“Where is everyone?”I asked, looking around the empty room.
“They left.”Colton shrugged.
I glanced at Aurora to see a worried and concerned look on her face.
“What do you mean, they left?”
“The event is over.They served dessert while you were in the washroom and did the final presentation, donations have been collected, and everyone left.”
How long had I been in there?
“Did you achieve your fundraising goal?”I questioned, looking at my watch, shocked to see the time.
“Nope.”
I felt my stomach sink.
“Why not?”I asked, swallowing hard.
Colton cleared his throat and looked from me to Aurora, giving her what I could only perceive as a warning glance.I could tell there was something else he wasn’t telling me, and I was about to ask her what had gone on when Larson approached the three of us.Aurora quickly thanked Larson for the evening and then excused herself and made her way across the room to where Dylan was waiting to leave with the rest of the guys.Once they had made their way out of the room, I grabbed my clutch from the chair and went to thank Larson as well before we left, but he spoke before I had the chance to.
“Well, Colton, how much did you raise?”
Colton glanced at me, and then shrugged.
“What do you mean?”Larson said, mimicking the shrug.
“If you’re asking if I hit my goal, I didn’t.”
Larson looked over at me with a disapproving glance and then back to Colton.“How much are you short?”
“Forty thousand,” Colton added.
“I gave you the smallest goal.How the hell did you not hit it?”
“Look, I’m sorry, but why did you seat Martins at this table?You know my past with him.”
“I know your past, but we are supposed to be fixing that, and I didn’t seat him with you.”Larson said, turning his attention to me.
“Don’t blame her.You know better.”
“Colton, I’m warning you.”
“No, I’m warning you.As usual, Martins pissed me off.He got into my face earlier this evening with his underhanded comments, hitting me below the belt.Then he started in on Emma, and once she’d left the table, he continued questioning me about my personal issues.I warned him not to bring it up, but he didn’t stop.So, when he didn’t heed my warning, that is when he got what he deserved,” Colton said, crossing his arms over his impressive chest.
Panic filled me.I didn’t know what happened after I’d left, but before I had, the only thing he’d said was that he questioned our relationship.
“What do you mean he got what he deserved?”I questioned, gripping his forearm.
When he didn’t answer me right away, I looked at Larson, who now had his eyes trained on me.
“Where the hell were you?Perhaps you were a mistake.Maybe I should fire you and cut his contract on the spot.”
“Mr.Larson, I’d like to draw your attention to the videos from last night.”
Larson said nothing, only shook his head and looked at Colton.
I felt like I’d completely failed as I looked at Colton, wondering what had happened once I’d left.I could only imagine, since he was right—the man had done nothing but antagonize him when I’d been present.He hadn’t been nice to me either, and there were a few times I was going to step in and say something, but Colton appeared to have it under control.I guess I’d been wrong.
