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Lucas paused as the room suddenly exploded with questions as he’d expected. The city had slowly adjusted to him appearing socially with Andrei. The paparazzi had followed him and Andrei around in hopes of getting a picture of something scintillating for the tabloids, but so far all they’d gotten was some handholding and a couple of smoldering looks. He’d seen a few articles speculating that maybe he wasn’t even gay.
A quick glance revealed Andrei chuckling, though he couldn’t hear it over the questions being shouted. He gave a little shrug and extended his hand to Andrei. Why not give them what they wanted? Andrei made a show of rolling his eyes, but he still pushed away from the door and joined him behind the podium. It was only when Andrei’s fingers were entwined with his that the tension gathering in his chest eased and the world settled.
“Okay…I get the impression we’re going to have to compromise,” Lucas said, turning his attention back to the reporters. “I’ll answer one question about my personal life for every one I answer about the gala.”
Hands shot up. Lucas grinned at Andrei, who gave a slight nod. Into the breach…
“How did you propose, Mr. Vallois? Was is romantic?”
Lucas smirked. “I didn’t propose. Next question.”
“What can you tell us about the gala?”
“The Children’s Winter Gala will be held at Union Terminal starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, December seventeenth. We’ve arranged for special performances by local and international artists as well as the Cincinnati Ballet. Tickets are $150 each and we will be holding a silent auction. All proceeds will be going to benefit the children’s charities. I am personally footing the bill for the event to cover any costs, so any money raised will be used for the children.”
“Mr. Hadeon, how did you propose?”
Lucas looked over at Andrei, noting the laughter in his dark eyes. They hadn’t talked about whether Andrei would directly answer any questions. He was most accustomed to sticking to the shadows to protect his client, but Andrei had quickly discovered that life with Lucas meant standing in the limelight on occasion.
Andrei leaned forward slightly so he was standing closer to the microphones. “Propose might be a generous description of what occurred.”
“He stated that we were getting married,” Lucas clarified. He looked over at Andrei, letting the love he felt for the man shine through. “And I couldn’t think of a single reason to argue with him.”
“When will you be getting married?”
“I’m sorry. That’s the wrong question,” Andrei said, squeezing Lucas’s hand.
“Will you be treating the gala as your engagement party?”
“Maybe privately as many of my close friends will be there,” Lucas said, then paused as he let the weight of the words sink in, “but the focus will remain on the reason for the event—the children.”
“Mr. Vallois, it’s widely known that you’ve generously supported the arts in Cincinnati. Is there a particular reason why you’ve chosen to support these children’s charities now?”
“Other than the fact that Bill Reed has done a damn fine job of talking me out of my money over the past several years?” he joked, but his smile slid away and he took a breath. He had prepared answers for many of the questions that he expected to be hit with, this one included. But a new answer rose up. The truth. And he found himself speaking before he could stop the words.
“Actually yes. I have friends who were hurt and neglected as children. Friends…friends whom I see as family. I did all I could for these friends, but even now, I’m still left wondering if I could have done more. If maybe I’d been able to get them professional help, therapy, or just a more loving home or safe haven, would they be happier? Would they have been spared some of the pain and anguish they’d suffered over the years?” Lucas sucked in a ragged breath and lowered his eyes to the honey wood of the podium, bright and shiny under the overhead light. It was only when he felt Andrei squeeze his hand that he could lift his gaze again.
He cleared his throat and looked out at the reporters. “But with money we raise at the Children’s Winter Gala, we can make sure that the children of Cincinnati have a safe haven. That they have the medical care and the professional help that they need. I want to bring the city together to stamp out the pain and the fear and the hopelessness. I want 2017 to be the year that we take back our children and give them hope. Please, join my friends and me this Saturday at the Union Terminal as Andrei and I celebrate our future life together and we raise money for a great cause.”
Lucas stepped back from the podium and lifted his hand in a final wave to the reporters as they tried to pepper him with a few remaining questions. The cause was good but for now, his main focus was Jagger. He’d thrown the bait into the middle of the trap, and Lucas couldn’t think of anything more appetizing and promising than having himself and his friends on display at Union Terminal. Even with all the cops and private security, the place was enormous and hard to lock down. Jagger wouldn’t pass this up. Not after losing the kids at White Rock.
