“Things have changed.”
For the briefest of moments, he thought he was back in college, and she was coming to him to explain what had gone wrong, and that she wanted to try it again.
“I know you said you couldn’t commit to being the ambassador?—”
Right, the endorsement. How could he have forgotten? His walls erected faster than his car with DSE.
“—But there is more on the line now.”
“What?”
“My boss gave me permission to take this idea and run with it. It can open up new avenues for fundraising.”
“And for you,” he said, because he wanted it all on the table. He wanted her to admit that she also had something to gain personally if he agreed.
“I’m not here for me.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Benjamin Peterson.”
An ache of uninvited envy stirred in his chest. “Who the fuck is Benjamin Peterson?”
“Ben is a ten-year-old boy with spina bifida who is going to spend what is most likely his last Christmas in and out of the hospital.”
Man, even hearing the words “spina bifida” sent a dull throb through his chest. And if it had that kind of impact on him, he could only imagine how Georgia felt. It made him wonder how she did what she did—willingly jumping headfirst into the world of struggle, diagnosis, and inevitable death. Where parents clung to their children, praying their family would be the lucky ones and beat the odds.
Jake only lived on the perimeter for a brief time, and he never wanted to go back. Ever.
But his discomfort was nothing compared to what Ben must face every day.
Then there was the woman who was asking. A woman who had never asked him for anything the entire time they’d been together.
“I’ll do it.”
“It’s just a few days out of your—what?” Her expression froze mid-sentence.
“I said, I’ll do it.”
“You will?” If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a mix of relief and apprehension in her voice. The relief he understood. But what was with the apprehension? The answer to that question was the only reason he could come up with for why he said, “On one condition.”
“Anything.” At his wicked smile she added, “I don’t even know why I came here. I thought you’d take this seriously and?—”
He took her hand in his. “I am. Which is why I will be the ambassador for the project.”
If her jaw dropped any further it would’ve needed a leash. “All of it?”
“The gala, the auction, the shoot, and Ben’s party. The whole sha-bang.”
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What’s the catch?”
“I’ll need a handler from The Wish Project to accompany me to every event.”
“Done.” She stuck out her hand to shake it.
“Everyevent.”
“Of course.”
