by Sherri Hayes
Once inside the grand ballroom, I found Lily near the caterer’s entrance talking to one of the servers. She took me through the basic setup for the night, including a mock run-through of the PowerPoint presentation on the marketing strategy I was introducing. This wasn’t our first time at this, but it never hurt to double check everything before doing it in front of over five hundred people.
The main feature of the evening was along the back wall where several hundred items, all donated, were awaiting tonight’s silent auction. Assured everything was in place, I went to check on Sarah. While I had been conversing with Lily over details, she’d retreated to the silent auction table.
“See anything you’d like to bid on?”
She laughed. “Sure. Tons. I seriously doubt I’d bid high enough to win any of them, though. I mean, a week at a luxury spa? Season tickets in a Twins box? These are some serious donations.”
“Lily and her team are relentless. Before she came on board, we’d have one or two big ticket items—the rest were things like dinner for two at a fancy restaurant.”
“Wow. I’m impressed.”
“Lily is pretty impressive.”
Sarah leaned in to whisper in my ear, her voice laced with amusement. To the outside observer, I was sure it looked a lot more intimate than what it was. “I was talking about you. I think that’s the most I’ve heard you say about something that wasn’t Brianna since I’ve been here.”
Before I could say anything in return, Sarah grabbed my arm and began pulling me toward the bar. “You still don’t drink, right?”
“Right,” I mumbled, allowing myself to be manhandled.
“Well, right now neither do I, but I need something, so I guess I’ll have to see what the bartender can come up with that doesn’t have any alcohol. Hopefully I can survive the night without the added help.”
“You didn’t have to come, you know.”
She stopped and turned to face me. “Yes I did. I may not always know the right thing to say or do, but I wasn’t about to let you come alone tonight. You know as well as I do there will be reporters all over the place. You need someone to watch your back. That’s what I’m here for.”
Sarah smiled, triumphant.
“You’re here to watch my back?”
“That’s right.” She slipped her arm around mine and resumed moving toward the bar. “Now, let’s find the bartender.”
Sarah hadn’t been wrong. We always invited the press to this event because . . . well, it was good press. Most of the reporters present weren’t looking for gossip, thankfully. They were here to cover one of the biggest charity events in Minneapolis and to support a good cause.
True to her word, Sarah stayed by my side as I mingled through the crowd while the hors d’oeuvres and cocktails were served. Anytime she thought someone—a reporter or otherwise—was being too nosy about my personal life, she’d do something to distract them. One time she even went as far as spilling some of her drink. It missed everything important except the carpet beneath our feet, but it was enough to deflect and give us an excuse to get away. I had to admit, she was good at this. Sarah would have made a good wife in that regard. Too bad neither of us felt that way toward each other.
Halfway through cocktails, my aunt and uncle made their way through the crowd to say hi. “It’s a great turnout tonight.” My aunt leaned in to kiss my cheek.
“It is.” I made sure to keep the smile I’d been wearing all evening plastered on my face. The last thing I needed was the press to get a shot of me scowling at my aunt and turn it into some sort of family feud regarding Sarah.
“It’s good to see you again, Sarah.”
“Likewise, Diane. I’m glad I was able to come with Stephan tonight. The event has grown since the last time I attended.”
“That’s right. You did come with him that one year. How did I forget that?” A slight blush covered Diane’s cheeks.
Sarah chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. That was five years ago. A lot has changed since then.”
My aunt glanced down at Sarah’s growing stomach. “Yes, it has. How have you been feeling?”
Richard wrapped his arm around Diane’s waist and pulled her against his side. “Sweetheart, I’m sure Sarah doesn’t want to talk about that here.”
Diane glanced around and noticed all the potential eavesdroppers. “Oh. I guess you’re right. Maybe I can stop by sometime and we can have lunch?”
Sarah smiled. “Sure. I’d like that.”
A few minutes later, I saw Lily heading in my direction. It was time. “You ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I said a quick good-bye to my aunt and uncle and turned to Sarah. She was smiling.
“Just do your thing,” she said. “You’ve got this.”
Sarah took her time walking across the room to our table while I turned toward the stage. I wished I had Sarah’s confidence. Lately I was feeling as if I were missing an appendage. It left me unbalanced and lacking the surefire decisiveness I always had.
Squaring my shoulders, I ascended the stairs to the small platform that had been erected, and strolled over to the podium. “Good evening, everyone. I’d like to thank you for coming to The Coleman Foundation’s Fall Gala. If you’d please take your seats, we’ll get through the business part of the evening, and then you can relax and enjoy dinner.”
The rest of my speech was given with as much animation as I could muster. I felt like an actor on a huge stage hoping that no one started throwing rotten tomatoes at me.
When I finished spouting all the figures and statistics I’d memorized, I stepped off to the side of the stage and hit the remote I’d been given earlier by Lily. As if by magic, the lights dimmed and the screen behind the stage illuminated.
Our marketing department had done a wonderful job putting together this year’s presentation. There were pictures of some of the people we’d help over the last year, along with snippets of their story. Everything was set to music. It was very moving.
As the slideshow began winding down, I glanced over at my table where Sarah was sitting. She knew what the foundation did, but I was curious as to her reaction to the video. Before my gaze could zero in on Sarah, however, it was drawn to the opposite side of the stage and to the left. Lily was talking with someone, and she looked rather excited about whatever it was.
At first, I was going to dismiss it, but then I realized the other woman looked familiar. I took a closer look. My eyes widened as I realized it was Jade.
I searched for Cal somewhere nearby, but he was nowhere to be found. During the cocktail hour, I’d scanned the room for them to no avail. Eventually I’d given up, thinking that they’d decided to forego the gala. I had been mistaken.
The two glanced over at me. With the lights off, I couldn’t see their expressions very well, but I could tell they were both smiling. I had no idea what was going on.
When the presentation ended, I briefly took the stage once more. “Thank you all again for coming. Your support and generosity helps to make thousands of lives better. Please enjoy your dinners and the silent auction. Ms. Adams will announce the winners just before midnight.”
Jogging down the steps with purpose, I made a beeline for Lily. Jade had conveniently disappeared.
“Was that Jade?”
“Well hello to you, too.”
“Don’t toy with me, Lily. I’m not in the mood.”
Lily released an exasperated sigh, but the joyous expression never left her face. “She wanted to deliver a message.”
“What message? Why didn’t she just give it to me herself?”
She looked over my shoulder, then back at me. “Not here. Follow me.”
Without a second thought, I followed her.
I figured once we exited the ballroom, away from the noise and interested ears, she would relay the message. To my surprise, she didn’t stop once we were in the foyer. She was also moving fast. So fast that I had to work in order to keep up.
“Lily, where are you—”
“You’ll find out in a minute.”
Although I wasn’t in the mood for games, I decided to play along. At least for the moment. The only thing I could think of was that Cal, since I hadn’t seen him in the ballroom, needed to speak to me in private. It was the only thing that made sense.
The elevator doors reopened, and the first thing I saw was Cal and Jade standing at the far end of the hall. “What—”
“Patience.”
It was my turn to sigh. I was trying very hard not to lose my temper.
“It’s about time, Coleman.”
Jade elbowed Cal. “Stop it.”
“What’s going on?”
Cal didn’t move, but Jade did. She slipped a key card into the door and opened it.
Not knowing what was going on, but figuring the sooner I got inside the sooner I would get my answers, I stepped over the threshold and into the room. Three seconds later, I stopped breathing.
Chapter 16
Brianna
“You’re not going to stand there all night, are you?” Lily pushed her way around Stephan and enveloped me in a hug.
It took me less than a second to react and return her show of affection. I’d missed Lily, too. She’d been my only friend, my only lifeline besides Stephan. We’d talked almost every day before I moved in with Cal. It had been difficult not to pick up the phone and call her these past few months, but I’d had no idea what she thought of me after I left.
She pulled back, and I noticed her wiping moisture from her eyes.
“Hi, Lily.”
Lily smiled and then glanced over at Stephan. I followed her gaze. He hadn’t moved from his position near the door. The look on his face confused me. Did he not want to see me?
“I guess I should get back to the party,” Lily said, sounding slightly disappointed. “Will you call me?”
I nodded and watched out of the corner of my eye as she swept back out of the room, only pausing to whisper something to Stephan. He bobbed his head up and down minutely but never took his eyes off me.
Jade stepped forward, and behind her, I saw Cal looked uncertain. “We’re gonna go downstairs, Anna. I’ll be back to get you around noon tomorrow. If you need anything, you just call, okay? We’re only one floor down.”
“Room 304.” Cal appeared to be attempting to burn the words into Stephan with his mind rather than relaying the room number.
Again, I nodded.
The two of them left, closing the door firmly behind them and leaving Stephan and I alone. He still hadn’t moved, and I was getting nervous. The muscles in my throat constricted, and my heart raced. Maybe this hadn’t been the best idea.
As if some sort of switch had been flipped, Stephan took a step forward. Then another. Before I knew it, he was standing directly in front of me, only inches separating us. I looked up into his eyes and gasped. They held an intensity I’d never seen before from him. It both excited and frightened me. If it had been anyone else but Stephan looking at me like that, I would have been running for the nearest hiding place I could find. Because it was Stephan, I remained frozen, waiting.
Slowly, he lifted his right hand to my face. I closed my eyes and leaned in. His touch sent tingles down my spine. Warmth spread from his fingers down my neck to the pit of my stomach where the butterflies circled furiously.
He stepped closer, bringing our bodies in line with one another. His right hand never left my face as his left slid around my waist, holding me against him.
I itched to touch him, too. It had been so long. Lifting my arms, I wrapped them around his waist.
Stephan took this as a sign and pulled me against his chest. As he encircled me in his arms for the first time in four months, his chest heaved beneath my cheek before he released a ragged breath.
We stood there holding each other for a long time. I had no idea how many minutes passed—it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he was here. With me. Holding me. I didn’t ever want him to let go.
A strange sound caused me to glance up at him. He looked down, meeting my gaze, and I realized he was crying.
Reaching up with both hands, I used my thumbs to wipe the moisture from his cheeks. He’d gotten choked up that time he told me about his parents, but this was more than that. Fresh tears were streaming freely down his cheeks.
My gut twisted in response to his pain. I’d done this to him. My leaving had done this to him.
Before I could lower my hand, he captured my wrist, trapping me.
A split second later, he lowered his head, and his lips brushed against mine. I couldn’t help the noise that escaped—something between a sigh and a sob. I’d missed this . . . him.
Taking my reaction as encouragement, he released my wrist and cupped his hands around my head. He threaded his fingers through my hair as his mouth increased its pressure on mine. As if they had a mind of their own, my fingers sought out his hair and held tight.
He moaned and increased his grip on my hair, pulling slightly. I opened my mouth in reaction, and he took full advantage, sliding his tongue inside. I kissed him back with all the emotion I’d been storing . . . saving just for him.
Tears streamed down my face as we continued to kiss. When he realized I was crying, he placed soft kisses along my cheeks, wiping away the tears. I breathed deep, feeling the calm of being in his arms once more.
Satisfied my tears had stopped, Stephan rested his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes briefly, leaning into his touch as he caressed my face. When I opened my eyes again, I saw how concerned he was. “I missed you. So much.”
Stephan smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve missed you, too.” He paused, his fingers continuing to work their magic against my skin. “You know I’m not going to let you go again, don’t you? It nearly killed me. I can’t do it a second time.”
I nodded. There was still so much going on in our lives, but he was right about one thing—staying apart was no longer an option. I didn’t think my heart could take it. Not again.
He looked down and took a deep breath. “Where did you get that dress? It looks absolutely amazing on you.” As if to solidify his words, Stephan took hold of my waist with both hands and squeezed.
Even to such a simple gesture, my body reacted. I was still his. He still wanted me.
“Jade helped me pick it out.”
As soon as I’d seen the dress online, I knew it was the one I wanted. It was gray, not a color I normally wore, but I loved how it hugged my torso and flowed from my waist to the floor. I’d also remembered what Lily had said about Stephan liking strapless dresses. If the look in his eyes was any indication, he liked the dress a lot.
“You look stunning in it.”
I felt my cheeks heat in response to his compliment.
He chuckled and stepped back. Taking hold of my hands, he led me across the room to the sofa beside the bed. He sat down and pulled me into his lap. I folded my body into his, laying my head on his shoulder and reaching for the buttons on his shirt. As soon as I realized what I was doing—that I’d ruin his shirt, and he needed to be presentable to go back to the party later—I snatched my hands away.
To my surprise, he stopped me. “You can play with my buttons, love.” I looked up at him, confused. “I don’t care if you ruin my shirt. I can always get another one.”
“But the party—”
He kissed my forehead. “I’m not going back to the party tonight.”
“But you have to.”
Stephan raised an eyebrow. “I do?”
I looked down at my lap sheepishly before glancing back up at him. “Don’t you?”
He brushed his fingers up my arm until he reached my face and tilted my head to look at him. “No. I’ve done my part. Lily can take care of the rest.” He placed a chaste kiss on my lips. “I’m all yours for the rest of the night.”
Smiling, I hugged him.
He laughed and hugged me back.
This felt
so good. I hadn’t been this happy since the day I’d left his condo.
Settling back into my favorite position, I began playing with the buttons on his shirt again, this time not caring about the potential damage.
Time slipped away as we sat there holding each other. He never stopped touching me. It was as if he had to remind himself that I was real, that this was real. In many ways, I was feeling the same way. Being with him again after so long apart felt more like dream.
A rumbling in my stomach broke our quiet moment. He tilted my chin up and looked me in the eye. “You’re hungry. When was the last time you ate something?”
“About one o’clock.”
He scowled. “Lunch? Why didn’t you eat dinner?”
I tried to look down, but he held tight to my face. “I was too nervous. About seeing you again. I didn’t know . . .”
“Continue.”
“I didn’t know if you’d be mad at me.”
His scowl became a frown.
Stephan released my chin, reached into his jacket pocket, and removed his cell phone. After punching in several numbers, he held it up to his ear. “Are you able to get away for a few minutes?”
He paused.
“Brianna hasn’t eaten dinner. Can you get something from the kitchen and bring it up to the room for her?” He nodded, although whoever he was talking to couldn’t see. “We’ll see you in a few minutes, then.”
Placing his cell phone back in his jacket pocket, he patted my leg, indicating he wanted me to stand. I had some difficulty in the dress, and he helped so I wouldn’t rip the beautiful garment.
Once he knew I was safely on my feet, he strolled into the bathroom and returned with a glass of water. He handed it to me. “Drink. My guess is that if you haven’t eaten anything since lunch, you haven’t drunk anything either. Am I right?”
Feeling guilty, I looked down as I took a sip of the water. “Yes, Sir.”
Stephan sighed and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. “I thought I told you to take care of yourself.”
“I’ve been trying to eat better, but today . . .”