Page 21 of The Attack Zone
He looks really good.
He’s wearing a blue suit that probably cost as much as my rent and it’s working for him. His beard is perfectly trimmed, and his hair is somehow tousled effortlessly, yet perfectly at the same time. I’ve found myself wondering on more thanone occasion over the past three days what his beard would feel like against my lips ... among other places.
On his right, Caleb looks as anxious as ever, and on his left, Thomas looks like the cocky himbo he is. The three of them are quite the sight. But if I’m being honest, Mitch is the main event.
“Hey, love,” he says as they approach the table. His slightly crooked grin would usually piss me off, but right now I’m surprised to discover that I find it mildly endearing. What is up with that?
“Hey, you guys are early,” I say.
He thumbs through the name tags and grabs his from the pile, as if all of the attendees won’t know who he is without it. “We figured we’d see if you needed any help. Not that you need our help ... You’re perfectly capable ... We just got out of practice early, and...”
“Thank you, Mitch,” I laugh. “Why don’t the two of you help Caleb go over his speech again?” Caleb and I have practiced a few times and he’s done great, but he’ll be more confident the more he’s gone over it. That, and usually if I’m in Mitch’s presence for more than a few minutes, I feel like I’m going to burst into flames. Even if we have this weird truce, better safe than sorry.
They scurry off into the ballroom and before I know it, the first attendees are arriving. A few minutes into checking people in, I look up to see Hazel, Ralph, and Cassie staring down at me.
“Hey, guys!” I say. “Let me find your name tags.”
“Hello, Ms. Anderson. Thank you for letting me come tonight,” says Ralph. He’s such a sweet boy, when Hazel told me he wanted to attend, I couldn’t say no, even if this isn’t really a thing for kids. He looks adorably uncomfortable in his suit, though, so I’m glad I did.
“Of course, Ralph,” I say. “I hope you have fun.”
I hand Hazel and Cassie their name tags and continuechecking guests in. Once we have what I consider to be a critical mass of people, I’m able to leave the check-in table to another member of the event team and see how things are going inside. There’s no better sight for an event planner than a ballroom full of beautifully dressed people, so when I tug open the ballroom door to reveal a packed space stuffed with folks in gowns and suits, I’m thrilled.
I take a lot of pride in my work. Some people view fundraising as rubbing elbows with rich people. Really, it’s a little of that and a lot of spreadsheets and hard work. But when all the spreadsheets come to life in the form of an event like this, I sometimes find myself getting chills. This is only the second annual event for Caleb’s non-profit, and dang it, I did good.
I scan the room, giving Caleb a thumbs-up when we make eye contact. He’s doing such a good job at talking with people. I know it’s partly because he has Cassie at his side, holding his hand and guiding him from donor to donor. They really make a lovely team. A teeny tiny part of me wonders what that’s like. Having someone who knows you better than you know yourself; someone who will always have your back. It sounds sort of nice; that is, if I wasn’t such a lone wolf.
That same laugh from before bellows through the room, and immediately my eyes find Mitch. He’s standing with a young, recently divorced philanthropist. Her blonde hair is slicked back into a tight bun and her skinny little body fits perfectly into what I can only assume is a size two dress. She’s stunning. And Mitch is standing very close to her.
I’m usually confident in how I look, even if I do have more curves than some women. I know I look good tonight, too. I also hate when women compare themselves to each other in a negative way—it’s regressive and doesn’t help us as a gender at all. So why do I have this sick feeling all of a sudden whenI see her throw her head back in laughter at something Mitch said?
Then, before I can look away, Mitch is looking over at me and waving. I look down at my watch, eager to be anywhere but where I am in this moment. Luckily, it’s almost time for Caleb’s speech and the announcement of the silent auction winners. I look back up at Mitch and motion to my watch, signaling that it’s time for him to help out. He reaches out to the woman next to him and squeezes her arm before walking towards the stage, and if I didn’t love my dear little clipboard, I would have thrown it. Why does this man get under my skin so much? If he wants to hook up with some rich lady, who am I to judge?
Caleb, Thomas, and Mitch gather at the side of the small stage that’s set up at the front of the room. I walk across the room, clipboard in hand, in to make sure they have what they need.
“Hey there, dream team,” I say. It’s bubbly and campy and something I’ve never said before.
“Dream team?” Mitch asks with a laugh.
Ugh. Why am I being so awkward tonight?
“Ignore me,” I say looking down at my notes so I have something to look at other than his gorgeous face. “I’m in a weird mood tonight.”
I look back up to see Caleb looking down at his notes, Thomas staring off at something in the distance (a woman, presumably), and Mitch giving me a look that’s somehow the combination of concern and a glare at the same time. I guess that about sums up our relationship lately, though, so I ignore it.
“Are you guys ready?” I ask.
“I think so,” says Caleb. “I’m only a little bit nervous, which is weird.”
I place my hand lightly on his shoulder. “You’re going tobe great,” I say. “Just stick to the notes, and if all else fails, Mitch can take over. Right, Mitch?”
“Of course,” he says with a self-assured nod.
A small smile is on Caleb’s lips now, and I feel my heart swell. He’s grown so much over the past year, and I’m capable of admitting it’s partially because of Mitch. Their friendship is special. Having a guy like Mitch in your corner can’t totally suck in moments like this, even if he’s annoying as hell most of the time.
“Alright,” Caleb says. “Let’s do this.” He bounds on the stage with purpose as the crowd breaks out into applause. Thomas follows, but Mitch stays behind.
“See you in a bit, love,” Mitch whispers in my ear, resting his hand on my shoulder. I can’t find words because I’m so focused on his hands being on me again. We haven’t seen each other, let alone touched, since Miami. Now all I can think about is our hips moving together on the dance floor. Him staring at my lips as we moved closer together. Waking up in his arms ...