“Thank you, Brady.”
By the time Callum got in the car, his phone was dinging over and over again.
“Is everything ok?”
He pulled out his phone, a worried brow on his face, which quickly changed to humor.
“All is good. Let’s just say the boys are both eagerly awaiting the end of this dinner and want to kill me.”
I sucked on my bottom lip. “Me too. The after dinner piece… not wanting to kill you.”
Awkward.
I sighed at myself before running my hand up his leg and over his crotch.
“You really are trouble.”
“Yea. Not the first time I heard that.” The last time was… you guessed it. High school. Chemistry class. Seeexxy.
Why was I so in my head right now? I needed to get out of it and just enjoy tonight.
We pulled up to the convention center, where the gala was, twenty minutes later. Most of the car ride had been quiet, with Callum running his fingers along the inside of my palm while he looked absentmindedly out of the window. I’d pay all the money in the world to know what was going on inside of his head. Part of me hoped he was trying to figure out how he could live the rest of his life without me in it. That tonight and possibly some other night wouldn’t be the end of us. Of this.
This was wrong. I shouldn’t have asked him to come. Why did he say yes? He said they don’t do dates. Everyone was going to think we were a couple, and he was my boyfriend. Did I really want to go through the entire night correcting them? Did I want to even correct them? What would I say? No, this hot ass man isn’t my boyfriend. We’re just friends with benefits for the rest of the week?
I felt his hand slip around my back and felt a warmth and tingle shoot up my spine. “What’s wrong Everlee?”
Shit. Even the way my name rolled off his tongue. “Nothing.” I lied.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me off to the side, away from the red carpet, which had been rolled out the entire length from the roundabout to the front door.
“Everlee.”
“It’s nothing, really. I don’t want to talk about it.”
The back of his hand brushed along my cheek. “I’ll let it go for now.”
I tried to smile, but knew I didn’t succeed. I was going to ruin this night before it even started. Get your shit together, Everlee. That’s what Lizzy would say. She’d be jumping up and down in front of me, hyping me up. She’d tell me to get that donkey dick or some other crazy name she’d blurt out and say to just have fun.
I grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the red carpet as we continued our walk. There were a few couples in front of us, so we didn’t have to wait outside long. I noticed a few of the dresses from the shop I got mine at and loved mine even more. Theirs looked nice on them, but I truly loved this one.
We got up to the huge heart-shaped balloon arch at the front and had to take a picture. I was going to decline, but Callum pulled me over insisting.
When we walked in, we stood for a second at the doorway, admiring all the exquisite decorations. They really went all out for this.
“What did you say this was for again?”
I laughed. “I guess I didn’t say. This is one of our largest customers. They are hosting this gala to raise funds for one of their charities. Our company bought several tables as a show of support. They did it on Valentine’s Day, because it was a special day for the charity owner.”
We walked over to a desk where the charity had set up a station for any other donations.
“Good evening. Don’t you make a handsome couple.” The older lady beamed. She was wearing a draping black sequin dress with a pearl necklace and matching earrings.
“Thank you.” Callum chimed, reaching his arm around me. “I think so too.”
“Thank you so much for coming tonight and supporting us, it really means the world to us and these children.”
Callum smiled. “Can we still make donations?”
