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“She volunteered, babe. Plus, you have other volunteers there with her. She’s not alone.”
“You’re right.” I take a deep breath to stem my anxiety about not being there in person. In the past, I would usually be there early to get things set up and ready to go. Then I would get dressed in the bathroom and be out on the floor, ready to mingle with the guests. This year, Emily said she’d stay behind the scenes for the night and help make sure things were running smoothly so I could mingle and finagle as many donations as possible.
I was both incredibly grateful for her and really nervous to leave her there by herself. I do trust her, though. She’s proven time and again she’s capable of handling things. It all goes back to giving up control. Without Tucker showing me how to let go, I’d end up with stress-induced panic attacks.
We pull into the parking lot of the convention center and jump out of the truck at the same time. I don’t typically let him open my door because it feels a little too weird for me. I mean, I am perfectly capable of doing it myself, thank you. He usually rolls his eyes when I remind him.
We walk into the lobby of the convention center and can hear chatter coming from the ballroom. A little bit of the tension I’ve been holding dissipates knowing there are already people here and we’re early.
Stepping into the ballroom, I take in the decorations and smile at how great it turned out. Since I left early to get ready, I didn’t get to see it all finished.
We decided to go with a more wintery theme using blues and silvers. Everything is sparkly, making it look like snow, and the tables are beautifully set with white and blue flowers.
I watch Tucker take in the room. When his eyes land on me, my breath whooshes out of my lungs. His eyes shine, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips. He leans in, kissing me on the temple, and whispers, “I’m so proud of you.”
A lump forms in my throat as pride swells in my chest. I didn't know I needed to hear that from someone other than my mom, but somehow, he did.
Full of gratitude for this man, I lean up on my toes and quickly kiss him. I wipe the lip gloss off his lips when I lean back, and he smiles at me. “Not my color?”
I grin. “Not so much.”
After doing a quick scan of the room, I say, “I need to go find Emily. The group just came in, though, so you don’t have to stand here by yourself. Will you be okay for a minute?”
“Of course, go do your thing and come find me when you’re done.”
I smile at him and turn, walking back towards the door that leads to the war room where we house all of the set-up stuff. I scan the space and find Emily talking with a member of the catering staff.
Walking up to her, I catch her eye, and she smiles at me. “You look like a mermaid!”
I laugh and shake my head. “Thanks. How’s everything going?”
“Just swimmingly now. We had a small fire in one of the back rooms, but the event staff was able to put it out quickly, so no worries.”
“Geeze, I was thinking earlier, I’m so glad we didn’t choose the rec center because of their fire, and we almost had the same thing happen here.”
“And the craziest part is the room was the one we’d reserved before we upgraded. Thank god for extra RSVPs.”
“Damn, we dodged a bullet. Okay, if everything is okay here, I’m going to head back to the ballroom to schmooze and mingle.”
“Go get ‘em, boss lady!” Emily grins.
I turn to head into the ballroom again. The number of attendees has tripled since I left, and it makes me incredibly happy. The library relies on this fundraiser for the entire year, so the more people in attendance means more money for all of my projects.
Walking into the room, I catch Tucker’s eye immediately, but I also see a few people I need to speak to, so I indicate I’m going to talk. He just nods and smiles his panty-melting smile. I swear it gets me every time.
Gathering my wits, I say hello to the three suited men, all with drinks in their hands. I continue my schmoozing over the next hour which includes small talk, project updates, and business lingo.
You’d never think being the director of a small-town library would require knowing how to talk business, but a lot of these donors are bigwigs who expect that sort of interaction. I thank my business degree every year for helping me learn how to interact with people like this.
A passing waiter has a tray of champagne in his hands, and I quickly grab one to quench my thirst from talking so much. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end as a man comes up next to me and says hello. Turning, I quickly mask my expression because he is the slimiest man who comes to this gala every year.
Patrick Dunmore is the CEO of a large tech firm in Greensboro. He went to high school here and believes he’s Sonoma’s greatest gift. He also hits on me every year and makes me incredibly uncomfortable. The worst part is, I can’t punch him in the face when he gets a little touchy-feely because he’s a huge donor for the library.
“Natalie, it’s good to see you. You’re looking delicious as always.” He slides his finger down my arm, and I discreetly step out of his reach. Gritting my teeth, I attempt to put a pleasant smile on my face.
“Patrick.” I nod, his silver hair is coiffed on his head, and his tux is perfectly tailored to his small frame. What’s annoying is he’s a good-looking guy, but being a total asshole of epic proportions makes him repulsive.
“You’ve got a good turnout tonight. Are you going to celebrate the success of your event? I could take you into the city and show you how to celebrate the right way.” He winks at me, and my skin crawls. This guy is over twenty years older than me.
