“Mm,” Roux said, stepping back to showcase the long sparkling dress with spaghetti straps and a wide slit that showed off her leg, all the way to her hip.“I spent a fortune on this dress.Do you think it should stay in the closet?”
Smiling, he offered his crooked elbow.She slipped her keycard into her clutch and closed the clasp before taking his arm.
They started down the hallway.
“You look incredible,” Franco said.“You’re the hottest woman in our department, maybe the building…” They stopped at the elevator; she pressed the call button.“You know, you’ll laugh, but…”
When he didn’t continue, she sought his gaze.“But what?”
“I promised myself if you broke up with Joyner…” He cleared his throat.“I’d ask you out.”She smiled.“Stupid, right?”
“I broke up with Greg four months ago.”
“I know,” he said on a sheepish laugh.“Making a promise isn’t as easy as keeping it.”
The elevator doors opened.“Story of my life, Franco.”
They went inside and selected the ballroom floor.“You’re the most intimidating woman I’ve ever met,” he said.“Most guys I know are terrified to talk to you.”
“I’m not intimidating,” she said, then thought about it.“Am I?”
“You’re independent.”
“A lot of women are independent.”
“You’re opinionated.”
“Most women have opinions too,” she said, touching the long diamond earring dangling from its hook in her ear.“Is there something wrong with women forming their own opinions?”
“No,” he said hurriedly.“Nothing at all.You just… express them… vehemently.”
“Hmm,” she said, taking his elbow when the doors opened to let them out.“Do you know where our table is?”
The ballroom was directly opposite the elevators.Suited attendants stood by the wide, open doors.The scope of the place was impressive.A glittering chandelier hung over the dozens of tables beneath.A podium in front of the small symphonic band suggested someone was going to speak at some point.
Champagne was offered at the door.She took a flute and let Franco worry about them finding their table.If they wandered around long enough, Helena would catch sight of her and make herself known.
Sure enough, just as Franco found purpose, someone rose in her eyeline.Helena.Her escort let go of her not long before they got there.He wouldn’t want to be blamed for tempting her out of her room.What Helena didn’t know was that she’d never intended to stay put.Cowering wasn’t her style.
“I thought I told you to stay in your room,” Helena leaned in to hiss when she sat.
“I apologize,” she said to the table.“To everyone… for my behavior at the pitch.”
“Guess we shouldn’t have expected you to keep a lid on it,” Myles said.“You were super passionate about Huddle Hope.”
“Iampassionate about it,” she said.“I don’t think of it in the past tense.”
“Do you think we still have a chance?”
“No,” Helena said.“Not after the way she laid into Xavien Rourke.”
“The guy on the panel said Rourke wasn’t assessing anything,” Myles said.“Maybe he wouldn’t—”
“It might have helped if the figures were rock solid,” Helena said, glaring at Franco.“Did you fix them?”
“Yeah, I… I’ll sleep on it and go over them again tomorrow.”
“I can’t find any way to submit additional materials,” Helena said.“I tried to ask about it, but everyone else handed out their packs at the pitch.We don’t get a second shot.”
