Yeah, right. More like die of disappointment.
As Alaina sang, she watched Bianca. The Queen of the Night crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. Sure, Alaina had won this round. But, Bianca wouldn’t give up this easily. From now on Alaina had to watch her back.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Improvisation
Brett adjusted the collar of his new, navy Armani suit- a present from Mrs. DeBarr. Even though he looked like a million bucks, he felt cheap and sleazy. How long could he keep this pretense up?
A black limo pulled up to the curb in front of his apartment. Some of the neighborhood kids playing with sidewalk chalk glanced up and stared. The limo looked like a rare, sleek beast next to the scuffed up Toyotas and Chevrolets parked on the side of the street.
He opened the door and slid into the leather seat. The interior smelled like pine, reminding him of home.
Mrs. DeBarr smiled warmly. She wore an elegant, white business suit with a red and blue striped scarf. “How’s my dear boy today?”
“Nervous.” He adjusted the cuffs of his suit. “I’ve never given a speech. I have no idea what to say.”
“Leave that to me.” She reached in her purse and pulled out a wad of index cards.
He took the cards, read the first couple, then slid them into his inside breast pocket. “Thanks.”
“Thank you. Your presence at this event will surely draw some big donations.”
Anxiety along with hope crawled up his spine. “Will Alaina be there?”
Mrs. DeBarr shrugged. “I had no idea she was coming to the first fundraiser. To tell you the truth, from what I’d heard about her, I didn’t think she cared.”
“She does now.” Defensiveness reared up inside him. “She’s a kind hearted woman once you get to know her.”
“You really do like her, don’t you?” Mrs. DeBarr smiled. Her certainty unnerved him.
Brett glanced away. He hadn’t called Alaina since their date. He didn’t know what to say if he couldn’t tell her the truth. Every word out of his mouth cemented him further in the lie.
They drove downtown to the Metropolitan Banquet Facility. Brett had walked by the massive building on one of his initial tours of New York, but he never thought he’d be going inside. Not that he wanted to. He’d much rather be hiking or canoeing. But, he’d left that life behind.
The limo dropped them off by the revolving glass doors. Brett helped Mrs. DeBarr from the limo and up the steps. “So you usually attend these events on your own?”
Mrs. DeBarr nodded and tapped her hand on his arm. “It’s nice to have company.”
He wondered where Mr. DeBarr was, then thought it best not to ask. Whenever someone asked him about his parents an uncomfortable weight fell on the conversation.
They passed a lobby with chandeliers and marble floors and took the elevator to the south hall on the twenty-seventh floor, a massive room at the corner of the building surrounded by glass. The city stretched out all around them as they entered, the skyscrapers reflecting the early afternoon sun. White tablecloths decorated with pink and red flower arrangements spread before them.
Brett scanned the room for Alaina. Most of the people congregated by the windows. They sipped wine and chatted in social circles. Two older ladies came and took Mrs. DeBarr away, leaving him to stand on his own with a crowd of people who thought he was someone else.
A high-pitched voice came from his left. “My, my. Look who just walked in. The talk of the auction.”
Brett turned around reluctantly. Ms. Barbie strutted toward him in a pink and black polka dot cocktail dress way too short for her long legs. Brett made sure not to look down and tried to remember her name.
“Bianca, remember?” She offered her hand. A waft of sweet perfume that reminded him of bubblegum permeated the space around him, giving him the urge to choke. “I hope you didn’t have too much fun on your date.”
He glanced around nervously for Alaina, hoping she hadn’t spotted him with Bianca. “Just enough to make it worth the price paid.”
“Oh, you’re such a tease.” She hit his chest with her hand. “If only I could have stayed in the bidding.”
Thank God she didn’t. He turned away, scouring his brain for any kind of way out.
“By the way, a friend of mine works in your office. She says you just got back from a trip to China?”
China? Brett coughed. “I apologize. There’s a tickle in my throat. If you’ll excuse me.”
Before she could respond, he slipped toward the bathroom at the back of the room. That’s when he saw Alaina sitting by herself at the back table, staring across the city with a melancholy pout that broke his heart. It was as if she was searching for something or someone in the chaos. Maybe him.
His heart skipped a beat. He hoped it was him.
She wore a simple sleeveless blue dress that fanned out around her calves, contrasting with her sunset hair. A dab of blush brought out her high cheekbones. She looked absolutely, flawlessly gorgeous.
Brett paused, wondering if he should approach her or run in the other direction, but the pull was too strong and he couldn’t resist. He stepped toward her. “Alaina?”
She whirled around and blinked in surprise. “Lance?”
He gestured to the seat beside her, wishing she knew his true name. “Is this seat taken?”
“No.” She pulled out the chair. “I came alone.”
He sat in the seat beside her, wanting to take her hand. Instead, he threaded his fingers together on the tabletop. “I’m sorry I haven’t called.”
She glanced down as sadness tinged her eyes. “You must have been busy.”
Guilt poured over him. He’d hurt her feelings. Busy trying to figure out what to do. “I wanted to call.”
“You did?” The corner of her mouth curved.
“More than anything.”
She reached across the table and took his hand. It was as if no time had passed since their kiss. The heat still sizzled between them in full force.
Hope crossed her face. “I don’t suppose they’ll be auctioning another date?”
“Sadly, not.” He leaned toward her and dropped his voice. “Today they have me giving a speech.”
She studied his face and teased him with a smirk. “You sound like you don’t want to.”
“I feel like I’m in fifth grade again, about to give a report.”
Alaina laughed. “I’m surprised. I thought you would have been a stellar student.”
Maybe the real Lance was, but Brett had always been more interested in the outdoors. “Let’s just say I wasn’t the teacher’s pet.”
“I like that.” Alaina rubbed her thumb across his forefinger. “A trouble maker.”
Desire stirred deep in his gut. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
She set her elbow on the table and placed her chin on her free hand. “How far would you go?”
Applause erupted behind them. Mrs. DeBarr had taken the podium, and smiled as her colleagues and friends took their seats at the tables around her. Lance breathed in relief with a mixture of disappointment. He liked where their conversation was headed. Alaina had a way of turning small talk into fire.
Mrs. DeBarr introduced him, and everyone turned in their seats.
Alaina squeezed his arm. “Break a leg with your report.”
“Thanks.” Her little joke gave him the courage to stand. Brett left the table and walked to the podium. His chest tightened, and his suit felt a little too tight. He’d meant to go over the rest of the index cards, but Alaina had distracted him. He’d just have to wing it.
“Hello, everyone.” His voice boomed over the microphone, and he pulled it back. “Thanks for inviting me here today. I’ll make this short so you can get to your lunch. I know we’re all hungry.”
Great. That sounded like the dumbest thing he’d ever said. But, the audience laughed lightly. This was an easier crowd than his fellow schoolmates. Brett slipped the cards from his pocket and placed them on t
he podium. “Today I’ll be talking about the importance of fundraising.”
Boy, this did feel like some school presentation. Back in sixth grade he had done a report on President Woodrow Wilson, and had decided to dress up like him all the way down to the business suit and thin-rimmed glasses. Today he felt no less ridiculous.
Brett put the index cards down. He didn’t need them back then, and he didn’t need them now. “This isn’t about statistics and reports. It’s about people. People in need. People who have a hole in their heart so big, they could drown right in it.”
He paused, scanning the audience. Bianca sipped her wine, only half paying attention. In the back Alaina smiled encouragingly. Surprise widened Mrs. DeBarr’s eyes, but she nodded for him to continue.
Brett took a deep breath. His fingers shook, but he knew what he had to say. “I’m no stranger to tragedy. When it struck, it blindsided me so hard I lost who I was and any meaning in my life.” He glanced at Alaina. “Only through the kindness of others could I learn to live again. And that’s what this is about. Not giving money to a cause for a tax deduction or to get your photo in the papers, but reaching out to real people, telling them they’re not alone.”
He stepped back as if he’d just run a marathon, and waited for the result. “Thank you for listening.”
Mrs. DeBarr stood and started clapping, then her whole table followed her example. Alaina stood in the back, and then the table beside her, and the one beside that one until everyone in the room stood and clapped.
Brett’s face grew hot as surprise spread through him. He’d spoken from the heart, but he hadn’t expected it to touch so many people. Mrs. DeBarr came up and opened her arms. He leaned down and hugged her, and she whispered in his ear, “I knew you could do it. Well done!”
She took the microphone, and he walked back to the table with Alaina and sat down.
Alaina leaned over. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea you’d been through so much.”
What had he done? He couldn’t even speak to his best friend about what had happened and now he’d just shared his deepest, darkest moment with a bunch of strangers. He didn’t want their pity.
Brett sat back in his seat as the waiters and waitresses brought in plates of herb-crusted chicken. “I hadn’t meant to. I should have just read the index cards.”
“No.” Alaina hadn’t picked up her fork. She stared at him in awe. “What you did up there was perfect.”
After lunch, Mrs. DeBarr took the podium one last time thanking everyone for coming. She held up a clear fishbowl full of small pieces of paper. “And now we get to see who’s won the tickets.”
“What tickets?” Brett folded his napkin on the table.
“Two tickets for a weekend getaway at the White Mountain Lodge in northern New Hampshire.”
Brett perked up. The famous White Mountain Lodge? He’d always wanted to go there, and it was peak foliage season. Located at the base of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeastern United States, the area had numerous hiking trails and amazing waterfalls. “Too bad I didn’t enter.” Like he could even afford the raffle ticket.
“You did enter.” Alaina pointed to his lap. “Under your seat there’s a number. Those are the numbers she’s picking through right now.”
“Really?” Hope rose inside his chest.
Alaina laughed. “Your face reminds me of Charlie when he’s about to open the candy bar to see if he has a golden ticket.”
Brett tried to contain his excitement. “I’ve been wanting to go there for some time.” He rubbed his hands up and down his legs. His palms had grown sweaty.
Mrs. DeBarr stirred the small papers with her hand. She picked one from the bottom and drew it out of the fish bowl slowly. “Seat number thirty-four.”
Everyone ducked under their seats to have a look. Brett followed their example, feeling a little foolish to want something so badly that he had no idea existed just a moment ago. His seat read fifty-one. His lungs deflated.
Alaina watched him rise. “No luck?”
He shook his head. “Fifty-one.”
“That must mean I’m fifty-two then.” Alaina sipped her wine. “No need to check.”
Mrs. DeBarr took the microphone. “Still no winner. Keep looking, people!”
Brett stared at Alaina and she shook her head. “Naw. It can’t be me. I sat all the way in the back.”
He couldn’t believe she hadn’t moved yet. “Check your seat.”
“Oh, all right.” She put her glass down and fell to her knees. She stuck her head under her seat, then jumped up. “Bingo!”
“Congratulations!” Mrs. DeBarr waved the piece of paper in the air. “Make sure you see me before you leave to get your prize.”
Alaina collapsed back in her seat. “I can’t believe I won. I’ve never won anything in my life.” She looked at him and her eyes brightened. “The tickets are for two. Looks like you’ll be going after all.”
Brett blinked in surprise. She’d skipped the whole invitation part and assumed he was going. He sure as hell wanted to go, but bells of reason rang in his ears. He didn’t want to spend all that time pretending he was someone else.
Alaina stiffened. “What? You don’t have time?”
“No. It’s not that.” Brett ran his hands through his hair, trying to figure out what to do. Alaina’s alarm broke his heart. How could he let her down? Besides, did he want her going with anyone else besides him? An ugly streak of jealousy surged inside him. Nope. Not in a million years. This was his chance to get to know her. He pushed aside all his fears. “I’d love to go with you.”
“Great!” She hit her hand on the table like a judge declaring a final decision. “The tickets are for next weekend.”
“Next weekend?” That didn’t give him much time to straighten things out.
“That’s right. I’ll have to buy a pair of hiking shoes.” She winked. “No more high heels for our dates.”
Alaina in hiking shoes? He couldn’t wait.
At the end of the luncheon he pulled Mrs. DeBarr aside. They walked to the corridor outside the room where no one else would overhear. She patted his arm, beaming with a bright smile. “You were marvelous.”
Brett shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t want to be marvelous, he just wanted to do the job and get out of this situation. “I’m sorry I didn’t follow your cards.”
“Nonsense.” She leaned on the windowsill. “Everyone thought you were speaking of my husband.”
“Mr. DeBarr?”
She nodded solemnly and her eyes grew watery. She dug in her purse, brought out a wadded tissue and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. She looked as though she were holding herself together with threads.
Brett loosened his collar as the walls pressed in around him. Did he want to ask? No. Bringing up another tragedy only made him think of his own. Besides, it wasn’t his place. He was already too involved with this old woman. Tears or not, he had to pull out the stops and lay down the law. She’d helped him meet Alaina, but if he intended on keeping her, he had to stop Mrs. DeBarr’s little game.
“Listen, you know Alaina won the tickets to the resort?”
Mrs. DeBarr nodded, her diamond earrings swinging. “Yes, I do.”
“She’s asked me to go with her.”
“That’s wonderful.” Mrs. DeBarr opened her purse. “You’ll need my credit card.”
“No.” Brett took her hand. “I can’t go out with her any longer under this pretense. I have to tell her the truth.”
Mrs. DeBarr wiped her forehead and stuffed the tissue back in her purse. Her hands shook. “I’m afraid you can’t do that.”
“Why the hell not?” Brett glanced behind his shoulder. He’d raised his voice a little too loud. Bianca was at the opposite end, pressing the button for the elevator. Had she overheard?
“Yes, yes, I’ll be right there.” She brought her cell phone down from her ear and stuffed it in her purse.
Brett breathed a sigh of relief. Th
ank god she’d been on the phone.
Mrs. DeBarr didn’t skip a beat. “I need you more than anything now. Mrs. Shields has asked if you could speak at the next luncheon.”
Brett dropped his voice. “The next luncheon? There isn’t going to bed another luncheon because I’m not your son. I agreed to one night, remember?”
Mrs. DeBarr glanced at the door to the banquet hall. Her voice took on a conspirator’s tone. “How well do you know Alaina?”
He shrugged. He’d just met her last Monday night at the cocktail party.
“What do think she’ll do if you tell her the truth?”
Brett glanced at his shiny, expensive shoes- shoes Mrs. DeBarr had bought for him, shoes he couldn’t afford with three months’ pay. Would Alaina still be interested in him if she knew he wore construction boots instead of Oxford’s?
Mrs. DeBarr nodded. “She’d probably be really upset and demand her money back. Then all of these ladies would do the same, withdrawing everything they’d donated today. I can see the front page of the New York Times: local philanthropist and construction worker deceive the masses. I wouldn’t be able to fundraise for anything again.”
Brett clenched his hands into fists. She should have thought of that before she dressed him in her son’s clothes. He should have thought of the consequences before he’d taken her offer. But now here they were, stuck in the lie. “We should come clean now before it gets any worse.”
“No.” She grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with desperation. “Not yet.”
Brett narrowed his eyes. She wasn’t telling him something. “What’s the rush? Why is this so important to you right now?”
She sighed and her shoulders fell forward. “It’s time you meet Mr. DeBarr.”
CHAPTER NINE
Time
The door to the banquet room opened, and a bunch of people flooded the hall, thanking Mrs. DeBarr for bringing such a wonderful guest speaker. Between hugs and handshakes, Mrs. DeBarr turned back to Brett. “Why don’t we go back in and collect my things?”
“Good idea.” He took her arm and cut a path through the crowd, leading her back to the hall. Once they were inside, he found her coat as she talked with the remaining guests.
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