The car pulled to a stop and a valet was right there to open the door.
“Go get him!” Lucas said with a laugh.
I let the valet take my hand and help me out of the car.
“Here goes nothing,” I muttered to myself as I walked up the three stairs to the grand entrance.
CHAPTER 24
DANE
Galas were fucking stupid. That was my primary thought as I stood in the ballroom of the Metropolitan Club, sipping champagne that was far too sweet and doing my absolute best to look like I didn’t want to watch the entire venue burn to the ground.
Then we could all go home and relax.
My bowtie felt like it got tighter with every swallow of champagne, feeling like a hangman’s noose. I was usually fine at parties. A little bored but not suffering. Tonight I was miserable and I wasn’t sure why.
Technically, I could leave at any time. No law required me to be there. But this was the cost of doing business. Sometimes I had to put on a polite face and smile for the world.
The gala was made worse because no one wanted to talk about business or potential partnerships. Instead, everyone wanted to know about my mystery girlfriend, asking why she wasn’t with me.
“So when do we get to meet the future Mrs. Kavanagh?” an investor’s wife asked me, her smile excited, although a little predatory too.
“There’s no Mrs. Kavanagh,” I said for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Yet,” she added with a wink that made my skin crawl. “I saw those photos. Very romantic. You must be serious about her.”
“I’m serious about my privacy,” I deflected.
“Of course, of course.” She patted my arm like I was a child. “But you know what they say.”
“What do they say?” I prompted.
She frowned and shook her head. “Love finds a way. And you’ve helped so many people find love through your app. It’s only fair that you finally found it too.”
“That’s a very sweet thought.” I excused myself to get another glass of champagne, even though the last thing I needed was more alcohol that tasted like liquid sugar and was guaranteed to give me a migraine.
Outside the tall windows, I could see snow starting to fall. Not the gentle, romantic snow from last Friday when Ina and I went ice skating. This was the beginning of what the weather reports had been calling an epic winter storm. It was supposed to break snowfall records. I had no doubt it would be one hell of a storm and getting anywhere in the city would be nearly impossible.
The wealthy folks in this room weren’t worried. We all had drivers who would navigate the icy roads while we sat in the back, scrolling on our phones. Still, I could probably use the inclement weather as an excuse to leave a little early. I had already been here for hours.
I checked my watch. Seven forty-five. What the hell? That meant I’d been here forlessthan an hour. It felt like days. Did time move more slowly in this ball room?
“Dane Kavanagh!” A voice boomed across the room, and I turned to see the event organizer making his way toward me. “We’re ready for your speech!”
My speech. Right. The speech I’d been told about two days ago and hadn’t prepared for because I’d been too busy putting out fires at work and thinking about Ina.
“I was thinking we could skip the speech. I don’t have anything prepared.” I didn’t but I rarely did for these things.
“Oh, just a few words! Everyone’s dying to hear from New York’s Most Eligible Bachelor.” He was already guiding me toward a small stage at the front of the room. I had no way to gracefully decline without physically pushing him away from me, and that would cause a scene.
I stepped onto the stage, and the room quieted. Hundreds of faces turned toward me, all of them waiting for me to say something charming and self-deprecating about being honored and flattered. Like it wasn’t creepy at all how obsessed they were with my personal life.
I was very good at putting on a mask. I had perfected a charming smile and saying exactly what people wanted to hear. I’d been doing it for years. To me, it was like dressing up for a Halloween party or stepping onto a movie set.
Dane Kavanagh, billionaire bachelor, was a character I played very well.
I took the microphone from the host and smiled at the crowd. “Thank you all for being here tonight. What an honor to be recognized as New York’s Most Eligible Bachelor, even if I’m not entirely sure I deserve the title these days.”
