“Well, hello, fellow animal lovers!” Aria cries. The crowd claps. “I’ve got my buddy Griffin Hayes—aka my number one fan—in the house to help me kick off this fabulous fundraising event for the most vulnerable of animals in our great city. Truly, I could not be happier to partner with such a devoted organization. What about you, Griffin?”
He resists the urge to tug on his collar. “Oh, definitely! Thank you all for having me here and your dedication to keeping our canine and feline friends off the street.”
The crowd claps. Maybe Griffin’s starting to get the hang of this.
“Now,” Aria says as she props a fist on her hip, reminding Griffin of how she looks before she starts a song onstage—powerful. “Before we start the video that will detail all of the wonderful ways the Chicago Animal Society is working in our communities to keep animals off the streets and get them into safe homes, I have to make one final plea.” Aria looks to Griffin in the pause. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
A smile creeps across Griffin’s face, and for a moment he forgets that he’s on a stage in front of hundreds of people.“Hmm, are you thinking that the great and well-adored Aria Wilder is about to make a pledge of generosity?”
Aria aims a finger at him and winks. “Bingo! Friends, I am prepared to match donations as high as $200,000 this evening with the help of my friend Griffin, so please be generous when getting out your checkbooks.”
The crowd claps loudly, and several of the organization leaders off to the side swell with eagerness. Apparently Aria is ad-libbing this donation. Griffin would be happy to split the match with her, even though she didn’t run it by him in advance. His salary is public knowledge, so it wouldn’t be showing off to announce the amount of his donation.
“Happy to split the check, Aria,” Griffin announces with a grin.
“And what if we’re at a fancy restaurant?” Aria replies.
“I’d have to cover the whole thing.”
Aria’s eyes glint before she pulls her gaze from Griffin’s and turns to the audience. “You heard it, ladies and gentlemen. The friend you want to go out to eat with is Griffin Hayes!”
The crowd laughs and claps again. Then the emcee steps in and thanks them both for their support. The large screen that hangs over the stage behind them leaps to life with an intro segment showing ill, injured, or homeless animals, with a voiceover reading the mission statement of the Chicago Animal Society.
The woman with the headset returns and warmly shepherds Aria and Griffin offstage. As soon as he hands off the microphone, Griffin’s shoulders drop, and he wipes the beading sweat from his forehead.
“I really owe you one,” he says to a cool and collected Aria at his side.
“You were great out there! I don’t know what all your fussing is about.” She turns and throws him a playful look.
It only helps pull Griffin back to reality, and he follows Aria back through the halls to their room.
“So, is this it?” Griffin asks. “This is our whole deal tonight?”
Aria pops the door open and strides into the room. “Yup! They told us they’d keep it short and sweet for us. I mean, we both know that clip of us is going to be online in the next hour. Unless you want to stop by the lobby for a puppy?”
“Only if it’s living at your place.”
“Kitten?”
“I’m already Aria Wilder’s number one fan. Add a kitten and I lose all street cred in the locker room.” Griffin leans in close, catches a hint of floral perfume, and whispers, “Unless we keep it our little secret.”
When Griffin pulls back, Aria is grinning mischievously. “What’s another secret?”
“So you agree to shared custody?”
Aria laughs. “We only just met. Isn’t that too much?”
Griffin shrugs. “It’s nothing between friends.”
“Fair enough.” The words come out of Aria like a slow exhale, and her eyes scan the room. “Fair enough.”
Aria walks to the bar, retrieves her clutch and her scarf, which she tucks into the crook of her arm.
“You heading out?” Griffin asks.
Aria passes by him to exit, but she stops to pat his upper arm. Despite the bulk of muscle that covers it, the touch of her hand draws Griffin’s attention magnetically. “I travel fartoo much for a pet, so it seems it’s time. But the cats are really tempting.”
Griffin turns and follows behind Aria, feeling clumsy compared to her grace. “Don’t we have to check out with someone or anything?” he asks.
