Running From Forever (13 page)

“Oh, uh…yes. Yes, we should be going,” Miles
agreed, adjusting his jacket and fixing his bowtie like he was
trying to put himself back together. He was just as discombobulated
as I was…weak, exposed, and vulnerable.

Miles held out his arm, escorting me to the
door. I wrapped my arm with his, letting him lead.

“Have fun!” Maddy called exuberantly, waving us
down the hall.

I grinned over my shoulder. “Thanks! You too,” I
told her, remembering she had a date tonight, too.

As soon as we stepped outside, we were greeted
by a sleek, black stretch limousine with the driver holding open
the door outside of it. I felt important; classy. Although I was
doing everything in my power to stand tall and unaffected, my
anxiety was through the roof as we approached. I wasn’t that girl
from Nevada anymore or even the crazed out sorority girl from
Cortland. No, I was a professional, high class, charity event
attendee aside one of the wealthiest, most prosperous men in New
York City. I was going to be stared at, judged, and expected to
blend in among the high powers of Manhattan. I could do it. I
dreamt of being that person, but the knot in my stomach told me
otherwise. There was no denying the sinking feeling in my stomach.
What the hell was I thinking? Could I really pull this off? Could I
really stand among this level of living?

I guess I was going to find out.

Soon.

The ride there was short and quiet with no
words exchanged. Miles rubbed my leg methodically while I stared at
the city lights outside the window, incapable of speaking. My
nerves were too out of control for small talk, but Miles didn’t
seem to mind. For some reason, I got the distinct feeling that he
was nervous, too. He’d always been calm, cool, and collected, but
not right then; that wasn’t the man sitting next to me. This Miles
was tense, quiet, and seemed to be breathing irregularly. It wasn’t
crazily obvious, but enough for me to take notice. I smiled. It
didn’t worry me, instead it was amusing; a nice change. Miles
was
human after all. Things worried him and made him anxious
just like the rest of us commoners. It was comforting to know that
even executives felt the pressure and rise of fame at times.

It wasn’t until our limo came to a stop that my
eyes practically jumped from their sockets. We were parked outside
of the iconic Gotham Hall, the same place where the BMG Grammy
after party was held and where Sports Illustrated launched their
2003 swimsuit issue. I was about to walk the same entrance hundreds
of celebrities had before. I wished I could call Leah or even pull
my cell phone from my clutch to take pictures, but I knew that
would be too much—nobody needed to see the girl from Nevada. I had
to keep my cool, be calm and poised. Superior. Mesh with the high
profile man beside me.

“Ready?” Miles squeezed my hand, grinning, his
eyes lit with a mix of nerves and excitement, as the door beside
him opened.

Taking a deep breath first, I nodded my head and
smiled. “Uh huh,” I answered.

He looked me over, eyes skimming my face before
leaning forward and kissing my forehead. It was all I needed to
calm my anxiety. His unspoken assurance and emotion was enough to
ground me, preparing me for the evening ahead. But I soon found out
how unprepared I actually was; the shock that I had when I stepped
outside the limousine into an aisle of photographers and a red
carpet leading to the Gotham Hall entrance was unprecedented. It
was straight out of the movies; an honest to goodness red carpet
event complete with camera flashes and people hollering from every
angle you looked. I wasn’t expecting that. Not in the slightest. I
was frozen with one foot sticking out of the car.

***

“It’s okay, baby.”
Miles leaned forward, whispering into my ear and kissing my cheek.
“Pretend they aren’t even there,” he said, gently tugging at my
hand, prompting me to stand.

I felt like I was going from zero to one hundred
within seconds; it’s like I went from white trash Vegas girl to
college floozy to famous girlfriend overnight. It was all I had
ever wanted, but in a blink of an eye. I was freaking out, my heart
was beating out of my chest, my breathing was rapid, and my stomach
was so uneasy I felt like I could hurl at any moment, but I had to
brush it aside. I had to act unaffected; I had to stand tall with a
radiant smile. Miles invited me tonight, thinking that I was
important enough to handle this. He respected me enough to invite
me to hang with the
big
people. Miles had faith in me. I
needed to, too.

So I did as he said—I pictured an empty walkway
with no one around us, just Miles and I walking into a building
dressed in normal, casual attire. I stood tall and smiled brightly
like I would walking down the sidewalks of Manhattan, confidently
holding the arm of my boyfriend. Miles did the same, not answering
any of the zillion questions being thrown at him from every
direction. He just smiled, waved a few times, and said hello to a
few people I’m assuming he knew. Before I knew it, we were inside
the doors, away from the craziness outside, and I was able to
breathe again.

Immediately people were greeting Miles, shaking
his hand, seeming genuinely happy to see him. Miles made sure to
introduce me to them all, labeling me as his lovely date, Ms.
Reynolds. A small ping bruised my chest, given only the date label
instead of girlfriend, but I couldn’t let it bother me—we’d only
known each other five days, after all. He spoke with sincerity and
still had the sparkle in his eyes when he said it. I didn’t need
the label. Anyone could see the emotional attachment we shared. I
could feel it. I’m sure that others could, too.

With each person Miles spoke to we inched closer
and closer to the main event area. I had to hand it to the event
coordinator—the space was beautifully decorated, everything
sparkling white, silver, and crystal. There were what seemed to be
hundreds of tables dressed up throughout the room with a band and
dance floor at the front of it. I spotted Connie after a few
minutes, talking to a different group of people, mingling just as
Miles was. I got a head to toe glance, but nothing more. Not that I
was expecting it. It was apparent by her closed off body language
that she didn’t want me there and didn’t particularly want any
contact with me, but thankfully she didn’t broadcast it; at least
not to my face or within earshot.

“If I could have everyone take their seats,
we’re going to get things started.” An older man stood on the stage
in front of the band, speaking through the microphone. He looked
like the stereotypical very wealthy older man. He was wearing an
exquisitely tailored tuxedo and a friendly smile, his salt and
pepper hair neatly styled back and his eyes so blue that I could
see them from a distance. He was very handsome—an eye-catcher back
in the day, I’m sure.

Miles ended his conversation with someone (I
lost track of names five or six ago), placed his hand on my lower
back, and escorted us to a table towards the front with none other
than Connie already sitting at. Again, it came as no surprise. She
and Miles are both CEOs of ETV, of course they would be seated
together. I had hoped deep down that they wouldn’t be.

As soon as we came into view, an older woman,
very elegantly dressed with a wavy silver bob, stood from the
table, a loving smile carrying from one side of her face to the
other. Miles chuckled to himself, seeing her dart towards us. As
soon as she came into hearing distance, he raised his free hand in
her direction.

“Sweetheart,” he started, making my heart
flutter once again, “this beautiful woman is my mother, Josephine
Blackwell.”

My stomach sank. Meeting his parents was not on
the list of todos tonight. I’m not sure why, but it wasn’t
something that even entered my mind. Although, I guess I shouldn’t
be surprised. Of course they would be at an event held by their
children’s company.

I reached my hand out as I told her what a
pleasure it was meeting her, but she bypassed it, pulling me into a
warm, friendly hug instead. The elated feeling filling my chest was
smeared across my face. It’s always nice being accepted by the
parents; it’s step one with entering a successful relationship. At
least that’s what I’d been told.

“As soon as I heard Miles was bringing a date, I
was filled with joy and so anxious to meet you!” she gushed after
pulling back from our hug.

Miles chuckled again beside me, amused by his
mother.

“Such a pleasure to meet you, Kayla. And so
beautiful—I can see why you caught my son’s eye.”

My cheeks warmed at her compliment; she had the
same effect on me as her son. “Thank you. The pleasure is all mine,
though,” I said, smiling wholeheartedly.

She started to say something else but Miles
interrupted, reminding us that we should take our seats as everyone
around us already had. She smiled once more, glancing back and
forth between us both before returning to her seat beside Connie.
Miles and I took two of the three other empty seats. I wondered who
the empty chair beside his mother belonged to, but then, after
getting a closer look at the man behind the microphone, I knew it
was his, and also knew why I found him such an attractive older
man—he was an older version of Miles.

Miles’ hand found my leg below the table as his
father began to speak again, calming any ounce of anxiety left
humming throughout my body.

“On behalf of the Blackwell family, I would like
to thank you all for attending our annual Love With Words event.
This is a foundation very dear to our hearts and are proud of the
organization it has become…”

My eyes carried across the table to Connie’s.
Something filled them that I had yet to see; something I never
thought ever could…emotion. Connie’s eyes were glossy. She stared
at Mr. Blackwell with a heartfelt smile as he spoke about the Love
With Words Foundation, a non-profit organization that seeks help
and provides support for abused women and children. I was intrigued
to say the least. It seemed her father’s words affected her to no
end, and I wanted to know more. I needed to know why.

Miles interrupted my thought process, leaning
towards me and nuzzling my cheek with his nose before gently
kissing it. His affection tonight was warming, making those now
noticeable butterflies relentless. He’d transitioned from the stiff
businessman that he was in the office, and even in the lobby, to
affectionate and loving boyfriend. I loved it. I couldn’t get
enough. With every touch and gesture, my heart grew even more. I
was getting dangerously attached; more so than I had ever allowed
one person to make me. Not even with Trevor did I feel like this,
especially after such a short period of time. Miles was sweeping me
up, changing everything about me. I wasn’t the person I once was
nor the person I came to the city to become. I was more than that.
I was living the dream…a fairytale.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look
tonight?” he whispered in my ear, his heated breath caressing it,
sending warmth throughout my body.

I nestled further into him, making my back touch
his chest. We were both facing forward, but with no knowledge of
what was being said. We were in a bubble containing only the two of
us.

“I believe you may have mentioned it,” I
whispered back softly.

Although I couldn’t see it, I could feel his
grin pressed against my cheek.

“The most stunning in the room,” he said as his
lips found my ear again, this time skimming it slightly, making my
body quake.

Between his breath, his closeness, and his skin
touching mine, I was unraveling; he was turning me on in the middle
of a room filled with significant individuals, ranging from
administrative to celebrity status.