Damien held Céline possessively as they walked confidently down the red carpet. The photographers were eager to take their pictures. Camera lights flashed all over their bodies and Damien knew the picture would trend in the tabloids for weeks on long.
It wasn’t everyday Damien Culhane came to an even with a woman and held her so firmly. Though the firm hands he had on her was mostly to boost Céline’s confidence. He had seen the self doubt in her eyes just minutes before they alighted from the limousine. Holding her hands made her stronger. She held her head up high and she had the smile of a goddess.
He also held her hand to pass the message across to the men ogling at her to back off. It was a sign that screamed, ‘back off she is mine’.
They posed for a few pictures at the picture stand and some journalists rushed to get a few words from him.
“Mr Culhane your boutique has attracted so much publicity, how do you feel about it?” One asked him.
“It means my bank will be getting a lot of money,” he said with a smile. The journalist laughed, jotting down his response.
“Mr Culhane sir, we heard you have gone into partnership with the House of Gucci, is that true?” Another journalist spoke.
“Well, that will be seen in the event. I hope you got a pass?” His hold on Céline tightened even as he spoke so freely to the journalists.
“Sir, are there going to be any piece for economical customers?” A short woman spoke from the back of the crowd.
“I have other boutique that caters for that. I am afraid Trés Chic won’t be having any pieces below the price of my Sian.”
This time, even Céline chuckled as she looked up at him. He felt a spark in his heart and he couldn’t be more happy he had decided to take things to the next level with her. Céline was truly all he ever wanted in a woman.
“Mr Culhane sir, who is this beautiful woman with you?” A young reporter chirped in from the back.
Damien felt Céline stiffen in his arms and he glared at the reporter thinking of the best reply to give him.
“Ma’am are you his lover?” Another dared to directly question Céline before Damien could even answer the first.
“Is she among those that responded to the tabloids you got uploaded months ago?”
A young girl with blonde hair shoved her microphone into his face and he pulled Céline closer.
Replying the media was only going to dampen his dear Céline’s mood even further. To avoid it he started to slowly walk away from them, pulling Céline with him.
“We won’t be taking any more questions. See you in the party!” Damien announced with a tight lip as he walked Céline away from the choking journalists with silly questions.
“Excuse me ma’am, but are your eyes real?” Another screamed as Damien and Céline made their way to the entrance of the hall.
Totally tuning them out, Damien gently escorted Céline into the main hall to avoid more journalists.
As soon as they got inside, Mrs Lydia sighted them and excused herself from the group of guests she was chatting with.
“Good evening sir.” She greeted Damien before turning to Céline with the brightest smile ever.
“Hello Céline, I am so glad you could make it, your gown looks amazing!”
“Thank you.” Céline replied shyly.
Damien had asked Mrs Lydia to provide Céline with the most expensive dresses she could find in the market, and she did not disappoint. The gown was indeed stunning. Céline looked irresistible in it. The long slash on the side exposed just enough skin to keep him with a hard on all night long.
“Waiter!” Mrs Lydia clapped her hands signaling for one if the waiters to approach us. He was carrying glasses of wine and Mrs Lydia personally took two glasses and offered it to Damien and Céline.
“I’ll go make the announcement now. The gala is officially starting.” She hugged Céline briefly and walked to the podium.
I held Céline hand tighter as I made my way to the VIP table where I knew my friends would be waiting.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the gala has officially commenced, we’ll be opening with a fashion show!”
Mrs Lydia was saying at the podium. The music came up shortly afterwards, drowning the claps Mrs Lydia got from the guests.
Damien had gotten to the VIP section and he couldn’t be happier as his brown eyes landed on his three friends.
“The man of the hour!” Brian taunted the moment he spotted me.
Charles and Lucas turned to where Brian was looking at and they saw Celine and Damien approaching their table.
“When I saw the paparazzi going crazy I knew it must have had something to do with you!” Lucas grinned getting up to give Damien a pat in the back.
“That’s my man! Congratulations brother!” Lucas congratulations were on two things, the fact that Damien organized the best party in town so successfully and the fact, Damien actually developed the balls to bring Céline.
“I see you finally came with someone for your own party.” Charles eyes twinkled with excitement as he turned his smile to Céline.
“Hello miss, you must be the famous Céline Fayet. I am Charles Gomez and this is my wife Mirilyn.” Charles stretched his hands and Céline gave him a hand shake.
“Hello! Nice to meet you.” Céline answered, shaking Charles hands.
Damien unconsciously glared at the hand but kept quiet. He always felt this jolt of jealousy whenever some other man touched Céline. It was impossible to control no matter who was touching her.
“I wouldn’t touch her for that long, if I were you.” Lucas sing-song as he settled back into his seat.
Céline blush deepened as she looked down trying to calm herself.
“Pay no attention to these over grown babies, let’s go to the ladies. I am sure the paparazzi must have been hard on you.” Charles wife rose from her seat beside her husband and walked to where I stood, holding Céline’s hands.
“May I?” She said, motioning to me to let Céline go.
Damien hesitated for a few seconds but as he looked into her sea blue eyes, he saw the uncertainty in them again. Maybe she really needed a few moments in the ladies to calm herself.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Damien whispered as he leaned into her.
“No- no, it’s fine.” Céline stammered.
Damien reluctantly let go of her hands and watched as Mirilyn led her to the rest rooms.
“Damn! Damien you are one lucky bastard!” Brian exclaimed as soon as Céline had gotten far enough from them.
“She is so perfect!” He said, demonstrating her curves with his hands. “Where did you get her?”
“I want your eyes off of my woman okay?” Damien said sternly.
Lucas, Brian and Charles, exchanged amused looks and all three of tgem burst out in laughter.
“Did yiu just call her your woman?” Charles asked amidst laughter.
“What happened to, ‘this has nothing to do with Céline’?” Lucas put in mimicking Damien’s voice.
“He was all like, ‘I have nothing to do with her’!” Brian demonstrated, exaggerating Damien’s voice so much so that it sounded like screeching woman.
Damien smirks and soon enough he also joins them in the laugh. He had been denying himself the feelings Céline awoke in him. He thought it was just an obsession, he didn’t realize he was deeply in love with her from the very first day in set his eyes on her.
Now he knew that love at first sight wasn’t about openly declaring your love for a partner the first day you met them, but accumulating the love the moment you set eyes on them.
From that night in the club, the moment he saw her dancing, he knew she wasn’t going to just be a regular woman he was taking to his bed. He knew she was going to haunt him. He knew his heart called at her. He just didn’t want to accept it.
Now, he wouldn’t waste any more time. His friends had made him understand that he had to act fast this time. He didn’t have to wait for anything or anyone. He had to marry Céline. He could only marry her.
Mrs Lydia walked to where the sat. “Good evening sirs.” She said respectfully at Damien’s friends.
Then turning to Damien, she said, “Sir, I need you to come give that speech now.”
Damien’s hands were moist with sweat, not because he was scared of delivering a speech, no far from it. He was scared of what he was going to do after his speech.
He walked to the podium and cleared his throat. He began delivering the speech and watched as Céline and Mirilyn returned to their seat at the VIP section. Céline smiled at him, silently cheering him to keep going.
“… Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for filling this place with your wonderful presence and for listening to me…”
“… but before I return to my seat, there is something I need to ask a special person in this room…”
The whole hall went silent. Reporters and Journalists focused their cameras and microphones on his face, not wanting to miss even a moment of what was coming.
“… this is so hard… Errr-” Damien said under his breathe as he passed a hand over his well gelled hair.
“… Céline Fayet…”
Céline looked up at him with confusion, the wine glass in her hands hanging mid air.
“… will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”