Fated to be Mine (12 page)

Right on time, there’s a knock on my door. I smile, swiping my finger under my bottom lip to get rid of a lipstick smudge before making my way to the front. All I can hope for tonight is that I don’t fall flat on my face in these heels. It’s going to take some effort to remember to pick up the front of the dress so I don’t trip on that either. I’m not exactly what you would call ladylike if you haven’t noticed. Feminine, yes. Sophisticated, no.

When I open the door, I’m greeted to a very regal looking Michael, who is boasting a rather large smile. His eyes take me in as he twirls me around, holding my hand above my head to take in the full package.

“My God Tessa, you are stunning. No, that’s not the right word. Breathtaking. Or stunningly breathtaking. Even better.”

I flush at his compliment and push against his chest. I’m not surprised by the hardness I find beneath the shirt. A man looking the way he does knows how to take care of his body. And my guess is he puts as much detail into everything else in his life too. I like him in his suits, but he’s gorgeous in his tux. Very classy and elegant and way out of my league. At least I can appreciate him as a friend without it getting weird.

“You’re crazy but thank you. You look very stunningly breathtaking yourself.”

“Hey, I only speak the truth.” Michael’s beautiful brown eyes shine, showing me how excited he is to be here with me.

“I can’t thank you enough for offering to take me tonight. I just hope it’ll be worth your while and not too boring.”

He gives me a dimpled smile. “Boring? With you? Never. We’re going to cut a rug and rub elbows with the snobs of high society. It’s going to be fun. Besides, we wouldn’t want to disappoint the Assistant Attorney General by not showing up.”

I cringe internally when he brings up my father’s official title. I could care less about titles or material things. To me, he’s just Robert Martin, my sometimes father when it’s convenient for him. Maybe someday that will change, but for now it is what it is.

Grabbing my clutch from the counter, I turn and link my arm through Michael’s as we exit, pausing to allow me to lock up my apartment.

When we reach the sidewalk, I stop mid-stride. Not because of the chill in the evening air or the blowing of a soft breeze. It’s due to the large stretch limo that’s parked next to the curb. I turn my head to face Michael, who’s grinning from ear to ear.

“You rented a limo for tonight?” I whisper, my voice unsteady.

“I did. I figured we may as well arrive in style if we’re going to play with the big boys.”

”This is too much, Michael.”

He shakes his head and holds his arm out, gesturing me to move closer to the vehicle. “It’s nothing. Besides, what are friends for?”

The driver holds the door open for us and Michael slides in next to me on the bench seat. My leg bounces up and down nervously, but he places a hand on my knee, halting the movement.

“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

I turn my head and chew on my bottom lip. “I hope so.”

I remind myself that taking Michael is a good thing. He can meet new people in his field, talk with others and relate to their stories better than I ever could. It’s Sharon that scares me. Will she try to pull her same usual crap or make a bigger deal than necessary of the fact that I’m arriving with a date instead of Kara? My stomach twists again as we head towards downtown and the ticking clock of the evening ahead.

Hitting the button to the fourteenth floor, Michael and I stand at the back of the elevator, surrounded by several other couples dressed similarly to us. Obviously guests of my father. I highly doubt many people walk around downtown Minneapolis dressed like this or wander into hotels in the hopes of crashing a high-class event. But then again, what do I know. I sit on my couch like a lump most nights of the week.

The ballroom of the Millennium is by far one of the best venues downtown Minneapolis has to offer for an event such as this. It’s a beautifully decorated hall with floor to ceiling windows in a dome shape. The twinkling lights of the surrounding buildings shine in through the windows as a beautiful backdrop. There’s a dance area set up on one side of the room, where a small stringed quintet is playing. Behind them, there appears to be a set up for a larger band to play later in the evening.

Multiple small banquet tables occupy the back of the ballroom, each holding several stands of hors d’oeuvres. Tall standing tables and a few shorter ones, all draped in white linens and bright pink flowers in crystal vases decorate the remaining space. Small decorative trees laced with white lights are set up around the perimeter, giving the whole room an incredibly romantic feel.

I sneak a glance at Michael, who gives me a wink as we look over our surroundings.

“Your dad sure knows how to throw a party.”

I roll my eyes and he laughs. “Yes, nothing but the best for step mommy dearest,” I reply dryly.

We make our way through the room and decide to find a spot close to the windows. Michael holds a chair out for me and I graciously sit down. It’s only been a half hour since we left my apartment and my feet are already starting to hurt. And we haven’t even started dancing yet. This is the reason why I don’t wear heels very often.

When Michael takes a seat next to me, I glance down at his cuff links and notice the ivy-like pattern swirling around the white gold. It’s so similar to the embellishments on my gown that it’s almost uncanny. There’s no way Michael would have known what I was wearing.

“Hey, your cuff links match my dress.”

He glances down and smiles. “So they do. I guess I made a good choice then. Wouldn’t want to clash against such a beautiful gown.”

We both laugh until the sound of someone quietly clearing their throat behind us draws our attention.

“Tessa. I’m glad to see you made it,” my dad says, eyeing up Michael. I move to stand and Michael follows my lead. We may as well get this part of the night over with.

“Dad, this is a friend of mine, Michael Fontaine. Michael, this is my dad, Robert Martin.” The two men shake hands and Michael flashes him a smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

My dad looks him up and down again and I swear I see the makings of a smile appear on his face. My eyes bounce between the two of them, confused as to what’s not being said.

“Fontaine you say? Do you happen to work for Lyman Burns & Goldman?”

And just like that, the smile fully appears on his face, obviously thrilled that I brought a lawyer instead of Kara. He must know who Michael is, which doesn’t surprise me. My dad knows almost every single attorney in the state.

Michael’s smile never falters as he nods his head. “Why yes, I do. I’m actually a little embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve followed your career for quite some time. You’ve handled some major cases across the state and I use them often as reference points for some of my own trials.”

Again, my dad smiles, a very strange thing to see, at least for me it is. He claps Michael on the shoulder. “Thank you. It just so happens that I’m friends with Adam Burns. He’s told me about a few of your cases. In fact, he and I were just talking about you yesterday during lunch. Congratulations on settling the Stockman case early. It must have been a relief to have that one finished, and in your favor no less.”

At this point, I’ve already tuned them out as they talk shop. I look around the room at all the people donning fancy party attire, mingling with society’s finest, drinking from fluted champagne glasses and feeling generally superior to the ordinary man. Not that I can verify the last part. Just a hunch.

My dad’s laugh pulls me back to their conversation. “Yes, it’s very fortunate that you and my daughter work in the same building.” He turns his attention to me and smiles. “You look lovely tonight Tessa.”

And now a compliment from him? Did I step into the Twilight Zone when we exited the elevator? But I’m not one to squander a compliment from him.

“Thank you, Dad.”

He makes a move as if he may come over to hug me, but I see the blond bitch in red slinking up behind him. Sharon slithers her way around his body and loudly kisses him in front of us. Michael leans down to whisper in my ear.

“Who’s that?”

I turn my head to face him, our lips just inches apart. “That’s my stepmother, Sharon.”

He gives me a sympathetic look and takes hold of my hand. He must have seen my body stiffen at her arrival, feeling a sense of unease crawl into my chest. Sharon is hanging all over my dad in a possessive way, trying to exert her power over me I’m sure. It’s when she takes a good look at Michael that she starts putting on her best show.

“Tessa, you almost appear to fit in with high society tonight. But we all know it’s just for show.”

I step back and hang my head slightly. I know how out of place I feel being here and I certainly don’t need to be reminded of it by her. In a surprising move, my dad extricates himself from her hold, throwing down her arms in a non-gentle manner before stepping to the side.

“Tessa, Michael. If you’ll excuse me, please.” He glares at Sharon and turns to walk over to a group of men talking around one of the taller tables across the room. Sharon sneers at my dad’s back and then turns her attention back to us. After looking Michael up and down in apparent appreciation, she molds her collagen filled red lips into a seductive smile.

“Sharon Martin.” She holds out her hand, which is covered with diamonds and rubies. “And you are?”

Michael takes her hand, shaking it with as little contact as possible. “Michael Fontaine, a friend of Tessa’s, and her date tonight.”

He pulls me closer to his side, attempting to shield me from Sharon’s blows. The loud cackle of her laugh startles me as the fake smile she had on before falls from her face.

“Date? Please. No one ever dates Tessa. She’s more of a charity case. Always playing up the sympathy card to everyone she meets. Surely that must be why you’re here. Either that or you lost a bet.”

The anger and tension in Michael’s body are palpable as he stands there stoically, listening to the venom being spit by this snake. But he doesn’t falter, doesn’t show that she’s getting to him, which is her ultimate goal. Instead, he surprises me by sweetly smiling at her.

“If anything, I have won the lottery by being her date as she is hands down, without a doubt, the most gorgeous, electrifying woman in this room. Not one other woman holds a candle to her sheer beauty.”

Sharon steps back slightly as if he’s slapped her. To really solidify his words, Michael kisses me softly, eliciting a quiet moan from the back of my throat. When he pulls back, I’m dumbstruck. The kiss took me by surprise, stealing my breath slightly. I know it was all for show, but a small part of me is smiling when it sees the disgust on Sharon’s face.

Michael turns his attention back to Sharon, who looks like she’s about to have snakes sprouting from her head. “If you’ll excuse us, I need to go monopolize my time with this ravishing beauty.”

Michael guides us to the back of the room, getting as far away from Sharon as we can. The cool windows feel good against my heated skin as I lean briefly against them. A wave of nausea and dizziness hits me, and I pray I don’t pass out in front of everyone present. Sharon must be drunk already. She has never acted like that in front of people before. That’s usually a persona she saves for behind closed doors at her house, where she can control the situation and leave me a shrunken pile of nothing. Michael stands before me and holds his hand out to me. I take it and squeeze it with whatever strength is left in my body. He gives a slight tug and I fall into his arms, letting him comfort me.

“I can’t believe your dad puts up with someone like her. Is she always that mean to you?”

I nod my head, unwilling to pick it up off his shoulder to look him in the eye. “Yes. She hates my existence, especially when my dad buys me things or pays any kind of attention to me. Even though it’s not as often as I would like, he’s been better about reaching out to me lately. She never wanted kids and would be more than thrilled to have me disappear entirely from my dad’s life.”

Sharon’s latest stunt has my nerves fried, but I refuse to give her power over me. Not tonight. I really don’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing I let her words get to me, even though she knows they did. Michael pulls back and gently tips my chin toward him.

“Nothing she said is true. You are not a charity case, and I certainly did not lose a bet to be here with you. What I said was the absolute truth. You are the most beautiful, most stunning, most amazing woman in this room. Hell, in this city for that matter. I am lucky enough that you let me come here as your date.”

I nod my head and force a smile. “Thank you, Michael. I’m really glad you’re here with me.”

“Sorry about the kiss. I just needed to shut her up and the best way I thought of was having her see how beautiful you really are. And nothing makes a woman look more beautiful than when she’s being kissed. You’re not mad, are you?”

I shake my head and smile. “No, I’m not mad. The look on her face was pretty priceless. I didn’t think it was possible to stupefy her, but I guess you did.”