CH 52
Harmony
She stood looking at herself in the full–length mirror of her apartment. Garrett had not yet seen. the dress, regardless of the fact that he’d spent every night in this room with her since she’d moved in here. He couldn’t, it seemed, stay away from her or not touch her. She spent several hours every night crying out his name.
The man was insatiable, and he’d also managed to keep it all from his mother for the past four days as well, just like he’d wanted to. Only came to her room after his mother and father
had turned in for the night.
Garrett had told her that he didn’t want to see the dress, and to keep the walk–in door closed at
all times. He wanted to see her in it for the first time when he came to collect her for the Gala.
Though he was expecting it to be pink, seeing as that was the colour of the pocket
handkerchief and tie his mother had handed him was pink.
Her hair was parted on one side and pulled back neatly but loosely in a ponytail at the base of
her neck with a pretty sparkling clip, and her hair was all curled below that, it was understated
but perfect at the same time, she thought.
Her make–up was soft and natural, but her lipstick was a deep pink to match the flowers on
the skirt of her dress. She smiled as she put simple earrings in, a small rose gold hoop that
had a small diamond–shaped charm with a tiny little cubic zirconia stone in the center. A tiny
touch of sparkle.
She’d liked the dress on the website and right from the moment she’d put it on she’d known it
was going to be the dress she would wear. Though had tried all six on at Deidre’s insistence.
This dress was beautiful, a long A–line dress with wide shoulder straps, and a deep V neckline,
and it showed off her mother’s necklace perfectly. It had a full skirt that fell to the floor in both wide and narrow pleats, wide at the front and back, and narrow on the sides. But it was all the
beautiful flowers around the bottom of the skirt that she loved the most.
Pretty varying shades of pink, white and red flowers, some were open and others were half open, they moved their way up the dress and got smaller until they were just flower buds,
around her midthigh to hip area.
Harmony stood and swayed a little and watched that skirt move about her, and smiled. This was more her style. It was lovely, beautiful and understated as well. She didn’t want
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CH 52
something full of bling that was flashy or super tight like she knew many were going to be wearing. She was going for elegant, and she thought she’d managed it quite well.
The dress still draped a little on the floor at the back behind her with her heals on, but it was off the ground at the front of the dress, it was designed that way Maribella had told her, to give it more of a ballgown style.
Deidre had smiled right at her in it, and nodded, had told her it was perfect, that she looked beautiful and had then asked Maribella to match a tie and pocket handkerchief to the dress’s flowers to go with Garrett’s suit, then had turned and looked right at Harmony “See any man’s suit can be tailored to his date’s dress.”
Then the woman had chuckled softly and stated “Oh, I just realised Garrett’s going on a date out in public, a girl on his arm.” And she’d hugged Harmony “I knew you were going to be good
for my son.” She stepped back and smiled right at her, teared up a little “His first date out in
public, ever.”
Harmony had smiled at her and “I’m happy to help.” She’d stated simply.
Now here she was all dressed up and ready to go on her first date with Garrett herself, she
was just waiting for him to come and collect her from her room, something he’d told her he
would do. She had to wait for him. Rachael was downstairs waiting on them, and she was
also taking pictures of his CEO’s and their wives as well.
He arrived promptly at 6pm and Harmony opened the door and smiled at him. He was very
handsome in that dark blue suit and white dress shirt, it matched her dress, and he was
wearing the pink tie and handkerchief in his pocket. His hair was neatly swept back and styled
properly for the occasion.
She watched as his eyes moved down over the dress, and he smiled “Absolutely beautiful Harmony.” He stated softly and held his hand out to her. She looked at it knowing his mother
would see it.
“It’s alright.” Garrett murmured “She’ll know shortly.”
Harmony nodded and took his hand, stepped out of the apartment, and he slipped her hand through the crook of his arm and curled it around his forearm, tugged her a little closer to him as they walked, “I love the dress.” he stated.
“Me too.” she answered honestly as she walked down the hallway to the stairs that led downstairs. Then they were descending the stairs together. She had to put a hand on the railing and watch her step, noted that Garrett actually slowed his steps to match hers.
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“Thank you.” she smiled up at him.
She moved her eyes to those watching downstairs and saw many people just standing about
staring up at them, not just his friends and their wives, or his parents, but many others as well. She saw both his parents smile at them and watched as Deidre hugged Scott’s arm a little.
Garrett stopped her halfway down the stairs and stated “Sweetheart smiled for the camera. Rachael is going to take our first official picture.” And then he tilted her face up to his and dropped his mouth on to hers in a light kiss for all to see, and then just pulled her into him and deepened it just a little.
He smiled down at her afterwards and touched her lower lip with his thumb “Sorry smudged
that a little.”
She chuckled “Mm, got it on yourself too.”
He chuckled and used his thumb to wipe his lip where she indicated it was, as he moved them on down the stairs once more. “Mother, father.” He smiled at them and his mother just burst out laughing and came over to hug her son, looking up at him and smiled “You two are naughty, trying to hide this from me.” she looked at Harmony “He’s not so good at that, can’t keep his eyes off you when you walk past him.” Deidre chuckled and then hugged Harmony as
well.
“Sorry about that.” She murmured.
“Ah, I know my son well, and he has his reasons. We’ll talk about that secret tomorrow.” Deidre stepped back and looked at her and Garrett and nodded happily “Rachael, I’d like a copy of the two of them on the stairs, one you’ll not publish please.”
T
“I can do that. I got many.”
“We should all go.” Garrett stated “Rachael, you got what you needed?” he asked.
“I did. I’ll get more at the Winslette. Give me a few minutes‘ head start on you,” she stated, and
was gone out the door.
There was no rush, she didn’t think and Garrett helped her into her coat, as were all the women here wearing dresses, and then the boys all pulled coats on as well. It was lightly snowing outside, and they were gone off to the New Year’s Eve party. They were all in separate cars,
she noted, and all had drivers.
“Your mother figured it out, I see.”
“Mm and managed to keep that to herself as well.” Garrett smiled “Unusual.”
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“Maybe she just wants to let you do things your way, not push you into something like you thought she would. Worried she’d change your mind or something.”
“That is not going to happen.” He told her simply “On that note. When we get home tonight,
you should come and sleep in my suite.”
“Garrett,” she hissed at him, knowing their driver could hear them.
He just chuckled softly “Mother is right now, back there bursting at the seems, announcing our
relationship to all. That you and I have chosen each other, everyone will know by the time we
get home.”
She did know that it was all going to be out tomorrow, their photos splashed all over the
society pages of the paper. So, it didn’t really matter that his mother was telling everyone in the gated community about them.
There were more photos taken as they got out of the car and many reporters gasped “That’s
Garrett Owens and… Harmony Preston.” There was a lot of flash photography and people
yelling out at them asking if they were together or if this was a stunt to annoy Damien
Blackwell.
They stood and waited for Garrett’s friends to arrive with their wives, and Garrett kept her hand
tucked around his arm the entire time, and then all eight of them walked in together, checked
their coats and had their photos taken formally by the event photographer in front of a set–up
area that had the words Happy New Years, splashed on the wall behind them.
She’d never been to this place for an event, though she knew it was a hotel that Owens
Construction had built as well. It was beautiful inside and out, very lavish, she thought, as they
walked towards the ballroom on a long black piece of carpet laid out for all the guests to
show the way she supposed.
She smiled as she looked about. It was lovely and there were lots of happy smiling people in
here already, and they were met at the ballroom door, and their invites handed over where they
were shown to a table, and offered wine, or champaign she declined all, and was given a glass
of sparkling mineral water instead.
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