Rosie White

Chapter 15

I accept a glass from the barman and hand it to one of my longest business associates, I haven't seen Rosie yet and I haven't had any contact with her all week. I trust her to turn up and not stand me up, but with her stubbornness, I wouldn't put it past her to do that to provoke me.

I'm eager to see her, I've been busy with meetings that I haven't been at the club much this week, every time I have, she's not been on shift.

I won't lie that I'm drawn to her, she frustrates me as much as she intrigues me. I've never met anyone like her, but I can tell its going to take some effort to win her over, make her mine.

As if my summoned by my thoughts, I see her.

I double take at first, she's standing at the entrance to the ballroom, glancing around. She holds herself with elegance and confidence not many possess. She's wearing a long black dress, hitting the floor perfectly with a slit so high up her leg, I'm surprised it has as much sophistication as it does.

I can't take my eyes off her as I watch her take a glass from a waiter. His smile is what snaps me from the trance. I place my glass onto the bar, I mutter a quick 'excuse me' and start making my way through the crowd.

I see a few people glancing towards her, she's got the attention of the room and she doesn't even know it. My body and mind burns with need to claim her, remind everyone who she belongs to.

Her eyes meet mine and that confidence flickers for a brief moment, I watch her gaze flick down and back up before her eyes meet mine again.

As I approach, my arm moves to wrap around her hip, gliding over the soft fabric of her dress, it finds its place at her lower back. I pull her towards me as I close the rest of the distance, bringing her body to mine. Her hand, which doesn't hold her Champaign, but is clasping a small bag moves to grip my bicep as she glances up at me.

"Rosie."

"Alexander," She smiles.

"You look beautiful," I speak quietly as I brush a strand of hair behind her ear. I move down and place a gently kiss to her cheek. I feel her breath hitch at the movement before her body relaxes into mine.

"Come, there's people I want you to meet."

I step back, keeping my hand on her lower hip and glide her into the ballroom.

"This place is beautiful," She speaks softly over the music as she glances around.

I smile towards her, "It holds the event every year, it's been going on for over ten years now."

"Is it always the same charity or different ones each year?" She asks, looking back towards me.

"It's different each year, but always going towards charities within the city."

She smiles back at me and takes a sip of her drink as we walk towards the rows of artwork.

We stop at the first and I keep Rosie tucked into me as I greet some more people I've become accustom with after attending these events over the years.

Rosie greets everyone with grace and kindness, it's a different sight to the Rosie I've seen. I like this side, her calm and relaxed demeanour. She adapts well to situations, and I wonder if that has anything to do with her parents, or whether her manners come from her grandma. I also wonder if it's just me she seems to lose control with. I don't know why, but I like that.

As we move further down the rows of artwork, I feel a gentle tug on my arm. When I glance down at her, she's frowning at the next piece of artwork before quickly reinstating her smile towards me. "Shall we look at the artwork on the other side?"

I gesture back to the pieces on display and say, "What about these? I want your help deciding which one I should bid on, so you should look at all of them."

She shakes her head, "I've seen some I like already, lets have a look at these."

As she moves to turn, I grip her hip before pulling her front to my front.

I lean down and place my mouth against the side of her neck, just below her ear. "What do you have against this artwork Rosie?"

"Nothing, I erm just have already seen one which catches my eye, that's all."

I lean back and smile down at her, "Very well."

As I turn her and follow her to the other side of the room, I can't keep the smirk off my face knowing the piece she kept me away from was hers. I made the effort of exploring every piece before she got here, luckily, the university has given full accredit to the students in a bio.

I was blown away by the piece Rosie produced. I knew she'd be talented, but I wasn't expecting the piece I saw. It's a scenic background, a garden with a stream, flowers, and trees. Within the scene is a family. A mother holding a baby against her chest in a swaddle, sitting on a picnic blanket in the grass, a father standing with a little boy on his shoulders and a dog standing beside them.

There was pure happiness and emotion radiating from the piece. But what got me the most, was the resemblance to Rosie in the woman. Her dark long hair and slim body made me instantly think of her. When I looked at it, I felt like I had entered Rosie's mind, like she had painted a dream, and it made my heart skip a beat to think that maybe, just maybe, that's her dream?