Matthew had planned a day full of Christmas-themed activities. We visited the massive Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center and all the gorgeous window displays in the department stores nearby. We strolled through a winter holiday market, and we finished the afternoon off with ice-skating.
It was the first time I’d ever strapped a pair of skates to my feet, and I was absolutely terrible. I spent most of the session with my hands gripped firmly to the barrier that bordered the rink. Eventually, Matthew managed to coax me off the barrier, and I took a spin around the ice holding his hand.
Despite my distinct lack of coordination, it was still such a fun afternoon, and nothing made me happier than seeing the pure joy on my mom’s face as she slowly puttered around on her skates. I was simply glad to have survived the experience, and the hot chocolates we got after we’d finished more than made up for my still shaking legs.
By the time we got back to Matthew’s apartment, I was well and truly exhausted. I had no idea how I was going to find the energy for an evening out. I subtly tried to suggest to my father that maybe my mom and I should skip the party, especially if it wasn’t that big a deal. But he wouldn’t hear of it.
“I know I said we wouldn’t have to stay long,” he explained. “But it’s important to me that you’re both there.”
“Why?” I asked. My suggestion we skip the event wasn’t all that serious, but a part of me felt like it might force him to be a bit less cryptic about what the evening would actually entail. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.
“I’ll be asked to say a few words, and I’d like you to hear them.”
“Okay.” I nodded, but I was only feeling more uncertain about what to expect.
I left Matthew and went upstairs to my room to begin getting ready, but my intrigue about the night ahead reached another level when I saw a beautiful dress hanging on the door of my closet. It was a stunning deep-blue color that shimmered like the night’s sky, and when I reached out and touched it, I could tell it was made of the softest satin.
“Matthew got them for us.” My mom’s voice made me turn toward the door. She was standing in the entrance to my room holding an equally dazzling dress. Hers was long and red with a similar satin sheen that made it flicker like a dancing flame. It was going to look incredible on her.
“They’re amazing,” I replied. “He shouldn’t have.”
“That’s what I told him,” she said. “But he insisted. It must be a pretty fancy party.”
We decided to get ready together in my room. We rarely had a chance to dress up back home, and the last time Mom had helped me with my hair and makeup was before my junior prom last year.
I loved seeing her get dressed up too. She, on the other hand, kept shooting uncertain looks at her reflection in the mirror once she had the stunning red gown on. She looked beautiful, but I could tell she felt uncomfortable in the designer dress.
I had to cover my smile when I saw the flat shoes she’d paired with the outfit. I recognized them from home. They were a little worn, and while they matched okay, they looked slightly awkward next to the expensive gown. That was my mom though. She was always going to choose practicality and comfort over anything flashy—and I hoped that never changed.
Once I was dressed, I stared at myself in the mirror for several long moments. If I’d thought the gown Matthew had gotten me looked impressive on the hanger, that was nothing compared to how it looked now. If I had seen myself this way just a few months ago, I wouldn’t have believed my eyes. I looked so mature and elegant, especially given the way Mom had swooped up my hair.
“You look gorgeous,” she said.
“Me?” I shook my head. “You do. I’ve never seen you look so beautiful.” My mom was always gorgeous, even after a hectic day at the café, but tonight was different. It wasn’t just that her curly hair fell in perfect waves or the way her makeup accentuated her long eyelashes. It wasn’t even because of the flowing red gown Matthew had bought her. There was a twinkle in her eye I’d never seen before. I was beginning to suspect it had something to do with my father.
“Oh, I’m sure I look acceptable.” She quickly waved my compliment away, but I walked over and took her hand.
“More than acceptable. You take my breath away.”
Mom’s cheeks flushed as she laughed. “Now you’re just embarrassing me.”
“Yes, well, it only seems fair as you’re always embarrassing me,” I joked.
We made our way downstairs, where Matthew was already waiting. Unsurprisingly, I wasn’t the only one who was blown away by my mom’s outfit. Matthew was wide-eyed when he caught sight of her, and it must have taken him at least twenty seconds to realize he was staring, totally speechless.
“You both look beautiful,” he said when he finally found his voice.
“Thank you,” Mom replied. “And thank you for the dresses. They’re wonderful.” Her cheeks were a lot pinker than when I’d given her a similar compliment.
“Yeah, thank you,” I said. “It’s very generous of you.”
“It’s no problem,” Matthew replied.
I wasn’t quite finished though. I was still eager to learn a little more about what it was we were actually doing tonight. “Although, it seems like a lot of effort to go to for a party you just want to show your face at and leave.”
My mom shot me a look, clearly disapproving of my prying. “Stop worrying, Isobel,” she said. “It’ll be fun, won’t it, Matt?”
“I hope so,” he said. “Shall we go?” He held out his arm, guiding us to the elevator, seeming a little relieved he’d avoided my question.
My mom took his arm, and I followed them as Matthew led the way. With my mom all dressed up and Matthew in his pristine tuxedo, they looked like a picture-perfect couple. It didn’t feel real though. More like a something out of a movie than my actual life. My parents weren’t a couple—but tonight, for the first time, it wasn’t quite as hard to picture them together.
Thunder rumbled overhead as we exited the building, and the breeze that ruffled the skirt of my dress smelled of rain. I hoped we weren’t going to get caught out in the storm.
There was a limo waiting for us in front of the building, and Matthew pulled the door open so my mom and I could get in. I’d never been in a limo before, and from the way my mom peered around at the interior, curiosity playing in her eyes, I could tell she felt as out of place as I did.
Matthew looked right at home as he slid onto the seat across from us and pulled out his phone. He’d probably been riding in cars like this his entire life, so it had never even been a novelty. He still seemed distracted though, and his head was in his phone for most of the drive while my mom and I talked, admiring the features of the limo and trying to spot landmarks through the tinted windows. It wasn’t long before the vehicle pulled up to the curb.
“We’re here. Are you both ready to go inside?” Matthew asked.
He might have directed the question at both of us, but his eyes were only on me. I kind of thought if anyone didn’t look ready, it was Matthew. He kept rubbing his hands on his pants, and I got the distinct impression he was nervous.
“Sure, we’re ready,” my mom replied for the both of us.
“Great.” He gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and again I felt a flutter of unease. Why was Matthew acting so strangely?
I didn’t have a chance to ask if he was ready too because the door opened beside me, and Matthew moved to step out. I slid down the seat to the door and took his offered hand as he helped me out onto the sidewalk.
“Is everything okay?” I asked as I stepped to his side.
“It’ll all make sense soon,” he replied. “Just trust me.” It was the least reassuring thing he’d said all day, and the uncertainty that had been simmering in my gut started to spread throughout my body, tingling my skin.
Matthew turned to help my mom out of the limo and then took her by the arm once more and led her up the steps of the old stone building before us. It was gorgeous and stately and looked like some kind of art gallery. There were people milling on the steps and by the entrance, all dressed just as elegantly as we were. Their gazes turned on Matthew as he approached, recognition and curiosity flashing in their eyes.
Several people tilted their heads, acknowledging my father, and Matthew nodded in return. Some appeared to want to talk with him, but Matthew didn’t stop, marching us right past them and inside the building. We took the elevator up to one of the higher floors, and as the doors opened, the sounds of string music and the chatter of guests drifted to us from the end of the hall. We followed the music to a grand ballroom that was packed with people talking, drinking, and dancing to the sounds of a full string orchestra.
I might have looked the part of an elite New York socialite in my long evening gown, but it was all just an act—and one I was struggling to maintain. Even my mom appeared to be coping better than me, and she held her head high as she lightly grasped Matthew’s arm. I knew she must have felt just as uneasy as I did though. She was simply better at faking it.
More people looked our way as we passed, some stopping their conversations to watch us walk into the room. It felt like the crowd was parting around us, as though people naturally sensed Matthew was there before moving out of his way. I knew Matthew was an influential man, but this was the first time I’d seen how powerful the aura that surrounded him truly was. In a place like this, filled with rich and powerful people, he was still being watched like a king entering his throne room.
As we walked through the crowd, I grabbed a champagne glass off a tray carried by a passing waiter. I still hadn’t been able to quell the nerves that had been hounding me since I left the limo. I took a quick sip and placed the glass down on a table before my mom or Matthew noticed.
Matthew didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the attention he received. He approached the bar with my mom and flagged down the bartender. He even nodded at a couple of people standing nearby and welcomed their attempts at small talk. I wasn’t particularly interested in making small talk. Not when the whole reason we were here still eluded me. Why was it so important to Matthew we come to this party?
I jolted with surprise as someone grabbed my arm, and when I turned to see who it was, my shock only intensified.
“Cress?”
Her eyes were filled with confusion that must have mirrored my own. She took me by the hand and pulled me away from my parents and any other guests who were standing nearby. “Cress, where are we going? What are you even doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” she whispered, coming to a stop when we were seemingly out of earshot. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here with my mom and Matthew,” I said. “He invited us.”
“Your parents are here too?”
“Uh, yes.” I was taken aback by the concern in her voice. “Why, what’s going on?”
Cress stayed silent, apparently too stunned to speak. She was looking at me like I’d just asked the most ridiculous question she’d ever heard. If I’d been nervous before, I didn’t know what to feel now.
“Cress,” I said again. “Seriously, what’s going on?
“Isobel…” she said. “You know this is a birthday party for Noah, right?”
It felt like the room around me warped at her words. The music turned distant, and the people surrounding us seemed to blur.
“What?” I breathed the word.
“This is Noah’s eighteenth birthday party,” she repeated. “It’s the reason my parents are back in town. Apparently, him and his grandfather are making some big announcement…”
I wasn’t really listening, and her words faded away as I tried to process what she’d said. Matthew had dragged me to New York for Noah’s birthday? What was he thinking? Why hadn’t he told me? And why the hell was I here?
