NICK
I smiledas I stood on the red carpet in front of a wall of cameras. I was used to doing these; it had been a part of my life for over a decade. Normally, they were my favorite part of any event. I thrived in the limelight. I wanted to be the center of attention. The more eyes and ears on me, the better.
But tonight, I just wanted to get inside to see Skye. She had arrived early with my mother and the other night nurse, Hector. I’d arranged for her to be sent a selection of gowns for this afternoon, and all I’d been able to think about was which one she’d chosen, which was absolutely ridiculous. There was one in particular that, as soon as I saw it, I thought of her. It was a red satin gown with a low back. When I picked it out, Jada said it was a crimson version of Kate Hudson’s yellow dress in the movieHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. I had no idea if that was the one she’d chosen, but I was excited to find out.
After spending about twenty minutes speaking to a handful of reporters for local outlets and websites about the charity and what our goals were this next year, I finally made it inside the event.
This year’s fundraiser was being held at The Pearl. It was a large event space with a main floor, mezzanine, and roof top. The first level boasted thirty-one-foot reclaimed cedar ceilings with skylights. The mezzanine was an intimate space with several seating areas and a wall of large windows overlooking the city. The rooftop was lined with Italian porcelain tile, featured a garden, and had a stunning view of the Bay and Oakland hills.
I hadn’t made it two steps into the entryway before Jada was at my side. She ran down the guests that I would need to speak to first. It was the same at every event we went to. We’d gotten networking down to a science. She scoped out the big players, refreshed my memory on a few key talking points, and I went in and let my charm do the rest.
We were a good team.
After the briefing, I nodded. “Got it.”
I took one step when her hand gripped my arm. Turning my head to the side, I saw a look of concern on her face. “What?” I asked.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I shot back.
Her head tilted to the side. “You seem…distracted.”
Most of the time, I appreciated that Jada knew me better than I knew myself. I loved that she somehow knew what was going on in my head, even when I didn’t. She anticipated my needs before I even realized I had them. It was one of the qualities that made her irreplaceable. But right now, I didn’t want her to read me.
“I’m fine,” I stated firmly.
She immediately dropped the subject and her arm.
As we made our way through the event, speaking to a few of the big fish we relied on for their annual donations, I kept searching the room for Skye. Time moved slower than a snail on Valium as I scanned the room without spotting the one person I wanted to see. Realistically, I’d probably only been inside the event for thirty minutes, but it felt like thirty hours.
I thought my ocular mission was being carried out totally under the radar until Jada leaned over and quietly informed me, “She’s in the corner at table nineteen.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Your mother,” Jada relayed with a twinkle in her eye and humor in her tone. “I’massumingshe is who your eyes keep darting around the room in search of.”
I looked to where she’d indicated, and that’s when I saw her. Skye. She was standing behind my mother, speaking to Hector at table nineteen, which was tucked in the corner. I could only see the profile of her face since Hector was blocking the rest of her.
Since I had no desire to bring a date tonight—one who wasn’t Skye—I’d decided to ask Hector to accompany my mother as well. That way, there were two caregivers in case she needed anything. He’d been more than happy to attend since he’d spent three years in foster care himself when his mother was dealing with some personal issues in his early teens.
Hector moved to the side, and my heartbeat quickened when I saw what she was wearing. All of the oxygen in my chest escaped. She was wearing the red dress I’d seen, and instantly thought of her. It looked even better on her than I’d imagined. The silky material clung to her hourglass curves like it had been tailored to fit her perfectly.
The moment I saw her, the rest of the room faded into the background. The people. The laughter. The music. It was all blurry and muted. The only thing in sharp focus was her.
“Why are they? Why is she all the way in the corner?” I stumbled over my words because my tongue felt swollen in my mouth. If I were a cartoon character, I would be rolling on the floor, and my eyes would be popping out of my head.
“Naomi wanted to be out of the way and close to the back entrance in case she was tired and needed to leave,” Jada explained.
“Right, that makes sense.” I looked down at my mother. She was wearing a green gown that Jada had helped her pick out. She looked beautiful—stunning really. But even from across the room, I could see that she was pale. “How is Naomi feeling?”
“Last I checked, good.”
I nodded. I knew that she had the best care, but I couldn’t help but worry that this would be too much for her. What if she overdid it and she’d only come because I’d wanted Skye to attend but was too chickenshit to ask her properly?
Jada must have sensed my concern, or she actually was able to read my mind, because she offered, “I can go check on her.”
“Thanks.”
