Chapter 10

A knock sounded on Whitney's apartment door. Whitney dismissed whatever she was doing and walked to the door. Obviously she had forgotten that Daniel was coming over. "Who is that?" she asked, not peeping through the hole. "It is Daniel," he said staring at his watch. Immediately Whitney became alerted, she peeped through the hole and saw that it was really Daniel. She saw that he was dressed corporately in a black suit and a tie. Whitney tried to remember the occassion of the day. She did not remember any occasion. It was at that moment, that it dawned on her that Daniel was coming to pick her up. "Whitney?" Daniel called her, bringing her back from her reverie. "Why are you not opening the door?" He asked on the other side. "Oh sorry," she apologetically spoke out and opened the door immediately. "Hi Daniel," she greeted. "Hi, did I come too early?" he asked, when he noticed she was still in her night wear. "No, not at all. Come inside," she said impatiently. Daniel walked in "have a seat," she said at once. Daniel sat down. "Why are you are not ready yet?" He asked in a worried tone. Whitney cleared her throat and pouted, "I forgot that you were coming, I hope you are not pissed?" 

"No I am not, it is no problem," he replied, discreetly hiding the ear set he had on. "Why not go and get ready?" Whitney stood up, "alright, excuse me." She said and rushed out. As soon as she left, Daniel spoke out. "Clinton are you there?" Daniel asked inquisitively. "Yes," Clinton answered. "Ok, make sure do not disconnect this call," Daniel warned. "Stop panicking, I will not. So is she ready?" 

Daniel frowned his face, "no she is not, the girl is so slow. She even forgot that I was coming over," he complained. Clinton heaved, "do not worry she will soon get ready, just behave man. Remember not to give her a reason to suspect that you know her birthday is today and do not let her tell you either I am heading to the great hall of a valenda, see you there."

"Alright but do not still hang up because I might still need your help," Daniel said Keenly.

"I will not budddy."

 Minutes passed by, yet Whitney had not come out. Daniel was becoming impatient, the party was supposed to start at 1 p.m and it was 12:24 p.m. already and it was going to take him more than 30 minutes to reach the great Hall of Valenda. "Clinton?" Daniel's voice squeaked through Clinton's ear piece.

"Daniel what's up? Have you guys started coming?"  

Daniel scratched his forehead, "no man, that wrench is so unbelievable, she hasn't even come out," he voiced out and still looked around to know if she was close by. "I wonder why she takes time in dressing when she can not even impress me," he added. Clinton smiled, "come on be patient man, did you not tell her, that you wanted her to look beautiful more than ever?" 

"I did but I was just kidding in fact.." he seized talking, something interrupted him. "Daniel! Daniel! Dan! are you still there?" Clinton called out. "Come on Daniel say something."

 "Hold on, I will get back to you later," Daniel could only whisper, as he stared at the beauty in front of him. "Wow, you look so beautiful and charming," the words fell out carelessly from his mouth as though he was spell bound. She smiled at him, "thank you." she was in a white ball gown with no hands, her hair was packed up and the other part of the hair fell loosely. Her eyes as if there was a fire behind it. "Whitney is this really you?  I didn't even recognise you," he stared at her admiringly. The way she dressed her hair, framed her little pert face and it reached nearly to her shoulder. "We have got to go," she said as she walked to him. "Remember you do not want us being late or do you?"

Daniel stood up, "you look so gorgeous and sexy" he commented once more. Whitney blushed at his complement and bit her lips out of shyness. "And you my boyfriend, you look so handsome." He wrapped his hands around her waist and let her out of the house. "All the ladies will be jealous of your beauty," he whispered into her ear. "And that is all thanks to you my boyfriend," she said.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Wow this place is so beautiful," Whitney said admiring The great Hall of Valenda. "Yes. It is the best Hall in the country but anyways you are far more beautiful than it," Daniel acknowledged. Whitney looked around and saw all the nice decorations, "the party must be grand and the celebrant must be So Lucky," she praised, not knowing it was her on party.  Daniel smiled behind her, "yes the celebrant is really lucky," he mouthed. Daniel spotted Clinton approaching them with another man. "Hello Mr Daniel, please come let me take you to your seat," the man said. "Ok, thank you," Daniel said playing the role of a good guy. Hee took Whitney's hand into his own hand and led her up to their table. As for Clinton, he followed them. "Ehm Whitney, I haven't formally introduce you to my best friend, so I guess I should do it now," he said, then he looked at Clinton, then back to his girlfriend. "Whitney this is my best friend, Clinton by name, he is very rich, nice and humble, gentle and loving and apart from me, he is the best gentleman in the whole world," Daniel said to Whitney. "Nice to meet you," Whitney said to him. Then Daniel turned to Clinton, "I do not think I owe you an explanation and introduction but anyways I will just do it even though I am sure that you already know who she is."

Clinton stared at him in owe, "the only thing I know about her is that she's indeed a beauty queen."

"Yeah," Daniel said, "but just to let you know she is the only woman who has ever won my heart," he detailed, smiling at him. "Wow Dan, you are very lucky, where can I find a woman like her?" he jokingly asked. "Nowhere, she is the only one," Daniel replied, raising his eyebrows. Whitney looked at the both of them, "can you both please stop, I'm right here," Whitney said to the both of them. "Daniel, I think your girlfriend is shy," Clinton suggested. "Enough man," Daniel warned. "Alright, lover boy." Clinton said raising his hands up in a surrendering manner. "Please follow me," a man who had been standing there and listening to their tantrums, dressed in an all black wear finally spoke up, when he got the chance to speak.

The three of them followed the man.

The man took them to a special seat in front of the stage. "This seat has been specially reserved for you too, Mr Daniel and Miss Whitney," the man briefed. Whitney was a bit surprised, why was there a special seat for them? She shoved that question out of her mind, when remembered how rich her boyfriend was. "What about your friend Daniel?" she asked. "Why didn't they reserve a special seat for him too?" She inquired further. Daniel smiled at her and said, "Clinton can find another seat for himself, you do not have to worry about him."

"I am not worried in any way but don't you think it would make us look like bad people, please I do not want all eyes staring on us, so let Clinton have a seat with us too, besides we are not here on a date," Whitney tried reasoning to him..  "No Whitney, you do not have to worry about me," Clinton rejected the offer. "Besides I am here with a date so I can't join you both," he added.

Daniel spilled his drink in shock, when he heard Clinton's words, did you just say you are here with a date?" He asked, trying very hard to hold back his laughter.

"You fool," Clinton called out in his head.

He used an eye sign to communicate with Daniel, which the both of them clearly understood. Daniel stopped laughing and Whitney just felt strange about the whole drama happening. Clinton bade them goodbye and left for his own table.

The man left too. Daniel looked at Whitney. "Are you shy?" Whitney nodded. "No. This seat is too special. We are not the celebrants, yet we have been given the best seats. It looks kind of offensive, the celebrants should have this seat and not us."

"The celebrants already have their seats, so stop worrying over nothing," he said and pulled out a seat, then he gestured to her to come and sit down.

Whitney smiled wanly and sat down. Daniel sat down too, he stared at Whitney. He knew that she was pretending to be okay.

"Relax Whitney. The seats does not matter. What matters is the occassion," Daniel said vaguely.

"Where are the celebrants?" She asked, piercing her eyes through the crowd.

"Hmm Whitney, why are you so determined to see them?" Daniel asked.

"Nothing, I just do not want other people to think that we are the celebrants." She replied to his question.

"You know what? Just relax, the host will soon call out the celebrant." Daniel told her, in order to ease her inquisitivity. " I heard that the celebrant is only one person." He added. Whitney smiled, "a lucky person he or she is," she muttered to herself. Inwardly she felt sad, today was also her birthday but she refused to tell her boyfriend about it.

The host climbed on the stage.

Whitney thought of the party as a regal one.

Immediately after the host climbed the stage, the press arrived. They were directing all the cameras and flashes on Daniel and Whitney.

Whitney searched the hall for the celebrant, thinking he or she was the cause of the major sensation, not aware that she was the main course.

The host held a microphone to his mouth. "Hello everyone, welcome to this special party, we are all gathered here to celebrate the birthday of a special somebody amongst us. Before I announce who the special celebrant is, I would love it, if all the couples stepped into the dancing floor. Dj give us some music.

A slow music began to play.

Daniel stood up and went to Whitney, then he held out his hand and asked her, "will you dance with me?"

"I can't dance Dan." Whitney told him sounding anxious.

"Do not worry, I will take the lead." Daniel said to her in a convincing tone.

"Daniel please let us just skip the dance, besides there will be a lot of people dancing." "We are not dancing because they are dancing, we are dancing because today is special and before you turn me down, say yes please."

"Alright I will dance with you," Whitney said, placing her hand on his. Then she stood up, he took her to the dancing stage. "Place your left hand on my shoulder Whitney," he directed.

Whitney did as he told.

Daniel then wrapped his hand around her waist. "Move with me," he directed further.

Whitney began to move with him to the tune of the music. The host clicked his microphone. "Okay as the dance continues, I will like to introduce us to the special celebrant. Today our special celebrant is celebrating an additional year in her life." He announced.

Whitney slowed down her moves. Something in her made her believe they were referring to her.

"Why did you slow down?" Daniel asked, looking coyly at her.

"Tell me the truth, who is the celebrant?" She asked him in a suspicious tone..

"The celebrant is around, just be patient and you will see who it is," he said, still moving to the beat of the song. The host continued, "this special celebrant is non other than the woman that won the heart of our dearest billionaire, our most charming and most handsome, Mr Daniel Smith." 

Whitney froze on that spot, everybody turned to her and started clapping.

"Her name is Whitney," the host finally declared. Whitney was speechless and a bit shocked.

"Please come up to the stage." The host called to Whitney.

Daniel held her. She looked at him, using her eyes to ask him for an explanation.

"I will explain later, but for now just go to the stage, everyone is waiting." He advised.

Whitney obediently walked to the stage, as she stepped on to the highlight, people clapped and press photographers fired out camera shots at her.

"Hello Whitney," the host greeted.

"Hello," she greeted back amidst tears of..

"Please tell us how old you are today." The host inquired.

"I am twenty three years old." She answered back.

"How do you feel about this little surprise from your boyfriend?" He asked, this question got all the audience quiet.

"I am not so sure but I am excited and impressed. I feel like I am the luckiest woman on earth."

"Why do you feel lucky?".

"What can I say?" She paused. "I feel lucky because I have the best boyfriend ever. I am very sure that I never told him that today was my birthday but he found out about it through means which I do not know and instead of getting angry at me for not telling him, he threw a surprise party for me instead. Ever since I met Daniel, my life had drastically changed for the better and I just hope I can be the best girlfriend ever to him. I will remain forever indebted to you." She declared amidst tears of complete joy.

"No," Daniel said through his mic, as he walked up the stage, "you can never be indebted to me and do you know the reason why I said that?" He asked. "That is because you own me Whitney, you changed my life too. Back then I used to be a heartless soul, always breaking the hearts of innocent girls but after having an encounter with you, I knew that you were the person meant for me. I had tried breaking you but your strength defeated me and I love you for it."

He came to her and knelt down on one knee, "miss Whitney please I want you to be the mother of my children, my missing rib, my life partner and.y soul mate, make me complete by accepting to be my wife," he proclaimed, all this were too much for an act..  "I promise to always stand by you, no matter the situation, just say yes and make me the happiest man in earth," he pleaded with soaked eyes. The audience shouted to Whitney, "say yes!" 

"Say yes!"