Awakening Book One of the Trust Series(31)
“You clean up well.” Caitlyn stated as she resumed her walk over to him. Garrett was wearing a hand tailored suit, the straight lines of the jacket fitting him very well.
He looked up, startled at the voice that greeted him. It was rare she caught him off guard. He rose to welcome her, his mask coming back once again. He bent over and kissed her cheek softly. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
She twirled around, showing off the navy blue chiffon dress that Trish helped her purchase. She felt beautiful in the gown, but at the same time, just a little self-conscious, the low draping exposing much more of her back than she typically would have been comfortable with. “Oh, this old thing? I just went to the closest thrift store and hoped for the best.”
He snorted. “Well, then, remind me to remind you to shop there more often, because you look exquisite.”
Caitlyn’s cheeks flushed at the compliment. “Thank you. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes.” Garrett led her out of the lobby, his elbow linking with hers. Garrett opened the front passenger door for her and she slid in. Caitlyn couldn’t help but fidget as the car got closer to their destination, her restlessness overtaking her. Garrett put his hand on hers briefly, giving it a slight squeeze before returning it to the steering wheel. “You will be great and fit in just fine. Just remember, these are regular people and all of them have gone through the exact same thing you have. That instantly creates a bond. There is no need to worry. I’ll be by your side all night.”
Caitlyn smiled in relief at that. A few minutes later, they were pulling into a long winding brick driveway. She let out a low whistle as the Cape Cod style mansion and the ocean came into view. “Wow.”
“Not bad, huh?”
“I thought we were going to a regular reception hall. I should have known better.”
Garrett handed his keys to the Valet and opened her door. “Always expect the best when it comes to the Trust.”
As they entered the house, two glasses of champagne and an older woman who claimed to be the caretaker of the household immediately welcomed them. The string quartets music wafted over the growing crowds, and Garrett maneuvered Caitlyn around the rooms expertly, familiar with the layout. The amount of Actuals was overwhelming. She recognized several people as congressmen, two governors, and a person she was almost positive was a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
It was obvious to her that the Trust was well connected and was very involved in the inner workings of the government. She thought that smart, especially considering the information that Garrett had advised her. They would need a strong contingency to plead their case, as there would be obvious uprisings in the future and a division among people.
When it became apparent that they were not going to be able to think, let alone talk in the current area of the mansion they were in, Garrett brought her the other side of the space, which was far less crowded as the buffet was not located there. Garrett nudged Caitlyn, pointing discreetly to an older gentleman and a young man in the back left corner whom were clearly having a deep discussion. “See those two over there?”
“Yes.”
“That is Councilman McPherson and his son, Declan. The Councilman was the one who was trying to persuade me to end my mentorship with you early to pursue other interests.”
Caitlyn looked at them appraisingly. The older man, with salt and pepper hair, seemed at ease. His head was resting against a wall, listening to his son in earnest. The son, however, stood erect and was waving his hands as if to bring home a point. The son was taller than Garrett was by a couple of inches, with fashionably unruly black hair. The father smiled at her companion and Garrett waved in return. With his hand on her waist, he began to move her away. “There are a couple of people I would like you to meet.”
Before she had fully turned away, the son twisted around to see whom the father smiled to in greeting. For a brief moment, his ice blue eyes locked on hers before he turned back to his father and continued talking. She felt like he was evaluating her, the same way she was evaluating them, she supposed.
She shook off the feeling and focused on the people that Garrett was trying to introduce her to. She was conscious of the fact that even though they were now no longer navigating the crowds, he kept his hand gently at her waist. Caitlyn was not ignorant of the fact that she liked it and leaned slightly into his touch to see how he would respond, if at all. He responded by tightening his hand around her waist, pulling her the tiniest bit closer. She chastised herself at being pleased with the results of her little experiment. It would not do for these developing feelings to continue to evolve for her mentor.