Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 42

A week later, an uneasy Peter took a poised Ella to that award event. He was wearing the appropriate clothes for the event, like Ella, but she wore her elegant dress with panache, unlike him. He was delighted that she was with him, but he just hoped he wouldn't embarrass her.

It was obvious to Ella that Peter was really, really nervous. She whispered, "Just enjoy it, Peter." She took his hand, squeezed his hand and it earned her a nervous smile. "They are people like us." He snorted at that statement. Ella's smile grew. "Honestly, they are normal people. They are people like us!" She looked around, she recognised some of the people around them, although she didn't know them that well.

"Like you, maybe." Peter mumbled beneath his breath. He looked around and saw the people around, and that just confirmed his opinion. They knew how to dress for this type of event. He barely knew how to put on a tux! He looked across at Ella, and again, his brain scrambled. She was stunning, and he couldn't believe he was here, with her. "Thank you for doing this." He said shyly.

She said with a smile, "It is my pleasure. And you look amazing in that tux."

He beamed at that compliment, albeit nervously. He'd seen Ella from afar for two years. Had heard many of the rumours about her behaviour, her manners, the way she cuts guys down to size, usually bluntly. But he'd never spoken with her until last week, when she turned up at the milking shed. He was about to start hosing the shed, when Ben, Amelia and Ella appeared at the gate, while the cows made their way out at the back of shed. He thought Ben was just showing the girls his shed, probably a tour around his farm. Peter was even more surprised when Ben introduced Ella and told him that Ella was here to speak to him. Him? Can't be him, he thought. He was absolutely amazed; a dream he decided as Ella and Ben continued to talk about the awards event as if it was normal. The rest of that meeting, in the milk shed with someone wearing shoes with a three-inch-heels, while the cows left the shed, was surreal. And Peter nearly fell over a bucket when Ben told him that Ella would like to go to the award-ceremony, with him. His eyes were on stalks when she confirmed she was available for the awards reception.

Five minutes later, he realised he had agreed to take Ella to the event: a woman he barely knew and he needed a tux by next week!

"This isn't even my tux." Peter owned up. He tugged at his suit cuffs and rolled his shoulders. He was trembling under that tux.

Ella could feel his anxiety ratcheted up, so she kept holding his hand, "Maybe, but you look great." Ella smiled gently. Bolstering his confidence, she looked around and turned around to face him and added, "Probably the only guy here who can look good in a tux without working out for years or going on a fast-diet." That made Peter's smile grow.

She was nice, despite her reputation, Peter thought: She was really kind and witty. A question escaped, "Why did you agree? I mean, why do this?" He asked as they waited in the line to hand over their coats to the cloakroom attendant.

"I didn't fancy staying in just to wash my hair and nothing on the television for tonight." She grinned to soften her words, "In any case, when I met you at the shed, I thought you looked like a nice guy," She added, "and you didn't gushed."

"That's because I was stumped!" Peter laughed, and his laugh drew attention to them. Silently Peter acknowledged Ella was trying to allay his nervousness.

"Whatever! Actually, Ben said you were a great guy! And you are!" Ella smiled. Peter was droll and decent, a good combination, she thought. If he just relaxed a bit he'd have women fawning all over him. It was all about self-confidence, Ella supposed. It made David, Jack and Ben the alphas in this town. She nearly groaned. Not again. She had promised herself, earlier, that she would stop thinking about David. She forced herself to remember that she was on a date with great man. "In any case I haven't been to an award-dinner-thing in town!"