An Unexpected Distraction Pt. 05

Theresa smiled lovingly at him after she finished her turns to show him her dress. "Aren't you going to kiss me?"

Steven shook his head again. Chiding himself for staring awkwardly. He set the corsage on the end table and approached Theresa. Taking her hand in his, he said, "Beautiful. You are so beautiful. May I kiss you?"

Theresa nodded softly with her head.

He took his left hand and gently grasped the back of her neck. He took his right hand and placed it around her waist, gently pulling her toward him. She responded with her left hand gently caressing his neck. Her right hand on his upper chest.

Steven pulled Theresa to his lips for a kiss. They touched for a few moments, then parted to gaze into each other's eyes. Then, kissed again. Softly and gently dueling with tongues.

"You two are sooo handsome," Elizabeth sobbed, while wiping away a tear. Mrs. Quinn was wiping one away also, while standing next to Big Mike.

As they separated, Steven smiled and said, "I have a small gift for you. May I put it on?"

Theresa smiled widely and nodded.

Steven retrieved the corsage and placed it on her wrist.

Elizabeth handed Theresa a silver beaded clutch and, then, handed Steven a calf length black wool coat. Steven offered it to Theresa and, placed it on her shoulders.

"Button the top button for me, please," she said. Steven stepped in front and smiled while he closed the button.

Then, Elizabeth leaned in to whisper to Theresa. The women smiled after the whisper.

Elizabeth leaned toward Steven and whispered.

"Theresa is the first sister to wear this dress after I wore it. Your job is to make sure she never forgets this evening with you."

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"Theresa... When I wore this dress, every man there couldn't take their eyes from me. The same will happen to you tonight. And, Steven will be the proudest man there. Be elegant and gracious, and no man will ever forget you were there."

Then, Elizabeth leaned into Steven and whispered. He smiled when she finished.

"You are very handsome tonight, Steven. I love your dinner suit," Theresa said.

"Thank you. Are you ready to go?" Steven asked.

Theresa took his arm and kissed her father and mother before she left.

"You're beautiful tonight, Theresa," Big Mike whispered.

"Thank you, Daddy."

Steven escorted her from her home to the car.

*****

When the love birds arrived at the country club, the valets were stunned when Theresa exited Steven's car. They couldn't take their eyes from her. Theresa blushed and Steven smiled.

As they entered the country club, the valets took Theresa's coat. They were stunned with what they saw. Theresa giggled under her breath.

As they proceeded to the banquet hall, they were greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. Kyle, Charles, and his wife Patricia. After the introductions, Mrs. Kyle stepped forward.

"My, my, my, Steven Bonds. I've heard you have a girlfriend, and that she is beautiful. I must say, the descriptions of her were sorely underestimated. My dear, my name is Elizabeth Kyle."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kyle. Thank you for the kind compliment," Theresa blushed.

"Steven, I'm going to have a brief conversation with Ms. Quinn here. I promise to return her unharmed," she giggled, as she led Theresa away from the greeting party.

"Ms. Quinn. I must say, I've never seen such a beautiful woman attend this formal. Your reputation has proceeded you. I love your dress, your hair, and ... well.... Everything." Mrs. Kyle paused, then continued, "Steven has never brought a woman to this occasion in the past. Always alone. Unescorted. Every woman at the firm has thrown themselves at him, hopeful for the moment for which you are in right now. When you enter the banquet hall, every woman will have her eyes on you. And, I predict, every man will also. Be elegant and gracious. Ignore the whispers and snide comments. Be your own woman. You deserve it, and Steven."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kyle. I will take your advice," Theresa said.

"Now. I promised Steven I would bring you back unharmed."

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"Steven, I love you."

Steven and Theresa were about to enter the banquet room after meeting the other partners and their wives.

Steven was taken aback by Theresa's statement. He turned, stood in front of her, and gazed into her eyes.

"I love you, Theresa. Is everything OK?" Steven asked.

"Oh, yes. I just wanted to tell you I love you. This is so special for me and I love you," she replied.

"OK, then. Let's go," he said.

Steven held her hand and gave her a squeeze. Then, they entered the banquet hall.

When they entered the hall, a quiet gasp erupted. The gasps were for both Steven and Theresa. Steven was extraordinarily handsome and Theresa was beautiful.

The first to greet them. None other, than Tiffany Walker.

"Steven! Theresa!"

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"Theresa! You are sooo beautiful tonight! Wow! It's you! Steven! You look great! Come with me, Theresa. Let's chat for a moment."

Tiffany pulled Theresa to the side.

"Theresa," she whispered. "You and Steven are such a handsome couple. I haven't seen you in weeks. So. Any news with the two of you? Any future?"

Theresa giggled and held Tiffany close while holding her hand. "Tiffany, thank you for the wonderful and kind compliments. I love Steven. And, he loves me. That's about it for now. No serious discussions, yet. And you. You're beautiful tonight, also. So. Tell me about David Pace."

"Yeah! We've been out a couple of times. Nothing serious. I'm reluctant because we work so closely together. So is he. But, he is a great looking man. We'll see what happens after the bank project is completed. Say, about Steven. He's so handsome tonight. You might keep an eye on him. There are a couple of new women engineers here tonight. They might try something," she giggled.

Theresa giggled again. "OK. I'll keep an eye on him."

Theresa visited with others at the formal. Many of them customers at Big Mike's she recognized. She also was approached by the wives of the other senior partners. She enjoyed meeting them and they told her all about Steven these past few years.

"Theresa... Will you excuse me? There are some people I would like to talk with on the other side of the hall."

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"Of course, Steven. I'll be right here."

"Thank you, Theresa. I'll be near the entrance to the hall," Steven said.

Steven noticed a small gathering near the entrance and it became a little loud. He walked toward the crowd with curiosity. He stood on the outside of the gathering and just watched, trying to determine the purpose.

"Hi, Steven," Mason said. "Do you know what's going on?"

"No. But, there is someone in the center who is getting the attention. I can't tell who it is," he offered.

A few minutes passed, and Steven still didn't know what was going on. In fact, the crowd was getting larger. Steven couldn't stand it any longer and stepped up to someone on the outside of the crowd.

"Excuse me. What's going on?" Steven asked.

Brenda, from HR, turned and smiled. "It's Nicky Rogers. The third baseman for the Royals."

"Really? I don't see him," Steven replied.

"Brenda giggled and said, "That's because just about everyone here is crushing him for an autograph and photos."

"Why is Nicky Rogers here?" he asked.

"I don't know. He must be here with someone from the firm. But, I can't tell who it might be," she offered.

Steven stepped back to the outside, hopeful for a better angle to see Nicky Rogers and the person he was with. For almost 15 minutes, Steven spoke with onlookers who didn't know who Nicky Rogers was with and he still hadn't seen him. Then, Patricia, Charles' wife stood beside him.

"Wow," she said. "Nicky Rogers."

"Yes, I still don't see him. Do you know who he arrived with?" Steven asked.

Patricia giggled, and said, "Yes, I met them in the greeting area. He's with Jenny Wells."

Steven couldn't believe his ears. "Jenny? Nicky? How? Where? I didn't know she was a Royals fan. Or baseball fan, for that matter," he thought.

He strained ever harder to find Jenny, but he couldn't see her either.

Then... The crowd began to thin, little by little.

There was Nicky Rogers.

All 6 feet 3 inches and 230 pounds of elite baseball player. He look rugged and fit, even in a dinner suit.

And then... There was Jenny. She was speaking to a colleague, and Nicky was interacting in their conversation with a cheerful smile; standing next to Jenny.

He had never seen Jenny so beautiful. She was wearing a "royal blue" evening dress. Her shoulders and arms were exposed and the front was full coverage. The front was attached to a blue beaded ring around her neck. Her freckles were clearly showing themselves off tonight. He couldn't see the back of the dress, but he did notice her silver sandal like heels just below the dress hem. Her dress had a split exposing her left leg, similar to the dress Theresa was wearing. She was wearing silver earrings and her hair was styled with a head band pulling her hair behind her shoulders.

He stood a distance away from the couple, admiring the sight before him. "Jenny. Nicky," he thought.

Then, Jenny turned and saw him. She smiled. He returned her smile and raised an eyebrow.

"Well... Looks like Jenny is with a celebrity tonight."

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"Theresa... You are so beautiful tonight and I love your dress and earrings."

"Thank you, Mrs. Young. You are beautiful tonight as well," Theresa said, to the wife of a senior partner.

Theresa had been meeting men and women for nearly 30 minutes, all without Steven nearby. He had not returned from excusing himself. Just when she was about to go searching for him.

"Hi, Theresa."

Theresa had heard that voice before but didn't immediately recognize it.

She turned to the voice and had to look up.

"Nicky? Nicky Rogers?" Theresa couldn't believe her eyes.

"Yes, I saw you from across the hall. I couldn't forget the beautiful woman wearing the cute Royals uniform in Houston. I had to look a second time to make sure it was you. You're beautiful tonight," Nicky said.

"Thank you, Nicky. That's nice of you to say. Wow. You had a great year this year. I think you got robbed on the MVP voting," she said, with excitement in her tone.

"I don't think so. Matt Winston, with the Angels, really pitched well this year. He deserved it," Nicky replied.

"Nicky. Why are you here? Are you with someone?" she asked.

"Yes, I was invited by Jenny Wells. She works for this firm," he replied.

"Jenny? Jenny Wells? I know Jenny. Where is she?" Theresa chirped.

Nicky turned from in front of Theresa, and pointed to the entrance of the hall.

"She's over there. Talking to your boyfriend."

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"Well... Looks like Jenny is with a celebrity tonight."

Steven turned to Charles and replied, "Yes, I do believe she is. Nicky Rogers. Did you know about this?"

"No... It was a surprise when the two appeared in the greeting area. She never told me," Charles replied.

Steven turned as he saw Jenny approaching. She was holding Nicky's hand and Steven met her halfway.

"Jenny... You look beautiful this evening. I love the dress. 'Royal blue'," Steven slurred, with a raised eyebrow.

Jenny giggled, and said, "Thank you, Steven. It means a lot coming from you. Steven... This is my escort for this evening, Nicky Rogers. Nicky, this is Steven Bonds. A colleague of mine here at the firm."

Steven offered his hand and said, "It's a pleasure Mr. Rogers. You've chosen a wonderful woman to be with tonight."

"Thank you... I have chosen a wonderful woman to be with tonight. And, the name is Nicky. May I call you, Steven?" he asked.

"Yes. Of course," Steven chuckled.

"Steven... You and I haven't met, but, I saw you at the baseball game in Houston. You were with the beautiful woman wearing the cute Royals uniform. Theresa, right?" Nicky offered.

"Yes. You remember," Steven said.

"I couldn't forget her. She really rocked that uniform. Not something a man would easily forget," Nicky said.

Jenny spoke up, "Uniform?"

Steven chuckled and replied, "Yes, Theresa has a Royals baseball uniform she wears to the games. It's a complete uniform. She looks like she's ready to play a game and she's cute when wearing it. So. How did the two of you meet?"

Jenny giggled and told her story. "I attended a benefit dinner for the children's hospital as I do every year. Nicky here, was the featured speaker. He has donated money to the children's hospital and spends some volunteer time there. Well... There was a receiving line, and Nicky kept looking in my direction as I approached him for my turn to shake his hand. When we shook hands, and spoke, he held me in place a little too long." She giggled, looked at Nicky, and continued, "The people behind me were getting impatient." She giggled, again.

"Afterward, I was talking to some of the other guests and Nicky walks up to me and starts up a conversation. Said I was beautiful and began asking about me. Work... Where I was from... Was I a Royals fan," she giggled, again. "Then, he asks me to be his date to another benefit he had been invited to with some of the other players and coaches. I told him I didn't know him well. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He asked if I would meet him at the banquet and we could take it from there. I would make all the calls and he would respect them."

Nicky nodded, then said, "Say... Is that Theresa over there? I would like to say hello, if you don't mind?"

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"She's over there. Talking to your boyfriend."

Theresa looked beyond Nicky and saw Steven and Jenny talking.

For a moment, her heart jumped into her throat.

But, she chided herself immediately for having done so. Steven was her man. And, they were at a professional distance from each other. They weren't touching or flirting.

She closed her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts, then said, "Nicky... Would you escort me to see Jenny and Steven, please?"

"Absolutely," Nicky replied, as he offered his right arm for her to take.

As they approached, Jenny turned and smiled widely at the two. Steven turned and smiled to his girlfriend.

Steven spoke first, "Theresa... Did you talk Nicky out of any more autographed baseballs?"

"No, silly," she replied. Then she turned to Jenny. "Jenny! Nicky Rogers! Can we sit and talk?"

Jenny nodded.

"Nicky, Steven here was a Texas all-state third baseman in high school. He had scholarship offers. You two men talk while I visit with Jenny," Theresa directed, and shooed them away with a flick of her hand.

"OK," Nicky said. He turned to Steven. "All state? Third base? Scholarships? I would like to know more."

As the two women sat on a love seat nearby, Theresa grinned widely, and chirped, "Jenny... You're so beautiful tonight. I love your dress. 'Royal Blue!'"

"Thank you, Theresa. You're so, so beautiful. Steven must be proud," Jenny offered.

"Thank you. I am proud of him. Now. I want to know everything. Nicky Rogers! Three time All Star!" Theresa squealed.

Jenny retold her story, and while telling it, several other young women gathered nearby to hear the story.

"After the banquet, Nicky asked if he could see me again. Same rules. He would respect my caution. Then, this formal popped into my head. I was going to attend alone. So, I asked him if he was interested and he jumped at the opportunity," she squealed.

Theresa squealed in reply, "So! What's next?"

Jenny leaned over and whispered, "I don't know, Theresa. He looks like a bulldog."

Theresa burst into a gut laugh and whispered a little too loudly, "That's what I said to Steven!"

Jenny then calmed down from her laugh.

"He is fun and funny. But, I don't think I will take it too far with him. A little while longer, though. To have some fun. Then, I'll move on."

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"So, Steven. Do we have a deal?"

"I'm not certain I can fulfill my side of the bargain. It depends on someone else. Are you sure you want to do this? I see it may be much for you," Steven replied.

"Look... You brought it up and I'm offering," Nicky said. "For me, I see it as an opportunity to make life long fans of the Royals. You see it as an opportunity to impress your girlfriend. And, I benefit from it. At least for a couple of months. Besides... My infielders owe me after last season. I made them look. Again!"

"Do you have a phone number I can have? This is something I didn't expect. I would like to think on it for a few days. May I call you on Tuesday and let you know?" Steven asked.

"Absolutely... Here... This is my personal cell number. Please... Don't share it with anyone. You know."

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"Theresa, I've never had so much attention at the formal as I had this evening. I was proud to have my name mentioned in the same sentence as yours. From so many people. You certainly made an impression on everyone. Thank you for going with me."

"Steven, I love you so much. Thank you for allowing me to have one night where I can feel special. I've wanted to wear this dress ever since Elizabeth brought it home. I felt like a princess tonight. Will you hold me and kiss me?" Theresa asked.

Steven and Theresa were in the living room of the Quinn family home. Steven took her into his arms and gave her a romantic kiss.

"I wish the evening could have lasted longer for you. And, for me," Steven sighed.

"Steven, I will never forget this evening."

"I love you, my Beautiful Distraction."

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"Steven, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. How's Theresa? How's Houston?"

"Jenny, Theresa is wonderful. Every day is a new adventure with her. Houston... The project is coming along nicely. We're 14 days ahead of schedule and $350,000 under budget. Tiffany is working like a sled dog and she's responsible for most of it. I just hope I can keep it there," Steven replied.

"Steven... You're the best engineer and project manager I've ever known. If you don't finish that project 8 weeks ahead of schedule, I'll be disappointed. And, I know I won't. I know this, Steven. Theresa was absolutely gorgeous at the formal. I've never seen so many men and women try to get her attention. Just a few words with her. She was so gracious and elegant, and people noticed. The partners did, too. Theresa and you were all I heard about during the evening. You have a very special girl," Jenny said.

"Thank you, Jenny. It means a lot coming from you," Steven said.

Steven and Jenny discussed Jenny's work and her date with Nicky Rogers. They laughed and giggled about some of the antics that occurred at the formal. Then...

"So... Why the phone call today?" Jenny asked.

Steven gulped, and then began. "I'm calling for a favor. A personal favor."

"OK... What is it?"

"Jenny... What I'm about to tell you and ask you, I'm not comfortable with. If you think harshly of me after this call, I'll understand," he said.

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"Steven, I can't imagine there would be anything I would think harshly of you. I know you too well. You have my attention and curiosity," she offered.

Steven took another gulp. And then...

Told Jenny the purpose of the call. Explaining every detail.

When he finished, there was a pause on each end of the line.

Jenny spoke first. "What you are proposing will only last a few weeks? After that, it's over?"

"Yes."

"And, you hope Theresa will have a wonderful time?"

"Yes."

"And, he put it to you the way you explained?"

"Yes."

A pause.

"What if I were to tell you this was going to happen, anyway? What you said?" Jenny asked.