Playing With the Rich Boys | ✓

Chapter Twenty-Two - The Night of the Gala

Chapter Twenty-Two – The Night of the Gala

The big night had finally arrived. Holden was coming around at six to pick me up. My mum helped zip the back of my dress.

"This is such a beautiful dress. Where did you get it from?" She said, spinning me around to face her so she could look at me.

"Oh, a friend gave it to me," I replied vaguely, hoping she wouldn't pry further. She did.

"Which friend?"

"Uh, well, his name's Parker," I answered honestly – stupidly. Telling her Elaine had bought it for me would have raised fewer questions.

"Is this that boy you've been seeing?"

"What? Who told you that?"

"Well, a boy like that does raise a lot of attention. So, is it?"

"No," I answered. She continued looking at me expectantly. "Parker is Holden's friend. Holden is...the guy I've been seeing." Verbalising it sounded weird. Calling him my boyfriend sounded even weirder in my head.

Now that I'd finally roped my mum into the lie, it was going to be difficult letting her know in a few days that it was all over.

Even worse, how would I explain a random guy getting me a dress? Also telling her I'd previously loaned him a thousand dollars would have earnt me an earful. She continued looking at me expectantly.

Luckily, it was a quarter to six and my phone pinged with a text message.

H: Sorry. Something's come up so I'll get there later. Samuel will still come by to pick you up in a few minutes

My heart sank as I read the message. I'd be turning up alone in a crowd of people I mostly didn't know. Perfect. So I replied to his message.

D: ok cool

A few minutes later there were two even knocks at the door. I knew it had to be Samuel. He always seemed so serious, so it was only right that those knocks had belonged to him.

"Have fun tonight," my mum smiled. "Look after yourself though, okay?"

"Yes mum, I will."

"We'll talk more when you get home."

Perfect.

--

Samuel pulled into the porte-cochere of the mansion and opened the door for me. "Thank you," I said. I gathered up the end of my dress as I walked into the foyer. I found the sign for the gala and attempted to enter when I was stopped.

"What was your name ma'am?" The man at the door asked.

"Daisy. Daisy Sorenson," I replied. His eyes scanned the list. My breath hitched in my throat. What if my name wasn't on the list?

"And your ID?" He asked.

I fumbled in my clutch for my student ID. I dropped it and quickly bent down to pick it up before handing it to him. "Enjoy your evening," he said, pushing the door open to let me pass.

Inside, the room was brightly lit, a chandelier hanging from the centre of the ceiling. The wooden floors were patterned into a huge flower. They were so shiny I could almost see my own reflection. People mingled in small groups around the room, none of whom I recognized. There were huge pillars around the centre of the ballroom floor.

That was when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Expecting it to be Parker or Holden, relief flashed through me. But it wasn't.

"Don't look so disappointed," Logan said, taking his hand off my shoulder. "Didn't realise you were nouveau riche," he said, looking up and down at my dress.