“You look stunning tonight,” Hayes says, the corners of his lips turning up a bit as he takes in my dress, eyes trailing from my face down to my shimmering navy-blue skirt. He’s looking handsome in his black tuxedo, too. It fits him seamlessly. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“You either,” I admit. “I keep expecting for someone to walk up and pinch me. Surely, I’ll wake up from this dream any second.”
“How did you even get involved with this charity?” he asks.
“Kelsey, my publicist. This is her family’s event. I’ve been in attendance the last few years, but this is the first time I donated anything for the auction. What about you?”
He clears his throat and leans forward. “There’s a facet of the organization that specifically works with child poverty both in the US and on the global scale. I’m pretty involved in that side of it, and I’ve done work with them for the last year or so.”
Would it be possible for this man to be even more attractive? I love a man involved with charity.
Then something else occurs to me and I blink. “Have you been to the gala before?”
An amused smirk arises on his face. “I have. Not last year, but the year before.”
“I can’t believe we never crossed paths.”
He shrugs a shoulder. “I guess I wasn’t looking for you before.”
“But you are now?” I ask him, biting my lower lip.
His eyes dart from mine down to my lips and then back up again. “I’m definitely looking now, honey.”
I feel breathless. “I like the sound of that.” Clearing my throat, I ask, “Are you in New York for the weekend? I can’t believe this didn’t come up in conversation last week.”
“No, just for tonight. I guess that’s why I didn’t think to mention it.”
“Well then, I guess I better make this time count, huh?”
He gives me a crooked smile, and my cheeks flush. I look away, ignoring the fluttering in my belly. “Where are you sitting?” he whispers in my ear, and a shiver runs down my spine.
I point at the table two away from where we are standing. “Right there.” Hayes looks determined as he walks over to the table I pointed out, perusing the name cards. I follow him, curiously. “What are you doing?”
He plucks one up and then waves it between his fingers. “Just doing a little rearranging. I don’t think anyone will mind.”
I catch sight of the name on the place card he grabbed and my heart stutters.Corey Shrader.
What the hell?
Kelsey mentioned Corey would be in attendance tonight. He was always my plus one for the event in years past, so his attendance isn’t completely out of the blue, but she conveniently forgot to tell me he’d be seated at my table—right next to me. This must have been a mistake her mother didn’t catch when she was finalizing the seating chart.
Hayes walks over to the table he’s supposed to sit at and picks up his own place card, replacing it with Corey’s. Tilting his headtoward me, he gives me another coy smile. “Come on, let’s sit for a while.”
I follow him back to my table where he places his card next to mine, then he pulls out my chair for me and motions for me to sit down. Shortly after I’m settled, a waiter comes by and delivers two flutes of champagne for us.
Hayes holds his up to me. “To unexpected surprises.”
My heart skips a beat, and I clink my glass against his. “Cheers.” I take a sip, letting the flavor of the bubbles hit my tongue.
“What the hell?” a voice protests and I stiffen, my muscles in my back and my shoulders going rigid. I can’t help but think to myself that it’s a voice I wouldn’t mind ever hearing again.
I look away from Hayes to see Corey scowling down at me. Keeping my face as neutral as possible, I take a deep breath and ask, “Can I help you?”
Hayes easily reads the tension between us and extends his arm across the back of my seat, leaning toward me slightly. The heat from his large frame seeps into me and I find myself inching closer to him too. Corey tracks his movement and glares at Hayes. “You’re in my seat, man.”
Hayes narrows his eyes and then reaches for his place card, holding it up. “Nope, don’t think so. This is my name. Sorry, there must’ve been a mix up.”
“I think you’re at table seven,” I add, pointing over to the table Hayesusedto be seated at. I can’t fathom why Corey wouldassumewe’d be seated next to each other again this year. We’ve been broken up for months now.
