Chapter Five: Part One
In a luxuriously appointed room of her spa, Ms Killaine leaned back whilst tapping her foot for effect. She gave Kate a determined smile and said, ‘Catherine, I need you to understand something. Right here, right now, you are the most important person we know. Tonight, you are attending a much-anticipated red-carpet premiere on the arm of Dominique Savagewood. In all of the social circles that count, that makes you a princess. Our job is to make you feel and look like that princess. So how about you relax, stop trying to help, and just accept it like a princess, okay?’
Laughing, Kate held her hands up in surrender. Ms Killaine and her assistants cleansed and buffed her to perfection, all the while gushing over the reviews of the show, and gossiping excitedly about the celebrities in the audience tonight. Kate didn’t have the heart to tell them that she barely recognised any of the names they were discussing. She also made a point of listening carefully to each item of their chatter that sounded reliable, just in case it might come in handy later that evening.
After an almost obscene amount of preparation and pampering, they were ready for ‘The Dress’. Even Ms Killaine took a deep breath when the couturier and her assistant carried the gown into the room. Looking at Kate, they paused and smiled proudly for a long moment before taking over completely. Kate was aware of time passing, but her only option was to follow instructions and surrender herself to the decadent attention being heaped upon her.
Kate had never thought of herself as radiant and glamorous before, but there was no denying it now. The moment she looked into the extensive mirror, ‘Kate’ vanished; she was Ms Cath-er-ine; with three syllables. Her lightly tanned skin complemented the gown’s pale shades perfectly.
Feeling like they might cramp at any moment, her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Her attendants had transformed Kate from her usual state of casually good looking into one of flawless beauty. Her hair was perfect, her makeup immaculate, and her dress flowed over her, moving as if it were part of her body. She pushed her thumbnail into the side of her middle finger to stop herself from crying. The couturier had shown her that trick, telling her, ‘Waterproof makeup can only withstand so much, dear. It is Madame Butterfly you are attending.’
With fifteen minutes to spare, they declared her preparation complete. Feeling her nerves kicking in, she was grateful to the ladies for insisting that she go to the bathroom a second time before fitting her dress. The couturier and Ms Killaine both used the remaining time to brief Kate on red-carpet etiquette. Their words echoed in her mind, “The red-carpet is a mine-field to seasoned professionals. You are on the arm of someone that even the city’s elite want to know more about. If ever in doubt, be less, not more. A dull reputation may easily be renewed, often to acclaim. A sullied reputation will never be fully overcome.”
When he arrived to collect Kate, Harold’s professional reserve was beaten and he stared at her for a long moment before gathering himself. ‘Your car awaits, Ms Jones,’ he stammered, his ears afire.
Graciously accepting his acknowledgement as a tribute to the previous five hours of pampering and preparation, she said with a smile, ‘Thank you, Harold,’ as she floated to the car. Kate might not normally float, but tonight, Ms Catherine did. Harold opened the door for her and offered his hand for balance as she slid into the limousine. Dominique was beaming at her from the opposite rear seat, his tuxedo jacket still on a hanger.
‘Catherine! You look absolutely stunning.’
Kate realised she had not responded when he started chuckling. He did it again! she thought. Frozen like a bunny in headlights, those damn eyes of his! Blinking, she gathered herself enough to let him feel every bit of her experience so far. ‘Thank you does not even start to cover what today has meant to me… my lord.’
His look was almost shocked for a moment before his usual calm and controlled persona reasserted itself. Leaning forward slightly, and with his head cocked to one side, he asked, ‘Why did you call me that, Catherine?’
‘Your name. Consensus suggests Dominique translates to lord, or of the lord.’ Taking a slightly sadistic delight in seeing him a little off kilter, she plunged on. ‘The spelling is interesting though, suggestive of many different cultures and gender-neutral. You, sir, are an enigma. I am also feeling like I could get away with murder right now, and that, my lord, is also your doing. Thank you, Dominique.’ He smiled at her, quietly chuckling after a few moments at his own speechlessness.
With the overwhelming attention she had already received today, and now sitting in a limousine en route to a red-carpet premiere, Kate’s mind, heart and libido were sending her mixed signals. His attentive respect was not helping to clear things up, either. Edison’s words came back to her; Don’t overthink things with Dom, just ask him.
‘Dominique? Today has been so special already, but I need to ask, what is happening here? You are by far the most attractive and intriguing man I’ve ever met, but I don’t know that I am ready for a ‘date-date’, and I don’t want to make a fool of myself and, and…’
Kate realised that she had stopped speaking. She imagined she could feel his mind occupy hers for a moment before he smiled, making everything feel safe. He was looking at her, his eyes soft. ‘That you would even consider me potential ‘date’ material pays me a wonderful compliment. Catherine, you are an intelligent, wonderfully down-to-earth, and very beautiful lady. I do not present myself to you as a potential lover or partner, but rest assured that I revel in my role as your companion and devoted escort for the evening. My intentions are most chivalrous and my sole desire, along with that of Mason and Madison Myers, is to express our gratitude and admiration for your rare and valuable talent of being in the right place at the right time, with your brain switched on.’
He continued as Kate absorbed his words. ‘Catherine, Mason and Madison want to express their thanks to you personally, and they are truly good people. You averted their exposure to both a potentially significant personal loss and a substantial professional embarrassment. For that, you have all our thanks.’
She could hear how close they were to him through his words and took a few moments to think, appreciative of Dominique’s respectful silence as she gathered her thoughts whilst trying to ignore the wave of déjà vu she’d felt as he spoke. ‘Thank you for being so honest with me Dominique. You have a way of making everything sound so simple. I have no idea of how to even start thanking you for all of this,’ Kate said, waving at the car and her dress.
‘The pleasure is so totally mine, Catherine. It took a lot of courage to ask that question as openly as you did. Thank you for trusting me enough to be courageous. Whilst I have never underestimated you, you continue to surprise and delight me.’
Dominique reached into a seat pocket and produced a felted case. Opening it, he revealed an elegant set of pearl earrings and a necklace so fine that its single magnificent pearl seemed to float. ‘These, unfortunately, must go back in the morning, but have been kindly left in our care tonight; they will complement that silken masterpiece perfectly.’
He lifted the necklace to her, leaning in close to fix the clasp around her exposed neck. Leaning back, he smiled when he caught her still inhaling with her eyes closed. The sparkle in her eye when she looked at him stopped his breath for a moment. ‘Perfect,’ he declared after Kate had hung the delicate earrings. She felt like the only thing she was possibly missing was a tiara, or whatever it was that princesses wear. ‘Thank you,’ was all Kate could bear to say before her voice caught.
After a highly charged pause, locked in each other’s eyes, Dom broke the tension with his easy smile. ‘Have you seen or heard Madame Butterfly before?’
She happily allowed their chatter to distract her as Dom gave her a rundown of the evening’s agenda, and a synopsis of the opera’s storyline. Kate had already Googled the opera that week, but the way he told it brought it to life.