Chapter7:First Public Appearance
602 Words
The lights felt like tiny suns aimed at her face.
Ava adjusted the neckline of her dress for the tenth time in the lobby mirror. The gala space buzzed with the usual blend of champagne flutes, camera shutters, and forced smiles. But tonight, she wasn’t just a secretary. She was Mrs. Blackstone. Fake?yes. But under the cameras, real enough to count.
Her stomach pitched. Her reflection didn’t look like her anymore. Hair sleek, makeup sharp, posture rehearsed. She wondered if she recognized this polished version of herself.
A sharp tap on her shoulder brought her out of her spiraling thoughts.
“Ready?” Damien’s voice was quiet, close. The masked version of him stood tall tailored suit, perfect cufflinks, his eyes calm.
She nodded, though her lungs felt too small.
He offered his arm with practiced ease. She slid into it.
Together, they stepped into the ballroom.
Inside, a sea of eyes. Colleagues, investors, cameras. Many greeted them with applause and congratulations whispers about the merger, speculation about the couple. Some looked at Damien with appraisal, others studied Ava like a curiosity.
He guided her across the room, keeping a protective presence at her side.
At one point, someone from Sterling a stern-faced board member approached.
“Damien, Ava. This is quite… impressive.” Her tone was polite, but her eyes assessed.
Ava forced a smooth smile. “Thank you.”
Damien held the ice. “We’re committed.”
Behind the slightly hollow words, Ava sensed something different. Conviction. Maybe not real love, but something firmer than contract terms.
They made their way to a photo wall. Cameras flashed. Polished. Glamor. Fake perfect.
Damien tilted her chin slightly, flashing her a calm gaze. “Good.”
She didn’t want to breathe. But she did.
Once they were through the formalities, they found a quieter corner near a water feature. Gentle trickle and soft lighting. Not a crowd, but still a stage.
She dared to ask, voice low: “You okay?”
He leaned back against the stone wall, took in a breath. “Wasn’t sure I would be.”
She studied him: steady jaw, resolute mouth.
“But I am,” he said. “Because you’re here.”
She teared up a fraction, confusion and warmth flooding her vision.
He cleared his throat. “Look, I know this is stunt-level. But… I meant what I said. I don’t want it to stay that way.”
She swallowed. “Me neither.”
Words they shouldn’t say in public but here, unguarded, under murmured music and soft shine, they almost could.
They returned to the center, mingling again smiles on stage, whispers underneath.
Later, as they exited, someone grabbed her arm. A junior coworker, beaming.
“Mrs. Blackstone, I’m..”
“Call me Ava,” she interjected softly, surprising herself.
The girl’s eyes lit up. “Ava. You and Damien made a great impact tonight.”
Ava nodded, pride and panic dancing in her chest. She wanted to mean it. We made a great impact, she thought. But soon, sooner than she expected it wouldn’t feel fake.
Damien watched her. He didn’t say anything. But Ava felt like she was being seen, fully not as a secretary. Not as a placeholder. As a person.
Back in the car, the city lights sprawled away behind them. Silence, but not uncomfortable.
He broke it. “You handled that well.”
She shrugged. “Felt like a ghost.”
“Not invisible,” he corrected. Not invisible.
Her breath caught. Something in his tone, his eyes believed it. And maybe, for the first time, she did too.
- Writer
