His Unwanted Bride (BWWM) √

Chapter 14

I discovered it the hard way that big parties weren't for me. I felt so out of my element immediately Keith and I walked into the hall where the party was holding.

First of all, I couldn't understand why her 51st birthday was so grand. She was doing it big and I had never even celebrated my birthday. Seth had called it her birthday/business get-together. So you can imagine the caliber of people there.

My grip on Keith's arm must have tightened because he reached up to pat my hand and said "It's not as serious as it seems. Just calm down, smile and say hello."

Keith beside me muttered a good evening to people while I tried smiling politely to them. I was nervous and uncomfortable, and the way some women glared or sneered at me didn't help my case at all.

My eyes scanned the place filled with snotty rich people and I immediately I saw my dad, a real smile broke across my face. He was standing apart from the rest with what looked like a glass of Scotch in his hand. Before I could veer off to say hello to him, I heard my mother in-laws voice as she approached her golden boy.

"Son, I'm so happy you could make it." She said as Keith leaned down to kiss her cheek. She looked happy, all smiles and diamonds. Apparently she loved diamonds.

"Happy Birthday mother." He said with a smile of his own. When she looked at me, her smile faltered a little.

"Happy Birthday Amanda." I said, and when her eyes hardened, I realized my mistake immediately. I had called her Amanda and not ma'am or Mrs James. Oh well. It was already out there.

"Thank you Danica." She replied as she looked at me from head to toe. I felt small underneath her gaze. Finally, she turned back to look at Seth, inaudibly dismissing me. A beautiful blond joined us then saying "Your cocktail, Mrs James." And Amanda turned to beam at her. Apparently it wasn't that she didn't like young women. She just didn't like me.

"Keith have you met Grace Banks? She's Mr Banks' daughter, the one that has been away for years." Amanda said. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I have hear so much about you before." I didn't want to be there while my mother in-law introduced my husband to a beautiful woman that obviously had the take-me-to-bed look in her eyes, so I politely excused myself and made my way to my dad.

"Hey daddy. I'm so happy to see you here. I didn't know you'd make it." I said with a smile as I returned his hug.

"Hey baby. You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself." I replied as I pulled his suit jacket a little. Then I asked why he wasn't mingling with the rest and he said he had mingled enough for the evening. Besides, he only attended because of the relationship between the families and because Amanda was his business partner. It was only polite to do that. I nodded. When the waiter passed with a tray, I took a glass of wine and looked around while nursing it.

I watched Keith and his mother, ever the social birds, welcome the guests and he looked so natural doing that.

"You don't have to look so uncomfortable Maya." My dad said beside me and I let out a deep sigh.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Very. Times like this, I wish I had introduced you to all these earlier."

At that, I laughed a little and whispered a little thank you to God that he hadn't. I heard my stomach growl and felt my face heat up. I was hungry.

"Didn't you eat something before leaving?" he asked and I turned to reply only to hear Keith's voice and that cut me off.

"Good evening Sir." He said to my dad and shook my dad's hand while his other arm went to the small of my back. I hadn't seen him leave his mother's side.