Part 11 (1/2)

After all, I paid that money to them-the least I should do is make sure I get something out of it for myself.

And then I think of Emily and I know deep inside that I got a h.e.l.l of a lot more than I bargained for already...

I have Sandra RSVP yes for me, and then get back to work. I have that meeting with our head of hotel security in fifteen minutes.

As I walk through the lobby of the hotel I keep my eyes focused straight ahead. I don't look into the faces of the people milling around the lobby or walking toward the ballroom with me. I don't care who else is at the luncheon-I'm only here as the face of Croft International. This is purely work, and has nothing to do with a certain grad student and part-time employee of the fund. She's probably in cla.s.s...or out tutoring some kid in juvie.

I shake my head and remind myself of my dinner with Genevieve this evening. We've kept in touch, and the coolness of her personality works for me. I don't spend chunks of my day thinking about her, that's for sure.

”Mr. Croft?” a young man says as I walk into the ballroom.

”Yes?”

”Hi, I'm Derek with the fund.” He offers his right hand, which I shake. He's holding a binder that's opened to a page I can clearly see.

Donors is written at the top and the page is filled with color headshots and short descriptions. I catch sight of my photo from the company website. ”I'm helping out with the development team today. We're so happy you could join us. Would you like a drink? Gla.s.s of wine, water?”

”No, I'm fine.”

He leads me into a smaller room that's set up with banners of kids' faces and the organization's name and logo. There's a bar on either side of the room and two waiters with trays of hors d'oeuvres circling the small group of people chatting in cl.u.s.ters. Must be the high-rollers room.

”I'd like you to meet Jules, our head of development,” Derek says, presenting me to a woman who had been busy with two elderly women with no wrinkles or gray hairs.

”Mr. Croft,” Jules says with a bright smile, offering her hand to shake. ”We're so glad you could join us this afternoon. I know how busy your schedule must be.”

”It's no problem,” I say, my eyes darting about the room. ”Happy to be here.”

”Can we get you something to drink?”

”No thank you,” I say, annoyed to be asked twice. Annoyed to be here. Why did I agree to this? There is so much work to do back at the office. This is a complete waste of my time.

”We so appreciate your donation,” Jules says. ”And the fact that you donated it to unrestricted funds really gives us the opportunity to put the money where it's most needed.”

I try to force a pleasant smile on my face and concentrate on Jules's words.

”We'd love to see if you're interested in working directly with some of the kids who will benefit from your donation,” she continues. ”We're doing some wonderful mentoring programs with Boston University's graduate program. We've been talking about taking that a step further and starting mentors.h.i.+ps with people like yourself in the corporate world, really show the kids how the tools they're learning from our standard programs actually fit out in the broader context. It's good to show them that what they're learning is practical and not just a bunch of fluff. Don't you think?”

”Yes, of course,” I say, even as I think to myself that it is all just a bunch of fluff. But I'm here and I'm being pleasant.

”So it'd be okay if we reached out to you about the mentors.h.i.+p?”

s.h.i.+t, what did I just agree to? I have to squash this immediately. ”Jules, I love the programs you're working on. Very innovative, really preparing the future entrepreneurs of America. My schedule is very tight-I had to move several meetings around in order to attend today's luncheon, which I'm happy to do.”

Jules smiles and holds up her hand. ”Say no more. I'm sorry, I just get rolling when I talk about the fund. Still, if there's someone at Croft International-a little lower down the food chain-who would like to be a mentor to some of our kids, we'd be happy to set that up.”

”Of course,” I say amicably.

Jules looks around the room-maybe for more conversation since I'm not helping her out. I can be good at this sort of c.o.c.ktail-party talk, but once again I'm off my game.

”Oh, look,” Jules says, spotting someone in the crowd. ”It's Emily. You know Emily-obviously you know Emily.” She grins. ”She's the reason you're here, after all.”

”Excuse me?” I say, taken aback by her blatant a.s.sumption.

”Emily is the one who talked you into donating in the first place,” Jules reminds me, her brow creasing. ”You wouldn't be here if it weren't for her.”

My eyes dart around the room, searching her out. I spot her across the room, talking pleasantly to two ladies.

”How could I forget Emily Brown?” I say, watching her. It's almost as if she can feel my eyes on her. She turns slightly and our eyes meet. We both freeze for a moment. I can feel my heart picking up speed. It's the first time I've seen her in so long, and the urge to plow my way through the room to reach her is real.

She's every inch as beautiful as she was at dinner, and in my fantasies. The hunter green c.o.c.ktail dress she wears makes her eyes glow, and the way her lips are parted as she watches me, makes me swallow hard.

”I should call her over,” Jules says, raising her hand to get Emily's attention, but Emily is already looking away from us.

She glances down at the floor as her hair falls in her face. She's so pretty but...then someone appears beside her.

Some guy. When he puts his arm around her waist she jumps slightly but seems to relax when she sees who it is. I feel my chest tightening and my stomach burning like it's filling with acid.

He says something to her that makes her smile. If I'd taken a gla.s.s of wine or water I'd crush it in my hand right now.

Jules is still babbling. ”...Emily has really been working hard in bringing in new donors like yourself. She's a real a.s.set to the team...”

Meanwhile, Emily and this guy begin to move through the room, together. The anger is rising up through my throat as Jules goes on and on about Emily. Meanwhile I feel as though I'm about to explode, even if my expression hasn't chanced an iota.

I glance at my watch and tell Jules, ”You know, I'll just pop over there quickly and say h.e.l.lo to her,” I tell Jules, not wanting to bother waiting for a second longer.

Emily is so close but she's moving away now, perhaps on purpose.

I start toward her, politely nudging my way through the crowd with Jules close at my heels, d.a.m.n her.

Emily sees me, and there's a panicked look in her eyes. The closer I get to her the more quickly she moves toward the exit. I've got Jules following me and Emily has that guy stalking her.

What is his deal? Why won't he leave her alone?

Emily moves out of the room and is absorbed by the crowd moving like cows into the ballroom. I slow down.

”That was strange,” Jules says. ”I swore she saw us. Let's head into the ballroom and find your table.” She waves off Emily. ”We'll catch up with her later.”

How will I sit through this h.e.l.l of a luncheon knowing Emily is in the same room? Sure, the room is probably the size of a hockey rink but she's here, and I have to speak to her. I don't know yet what I'll say, but one thing is for sure-I haven't been able to get her out of my mind.

And I need to know who the h.e.l.l that guy is that she's with.

Emily

Are you kidding me?

What is he doing here? I knew it was a possibility but I also know enough about Jackson Croft to know that charity luncheons are not his thing.