“
You’re at the captain’s table, so to speak. The Berkeleys are here, as well as the big donors and some from the administration.”
When Holly heard the name Berkeley, her heart sank. Just my luck, she fumed, can I never get my time in the sun without Ivy stealing all the limelight?
As she sat down, she noticed she was seated directly opposite Ivy.
Ivy was already enjoying the soup, and Holly looked at her with chagrin.
She looked breathtakingly beautiful in a dark blue dress with large diamond drop earrings. As she looked up to her father to tell him how much she enjoyed her soup, Holly caught sight of her face.
She had on the most flawless makeup, far more advanced than Holly’s attempt earlier.
Next to Ivy, Holly felt like a grubby orphan who hadn’t seen a washcloth in years.
“She even has on lip liner,” Holly said under her breath in a mixture of admiration and bitterness.
“Holly, Holly. Earth to Holly. Holly, the server wants to know your drink order, baby. Please tell him.”
She realized the server must have asked her a question, and she was so lost in thought about Ivy that she hadn’t heard.
“Iced tea, please, light ice, thank you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Holly waited until the server left, and then whispered into William’s ear.
“I feel so ugly. She’s so beautiful. This is the worst thing that could happen. Being seated opposite her, and so now you’ll be admiring her perfection all dinner long. Just kill me now,” Holly finished with a sigh.
“Where’s Ivy?”
“She’s right across from me, silly!”
“Where? I don’t see her?”
“She’s over . . .” Holly broke off and looked into William’s eyes.
His eyes told her everything she needed to know. They were warm and loving, and she knew he was trying to let her know that he only had eyes for her.
“I don’t care about Ivy. Not one microscopic millimeter. It’s you I love. So, please try to enjoy yourself and forget about her. It’s a big night here, and I have a lot to do with the donors later. Please don’t make me distracted and worried about you and your jealousy of her. I am yours, and that’s the end of it.”
She gave him a loving smile of thanks and decided to eliminate Ivy from her thoughts. She turned to her left and was delighted to find Heather sitting next to her.
”
”