Pleasurable Expectations

e i g h t

Jeremiah and I held many conversations before the car pulled up behind a line of vehicles similar to the one we were riding in. I felt my palms begin to sweat as we slowly inched forward towards the front doors of the hotel, any words that I had been waiting to say dying in my throat.

Even through the darkened windows, I caught slivers of the flashes of cameras in my peripheral vision. I had been in this exact scenario more times than I could count, one of them being as recent as last week, yet I still felt a ball of nerves begin to form in my stomach.

"Say the word and we'll go," Jeremiah spoke, splicing through my anxious thoughts. "As I've said before, I'm sure I won't be missed." His hand was wrapped around my fingers gently, his thumb caressing my knuckles.

"I've done this more times than I can count. There's no reason for us to leave." I wasn't sure if I was convincing Jeremiah that we should stay or myself, but no matter who I was talking to, neither of us was convinced.

I'd never liked this part of the job. Having all eyes on me as soon as I stepped foot out of my safe bubble, eyes scrutinizing me as cameras flashed, the quality of them being able to pick out any minor flaw that may have gone wrong with my hair or makeup being captured and sold to be put on magazines everywhere--that was far from ideal.

The car lurched forward and I snuck a glance out the window, now noticing we were a good three cars away from the hotel entrance. The mock red carpet was set up, a couple looking stunning as they smiled for the cameras.

I gave Jeremiah's hand a gentle squeeze. "This is a perfect networking opportunity for you. Schmooze with all the big-name executives and law firms and jewelry companies and find yourself a job somewhere. I'm sure the connections you have through your friends and your business degree will help you secure the bag."

Jeremiah neglected to respond verbally. He only brought my hand up to his lips and placed a lingering kiss on the back of it, him placing my hand gently back into my lap. I smiled at him gently as the car maneuvered closer to the curb, the partition rolling down so the driver could tell us it was our turn to get out.

Jeremiah told me to wait where I was as he exited the car, the door shutting gingerly behind him. A few moments passed before the door opened, the once muted flashing lights blinding me. I took a second to collect myself before I stepped one foot out of the car, my hand reaching up towards the one Jeremiah was holding out for me and resting in his palm.

His fingers curled around my hand as my body fully exited the car, him shutting the door behind me. He rounded behind me so he was on the other side of me, his hand resting at the small of my back.

I plastered on a white smile, already knowing that my cheeks were going to be sore by the end of the night from all the polite smiling I was going to have to do.

My heels transitioned from noisily clicking against the asphalt to shallowly sinking into the red fabric underneath my feet. I focused my gaze on the material beneath me as I walked, only looking up to smile pretty for pictures.

"The hard part is over," Jeremiah leaned closer to me as he said this, us stepping into the hotel lobby.

Gone were the blinding flashes of light and the crisp breeze. It was replaced by the muted lighting of the shining crystal chandeliers hanging overhead and the black and gold tiled floor.

The closer we came to the bustling ballroom, socialites milling about with flutes of champagne in their hands and an assortment of dishes circling around the room, the more fascinating I found the tiles beneath my feet.

I watched the black tiles pass as I stepped over them, streaks of gold painted in like a shooting star streaking across the night sky. I made a note of stepping over the gold pigmented cracks, a habit I had picked up when I was a child.