Chapter Twelve
Destiny
“You look divine, Destiny,” Charlie’s smooth as silk voice reverberated behind me.
I spun in the direction of my date, and just barely held my smile in place. “Thank you, Charlie. You look handsome as well.”
Charlie was a former colleague of mine. He’d been invited to the Tidas Charity event as a representative of the company we both used to work for. When he’d heard through the grapevine that I’d be attending the event as well, he suggested that we attend together. Knowing what a big deal this annual event was, and not wanting to turn down the invite, I agreed. It made sense to go with Charlie since I’d flown all of the way to DC just to attend the event, at the insistence of two of my more prestigious clients. However, not knowing many people in attendance, knowing at least Charlie would help.
“Thank you.” Grinning, he pushed his glasses up a little farther with his finger. Charlie was one of those guys who was handsome but had spent his most formative years with his head in the books and at math competitions. He’d been a late bloomer, according to him, and it wasn’t until college that women had finally notice his intriguing dark brown eyes, curly brown locks, and Mediterranean good looks. However, even years later, and a high six figure salary, Charlie was still that same nerd at heart. That’s what also made him feel safe to be my date that evening. I didn’t need any more men with huge egos and women fawning all over them in my presence.
“Everything all right?” Charlie asked, sounding nervous and looking down at his tuxedo, beginning to straighten out wrinkles that weren’t there.
I then realized I’d just rolled my eyes as my brain started creeping back to thoughts of Tyler.
“Everything’s fine,” I lied. “Shall we go in?” I nodded in the direction of entranceway to the hotel where the event was being held.
“Of course.” He nodded and placed his hand at the small of my back.
I gathered the silk material of the long, black gown I wore with my right hand, to prevent myself from tripping over it as I walked. We handed the door attendant our invitations and were soon let into the VIP event.
“So Brenda was telling me that your business is doing well. We haven’t had the opportunity to talk much in the last couple of years.”
I took one of the champagne flutes from the passing waiter as we entered the ballroom where the event was held. I pulled my eyes from all of the smiling people adorned in tuxedos and ball gowns to turn back toward Charlie.
“Brenda’s right. Business is going well,” I responded.
He shook his head. “I still can’t believe you had the courage to strike out on your own. That takes a lot of guts. I admire that.” His smile was friendly.
“Thank you.” I would’ve told him leaving behind my old job to become one hundred percent self-employed hadn’t taken much bravery at all. That once I’d left the eight-year marriage I’d been in, nothing after that seemed too scary. Except …
“Hey, aren’t you a huge football fan?” Charlie asked, interrupting my thoughts.
I gave him a perplexed look as he stared at something over my shoulder. “Yeah, why?”
“You’re a fan of the Cougars, right?”
“Right again. Now, can I ask why you’re talking about football out of the bl—”
“Because their star quarterback is here.”
Immediately my back stiffened and I pivoted to stare across the room. My heart squeezed in my chest when Tyler’s tall, built frame, draped in an expensive dark tuxedo came into view. I blinked, my breath catching at the first sight of him in well over a week. I’d even avoided watching that day’s game just because I didn’t want to be reminded of him. I wish I could say it’d worked but I’d be lying. And now, here I was, staring at the man I was working so hard to ignore.
“You think it’d be too much to try and get his autograph?”
I didn’t even bother to respond to Charlie’s inane suggestion. I wasn’t about to go over there. In fact, it’d be best if I stopped staring and made my way across to the other side of this event. Besides, I was there to make potential new business connections, not ogle over lying football players … no matter how good he looked in that damn tux.
“N-no, I think we should—” I stopped talking the moment Tyler lifted those damn, hypnotizing eyes from the group of men he’d been talking with, and they landed directly on me. His eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise, before the irises that were usually hazel-green darkened to an almost olive color.
“He looks like he’s coming this way,” I heard in my peripheral.
I blinked, and sure enough, Tyler who’d been halfway across the room, was now only a few feet away. When his gaze shifted to my left, landing on Charlie, his jaw tightened noticeably, before shifting back to stare at me. It was then that I realized Charlie’s hand was still at the small of my back, as if he was preparing to introduce me as his date.
Something about the expression on Tyler’s face told me that would not be a good idea.
****
Tyler
