Rising, I shove my hands in my pockets and shuffle out of the office more agitated than before.
The last thing I want to do is spend a long-ass night next to the Ice Queen in an uncomfortable tux, glad-handing donors and playing her perfect date.
Unfortunately, I’m already picturing her in a dress.
Yeah, I’m screwed.
CHAPTER 6
TORI
Ididn’t have ‘attend a charity gala at the yacht club with the bad boy hockey player’ on my bingo card.
Yet here we are.
On the drive home from the arena, I hop on a call with my favorite boutique in Manhattan and ask them to overnight several dress options, along with coordinating accessories. Because obviously I didn’t pack formalwear and Driftwood Cove isn’t exactly the shopping hub of the South.
With the wardrobe crisis under control, I spend the rest of the day alternating between my actual work and my side hustle—keeping tabs on Bennett. Knox and Bishop update me hourly, but I prefer to verify his location myself.
Because if he goes rogue, my ass is on the line.
I stare at the small Bennett avatar, blinking over the arena. He’s at practice and Bishop’s with him. Knowing he’s supervised by multiple adults — Coach Keller, the assistant coaches, Bishop — I breathe aquick sigh of relief.
Now I can focus on what matters — my actual job. The hedge fund. The investors.
A notification pops up on my laptop screen.
Incoming message from Max Prince.
Clicking into my email, I scan the text quickly.
Tori –
Info on the Yacht Club gala attached. Familiarize yourself with the guest list and seating arrangements. Maximize connections. Keep a tight rein on Steele. Do not let him go off script.
Dad
Wonderful.
Tomorrow night’s turning into another project and I already have way too many going.
I’m only here because he’s my father and he’s been through enough. After the whole cheating scandal with his second wife — technically my stepmom, although that title’s ridiculous considering she’s barely older than me — I’m afraid he’s going to work himself into a heart attack with all the stress.
So here I am, double-clicking the attachment and pulling up the guest list. Names are in alphabetical order, and I recognize a few of the team’s major donors from New York.
The Caldwell Family
The Davidson Family
The Field Family
The Prince Family
The MacDonald Family
That name stops the scroll. Heart pounding, I open the seating arrangement document and hover the cursor over the Coastal Crushers table.
The Prince Family - +2
