Catching The Eye Of My CEO

My Very First Gala

We pulled up to a red carpet display, surrounded by paparazzi and fans. The sounds of various screams filling my ears had me tense. Roman grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze, smiling at me reassuringly.

The valet opened the door and I took a deep breathe in before stepping out. I could hear entertainment reporters nearby, narrating as the elites stepped out of limousines for the fans watching at home. Once Roman stepped out behind me the crowd that had gathered went ballistic.

I attempted to maintain a stoic and emotionless face as the reporters yelled excitedly into their cameras, claiming me to be a mystery lover to the famed CEO. Roman held his arm out and smiled down at me and I grasped it for dear life, feeling if I let go, I would float away. I could see Roman snicker in my peripheral vision and stuck my tongue out of the side of my mouth sneakily so no one would notice.

We entered the grand hall, adorned with flowers and jewels. There was a huge buffett table with various snacks and cakes. In the center was a tower or champagne glasses and Roman grabbed us both one. I sipped from the glass, hoping a little booze would calm my nerves.

"I swear if I didn't love my job, I would quit right now," I whispered at him.

"Oh so you love working for me?" he smirked, "what is it you love so much?"

"The makeup," I said quickly, not missing a beat.

"Are you sure it isn't the one who runs the makeup company?" he grinned down at me.

"Why you little ass-" I was cut short by seeing people approach us and put on a small smile.

"You will have to finish that sentence for me later," he whispered with a wink and straightened himself at the oncoming people. I recognized a few famous faces, the actor and philanthropist, John Eller, the best actress in any romantic movie ever, Whitney Cummings and the crime novelist, Joseph Fitzpatrick.

"So good to see you Roman, and might I ask, who is this enchanting thing?" Joseph asked tipping his glass towards me.

"Let me introduce you all, this is Ruby Connor, my lovely gem," Roman said, careful with his word choice.

Joseph bent down to kiss my hand graciously, "what an honor Ruby."

"Yes, quite, it is very unlike Roman to bring a woman to these kinds of things, let alone a doll such as yourself," Whitney said with a kind smile.

"Thank you all, it is a pleasure to meet you," I said with a smile and stomped on Roman's foot. He maintained his composure as if I hadn't done a thing.

While we chatted and made small talk before the ceremony began, a group of women were watching from the bar. Models of different companies flocked together like a murder of crows, eye balling the newcomer.

"Ummm, is that Roman Song?" asked a brunette model.

"I thought he wasn't coming to this event?" asked a model with caramel colored hair.

"Bianca, did he seriously brush you off for her?" sneered an African girl.

Bianca crushed her glass of lemon water in her hand, causing a scene. She glared at the couple with her chocolate colored eye, grimacing at the sight. She used a napkin to clean off her hand and snapped at a member of the staff to clean up the mess she had made.

"Come on ladies, let's go make someone cry tonight," she walked towards the couple, her bright pink Gucci shoes, clinking on the floor with every step.

"Hi Romey, so surprised to see you here!" Bianca squeeled, making Roman and I turn our heads after the other three members of our little party stepped away.

Roman's face fell flat and emotionless, "Bianca, London, Yasmine. Lovely to see you ladies at the event tonight."

"Of course, we wouldn't miss it for the world! And who is this?" Bianca Des Moines eyed me up and down, attempting to intimidate me.

"This is Ruby Connor, my lovely gem this evening," he introduced me the same way to the models as he did the other three people we were just talking with.

Bianca clapped her hands together loudly, "well aren't you....something."

The other two models snickered at my direction as Bianca continued, "who are you wearing tonight?"

Roman attempted to interject but I held my hand out to stop him, "Michael Kors," I said with a smile.

"How darling, it must be so nice with someone of your...background to wear something so fancy," she said mockingly.

"Bianca that is enough-" Roman began to say but I cut him off with an unladylike snort.

"What is this? A two bit remake of Mean Girls? Let me be blunt with you, fakeness may get you somewhere in the modeling world, but in the real world, it gets you nowhere. Now if you will excuse us, we have a charity to donate to. Ta-Ta girls," I said with a smirk as I grabbed Roman's hand to lead him away.

"You are a wonder Ruby Connor," Roman breathed with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah pretty boy, let's get this over with already," I winked back at the women, watching Bianca Des Moines face get red with anger.

The rest of the evening continued without a hitch. We presented the giant check in the formal setting and Romam jad a speech prepared for the event. I handed the real check to the founder of the organization after the formal presentation and Roman walked me to the limosuine.

Roman loosened the next few buttons from his shirt and breathed in relief. I took off my heels and rubbed my sore feet, after mingling with other elite people and standing the whole time, my dogs were barking.

Roman smiled at me, "you were far more entertaining than what I would have expected."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked him with a sharp look.

He chuckled and grabbed my feet, placing them in his lap to rub. Normally, I would find this situation unprofessional, but my God, he was doing wonders! He rubbed small, slow circles into the balls of my feet and I stiffened a moan by biting my bottom lip.

"I mean, that you handled yourself like a true lady tonight, and shattered my expectations," he smiled at me.

"Why thank you Roman, I truly appreciate the compliment," I said as I relaxed into the seat. We headed back to the office to change into normal clothes. I hug up my dress and his suit for the designers to collect on Monday. Roman came out of his office wearing his white button up and black dress pants. He strode over to me and leaned against my desk to look at me eye level.

"Would you care to grab dinner with me?" he said boldly.

I almost choked, "you mean as a date!?"

He snickered at me, "as a thank you for going to that event with me."

I blushed in embarrassment, "oh....well I am starving."

"Excellent, I know the perfect place," he held his hand out to me and I paused for a second before grabbing it. He led us down the elevator to the garage of the building and towards his executive parking space. He clicked a button on the keys in his pocket and an engine started. I looked ahead of him to see a blacked out Range Rover. Roman held the door open for me before helping me in and going to the other side to get in himself.

"I never pegged you as a Range Rover kind of guy," I said as I buckled my seat belt.

"Oh? and what did you think I would drive?" he smirked

"Something expensive like Maserati, Lamborghini, Mercedes," I said with a smile.

"Sorry to disappoint," he laughed. I like his laugh. "If you could drive any car in the world, what would it be?"

"A Ford Mustang Boss 429, in electric blue with two 12 inch SUVs in the back," I said very quickly.

"Wow, you must be a car girl," he breathed with a smile.

"Just a little, my grandfather had one a long time ago and so I would get it mainly for him. I would take him cruising and to dirt tracks in it, just to see him smile," I smiled at the thought.

Roman frowned slightly, "I never was close to anyone in my family except my mother."

"Oh...I'm sorry, I didnt mean to upset you," I said shuffling my feet.

"No not at all, I like hearing stories about happy families," he said trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't know if I would say I had a happy family," I laughed, "but when you don't have a lot, family is the only thing you know for certain that you do have."

Roman stared at me for a moment before a car horn honked from behind us, knocking him out of his daze. We arrived at a fancy looking restaurant that I normally wouldn't go into, I could never afford it. He parked the car and held the door open for me as I stepped down and walked towards the entrance together. I noticed he continued to hold my hand as he talked with the hostess and we walked to our table.

I looked at the menu she handed us and nearly choked at the prices. I knew this place was ritzy but damn! For these prices, Jesus Christ better be back there on the line. Roman must have noticed amd he cleared his throat, making me look up at him.

"Get whatever you want, it's on me. Consider it a thank you gift for going with me to the charity function."

"Dont tell me that Roman, I'm not what you would call a salad kinda girl," I said in warning.

"I didnt think you were for a moment," he smiled.

Roman ordered a bottle of wine for us both and the waiter asked us what we wanted for our entree.

"Filet Mignon rare with garlic butter amd side salad with house dressing," we said at the same time. We looked at each other in shock as the waiter wrote down our order and mosied off somewhere.

"That was....unexpected," I said taking a sip of the red wine he chose.

"I suppose myself and you are alike in more ways than we think," he stated.

"Doubtful, if I wasnt out with you right now, I would be in the largest sweatpants and hoodie I owned, with a buffet of takeout on my coffee table and watching an old sitcom," I laughed.

"Same," he said with a smile.

"Really?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

"Yes, sometimes I will ask my mother to cook Cantonese for me but it's rare she will do it. Everything else is spot on," he said matter of factly.

"Ok, if you say you watch Golden Girls, I will officially be creeped out," I said sipping my wine again.

"Prepare to be creeped out," he said as my mouth fell open. "I particularly like Dorothy myself."

"I'm a total Sophia, I want to be just like her when I'm that age," I laughed. "You wanna get this to go and do just that?"

I realized what I said too late. His normally balanced composure was shattered and he held his mouth open in shock, just for a moment before it was replaced with a grin I'd never seen him make before. "Deal."

Roman motioned the waiter over to ask for their dinner to be packed up and the bottle wrapped and paid for everything. I sat there, overthinking in my head what I just did. I literally went from a nice evening out to let's go back to someones place and didn't realize I'd even done it!

"So, your place or mine?" Roman smiled as he placed his card back in his wallet.

"M-mine is close by," I stumbled out. 'At least I will be more comfortable at my place'

The waiter brought our bag to us and we walked back towards Roman's car. Roman opened the door for me again and I hopped in, buckling my seatbelt. Roman placed the bag in the back seat and hopped behind the wheel. I gave him directions to my apartment and he parked his car into the garage.

We walked towards the elevator to the fifth floor where I lived and I unlocked the door. He was about to be so unimpressed, I bet he lives in some huge manor or something. My apartment wasnt dingy or anything but it wasn't super fancy either.

Roman looked around and smiled, "I love your apartment. It is a lot cleaner than what I had imagined it would be."

"You love it? Really? I thought you would think it was cramped or- hey, what do you mean by it's cleaner than what you imagined!?" I snapped at him.

He laughed, I will never get used to that sound. "I just assumed there would be clothes and makeup everywhere, you work late a lot, I would have assumed you wouldn't have found time to clean."

I blushed, thanking the good Lord above I cleaned last night. "I make time. I may have come from dirt roads but I don't like dirt in the house."

He laughed again and placed the bag on my coffee table in front of the flat screen television. He proceeded to take his jacket off and unbutton a few more buttons from his shirt, letting his muscular chest show. Insert drool here.

"Would you like more comfortable clothes? I should have some sweats and a few big shirts that might fit you," I asked.

"That would be lovely, thank you Ruby," he smiled as he began looking around for the TV remote.

I went into my bedroom and threw on some skinny sweats and a large hoodie. I grabbed a pair of my largest sweat pants and a West Virginia University shirt I use to sleep in and handed them to him. I showed him where the bathroom was and went to grab plates and silverware as he changed.

"Perfect fit, Ruby," he came out of my bathroom and hot damn. They fit his body so perfectly. I could see every line through the shirt and the pants were the perfect amount of baggy on him. If this were an anime, I'd have a nosebleed.

I took his fancy clothes and hung them up in my laundry room so they wouldn't get wrinkled. I heard a meow at my fire escape window and some scratching.

"Oh! my little friend!" I smiled as I reached into a cabinet for a can of cat food. I opened it for him and opened the window so he could come in. I placed the can on the ground and pet him as he purred.

"You have a cat?" Roman asked.

"Nah, I didnt want to pay extra on the lease but I think he's an upstairs neighbors. He comes down here every night for some cheap cat food," I laughed and leaned towards Roman to whisper jokingly, "I don't think his owner gives him the goods so I sneak him some. Don't rat us out."

Roman chuckled, "I wouldn't dream of it. He is a handsome boy isn't he." Roman bent down to pet the cat and he pushed his soft head into Roman's hand, purring.

"Do you like cats?" I asked him.

"And dogs, my mother has an older cat like this and when I was a boy I used to have a dog," he smiled at the memory. "Did you have any pets growing up?"

"I did but....they weren't what you would call normal pets," I looked away, rubbing the back of my head.

"Oh?" he questioned as he went to sit on my couch.

I sat next to him, smiling fondly at the memories of my wild childhood, "I had wild rabbits and birds I would find hurt and nurse back to health. I had a couple of timber wolves at one point, but my favorite was my fox. She just showed up one day and never left. I used to carry the poor thing around like a baby but she loved every minute of it."

"It sounds like you had a fun childhood," he smiled at me.

"Yeah, I did," we sat in silence for a few moments before I heard my stomach growl.

"Let's eat too, before it gets cold," he smiled at me as he turned the TV on to Seinfeld for us to watch as we ate.