Page 44 of Falling For My Assistant

6 months later…

Erin checked her reflection in the mirror, her finger tracing one of the stretch marks on her stomach. Her stomach was still soft from her weight loss, but her skin was slowly tightening up, something she’d asked her doctor about.

“Lots of water,” he’d warned, so she drank water often.

“Hello, beautiful,” Sean said, walking into the bedroom.

His hair was combed, and he was already dressed in his tuxedo, the same one he wore for the New Year’s Eve party.

“Hi, handsome,” she replied, a smile coming to her face when he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

“You need to get dressed,” he said, releasing her. “Lo won’t be happy if we’re late to the benefit.”

“I know,” she replied, stepping into her closet. “I don’t know what to wear, though.”

“Well, Lo would be flattered if you wore the suit,” he said, joining her in the small space. He grabbed it from where it hung.

“You’ll look better than me,” he said.

“But what should I wear under it?” she asked, looking around the closet. She had a couple of cropped tops in varying colors.

“What about just the jacket? Nothing underneath? It’s very fashionable,” he replied, holding the jacket up.

“I don’t know,” Erin replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “I have a lot of stretch marks on my breasts, and I don’t know if I want the world to see them.”

Laurenza had warned them that there would be a lot of photographers there tonight, especially since there were a few celebrity guests in attendance.

Sean hung the suit back up and laid his hands on her shoulders. “You look beautiful in everything, but if you’re uncomfortable with it, then we can find something to go underneath it. Or, something else entirely.”

He cupped her face in his hand. “I want to say, though, that your stretch marks are a reminder of your journey to get where you are, and not only your appearance but your health too. I also think they’re very sexy, and real women have them. Stretch marks are very trendy nowadays.”

Erin laughed, holding back tears. “They’re trendy?”

“At least that’s what the magazines all say,” he replied with a shrug.

“Maybe next time I’ll go with just the jacket. This time, I think I’ll go with this.” She pulled a lace crop top from its hanger.

“Wonderful,” he replied, dropping a kiss on her forehead. “Royce is waiting in the car, so let’s hurry.”

“All right, shoo, so I can get dressed,” she said.

Half an hour later, the car pulled up to the red carpet at The Met, Erin’s stomach in knots.

“Are you sure we have to walk the red carpet?” she whispered, a small laugh coming from the other side of the car.

“Yes. We are co-chairs of her new foundation, so we have to make an appearance on the carpet,” Sean replied, stepping out of the car.

Royce pulled the car door open for her, and she took a deep breath, reaching out to take Sean’s hand as he helped her out of the car.

Her feet hit the red carpet, and her jaw dropped, the sheer amount of photographers standing behind the barrier, causing her heart to race.

“Sean, there are so many of them,” she whispered.

“I’m right here with you, don’t worry,” he whispered.

Someone came over to them and asked for their outerwear, Sean stripping off his favorite coat and handing it over with a warning to be careful. Erin removed her coat, and they draped it over their arm and escorted them to the edge of the carpet.

“Is that who I think it is?” she whispered, staring down the carpet.