The CEO's Secret✔️

7: The Gala

June 2009

C H AP T E R  S E V E N:

T H E  G A L A

Katie woke up with a sore head and a heavy mind. Emily came home from work late the night before when Katie was already in bed so she did not have time to tell her friend about the eventful day she had yesterday. In fact, Katie wasn't even sure she wanted to tell Emily anything, then her run in with Catherine would feel more real. Colin had distracted her from the more serious reasoning Katie needed to do yesterday.

Her worrying thoughts that were beginning to creep up on her the minute she opened her eyes, nevertheless, she dragged herself out of bed and headed to the kitchen for some well needed coffee.

"Hey girl, why are you up so early?" Emily asked before munching down on some toast. She was sitting at the small breakfast bar, looking at the TV as she ate her breakfast alone, until Katie walked in. She immediately noticed her sullen face and the bags under her eyes.

"Couldn't sleep." Katie mumbled as she stuck on her coffee. "You want a cup?"

"I'm good thanks." Emily eyed her friend with curiosity, growing more concerned by the minute. "Is something wrong?" she finally asked.

"Oh god Em, I've made a horrible mistake." Katie covered her face with her hands then, thinking about her outburst in front of the planning committee yesterday morning.

"Katie? Tell me, what happened?"

During Katie's explanation about what happened with Catherine and her remark about Katie being bi-racial, she never once mentioned the other half of her day. Catherine was the main focus of the discussion, like she should be. Katie had already decided that Colin shouldn't be the focus of her attention when she wasn't even sure she would have a job after tonight's gala. She would worry about him later, if it was even necessary.

"I don't even want to go tonight, what if she's kicked me off of the list and I'm not allowed inside? I need this job so bad Em. I don't know what I'm going to do, what if Catherine lies about everything and makes other things up about me?"

"Stop panicking Katie, I'm sure if she does, you can tell the truth."

"But I don't think my side of the story will matter very much to anyone, Catherine's working there a long time before me. I don't think anyone would believe me. I shouldn't have reacted so harshly-"

"Oh stop it. It was bound to happen sometime. Catherine sounds like a major bitch and nothing justifies what she called you, that was completely unnecessary and uncalled for."

"I- I don't know." Katie continued to worry despite talking to her friend.

Anxiety only deepened within Katie throughout the day and the time she spent getting ready. She really did not want to go anymore. As she did her hair and her makeup, she was thinking about all the excuses she might use in order to get out of going tonight, but she knew if her job was still there, she was needed to help out.

Katie put on her dress, then her shoes and got her things ready. Emily hugged her on her way out the door and told her everything would be okay, whatever happened that night. She took a deep breath and nodded at her friend before leaving to catch her taxi.

In the cab on the way there though, Katie began to become curious. Colin was on her mind again and quickly, she took her phone from her clutch to search something. Being as nosey as she was, Katie wanted to find out what Colin's actual type was. She thought back to when she had her interview with Colin and how Emily mentioned afterward the name of his ex-girlfriend- Dahlia Stephens- the name suddenly came back to her.