Someone Like You (10 page)

“Mr. Conrad wanted you to have a signature scent for tonight.”

“He what?” Alex shook her head and laughed.

The maid hung out her gown gently and took out her shoes and placed them on the carpeted floor. Alex shyly took off her white dress, revealing nude coloured lingerie. She took the gown and began to dress herself when the maid stepped in to help zip her dress up.

“Thank you,” Alex told her.

The maid stepped back. “You look so beautiful, Miss Forbes.”

“Alex. Call me Alex.”

“Whatever name I use, you’re still really elegant.”

Alex smiled timidly.

“Your shoes?”

“You mean torture,” Alex laughed.

Alex sat on the bed and put on the Jimmy Choo shoes Jason lent her. She stood up and breathed out heavily. “Five foot three to five foot seven,” she murmured.

The maid excused herself as Alex’s hands skimmed across seven bottles of perfume. She picked up a bottle and sniffed it and wrinkled her nose. Too strong. She picked another. Too flowery. Then she picked another and sniffed. It smelled clean and fresh, like green tea with a dash of some citrus aroma… She liked it and sprayed it on her pulse points; something Margo taught her two years ago. Then she went out of the guest room, holding her phone in one hand.

Lucas was standing across her with his back turned.

“Uhm…Luke?” she called out.

Lucas spun around and nearly felt himself blown away. Holy mother of…his heart hammered seeing her standing there, biting her lower lip, looking unsure but extraordinary. She was too stunning, seeing her all dressed up and with makeup that enhanced her features…he knew his mouth was half open.

“Alex, you look really beautiful…” his voice trailed off.

She smiled and tried to find the right words. “Thank you. Lucia and Sandra and Ellie Saab are a wonderful combination.”

He smiled and walked closer to her. Alex could smell his aftershave. She loved looking at Luke in a grey tuxedo. He looked so…dashing. Her heart beat faster than usual. She took a deep breath. Control yourself, she thought.

“You look really nice, too,” she said with as much conviction as she could. He was six feet and two inches of handsome in a tuxedo.

Lucas raised a brow. “Compliment for a compliment?”

“I mean it,” she said.

“Well, I meant mine more than yours,” he paused. “You look really, really beautiful, Alex.”

“Thank…thank you,” she stammered.

“God, I feel like I’m in high school dating my first crush or something,” he said.

“I feel like I’m in high school too, with my first pair of heels and a really nice prom dress.”

He laughed. “Ready?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“We could go to a coffee shop looking really spiffy,” he suggested satirically.

She punched his shoulder lightly. “I think this is overkill for a coffee shop, Luke,” she replied laughing.

“Wait,” he said, taking out his phone. “I’m making a memory and being cheesy. Smile!”

Without warning, he kissed her cheek lightly. Her eyes looked surprised as he snapped the photo. He laughed, looking at it.

“I look like a deer caught in headlights,” she said.

“A cute deer,” he reminded her. “I am so keeping this picture. Shall we?”

She nodded.

“By the way, did I tell you that you look really beautiful?”

“Only twice, Luke.”

“Thrice,” he corrected with a smile, holding out his arm.

* * * *

“Good evening, Mr. Conrad and Miss Forbes,” a well-dressed woman greeted them as they entered the grand ballroom of the five-star city hotel.

A sizeable, sophisticated crowd had gathered by then as it was nearing six-thirty in the evening. Flutes of champagne were freely passed around along with delightful canapés and other hors d’oeuvres. Music floated in the air with a twenty-five piece orchestra in the backdrop.

“Lucas! Hi!”

“Mr. Conrad!”

“Hello Lucas.”

It seemed a lot of people knew him and he smiled pleasantly and said his hellos as he introduced Alex. People eyed her; society certainly didn’t know who she was. Some of his male acquaintances kissed her hand by way of greeting her, much to Luke’s annoyance (which he hid rather well).

“You’re certainly the belle of the ball tonight,” a man in his mid-thirties told her as he smiled.

“Mr. Alder, this is Alexandra Forbes.”

“Pleasure to meet you. Of the Forbes-Kerry clan?”

Alex shook her head. “Of the Chen-Forbes clan,” she said with a playful grin.

“Oh,” Mr. Alder said with a confused look. He excused himself and went on his way.

Alex and Lucas burst into laughter as soon as they saw him across the room talking to another associate.

“That was the most brilliant thing I’ve heard today,” Lucas said in between laughs.

“Thank you,” Alex said trying to control her laughter as a few people looked their way.

“Champagne’s really good,” Lucas said, holding up his champagne glass towards the curious guests. “Really, it is.”

“Alex!” a voice called out.

Alex and Lucas saw Jason wearing a peach coloured tuxedo and stylish shoes. He waved as he walked towards them.

“Oh my god! Don’t you look stunning?” he twirled her around a bit.

Alex tried not to stumble in her heels. “Thanks, J.”

“Lucas, you’ve done us all a really big favour,” Jason joked. “Now if you could do me a favour, where’s your brother?”

“With Jennifer Edwards,” he responded with a laugh, holding Alex close to him.

Alex blushed, feeling his arm around her shoulder. Don’t kick yourself, he’s just holding your shoulder, she told herself. You’ll be fine. Oh god, I’m so close to him…

“Jennifer Edwards of Edwards Realtors?”

Lucas nodded. “Where’s Margo?”

“Somewhere here,” he said, lifting a glass of champagne off a waiter’s tray. “You should see her dress, it’s divine,” he told Alex.

“I will, later.”

“Anyway, I shan’t disturb you two lovebirds,” he teased as he left.

Lucas smiled. “Love birds?”

“He’s being silly,” Alex told him.

“Silly is an understatement, isn’t it?”

“Why is your brother with Ms. Edwards?” she suddenly asked.

Lucas grinned. “How else could I bring you as a date if that pesky female is around?”

“I’m just…”

“Worried? Concerned? “Lucas interrupted. “She doesn’t mean anything to me. But you-you do,” he said not looking at her. Smooth, no—really, that was fine, Luke. You said it fine. Not too cheesy. Who am I kidding? Major cheese alert. You can do this, Luke, he told himself.

Alex smiled at him.

“Don’t push it,” he warned with a laugh.

“I’m not,” she said innocently.

A waltz struck up from the orchestra and he held out his hand.

“May I have this dance?”

She smiled and took it and they both began a graceful waltz, joining the crowd.

“You dance?” he asked, surprised.

“I learned this in high school,” she said with a laugh, “Along with violin lessons.”

“No shit?”

“You like me that much?” she teased. “You’ve been cursing a lot.”

He laughed. “Is it that obvious?”

Out of the corner of Luke’s eye, he saw Jennifer Edwards glaring at them as his brother stood beside her, apparently trying to get Jennifer’s attention. He looked at Alex again and smiled, forgetting Jennifer’s irate face.

“What are you looking at?” Alex asked.

“You,” he said with a grin. “Man, do I want this moment to last…”

His heart was beating fast. He loved being so close to her he could hardly stand it. How was that even possible? He certainly didn’t want his palms to sweat—major, major turn-off. He was looking at her face, her neck (how the hell can a neck look so pretty, a neck was a neck!), the hair that shone under the lights, her eyes and her thick lashes and that shy smile he had come to love so well…

The waltz ended and he bowed pleasantly as Alex curtsied a bit. The orchestra; however, continued with another waltz and more people flocked the middle of the ball room.

“Well don’t you two make a lovely pair,” someone said bitingly.

Alex and Lucas looked up and saw Jennifer dressed in brilliant red, standing to their right.

“Good evening, Ms. Edwards,” Lucas said pleasantly, holding Alex’s hand.

“Hi,” Alex said in a soft voice. “How are you?”

“I’m fine as I’m sure you are too,” she said with her eyes narrowing.

“Hey babe,” Michael said to Jennifer, coming up to them.

“Don’t you dare call me that,” Jennifer snapped. “Did you bribe your brother into taking me to the gala so you could have fun with your plaything? Your pitiful excuse of a—”

“There’s no need for name calling,” Lucas said mildly, holding Alex’s waist. She was trembling, he felt it. “Now if you’ll excuse us, I think Alex and I need fresh air.”

“As do I,” Jennifer said.

“What are you going to do with them, Jen? They’re boring,” Michael reasoned as he followed them out into the hotel’s botanical garden.

“Shut it,” Jennifer said in a tone Lucas had never heard of before.

“Please,” Alex began, feeling bile rise up her throat, “Please don’t—”

“Don’t do what?” Jennifer hissed at them as they exited the ballroom.

“Michael?” another voice interrupted.

Michael looked up to see a woman dressed in a black, mermaid style dress with intricate beading. It was Vicky Stanton.

“Hey,” Michael said with a forced smile. “Uhm…V!”

“Don’t you V me,” she said approaching him. “Is this why you haven’t called me back after two months?” she said, eyeing Jennifer.

“I’m sorry, but you’re not part of this scenario,” Jennifer retorted.

“Michael dated me before he dated you,” Vicky said.

“Michael only dated me so Lucas could date Alex,” Jennifer said nastily.

“Alex?” What Alex?” Vicky asked, catching up to them as Alex and Lucas walked ahead. “Is that Alex? Alex Forbes?”

“You know her?” Jennifer said, stopping in her tracks.

“Know her? I despise her,” Vicky said with gritted teeth. “How do you know her?”