“Well, thank goodness for Rent the Runway,” I mutter.
“That’s the spirit. Now, come on, princess. Your knight in shining armor awaits.” Lou rolls her eyes at her own cheesiness. “Or whatever.”
Ten minutes later, we’ve parked, gathered the filming equipment, and made our way toward the entrance of the hotel.
And, just like he said he’d be, Hale is waiting for me at the foot of the grand marble steps.
He doesn’t see our trio at first, which means I have about forty-five seconds to puzzle over how psychotically unjust it is that he’s the type of man who looks incredible in sweatsanda tux.
Because, hell, he looks too good. As in, the public is going to see tonight’s episode and immediately drop their panties for him. The ladies will start lining up down the block from Station 47 and the captain will have his pick of the litter.
Which is fine, obviously, because it’s not likeIwant him. It was just a dream. And he’s just a hot guy.
And his employer hired me to help him, not admire his ass in those trousers.
Hale turns his head a moment later, spotting us. He opens his mouth to say something, but I end up blurting, “We’re not late.”
For a moment, all he does is stare at me. His expression is hard to read. He looks simultaneously annoyed, confused, and underwhelmed.
“In fact,” I continue, “we’re seven minutes early.”
He raises a single eyebrow. “Hello to you, too, Lila.”
Behind me, I’m aware of Lou and Jake getting the camera going, but I feel a little lightheaded and breathless.
“Hi,” I say, somewhat stupidly. “You look nice.”
He shrugs, nodding his chin at my dress. “You look nicer.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
“In fact, you look absolutely beautiful.”
I blink at him. That was certainly a lot more complimentary than I was expecting. In fact, I thought he might tell me that my choice to wear red tonight was a little too on-the-nose in terms of theming.
A smile curves my lips. “Thank you.”
Lou taps my shoulder. “Alright, we’re rolling.”
I nod, then offer Hale a grin. “Remember how I said this will go.”
He looks at the camera like he’d rather gently shove Jake into oncoming traffic than very politely act as first responder.
“I remember,” he confirms.
“Great.” I position myself beside him, ensuring that the magnificent entrance to the hotel is perfectly framed behind us, and then speak directly to the camera. “Hi, everyone! It’s Lila Hart! I’m here with Captain Hale Hargrove of Midtown’s Station 47, and I have the greatest honor of accompanying him to tonight’s FDNY Charity Gala. Throughout the evening, we’re going to get to know all about him, his job, and what it’s liketo be a real firefighter in New York City when the alarms aren’t going off.”
Hale awkwardly clears his throat when I finish speaking. Lou nods encouragingly from behind the camera.
“Let’s head inside then, shall we?” he suggests, offering me his arm.
I beam up at him, and he manages a neutral expression that doesn’t look outright grumpy.
As it turns out, this sourpuss is a perfect gentleman. He leads me up the stairs, slowing his pace to ensure I don’t catch a stiletto heal on the hem of my gown, and then he sweeps me into the entrance with all the grace and poise of Fred Astaire.
Lou and Jake trail behind, careful not to disturb the natural flow or cause too much commotion.
“Can you smile?” I dare to ask as we head toward the ballroom. “At least pretend you’re happy to be here.”
