I should have looked away.
Instead, I made the mistake of meeting his eyes.
For one second.
Two.
Long enough for something sharp and electric to pass between us.
Then the emcee’s voice boomed over the speakers.
“Alright, everybody! We’re starting raffles!”
The room erupted.
Chairs scraped.
People shouted for others to sit down.
The tension snapped.
Just like that, conversation shifted, and the table around us turned toward the front of the room.
I exhaled slowly, like I’d been holding my breath without realizing it.
Maya shot me a look. “Well.”
I opened my drink. “What?”
Her mouth curved. “This just got a lot more interesting.”
I ignored her.
Or at least I tried to.
But as the first winning number was called and applause broke out somewhere near the stage, I could still feel it.
The president’s attention.
Steady.
Intent.
And entirely too focused on me.
Three
Emma
Once the raffles kicked off, the energy in the room shifted dramatically. The earlier chaos of people wandering around, buying tickets, and crowding the bar started to funnel toward the small stage at the front. Chairs scraped against the floor as people pulled them closer together, and conversations faded into a low hum, allowing the emcee’s voice to cut through the air.
“Alright, everyone,” he said, tapping the microphone to grab attention. “First things first—thank you all for coming out today. Because of all of you, we’ve raised an incredible amount of money for the Williams family.”
A wave of applause erupted in response, filling the room with warmth. Cheers erupted, whistles echoed from somewhere near the bar, and a few bikers even slapped their hands against the tables, showing their approval. I couldn’t help but smile to myself, feeling a rush of satisfaction. That moment alone made the entire afternoon worth it, even if I didn’t win a single thing.Even if every dollar I’d spent on raffle tickets went to someone else. It was all worth it.
I glanced down at the thick strip of tickets in my hand. The paper was slightly wrinkled from me twisting it between my fingers while I waited. “So far, nothing,” I murmured quietly.
Beside me, Maya barely reacted. Her body was turned halfway toward the table of bikers next to us, laughing at something one of them had just said. That had been happening a lot since they started paying attention to her. At first, it didn’t seem weird; Maya was beautiful—a kind of beauty that made people stop mid-conversation and stare. I was used to guys noticing her when we went out. But tonight felt different. She had been almost overly aware of their attention. Every laugh was louder; every comment was just a bit more dramatic. She kept leaning forward across the table, touching their arms and tossing her hair over her shoulder. At one point, she even adjusted the neckline of her shirt, making sure they could see down it. That made my eyebrows lift slightly; it just wasn’t how she normally acted around me.
