8 Chapter 8: The Event
(Alexander’s POV)
After I left Griffin International I made my way home, trying to keep myself busy until it was time to pick up Reagan. A quarter before 4, I got a text from Reagan who sent me her address and I got ready to drive over to her address. When I arrived at Reagan’s dorm, it was exactly 4 and immediately the door opened and she stepped out, dressed in a black turtleneck and a pair of ripped blue jeans.
I gave a her judgmental look and she frowned at me, “What? Do you have a problem with what I’m wearing?”
“That’s what you chose to wear?”
Reagan groaned and ran a hand through her dark hair, “Listen, buddy, you don’t get to have a problem with what I’m wearing after you rushed me to be ready by the time you got here. Just drive so that we can get this over with.”
With that I took off, taking Reagan first to Tiffany & Co. to pick out an engagement ring. Reagan said she wanted something simple so I purchased a ring with a platinum band on a true, square-cut, Tiffany diamond. When Reagan saw the price, she insisted that they should get something cheaper, but I was adamant to get her the very best.
Next, I took Reagan to very expensive stores that I knew would have a variety of dresses that she could choose from for the event. This time Reagan specifically insisted that I not spend huge amounts of money on a dress that she was probably going to wear only one time. Reagan settled on 5 dresses before I paid for them and we made our way to my house.
“Where are we going?” Reagan asked as they were driving back to his place.
“It will be inconvenient if I take you back, so just get ready here. A makeup artist, hairstylist, and stylist will already be there when we arrive and they will assist you in getting ready.”
When we arrived and entered my house, Reagan was immediately whisked away by the makeup artist, hairstylist, and stylist while I headed upstairs to shower and get myself ready. After I showered I found a tux already laying out on my bed, probably courtesy of Alfred and I dressed before styling my hair and heading downstairs.
“Has she come down yet?” I asked Alfred as I reached the bottom of the stairs.
Alfred shook his head, “No sir, she has not, but she is heading down right now.”
I looked up to where Alfred was looking to see Reagan slowly making her way down the stairs and my breath caught in my throat. Reagan looked like a completely different person, she looked like she was a woman of high society as if this was a natural thing for her. She had chosen the royal blue satin dress, with a slit that reached up to her thigh, her dark hair flowed down her back, in her ears were rhinestone tassel earrings, and her feet were adorned in silver open-toed heels. Dressed like this, Reagan’s beauty was extremely highlighted and I had to try my hardest to banish the thoughts that he was thinking about right now.
I held out my hand to her, “Are you ready?”
She took my hand gently and nodded and I placed her arm in the crook of my elbow, leading her out of the door to the limo that was waiting for them out front. On the drive over to the event hall, I noticed out of the corner of my eye Reagan nervously shaking her leg. Without even thinking, I gently placed my hand on her thigh and her leg stilled and I felt her stiffen. After a few minutes, I thought that she would remove my hand but she just let my hand rest there on her thigh.
When they arrived, I exited the car first and then opened the door for Reagan because the media was already there when we arrived. I briefly glanced down at Reagan to see that her face was pale and she was gripping the skirt of her dress.
“Don’t be nervous,” I whispered, reassuringly as I took her hand and lifted her to stand on her feet.
Around us, as we walked, reporters attempted to stop them and ask questions, such as what was our relationship, who was she, and how long had we had known each other. I managed to get the two of us safely into the building, not even stopping once and we made our way to the room where the event was taking place. In the room, I looked around until I spotted the table where my mother, brother, and father were sitting. I also noticed that Victoria and her parents were also sitting at the same table as my family.
“I’m so nervous I think I might pee,” Reagan mumbled more to herself than to me.
“Don’t be you’ll do fine,” I said before walking them over to the table.
“Mother, father this is my fiancee, Reagan Taylor.” I introduced her, as I intertwined our hands together and held them up so her engagement ring was visible to all those that were at the table.
Beside me Reagan gulped and cleared her throat, giving her best smile, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Griffin, I’ve heard a lot about you.”
My mother stood up and gave her a warm smile before coming over to where we were standing and hugging her. “Well I can’t say that Alexander has ever mentioned you to us before but it is a pleasure to meet you and I hope that we can get to know each other better before the wedding. Just from your first impression, you seem like a very good match for my son.”
My father, however, wasn’t as warm as he greeted Reagan, “So you must be the woman that supposedly has my son’s heart.”
Reagan looked at me, her eyes asking what the heck did he mean, but she just turned to look back at my father, “I wouldn’t exactly put it that way, sir.”
“I don’t think my son mentioned it but where did you two meet?”
“Uh,” Reagan glanced at me and I nodded so she continues, “We met at a diner that I work at.”
My father’s eyes widened, “A diner?”
She nodded, “I’m a waitress there.”
My father looked at Reagan, his face showing an almost disgusted and disapproving look before he simply said, “Oh, I see.”
When he looked at me again, there was disappointment in his eyes but I had learned a long time ago not to care about my father’s opinion. To me it didn’t matter if he was disappointed with me, he wanted me to be engaged, and this was what he was going to get. I then watched as my father whispered to Victoria and they stood up, making their way out of the event hall.
(Victoria’s POV)
After Matthew had whispered in my ear to come with him to the outside of the event hall, I had stood up along with him and followed him out. I was still in disbelief of what I had just witnessed, Alexander was engaged and it wasn’t to me. I had always thought that I would be the one that Alexander would one day propose to and lately, it seemed as though that dream would become a reality. But everything had come crashing down when Alexander had walked in with that bimbo on his arm. She was probably a nobody and yet she still had the man that I had always longed for.
“Victoria, I apologize for my son’s announcement, I was convinced that you were the one that he was going to propose to until he announced to me today that he was in love with someone else, who I assume is the woman that he brought with him today.”
I just smiled sadly, “It is quite alright Mr. Griffin, I should have tried harder to put myself out there when it came to Alexander.”
“Well dear, I believe that you may still have a chance, I brought you out here to ask you if you would do something for me.”
“Anything for you Mr. Griffin, I think of you as if you were my father, and truth be told you’ve been more of a father to me than mine own.”
Mr. Griffin smiled at that comment, “I appreciate that you think of me in that way Victoria and I wanted to ask you if you would look into Alexander’s fiancee.”
“Of course, sir, but is there a reason that you want me to look into her?”
He sighed, “To be truthful with you dear, I don’t trust her nor do I like the fact that she is engaged to my son. He claims that they are in love but I don’t entirely believe that, I believe that she seduced him and wants him only for his position.”
“Well Mr. Griffin I would be happy to dig up information about her, would you like me to report back what I find?”
Mr. Griffin nodded, “Yes, please let me know if you find anything that I can use to end their engagement.”
I nodded, I usually didn’t like to play dirty but when it came to Alexander I would gladly do it. I had wanted Alexander for as long as I could remember because we were perfect for each other, I had known that fact for a long time. Whoever this girl was I was going to prove that she wasn’t right for Alexander and I was going to make him see that for himself. Yes, soon enough instead of that girl wearing that ring on her finger that would be me in her place.
