So New

                                    

                                          


                          
8
                          
The ride over was silent with just the soft sound of the radio; so low that I could not make out any words or melodies. The night was beautiful. Stars in the cloudless sky, twinkling lights, and cool air with the sole purpose of keeping one awake. We began driving off of the city streets and onto a road with beautiful houses as we scaled up the mountain. The houses gradually became bigger and more spaced apart. They were grand and envy inducing. The sheer attractiveness of the buildings left me breathless. Before I realized, I practically had my face pressed up against his glass window.
                          
He finally turned down a side road and kept going until we started up an ornate driveway. We reached the front where a few men were stationed as valet and others as ushers. I breathed Romans name as I watched people dressed in gorgeous attire exit their expensive cars. I instantly felt out of place and impossibly underdressed despite what I was wearing being possibly one of the most expensive ensembles I had in my possession.
                          
 He stopped the car and reached behind my seat to grab his jacket from the backseat. I looked up at him wide-eyed, worried on whether I could actually go through with this. He smiled at me endearingly, his eyes crinkling with strange happiness.
                          
"Come on you'll be fine. You'll be great." He squeezed my knee then exited the car.
                          
I watched as one of the valets started towards my door only to be stopped by Roman's hand rising imperceptibly. He opened my door and took my hand, helping me out. He handed his keys off and then we were blending into the mass of people.
                          
He could feel my unsteadiness and I could tell, but he kept me steady as he could. My pulse quickened at the amount of people here, frightened at the thought of having to interact with them. The soft band music played through the house as Roman led me expertly through it. In the main room where the band and the majority of the people were located, Roman began smiling at people and greeting them openly; offering them handshakes and kisses on the cheek, calling them by name, exchanging elevated small talk that I had no hope of understanding, and ultimately becoming the powerful, capable Roman that I had first met.
                          
I watched as he turned into the master of social situations as I stumbled behind him smiling and nodding shyly when he introduced me. Finally, a woman with raven black hair toting a brown haired man approached us. When I looked at the man it was striking to see a spitting image of Roman, just as attractive too. I gasped lightly noticing that the features not from the man were from the woman and I quickly put it together that they were his parents. Roman smiled and squeezed my hand reassuringly.
                          
"Mom, Dad," He greeted them, hugging his mother then his father.
                          
"Roman, it is so nice to see you dear." She sing-songed.
                          
"Sorry for not visiting sooner Mom, but I have someone to introduce to you both."
                          
He pulled me forward and I could feel the sweat dampening my hair at the nape of my neck. I stumbled a bit and smiled sheepishly.  I tucked my hair behind my ear self-consciously earning a light squeeze from Roman's fingers. I looked up at him and his eyes reassured me that everything was okay, and I was doing well.
                          
"This is Scarlett Summer Johnson, my girlfriend." The introduction knocked me breathless.
                          
Girlfriend. Girlfriend. Girlfriend. Girlfriend.
                          
I looked at him trying to mask my alarm.
                          
"Oh how wonderful!" She cooed.
                          
I went to offer my hand which she swatted away in favor of pulling me into a hug.