Julian hated every minute of the fundraiser. He’d never been thrilled to attend events like the one that evening, but alcohol and seeking out the company of a beautiful woman had usually been enough to make them tolerable, if not enjoyable.
When he’d agreed to come, he hadn’t thought about how being in that environment again would shake him. Quite literally. He’d been offered alcohol several times throughout the evening, and it had taken everything within him to turn it down.
He’d had to clench his hands into fists to keep from reaching out to take a flute of the champagne. And the temptation to go to the bar where he could order something stronger was nearly overwhelming.
From the moment he’d put the tuxedo on, Julian had been fighting an internal battle. If he’d realized how bad it was going to be for him, he would never have asked Kiara to come.
He’d never brought a date to any previous fundraisers, especially the ones that the Burke Foundation was involved with. Duncan expected him to mingle and connect with the people who were present, and he hadn’t ever wanted to do that with a date on his arm. He’d usually waited to connect with a woman until after he’d satisfied Duncan with his circulating.
That evening, he could have taken Kiara around with him, but he didn’t want to force her to spend even more time on her feet. She’d mentioned her shoes not being comfortable, and it seemed best to let her stay at the table with Cole and Annie.
He’d glanced over periodically to keep an eye on her, and she seemed to be doing okay.
“Julian, my boy!”
Turning away from his view of the table, he greeted the older man approaching him. Clarence Livingston had been in his life for as long as he could remember. The family story was that he had once been Julian’s grandma’s boyfriend.
His grandma had always been coy about it, and his grandpa had only scowled when asked. With both of them now gone, Marcus was the only one who knew the truth.
Regardless, Julian liked the old man and considered him an uncle. He gave him a hug, then stood chatting with him for several minutes.
Even though he was well into his eighties, Clarence lived a full and adventurous life. Most recently, he’d taken his yacht for an extended cruise around the Caribbean and had apparently found a girlfriend.
“You live the most interesting life of anyone I know,” Julian told him.
“That’s really sad,” Clarence replied with a shake of his head. “You’re too young to be living a boring life. Though I hear that congratulations are in order.”
Julian still wasn’t sure how to respond to that because he didn’t know if they were referring to the wedding or the baby on the way. “Thanks.”
“Is your wife here with you tonight?” Clarence asked.
“Yes.” He turned in the direction of the table again and noticed that it was empty. “I left her at the table since she’s pregnant and wearing uncomfortable shoes. She must have gone to the bathroom.”
“I’ll wander by there in a bit,” Clarence said. “I need to go chat up Mrs. Dante.”
Julian lifted his brows. “I thought you had a girlfriend.”
“Oh, I do, but it’s my duty to make Mrs. Dante smile.”
“Well, then you must take care of that.”
Clarence gave him a jaunty tip of the hat he wore, then sauntered away, twirling the fancy cane he carried everywhere.
Julian watched him go, then glanced around. He spotted Cole and Annie on the dance floor, but the table was still empty.
“Hello, Julian.”
He recognized the voice, even before he turned to see Emilia Levine. They’d known each other for years, and her husband was one of the friends he’d had since college. She was one of the few women who hadn’t tried to capture his attention because her sights had always been firmly set on Jarrod Levine.
Bending, he brushed a kiss to one cheek and then the other. “Where’s your husband?”
“He’s circulating. His dad made him promise to make contact with certain people.”
That wasn’t too unusual. “You aren’t helping him?”
“Oh, I’m going to, but I wanted to say hi,” she told him. “And to let you know, I had a quick chat with your wife. She seems… lovely.”
Julian frowned. “I hope you were nice to her.”
