My mom is too busy hanging out in Georgia with her latest husband to see her only child graduate, but I'm glad my dad Ray is coming. Sometimes I think he's the only man in the world I can trust. I can't help being relieved that José has another year to run before he graduates and I don't have to deal with him today. I have so few friends I can't really afford to lose one, and I'm grateful to him for all the work he does keeping my ancient Beetle Wanda running, but I just can't see him in a romantic way.
Meanwhile, my last few shifts at Clayton's were spent trying to fend off Paul's attempts to pester me into going on a date with him. Why do these guys have such trouble with the word 'no'? I used to say I was too focused on my studies to want to date, but that excuse is clearly no longer valid. Hopefully if I get one of the internships I've applied for I can say I'm concentrating on my career. Hmm, maybe there was a little bit of projection going on the other night when we were talking about the single status of Kate's reclusive billionaire?
My superego raises her eyebrow at me. You could just come out as asexual, she says. I don't really have enough of a sexuality to come out as anything, I remind her. That, says my superego, is kind of the point.
I ignore her and carry on getting dressed. My student wardrobe of jeans and t-shirts is woefully inadequate for any formal occasion so I have had to raid Kate's closet for a gray halterneck dress. It's backless, but I'll be wearing a gown on top of it so I should be able to get away with a normal bra. The matching gray suedette pumps that Kate has lent me are not vertiginously high, but they still add a good two inches to my stature. I should be presentable enough for the photos, at least.
The auditorium is full of fellow graduates, swarming like ants in our identikit gowns and caps. We have to sit in alphabetical order, and the girls on either side of me are clearly BFFs, making me feel even more isolated than usual. Kate is valedictorian, of course, so I don't see her until she comes on stage with the faculty members and the reclusive billionaire who just happens to be presenting the diplomas this year.
Holy cow! She wasn't exaggerating when she said he was incredibly hot. I don't think I have ever seen such a beautiful man. He looks like a Greek statue come to life; he could almost be a different species from the assorted professors sharing the stage with him. I don't know anything about tailoring, but even I can tell that his smart gray suit was made to measure and must have cost a bomb. The BFFs seem just as struck by him, whispering inanities across me like 'He's hot!' and 'Is he single?' As if it would make a difference either way. I think Kate's right. He's probably gay. He's far too good-looking and well-groomed to be straight.
After some introductory remarks Miss Katherine Kavanagh gets up to deliver her speech. She is so confident and relaxed, you'd think she did this sort of thing every day, and she gets a well-deserved standing ovation. Though, to be honest, if the faculty get a standing ovation just for walking in it would be very unfair if she didn't get one for making an actual speech. Next up is Mr Hotness himself, Christian Gray, who has some things to say about eco-sustainability or agriculture or something. He has a lovely voice, soft and measured. Mmm, I could listen to him for hours, but I am none the wiser about eco-sustainability or agriculture when he finishes because his beauty is so distracting. I am so grateful I didn't give into Kate's pleadings and try to do that interview. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to speak coherently, just blushed and stammered like some naive teenager meeting her favorite boyband member backstage.
Since I'm towards the end of the alphabet, it's a long time to wait before my row goes up to get their diplomas, but having some eye candy on stage helps to relieve the boredom somewhat. Finally, it's time. My stomach is tying itself in knots as I stand in line. I shouldn't have had that cup of tea with Ray before we left because I really need the bathroom, and even though I've only been standing up for a couple of minutes Kate's heels are killing me already. I seek out Ray's face again. He looks so proud. I take a deep breath, remember all the hard work I did to get to this moment, hold my head high and ascend the steps confidently...
Whomph! Suddenly my ankle gives way beneath me and I lurch forward, almost knocking over the girl in front of me on my unstoppable descent to the floor. My right knee hits the ground hard and my palms are grazed. Oh no, not here, not now, not in front of all these people. Blushing furiously, I scramble inelegantly to my feet. The girl behind me helps me up and I feel bad for all the nasty things I thought about her earlier. Why do I have to be such a klutz? How did I ever think I could balance on these things? I smooth down my gown hurriedly and half-run to catch up with the rest of the line, terrified of falling over again.
And now I have to shake hands with Mr Hotness when all I really want to do is get the hell off this stage and go home. He smiles at me.
'Quite the entrance' he says, proferring his hand. My handshake is hopelessly limp because my palm is stinging and I don't want to sully him with the dirt from the floor. My other hand fumbles with the diploma he is giving me and drops it to the ground. Wow, can my co-ordination actually get any worse? I am seriously tempted to raise my hand and ask for a do-over.
I crouch down to pick it up and he does the same. Our eyes meet as we both reach for the paper and I can see for the first time that his are a deep raincloud gray, the exact same shade as his expensive silk tie. Oh my. I bite my lip and mumble an apology as we straighten up. He insists on shaking my hand again before letting me escape my humiliation, and an unexpected shiver resonates along my spine at his touch. I hope I don't pass out. That would just top everything. I walk carefully off stage with my cheeks burning, clutching my diploma tightly and vowing that I will never again wear heels in public.
[A/N: Kudos to Socalchick0885 for reminding me that Christian presents the diplomas at graduation. I did think about having him be so offended by the interview debacle that he cancelled, but this works too.]