Published: May 09, 2019-April 17, 2020

As the party progress, Nicole and Katelyn's knowledge of the family of Tess also increased. Tess introduced them to her parents and grandmother and even to her eldest brother, Byron, who is a lawyer and her older sister Brenda, a model.

Katelyn noticed that Tess's relationship with her older brother seems very close, but with her sister, well, it looks like something was amiss maybe because of the difference in their personality.

The disdainful expression of Tess's older sister towards them during introduction gives way to her being a snob, which is opposite to that of Tess being humble.

They also found out that her father owns a modeling agency, and most of the visitors are people from the fashion industries who are around the age of her father...of course to the dismay of Nicole. If ever there are younger ones, their partners are also with them.

Looking around, Katelyn was able to appreciate Jared's effort to have those stylists done their best to transform her. It is because most of the visitors dressed elegantly.

She thought that Jared's ability to foresee future mishap was genuinely remarkable because if she insisted on wearing her style, she would look out of place in this party. No wonder that he is a dangerous opponent in business, and her admiration of him increased.

"But wait a minute, when did she begin to admire him? As far as she knows, she is afraid of him, but no...just intimidated, yes, that's the right word. But what is happening to her now, arguing with herself again? Her behavior is not a good indication," she shakes her head to erase those thoughts. To divert her mind, she looked at her dress and then to the women around her.

At least the efforts of those stylists were not wasted. They dressed her in two inches above the knee, pink pastel chiffon in silhouettes, and let her wore dainty shoes that emphasize her rarely seen gorgeous legs.

Jared gave her a set of diamonds before they left their apartment in which only the earrings she took. To put it all will be too flashy, and to catch anyone's attention was not on her agenda, or else someone will question its authenticity. Even though how cautious she was still, it did not escape the scrutiny of other people.

Nicole was one of them, but good thing her lies or Nicole's knowledge of pieces of jewelry were limited. Hence she believed that it was moissanite.

Sometimes she did wonder how many made up stories that she has to create before the two years done. It made her sad to lie to her new friends, but what can she do? She can only keep her life circumstances.

"Hello! Katelyn, "a startled Katelyn turned around and saw the familiar face of James grinning at her.

"Hello! James, it's a surprise to see you here," she took the hand he raised and shook it," are you and Tess kind of..."

"Our parents were friends since young, so we kind of become family friends, "he explained while he followed her to the table where Nicole and Tess, who's talking to Dr. Clyde Miller, sat down.

Upon seeing James, Nicole immediately stood up and walked towards them.

"Hi, James, it's nice to see you here," Nicole greeted while shaking James's hands. She then pulled her aside while James continues to walk in their table to greet Tess and Clyde.

"So, did you already call your grandmother?" Katelyn nods for an answer, and so Nicole continued to ask her, "Was it okay with her that you will go out with us in the nightclub?"

"Yes, as long as I will not go home drunk."

"That's cool...I also don't drink much if I am out in a club, I'm cautious too," Nicole laughed as she told her and then they started walking back to their table.

On the other hand, Jared, who had just finished talking to Tori on the phone, returned to where Blake and his uncle were sitting, drinking a glass of wine.

"Uncle Teddy, I think I have to go now as I still have another engagement later on," he excused, and then he turned to Blake." Are you going out with me?"

Surprised, Blake answered," I thought you don't want to go out with me as you did not affirm on my suggestion earlier."

His uncle Teddy looked at them. "When I was your age, I had Junior already. So go out and enjoy, but don't forget to bring a good woman home to introduce to us." Then he looked at Jared again," I'm sure Aunt Amanda is anxious to see the future heirs of the Steele."

He pats his uncle's shoulder. "There we are again, Uncle Teddy; in time, the three of us will give you broad of kids that will tire you from running after them."

"In the phase that is going on with the three of you, you are right as I will be on my dotage."

They all laughed, and then he and Blake went to the parlor room where his Aunt Melanie is, they say their goodbye and leave.

Katelyn accompanied Nicole on her car in going back to the city while Tess rides with Clyde as he wanted to be called by friends of Tess. It turned out that he was the guy that Tess had told them before that had asked her for a date.

He is a plastic surgeon who recently became the head of their family-owned cosmetic clinic here in New York as his father operated their newly opened branch in California.

Nicole even murmured to her that Tess is such a lucky woman because not only is she rich, and beautiful, but there is also a gorgeous surgeon interested in her.

"Katelyn, had you noticed the way James looked at you earlier?" Nicole asked while they are waiting for the stoplight to turn green.

Surprised with what Nicole said, Katelyn thought about earlier and did not remember anything like that." No, he was just casually talking to us like colleagues."

"You are so naive. I am sure that James is interested in you. You wait and see one of this day; he will try to ask you out."

"As I had said, I am not looking for a relationship yet."

"It's only dating," Nicole replied while starting the car as the light signals them to go and drive towards the exclusive nightclub that Tess told them. "He had been my colleague for two years, and up until now, I have no bad comments about him."

Katelyn just listened to Nicole without commenting. She cannot refuse or affirm as Nicole will surely not understand, and if she talks, it will only add up in her lies. So this time, she was lost of words.

Nicole glanced her way after a few minutes of quietness from her. "So think about it once he approaches you."

Nicole parked the car in front of The Glitters, and then they went out and walked to the entrance where Tess and Clyde are already waiting.

The glitz and the sophisticated lights of the nightclub confront them upon entering. The dance floor is enormous but already packed of people dancing, and the chest-thumping sound system made Nicole dance to the beat that even Katelyn follows as a waitress ushered them to a table with a circular sofa.

Unknown to Katelyn, Jared already saw her from the time she entered the club until they were able to sit down on the sofa.

Blake had called the owner of The Glitters immediately after he told him that his wife would go in that place. The lounge prepared for them is the one that the owner uses. It is where he monitors the people going in and out of his club. According to Blake, it is because of its glass; he can almost all see what is going down without the guest's knowledge.

"So, have your wife entered already?" He heard Blake asked but did not answer. He was engrossed in the woman dancing while walking to the table. As far as his detective before had mentioned, his wife doesn't go to places like this. So how come she feels at ease dancing?

"Which one is she?" Blake nudged him as he asked. "The one with a golden hair," he answered.

"A perfect answer, you see the led ceiling lights that they have, and you tell me about the color of her hair?"

But upon turning his head and saw the expressionless face of Jared, Blake immediately knows that he had vexed his cousin again. "Okay, I know it. I blow your heads by raising my voice but answer me clearly," he explained as if he is talking to a child.

"She is in the table with three women and a man," Jared positioned Blake's head straight to where the table is and only removed his hands once he saw his cousin's thumbs up.

"How come they are with Clyde?" After a few minutes, Blake commented.

'Who is he?"

Blake turned his head to him. "He is a plastic surgeon and a playboy." but Jared's "look at you before blaming it to others" stare made him defensive. "I know everyone said I am a playboy, but it's only a reputation, but he's are true."

Jared knotted his brows and turned his back to walk in the direction of the door, but Blake stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

Jared eyed at Blake's hands on his arm and then looked at him. Blake immediately removed his hands and raised it in a defeated way," I am so sorry."

'You told me that he is playboy, so of course, I will get my wife there."

A smile broke on Blake's face, and then he clasps Jared's shoulder." I am expecting you to do it, you never disappoint me, man."

Jared removed Blake's hands and then arranged his blue Ivy League shirt.

"But isn't it too obvious that you are jealous?" Blake teased to the departing figure of Jared.

On the other hand, Katelyn is sitting down first in the curve of the sofa, followed by Nicole, and then Tess is beside Clyde, who is telling the waitress where to put the drinks. Tonight is the first time that Katelyn had been to a night club.

When she was on age to go inside one, she was already busy trying to save every penny that and going to these places is a luxury she can't afford.

She likes dancing, in fact, during her high school days, she was a member of their dance club, and because of her ballet background, she always does the contemporary styles of dancing. But during her college days, she forgot her love of dancing and concentrated on work and studies.

She felt an elbow nudge her, and she looked at Nicole." Look who I saw just now," Katelyn also looked at where she meant, and she glimpsed the familiar back of a man, and suddenly it came into her mind that it's Jared.

Her immediate response was to turn her head towards Nicole. She then hides her face in case Jared turned around and saw her. But then she realized that she had asked his permission and he agreed, so she should not be guilty. Besides, the music and the lights will conceal her. "It's Mr. Steele together with Mr. Baker." Nicole, with excitement on her voice, told her.

"I am sure they are with a party of their friends."

"Would you believe it that there are only the two of them with no women, I never imagine that I will meet them here." Nicole then turned her head to Tess, but upon seeing her engrossed with what Clyde was trying to tell her made her hesitant and reverse back to Katelyn.

"Katelyn, it is our chance now to try to get their attention," the eager Nicole told her while standing up, but Katelyn pulled her back to their couch.

"Why did you do that?"

"Remember they are our employer, what if they will make a problem with us once tomorrow come," she told Nicole, but the truth is she doesn't want to mingle with Jared.

Nicole faced her, and in a firmer tone, she scolded her." We are not in the company. We are all guests in this night club, and we can mingle with anyone. This night is a rare opportunity that we can enter in this exclusive club. If we don't make a move tonight, there will be no other opportunity."

Well, it's true as it was only for the members. It just happened that Clyde is a member, so they were able to enter as his guest.

Nicole then stood up and walked to the men while Katelyn tried to look for someplace to hide. In her mind, Kate is dreading Jared's opinion of her friends. What if he will think that she too was trying to pick up men, but then if he is here, they are just the same? So, in case he accused her, she can turn the tables on him. That thought made her smile.

Katelyn then turned her attention back to Nicole, but the music made her unable to comprehend the topic of their conversation. Then she saw her and Blake shaking hands, and then a woman approached Jared in which he just ignored. Instead, he turned his attention in surveying the people in her table until his eyes met her.

Even the lights cannot conceal his eyes looking at her with longing; well, maybe it was just her imagination that had been corrupted by the wine she had drunk earlier. She averted her eyes from his gaze as she suddenly felt uncomfortable like the place become so hot. She reached out for the glass at the table and swallowed its content. Only once she had finished it and tasted that something was different that she realized it was not water.

She looked up again, but Jared was nowhere to be seen only the back of Clyde walking to where Blake is standing talking to Nicole.

"Why of all nights that I finally have the chance to mingle with Blake, is also the time that I can't." Katelyn heard Tess told her with a pout. "How come you are not with Nicole there?"

"I am sympathizing with you, "Katelyn answered.

Tess holds her hands. "Mm...You're so sweet. I am touched, but look at Mr. Steele, "Katelyn direct her gaze also to where Jared now stands. Another woman was trying to get his attention, and then she saw Brenda approached him too.

Katelyn turned to Tess." Isn't that your sister with him?

"Yeah, that's Brenda..." Bored Tess answered. "She likes Mr. Steele ever since she saw him interviewed and tried her utmost just to be closer to him, but up until now, she has no luck. Maybe because of his on and off girlfriend or she is not his type."

Katelyn agreed to what Tess said, but then speaking of Charlize, how come she had not seen her guarding Jared?

"Nicole looks as if she had leaked a cream," Tess laughed and made Katelyn forget the topic of Charlize and looked at Nicole's direction, walking back to them with a grin on her face followed by Blake and Clyde.

They were introduced to Blake by Clyde. It was then Blake invited them to the private lounge. Though Clyde was a bit apprehensive because of Jared as everyone knows, he is particular with those he mingles. In the end, Clyde agreed as Tess told him that it is okay with them all if he decided.

But during that time, Katelyn cannot help but notice Blake's interest in her. It made her wonder if he knows about her relationship with Jared.

Her eyes then returned to where Jared was earlier and only saw Brenda standing with another guy. She scanned the place for his presence, "looking for me?' Katelyn heard him asked her at her back. She turned her head towards the voice and saw him, smirking.

"Conceited, as if he is the only guy worth looking"? She murmured and returned her attention to Blake, completely ignoring Jared.

Nicole then nudged Katelyn. "Did you not see Mr. Steele?" Nicole asked her.

Pretending to be ignorant, she asked back. "Where is he?"

"He is at your back, turn around and greet him," Nicole told her in which she obliged to do so. "How are you, Mr. Steele?"

Acting surprised, he took her hand for a handshake to the surprise of everyone who knows him. They know that he is particular on people that he mingles with, let alone getting in contact.

All eyes on their table were on Katelyn, who, in turn, looked at them with questions. But the tension was broken by Blake.

"Jared, I had invited them to our private place," Blake told Jared while walking towards them at the same time Jared released her hands and answered," No problem with me. It is big enough for the three of us."

"See... I told you Jared would not mind," Blake reassured them once he was already standing beside Jared." We are only waiting for Chase," he added and then suggested that as the music is loud and they cannot talk without shouting at each other, so it's better for them to all go up.

The three of them women picked up their handbags and then followed the two men while Jared walked behind Katelyn.

While they were walking to go up, a feeling of dizziness made Katelyn stopped from walking and put her hand on her temple. Suddenly someone bumped on her back that almost made her slumped on the floor. But a hand catches her; uneasiness crept unto her at the thoughts that some strangers hold her waist. She immediately removed the arm, holding her.

"Quit moving, this is me, "upon hearing Jared's voice, Katelyn stopped her fidgeting and raised her head," I feel a bit dizzy."

"Did you drink anything here," he asked with concern in his voice." Hmm, she nodded, "I thought it was water."

"So naive, how many glasses did you drink?"

"Hmm...One I think, hmm...maybe three..." she turned herself to face him, but then Nicole came and took her hand while apologizing to Jared of Katelyn's behavior. She holds Katelyn's hands while they follow the others.

End of Part 8

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