Pure Feeling

man of the moment

I barely recognised the girl in the lift mirror. In the months since I'd met Harry, I'd changed in ways I hadn't expected. I constantly had a little more colour in my cheeks, I carried a little extra weight on my hips, my eyes were no longer dull, and my smile was a little warmer. In Valentino, I glowed. I was a woman who enjoyed living and not simply surviving from one day until the next.

The dress — worth half my yearly wage — did wonders for me. It was something of a Cinderella dress; able to transform the average person into something grander. It would certainly help me fit in with the people invited to the gala.

The dress, a gift from Harry, had arrived at my office earlier in the day via security guard. It came in a white garment bag with a note that read, 'Just one of the thousand I owe you. All my love, H'.

I'd cried when I undid the zip. There were no adequate words to describe the dress. The tag said pale blue, appliquéd,  silk organza gown by Valentino, but it was so much more. The dress was a work of art and should have been in a museum.

The pale pink rock stud Valentino pumps with the matching clutch were the perfect match. No jewellery was sent, which I was grateful for, because the dress was the hero and it deserved to shine.

Perfectly timed, my phone started to ring as the lift doors opened. I pulled out my iPhone and smiled at the face staring back at me.

"Thank you for my dress."

"You're late, Angel." Even through the wire, Harry's voice raised goosebumps all over my skin.

"I know, I'm sorry. My meeting ran late." The words came out in a rush. Harry's low laugh on the other end of the line made me pout. "Saskia and Zavid are pulling around now, hold on a second." Harry waited patiently while my two security guards helped me slide into the back seat without ruining a very expensive dress. I took my phone back from Saskia. "How's the tux?"

"Fits perfectly, thank you."

"Good." I'd coordinated with Rachel to have Harry fitted for a tux on Savile Row. I'd given the gentlemen at the shop a detailed list of requirements and they had seemed more than happy to accommodate. "I hope they treated you well."

"Very well. Above and beyond in fact," he said calmly. The man was hard to break. "There was one person who paid particular attention to me in the dressing room."

I bit my tongue. The blindfold had been the most important request. "If you're not careful, you'll develop a habit, Mr Styles."

"Oh, I already have, Angel," Harry's voice dropped a decibel, "for you."

Heat rose to my cheeks, and I was glad Harry couldn't see the effect he had on me in that moment. "I'm on my way. I'll see you soon."

"Wait, Angel. I want to warn you about what to expect tonight and beyond."

I knew what to expect. Last minute event invitations and extravagant dresses hadn't stopped me from finding out the entire gala was in honour of Harry, his business ventures, and his philanthropic endeavours. He was being celebrated and all the money raised from the evening would be distributed amongst Styles International charities.

I'd attended enough society events through work to know arriving on Harry's arm on such a big night would cause a stir. People loved to talk, and we were handing them gossip wrapped in a Valentino gown and a bespoke tuxedo. It hadn't escaped my attention that there would be press in attendance either. "Are you worried they'll ask you about me?"

"No, I'm worried they'll pry into your life and your past will become tabloid fodder and idle gossip for Chelsea housewives."

My chest tightened, and my mouth went dry. I took a deep breath before I said anything to reassure Harry and myself. "Lapka, a lot of people went to a lot of effort to protect my privacy. I was a minor when it all happened —"