“Sorry I’m late.”
I pivot, the motion mostly not on purpose dislodging Noah’s arms from my waist. “No problem, I’m just happy you’re here.” I make a show of checking his name off the list and searching for his table number, even though we’re obviously seated together. He looks good, of course, the cut of his suit tailored and sharp, the blue of his tie an exact match to his eyes.
As I turn to lead him to his seat, my eyes catch on a couple entering the tent. My brain absolutely freezes, my feet along with it.
Ben’s steps stutter as his eyes lock on mine, but luckily for his date, he doesn’t lose his full range of motion.
I think Noah is trying to get my attention, but I can’t be sure because I’m only capable of focusing on one thing right here in this present moment. And it isn’t him.
It’shim.
Ben wears a dark gray suit, clean and classic and simple in a beautiful way. He’s paired it with a navy blue shirt, open at the neck without a tie. His thick hair, so often unruly, has been tamed in a way that makes me want to run my fingers through it and muss it up again.
It isn’t until he clears his throat and gestures to the woman standing next to him that I regain any sort of motor function. I almost lose it all again when my eyes drift to the woman, Lindsay obviously. She’s gorgeous, of course. Wearing a soft pink dress with a sweetheart neckline, her dark brown curls sweeping over her pale shoulders. She offers me a blinding smile and I wonder if she’s as perfect as she looks, if she and Ben are as well suited in reality as they look together in this moment.
“You must be Lindsay.” I direct my words to her, notsure I have the ability to look Ben in the eye and make sounds come out of my mouth. I check off their names on my list and gesture toward Noah, waiting patiently by my side, though he is watching me with a questioning glint in his eyes. “Ben and I need to go get ready for the auction, but maybe the two of you could find your seats. We’re all at the same table.”
Noah’s jaw tightens ever so slightly, but he flashes Lindsay a wide grin and offers her his arm. “You two have fun up there.”
Without a second glance, our dates head toward the front of the room, chatting amiably along the way.
I finally allow myself to meet Ben’s eyes. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He rocks forward on his toes a bit before shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning back.
“For a second I thought you might not be coming.”
“And miss the opportunity to show you up out there? Not a chance.”
A grin tugs on my lips and his face splits in an answering smile.
“You look beautiful, sweetheart.” His voice is so low, I have to lean in to hear him. God, he smells good.
“You clean up pretty okay yourself.”
The sound of a throat clearing pulls me from my Ben-induced haze once again. Emma’s eyes flit between the two of us, something knowing and worried lurking in the depths of them. “It’s time to start the auction.”
I pull back from Ben, straightening my dress, though not a stitch is out of place. “Great! Let’s go!” My voice is overly cheerful, but they both blessedly ignore it and follow me toward the stage.
Our group of auctionees is waiting off to the side, andafter a quick run-through, I accept the mic from the emcee and climb up on the stage.
“Hello everyone,” I begin, giving the crowd a couple of seconds to finish their conversations. “Thank you so much for coming out tonight to our Save the Bakery fundraiser.” I hold for applause and am granted a rousing chorus of cheers. “I know it means so much to Emma to see you all here supporting her tonight. Now, I promise we have a fun night of dinner and dancing ahead of us, but before we can cut loose, it’s time to raise some money!” This round of cheers is louder than the first and I make a mental note to tip the bartenders extra as they clearly have done their jobs well. “And what better way to kick off this auction than with the woman of the hour herself: please give it up for Emma!”
This time the yells and hollers are so loud, I have to force myself not to cover my ears.
Emma climbs to the stage with a look on her face that can only be described as pure and unadulterated terror. She steps toward me and turns to face the audience, her hands clasped in front of her.
“Smile,” I whisper fiercely in her ear.
She obliges, but it’s definitely not the winning grin she usually sports.
“All right, everyone. Let’s start this off with a bang. Who’s willing to give a hundred dollars for a date with this gorgeous woman? If you ask nicely, she’ll probably bring some baked goods!”
Several hands shoot into the air, and we’re off. It doesn’t take long for Emma’s numbers to climb. I’m so busy keeping track of the bids that I don’t notice the disappointedlook in her eyes until we’re down to our final two bidders, two men I don’t recognize, neither of whom are Ethan.
I reach for her hand, squeezing gently as I announce, “Going once, going twice—” I spot Ethan standing in the back of the room, his hands shoved in his pockets, his face pinched. I flash back to our conversation about his lack of funding and how it made him feel like he doesn’t deserve Emma. And I make a decision. “What’s that I see in the back of the room? Another hand? You’d like to bid a thousand dollars, tall guy with the brown hair?”
Emma’s eyes widen and she moves to grab the mic, but I’m too quick for her.
