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Chapter Twenty-Seven
Mia
The meeting with Catherine had gone well, and now she was working in the office adjacent to mine. Things seemed to be going smoothly. Ally made her way into my office, her brow furrowed in concern. I cocked my head to the side, appraising her.
“Something the matter, Al?” I asked her, using the nickname I’d given her back in college.
She smiled back, but the smile didn’t meet her eyes.
“Let’s have it. Just tell me,” I encouraged, feeling dread seep into my gut. Ally was my steady hand—always had been, always would be. If she was as worried as she looked, this was not going to be good news.
“I was going through the mail like I always do, and Catherine happened to be by my desk at the exact same moment.” She made her way over to my desk before lowering herself into the seat. “Just hear me out, Mia.”
“Of course, always,” I promised, my body on high alert, suddenly very worried about what Ally was about to say.
“Promise me,” Ally said again, arching an eyebrow at me, daring me to disobey.
I nodded. “What’s up?”
“The invitation for the Inlet for Hope Ball arrived. Catherine happened to see it. It’s really a beautiful invitation this year, all gold and cream. It looks like it will be a very classy event.”
Ally was rambling and I wasn’t interested in her stalling. “Just tell me what I’m not gonna like.”
Ally refused to meet my eyes, stealing a glance at the carpet before continuing. “Fine. Catherine saw the invite and said she feels it’s something you should be attending. It would be good publicity for the company. The ball is the same month that the spread with InStyle comes out, so she had me RSVP yes for you.”
Her words came out in a rush. Ally knew these invitations came every year. I always sent a sponsorship for a table and an auction item, but I never attended. I thought people might ask too many questions, and my answers would help them make a connection to why I was there.
“There’s more, isn’t there?”
Ally nodded.
“You’re being honored.” Ally watched the words sink in. “This year, they’re handing out awards to top sponsors, and you’re one of them. That’s another reason she insisted you go. Catherine will also be putting together a press package with information of your award for a couple of local media outlets.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. What started out as a good day was turning into a shitty one quickly. “Did you tell her I never attend these events?”
Ally nodded again.
“She doesn’t care, does she?” I asked.
“It’s not that she doesn’t care. She doesn’t know. How can Catherine not care about you attending these events if she doesn’t know the reason you avoid them. Or why you’ve chosen to keep the amount of work you do with these shelters under wraps. You knew once the InStyle piece came out, people might start digging. You knew when you began working with Catherine that she would poke at the nerve.”
“I know, but hiring her was the right move for the company. The people that work for me work hard, and I want to see Shoegasm succeed. In order to get that, we needed some help in the PR department—”
“You don’t have to explain this to me. I know why you did it.” Ally got up and came around the desk before lowering herself to the arm of my desk chair. Her arm rested comfortably around me, and I leaned in and allowed her to comfort me. “I think this means you have to tell her the story. You have to explain to her why you do what you do.”
I went to protest, but Ally reached over and placed a finger on my lips. “If you tell her, maybe Catherine will know how to keep your secret just that—a secret.”
“How?” I ran a hand through my hair, wishing I had just stayed in bed today.
“There will be a way. Just go tell her.”
Ally got up from my chair and started to leave my office. Stopping short of the door, she turned in my direction and said, “People are allowed their secrets, and the whole world isn’t entitled to know your story. Just talk to Catherine. She’ll make sure it stays a secret.”
With a wink, Ally was gone.
I nodded to my now empty office. “Guess I better go and find her. Get this over with.”
My feet felt like lead as I made my way to the office I’d set Catherine up with. My palms were beginning to sweat. Sharing the dirty details of my past with someone like Catherine wasn’t something I was looking forward to doing.
