“No. It needs to be pressed, but put it on for a minute. I have an idea.”
Wrapping myself in the large black shirt, I laughed as I buttoned it up. It was actually long enough to wear as a dress but it was way too baggy.
Rush grabbed a thick, red patent belt that was hanging in my closet and placed it around my waist. He pushed up some of the material above the belt then rolled up my sleeves halfway and adjusted the collar.
I stood there speechless as he walked over to my jewelry box and grabbed a strand of pearls that had belonged to my father’s mother. He lifted my hair up and fastened it around my neck.
He then led me over to the mirror that was affixed to the wall.
Rush placed his hands on my shoulders from behind. “What do you think?”
The ensemble actually looked really good. I couldn’t believe he’d pulled this off—that this shirt could actually pass off as a dress and look stylish at that.
“I love it. It’s perfect. And it doesn’t make me feel fat at all. I would have never taken you for a fashionista.”
“I’m not. I’m just good at thinking on my feet during times of crisis.” He pointed to my shoes that were lined up on the closet floor. “Those red heels I love would go perfect with it, too.”
Flipping around, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “You’re like my hero tonight, you know that? I owe you big time later.”
“I’m sure I’m gonna love taking this off even more than I loved putting it on.”Rush was strumming his fingers along the steering wheel during the car ride to the City. He definitely seemed tense, and that was understandable.
I placed my hand on his knee. “Are you sure you want to do this? We don’t have to go. We could just go out to eat somewhere else.”
“I told my brother’s wife I would show up. She’s been begging me for weeks. She’s delusional, because she thinks that somehow my relationship with him can be repaired. I’m only doing this for her. She’s always been nice to me. But honestly, a part of me wants to show up just to put a damper on his birthday because he’s such a dick. So, there’s that.”
“We don’t have to stay long if it’s going to upset you to be around them.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m a big boy. I deal with them all of the time in business meetings. A couple of hours at a party isn’t gonna kill me.”
The fact that he wasn’t smoking anymore wasn’t lost on me.
“I want you to know that I am so proud of you for not lighting up right now, because I know you really want to. You would normally be smoking one after the other in a situation like this.”
“Yeah. Let’s not even mention cigarettes, okay?”
I cringed. “Sorry.”
He glanced over at me. “Got any other ideas to relieve stress while I’m driving?”
“I would totally go down on you right now, you know. Don’t tempt me.”
“Nah. I won’t let you take your seatbelt off, not with my precious cargo. I might let you give me head in the bathroom at my brother’s house, though.”
“Anything to make you feel better.”
He cocked a brow. “You’ll do anything, huh?”
“Pretty much.”
“That’s one of the things I love about you, beautiful.”
Once in Manhattan, we parked near Rush’s brother’s place then walked a few blocks to the luxury building.
A doorman checked our names on a list and brought us to a private elevator that led right up to the penthouse suite.
As soon as the doors opened a wave of heat hit me as we entered the crowded room. Waiters passed around trays of hors d’oeuvres and champagne. The city lights lit up the space through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. Someone was playing a grand piano at one end of the living room.
So many people were talking over each other, and that made everything sound muffled. I really wished I could have had a drink. Meeting new people always made me a bit nervous, but especially in this case, given the tension between Rush and his father and brother.
Rush went to fetch me a glass of water. He returned with one and a flute of champagne for himself.
The beautiful blonde woman I remembered from The Heights walked toward us with a big smile on her face. “Rush! I’m so glad you could make it.”
She was wearing a long, black gown that seemed way too formal for a birthday party, even one as ritzy as this.
“Good to see you, Lauren,” he said.
She turned to me. “Gia, right ? Nice to see you again.” She flashed her pearly whites before giving me a quick once over. I wondered if she figured out that I was wearing Rush’s shirt.