Make Me Yours: A BWWM Billionaire Love Story (19 page)

“
Okay,” Meaghan
agreed.

“
Can you eat in that
dress?” Dean asked.

Meaghan looked down at herself; sure her dress was
defining of her figure, hugging her all the way down to her hips
before flaring out in asymmetrical elegance still…it wasn’t
like she was wearing a corset or whatever.

“
Why couldn’t I
eat?” she ventured.

Dean shrugged and smiled, eyes on the road. “I
love that you even ask that.”

Meaghan looked at him with a quizzical smile,
waiting for an explanation. Dean shrugged again, “Samantha
wouldn’t eat like for two days if she had to attend such
functions.”

Meaghan snorted derisively but
didn’t say anything. Dean glanced at her, waiting for her to
elaborate on the sound she’d made but she just continued to
look out the window at the passing scenery. Her hair blew about her
face in curling ringlets, and there was a diamond pin in the form of
a flower pinned on one side of her hair as if it
was
a flower.

“
Where’d you get
the jewelry?” Inquiring minds wanted to know.

Meaghan turned away from the window to look at
Dean, “I rented it.”

Dean’s eyebrows quirked and he nodded. “I
should have got you some jewelry long ago,” he chided himself.

“
What? Got me jewelry
from where?” she asked genuinely puzzled.

“
Oh you know, how when
you have a boyfriend he buys you jewelry? Especially if he’s
done something wrong, you’ve had a fight, it’s the
anniversary of the day you first bumped into each other…that
kind of shit?” Dean said.

Meaghan laughed, “Really?”

“
Really,” Dean
replied. “Anyway, I’ve clearly been remiss so I’ll
get right on that.”

Meaghan laughed again shaking her head, “You’re
crazy.”

“
You’re
crazy,” Dean replied as he turned in at a restaurant. He
alighted at the entrance and took her hand. It seemed like the
restaurant was expecting them because they were led right to a table
in a secluded corner. There was already wine cooling in an ice bucket
and rolls in a basket. Meaghan picked one up as the waiter placed
menus in their hands.

“
I’ll have the
fish,” Meaghan said handing the menu to the waiter. “Fish
and potatoes with a side of greens please.”

“
I’ll have the
same,” Dean said handing his menu back as well. They studied
each other as they waited for the food not saying anything. Dean
smiled.

“
Are you nervous?”
he asked her.

“
Yes,” Meaghan
replied at once.

Dean laughed. “You’re supposed to
protest; you’re supposed to say nah, I’m fine, don’t
worry about me,” Dean had made his voice higher and said it in
a sing song voice.

“
Have you ever known me
to talk like that?” Meaghan asked looking offended.

Dean looked like he was thinking about it, “Not
that I can recall but anyway I wasn’t imitating you I was
just…”

“
Making fun of me,”
Meaghan finished for him.

“
Right,” he agreed.

“
Okay then so back to the
fact that I’m nervous, any wise words for me?” Meaghan
asked.

“
Yes. Just remember what
a great person you are and walk in there with supreme confidence. The
rest will follow.”

“
Wow. Actual wise words,”
Meaghan said wryly with an eye roll.

“
I
can
step up on occasion,” Dean said self-deprecatingly.

“
Good to know.”

Dean covered her hand with his. “Seriously
though, you have nothing to worry about. Everyone will love you.”

“
Everyone who doesn’t
already hate my guts you mean,” she qualified.

“
No, I mean everyone,”
Dean said.

“
Is your mother going to
be in attendance?” Meaghan asked and Dean had the grace to
grimace.

“
She might drop in,”
he said.

“
And Samantha?”
Meaghan asked next, though she tried to avoid saying that name if she
could.

Dean shrugged, “I have no knowledge of
Samantha’s schedule so I actually have no idea.”

“
Really? None of your
so-called friends have given you the heads up on that?” she
pressed.

“
Nope,” Dean said.

“
And you-“

“
Look. Meaghan. We can
spend our whole lives worrying about running into Samantha or
whatever, or we can just live. I vote for the latter,” Dean
interrupted.

Meaghan smiled and nodded, “You’re
probably right,”

“
I
am
right,” Dean said.

They finished their dinner and then headed to the
museum.

*****

Poppy walked into Jeffrey’s room to show him
her dress for the ball. It was a yellow confection that on someone
else might have looked too young, but on her it fit like it was made
for her. Which, of course, it was. She did a slow pirouette so
Jeffrey could see her from all angles and he smiled his delight at
her. He didn’t have to say he thought she was beautiful; she
could see it in his eyes. She took a seat on his bed and leaned into
him resting her coiffed head on his and bumping their shoulders
together.

“
I don’t know what
to do with him Jeff; he’s making this huge mistake and every
time I try to help him he pushes me further and further away,”
she said to him softly. His hand rose slowly and moved to cover hers.

“
This woman is no good
for him, why can’t he see that?” she asked him
plaintively.

“
You
can’t tell him…what to do”
the computer intoned.

Poppy sighed. “I miss the days when I
could,” she moaned and felt Jeffrey shake with laughter. “She’s
going to be there you know? Dean is bringing her with him,” she
continued quietly. He squeezed her hand.

“
Oh don’t worry, I
won’t make a scene. It just hurts my heart to have to be civil
to this gold digger person. And that’s what she is you know?”
she said sitting up and fixing Jeffrey with a glare. He looked back
at her, a wry look in his eye and quirked his brow; much like his son
was fond of doing.

“
I need a drink,”
Poppy said sitting up and ringing the bell next to the bed. Reeves
appeared not long after and she ordered a glass of champagne to be
brought to her.

“
Would you like a glass
Jeffrey?” she asked him. He smiled at her in amusement and
shook his head slightly. He was on several different medications and
they did not mix well with alcohol. Still he appreciated the thought.
Reeves brought a flute of perfectly chilled Brut for her and she
downed it before standing up and smoothing down her dress.

“
Do I look presentable?”
she asked him moving her hips from side to side so he could properly
see how lovingly the dress draped over her still shapely curves.

“
Beautiful”
the computer announced in that
robotic tone that stripped the words of their emotion. Nevertheless
Poppy could see Jeffrey’s face and that was all she needed to
understand every single emotion behind the word.

“
I’ll see you
later,” she said softly and swept out of the room. Jeffrey
followed her with his eyes and his ears until he couldn’t hear
the click clack of her heels descending the stairs anymore.

*****

They drew up at the museum, designed by Frank
Lloyd Wright with an architecturally significant spiral rotunda. The
driveway was already full of cars and the whole place was gaily lit
up. A butler looking individual was waiting at the door to take their
coats and usher them into the restaurant that was set up for the
function. Another usher was on hand to receive them and lead them to
their seats, which were definitely at the VIP table if Meaghan knew
anything about such things. A number of older white gentlemen and
ladies were sitting at the table already. Dean smiled and greeted
them by name, evidently he knew them all, and then turned to
introduce her. She took her cue from him and smiled as well, shaking
hands and acting like she was used to conversing with people wearing
millions in jewelry all the time. Dean told her a bit about every
person she was introduced to; hedge fund managers and company CEOs,
founders, owners, the odd celebrity as well. Meaghan smiled and
smiled while her stomach roiled and the fish she’d eaten sat
uneasily in it. Still she found that Dean’s advice was good and
acting like she belonged made everyone treat her like she did.

That was until the formalities were completed,
insane amounts of money had been pledged and the floor was open for
dancing…

Meaghan was in the powder room, touching up her
make up when two blonde heads appeared on either side of her. She
looked from one to the other; since she grew up on the street her
radar for trouble was in perfect working order. And this? This was
trouble.

They were staring at her in the mirror as they
touched up their lipstick, crowding her in a way that was subtle yet
uncompromising. The fat lady wiping her hands on the other side of
the room left and then there were three.

“
So you seem to have Dean
Wesson wrapped around your little finger huh,” Blonde on the
Left said.

Meaghan straightened up. “Who are you?”
she asked furrowing her brow in puzzlement like she was trying to
place her. Which she wasn’t. She knew she’d never seen
them before in her life, but also that they were some of Samantha’s
ubiquitous friends.

“
Wrong question,”
Blonde on the right said, her eyes shooting lasers at Meaghan if only
this was a star wars movie. “The question you should be asking
is ‘what is going to happen to me now?’” she
continued.

“
Oh…you're badass
now huh? What, you gonna administer a beat down on me? You all
gangsta up in here in your designer threads?” Meaghan said
derisively.

Both blondes glared. “You’re a crazy
trashy gold digger who has no right-“ Blonde on the left said
glaring at her.

“
No right? And here I
thought it was a free country,” Meaghan sneered.

“
Dean will find out who
you are sooner or later. Then he’ll drop you like the rubbish
you are,” Blonde on the right said.

“
I guess we’ll just
have to wait and see won’t we,” Meaghan said snatching up
her rented bag and sweeping elegantly out of the room. The two
blondes watch her go with identical glares on their faces.

Meaghan took a deep fortifying breath as soon as
she was out of the room and went in search of Bain. She’d
spotted him and Daniel last at the bar so that’s the direction
she went. She needed her friend right now.

She spotted Daniel first, getting drinks from one
of the bartenders and followed him back to the table where Bain was
sitting, conversing with Poppy Wesson of all people. Meaghan almost
turned away but Bain spotted her and waved her over.

“
Shit,” she
murmured and walked slowly toward them searching with her peripheral
vision to see if she could spot Dean anywhere. He’d been
waltzing with a lovely old lady with long waves of butter white hair
when she’d gone to the ladies. Shouldn’t be too hard to
spot. But she couldn’t see anyone.

“
Bain,” she said as
she walked up to the table, the strain in her voice obvious even to
her. She darted a glance at Poppy and smiled slightly. “Mrs.
Wesson,” she said.

Bain reached out a hand to her and pulled her into
the empty seat next to him as Daniel darted her a sympathetic glance
from across the table and Poppy acted like she didn’t exist.

“
I was just telling Poppy
about your wonderful project that you run in Queens helping inner
city children,” Bain said.

“
Well I don’t
exactly run it; I just work there,” Meaghan qualified.

“
She’s so modest,”
Bain cut in even before she’d finished the sentence. “So
selfless and loving. The kids love her,” he continued and
Meaghan felt her face heat up. Whatever Bain thought he was doing,
she appreciated it but she wished he would stop.

Meaghan cleared her throat and looked
significantly at him but he ignored her.

“
The whole thing is ran
by Dr. Conrad Shelley; you’ve heard of him right?” Bain
said to Poppy who was trying her best to look forbidding yet polite
at the same time. Meaghan was fascinated to see that she was pulling
it off quite nicely.

“
Conrad Shelley?”
she repeated suddenly coming to life.

“
Yes, you know him
right?” Bain said radiating satisfaction.

“
He is a doctor of good
repute,” she conceded.

“
Adores
Meaghan,”
Bain said, drawing out the first word as he placed his hand on
Poppy’s arm rather familiarly Meaghan thought. Considering how
much he and Dean did not get along, she didn’t imagine he’d
had the chance to get that close to Poppy.

“
Bainbury,” Poppy
said and there was warning in her tone that he might just be going
too far.

“
Oh come on Poppy, bend a
little,” Bain said and Meaghan’s heart almost stopped.
What was he doing?

“
I should get back to my
table. Please remind your mother about tea on Saturday,” Poppy
said standing up.