagger. Even in the way they held champagne flutes, they looked posh.
I searched for Brandy, but everyone blurred together. Until my sights landed on Daniel near the balcony doors. He was staring so hard he might’ve actually calcified into a statue, even as Jackson slapped his chest with the back of his hand. Jackson grinned up at me before being pulled away by someone.
Daniel trained his eyes on me as if no one else existed.
If there was ever such a thing as a Cinderella moment, this was it.
With a few breaths, I walked down several steps to meet him halfway up the stairs.
“Can’t say you’ve never stopped a room dead in its tracks,” Daniel commented, closing the distance but pausing two steps below me. He filled the heck out of his tuxedo.
“You look stunning,” he added and kissed the back of my hand.
My cheeks heated to insurmountable levels. “Thank you. You look pretty good yourself.”
His eyes stayed on my mouth and I smiled. “What?”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Just…‘stunning’ isn’t a strong enough word. I usually see you with your nose in a book, in slacks, pajamas. Gowns suit you, too.”
“I feel beautiful in this dress, to be honest.”
“I’ve seen you at your best and your most vulnerable. In this moment, Pree? I see all of you, and you’ve never been more radiant.”
My insides convulsed into intense, delightful knots. “So I’m like a princess?”
“A queen.” He offered his elbow.
My face flushed. No one had ever called me a queen, unless queen of medical presentations counted. I took his elbow and we descended the stairs. “Does everyone stare at every new arrival?”
“Only when staring is warranted,” he replied.
I forced myself to keep my posture pristine and my chin high instead of cowering, reminding myself that I was here for Daniel.
“Every inch of me just wants to take you home right this second,” he whispered close to my ear.
“Well, you can’t. It took a long time to squeeze into this dress.”
“And it would take less than ten seconds for me to get you out of it.”
“You are so full of it.”
“But you’d be full of me.”
“Stop that,” I muttered.
He grinned. “Does that bother you?”
“Yes.”
“Or does it turn you on?”
I gently slapped his chest with the back of my hand, catching sight of the one person I hoped to evade. “Your parents are watching us, you know. Your dad doesn’t look too happy about me being here.”
“Please excuse him and don’t give him another thought. Come with me. I have something for you,” he added as we escaped the perilously smooth stairs. How I managed not to slip was beyond me.
“Daniel. Knock it off.”
He laughed. “It’s an actual gift. It’ll go perfectly with this dress, which is just…damn, Pree.” He leaned back and appreciated my backside while leading me to a balcony outside. I most definitely put in a little extra strut for him, which had him biting his lower lip.
We left behind the soft noises of the gala, partially cut off by the open doors and replaced by the bustle from the city below. I relished the chilly breeze, willing my nerves to settle.
“Not that I’m complaining, but why did we come out here?”
“Fresh air. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed with the amount of people. And in case we get separated for any reason and you need to recharge, the balcony is always a quiet, nearly empty area.”
“That’s very thoughtful.”
“How are you doing so far?”
I laughed. “I’m fine. I’m excited to meet your friends and get to know what happens at this event.”
He smiled warmly. “Good. I didn’t want you to feel pressured. There’ll be a lot of talk about money and fundraising tonight. Please don’t be intimidated.”
I blew out a breath. “I’ll try. This event looks much fancier than even the physician parties I’ve been to. Some were meant for fundraising or asking for grants, but not quite a gala. How much are these people worth, anyway?”
“At least a million each, to lowball.”
“Yeah. I can handle a million. It’s when we get into billionaire territory that I might get wobbly,” I teased.
He smiled reassuringly, his dimples deepening. “Thank you for being here. It means a lot. To finally have you meet my colleagues. Lots of board members and charity organizers. The annual gala is meant to allocate funds to the right places, but it requires a lot of politics. Thank god it only happens once a year.”
“Of course I’d be here.”
Daniel pulled out a blue satin pouch from inside his jacket, presenting a glimmering drop Y necklace with a blue-jeweled cluster clip in the middle. “This is for you.”
I gasped. “You shouldn’t have.”
“But I wanted to. Here, let me.” He held up the necklace, smooth and flexible in his palm, catching all the light.
I turned from him and lifted my hair over one shoulder so he could drape the necklace around my neck. It lay cold on my skin and slid down between my breasts. He clasped it and left his hand on my shoulder, kissing the back of my neck.
I turned toward him and touched the necklace. It shimmered against the darkness of my skin. The necklace came together a couple of inches below my collarbone, clasped with the cluster of blue gems, and the rest disappeared beneath the bodice of my dress.
“I love it,” I said, smiling up at him. “But this looks expensive, and feels heavy. Don’t tell me this is real.”
“Is it so bad if it’s real?”
“Daniel…”
He chuckled. “Yeah. It’s real. Real platinum, real diamonds, real sapphires.”
“No.”
“Yes. You can’t dictate my gifts for you. I wanted to congratulate you for getting through residency as a chief resident and landing your dream job. It’s an amazing achievement.”
“You know I’m a total penny-pinching, keep-track-of-all-gifts-and-monetary-items type of Indian. This is too much.”
He stuffed his hands into his pockets and raised his chin. “Why?”
I stuttered over my words. “N-Need I remind you of the ledger? I was taught to keep an account of every gift so I could return one of similar value. How much will my next gift to you cost?”
He laughed. “No way in hell I’m telling you.”
“Daniel…”
“Pree…”
“I saw something similar to this when Brandy took me shopping, and it was well over three grand. I will end you if you spent that much.”
“I guess end me, then.” He shrugged like No biggie.
I sighed. There was no winning with Daniel when it came to gifts; we’d had the ledger argument many times in college. “Thank you for the gift.”
“And before you say anything about me buying you something—”
“Oh, boy,” I interjected. “Are you about to give me the learn-how-to-accept-gifts lecture?”
“No.”
I tilted my head and called his bluff.
He took my hands in his and ran a thumb across the backs. “Please accept my gifts with no weird, negative connotations. Forget the damn ledger.”
I eyed him skeptically. “All this time you could’ve been living in a hotel and it really wouldn’t have made a dent, would it?”
“No,” he replied, glancing down at our interlocked fingers, “but then I wouldn’t have had the excuse to be around you. And none of this would’ve happened.”
“Why did you keep all this from me in the past?”
He took a deep breath and exhaled. I’d never seen him look so nervous. “This is all glamour on the surface and cutthroat underneath. It’s stressful, and I didn’t want to subject you to that, I guess. These people have been around this environment for years, decades, generations even. They know what to say, how to be coy and plot, and I couldn’t throw you into this. You were untouched by all of it, and you had enough on your plate with med school.”
“So you lied to protect me?”
“Partly. And partly because…other girlfriends had been aware of my family’s money and either took advantage of it or freaked out. Pree, I should’ve never lied to you. Do you forgive me?”
“Of course.”
Daniel brought my knuckles to his lips and kissed them. I released a shaky breath. I’d known from early on that Daniel’s family and some of his friends were well-off, I’d just never really cared, which was why I never pried. It didn’t matter if he was rich or poor. I’d grown up poor and I hated when someone judged me for it. I respected Daniel for himself, not his money.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes. Let’s network and raise funds and have a great time.”
Daniel sighed in relief, placed a hand on my lower back, and brought me inside.
But as I walked into a sea of diamonds and gold, I’d never felt so out of place.
We mingled as Daniel introduced me to so many people that I couldn’t keep track. I smiled and brought my chief resident energy backed by my physician confidence, and even incited some laughs. Things seemed to go well until I spotted Alisha.
She appeared from across the room. She fit in so seamlessly with her tall, curvy body in a high-end gown, dripping from head to toe with splendid jewelry she’d presumably bought with her own money. No wonder Mr. Thompson had told me that I wasn’t good enough for Daniel when there was someone like Alisha.
