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Hm. Maybe because he’s some kind of sociopath?
Jesus, I really need to get the heck away from here. My fingers tap my beaded clutch bag, a clear indication that they want to dial Max’s number and tell him there are plenty of forks here waiting should he feel the urge to dig into Gianni’s chest with one. Or ten.
But Max had something more important to do tonight. And I shouldn’t want to call. I don’t want to feel. I want to hate him…the way I swore I did before.
Until he managed to wiggle his way back into my heart.
I thought that’s where he wanted to stay.
I was so very wrong.
Gianni leans closer, his dark eyes studying me, his voice deep and gravelly. But it’s not at all sexy. It’s downright scary. His tone is threatening, daring me to challenge his offer, to turn him down. His body turns slight left, like he’s blocking my escape. But that smile is still in place, showcasing a very different image than the one deep inside. I can sense it. I’ve worked with enough psychotics to know a damn-convincing façade when I see one.
“Sloane! There you are! I think it’s about time. Are you ready?” Dr. Steven Kiley stops next to my table with a wide smile. He nods toward Gianni who returns it with a death glare. But Dr. Kiley doesn’t even flinch. Maybe he caught my silent S.O.S. Maybe he just happened to spot me on his way to the bar. Either way, I’m rescued. For the moment.
“Yes! I am, thanks for coming to find me.” I grab my clutch tight and manage to swing my legs around in the chair. Dr. Kiley sticks out a hand to help me through the tangle of legs blocking my rapid exit. I rise from the seat and paste on a fake smile. “It was nice talking to you, Gianni. Enjoy the rest of the night.”
“Sorry for interrupting. Was that your, um…date?” Steven’s voice definitely begs me to say no, and I am very happy to comply.
“No, just someone I was talking to. I don’t really know him at all.” I bite my tongue when the next words threaten to spew forth…that my real date, my real boyfriend, who was supposed to be here with me, got a better offer and ditched me on one of the most important nights of my life.
No! We are not going there, Sloane! My inner cheerleader speaks up giving me a reality slap across the face. Tonight is your night, and nothing will ruin it. You’ve worked too hard for this, and if Max doesn’t want to acknowledge it, if you aren’t important enough for him to support, then fuck him!
I swallow hard and force a smile at Dr. Kiley. “Shall we?” I link my arm with his and allow him to lead me toward the podium, anxious to put as much distance between myself and Gianni as possible.
“I can’t wait to hear your speech,” he murmurs. “There are a lot of people here who are really interested in what you have to say.”
With a throbbing pulse, I give a quick nod. I wish I could say it was from nerves. I peer through the crowd and let out a deep sigh of relief when I spot Jules and my dad standing on the side of the dance floor. Jules is talking a blue streak as usual, her hands flying through the air as she explains something to him. He nods politely, as he always would, even if he couldn’t care less about what he’s hearing. That’s just my dad.
I let out a deep sigh, feeling somewhat settled. My eyes slide through the crowd once more, but Gianni is nowhere to be found. Thank God. Let him find someone else to prey on.
I follow Dr. Kiley to the microphone and smile at Eric Bane, the chairman of the hospital board. “Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak, Mr. Bane. It really means a lot to me.”
Mr. Bane nods and shakes my hand. “I’m very excited to share the news of your program with our attendees this evening. If you’re ready, I’ll introduce you.”
Butterflies swarm in my belly as Mr. Bane’s booming voice quiets the room. I catch the eyes of Jules and my dad. Jules gives me the thumbs-up and Dad is grinning so hard, it looks like his face might just explode from a happiness I haven’t seen in a very long time. I swallow hard. Public speaking really isn’t my thing, and I grip my index cards tight in my hand even though I don’t even need them.
What I really need isn’t here.
And he won’t be ever again.
Dr. Kiley is the first to applaud when Mr. Bane introduces me to speak, and I feel a bit better knowing I have the support of people who actually care about me. I step forward and adjust the microphone, flashing a wide smile at the audience. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you to Mr. Bane and the board for giving me an opportunity to speak to you about a program called The Buddy System. I formed this program a year ago when I became a full-time nurse in the trauma center. Working here has opened my eyes to the wonderful work that everyone does to help people in need, to make patients as comfortable as possible, and to provide them with world-class care.” My eyes flit around the room at the sea of strange faces. I see a lot of smiles of encouragement, and that strengthens my voice. “I lost my mother years ago to cancer. It was the hardest time of our lives, one thing that got us through those difficult months of surgery and treatments was knowing what wonderful people surrounded her at the hospital. They became her rock, her support, her shoulder to cry on when my dad and I couldn’t be there with her.” Tears pool in the corners of my eyes. “That’s what The Buddy System strives to do. We’ve rolled out the program in the Pediatric Cancer Care Unit and it has been a tremendous success. Volunteers take on ‘buddies’, and they visit the kids, bring them gifts, play with them, and basically, be their friends at a time that’s really confusing and frightening for them. They don’t take the place of our staff, but they bring happiness and hope to the kids and their families. They brighten days and bring smiles. We plan to roll out the program to other units in the hospital in the next several months, but we need funding to do even more. Please consider making a donation to The Buddy System and help us bring that hope and happiness to others. Thank you for your time.”
A loud smattering of applause rings in my ears, and I want to jump for joy. Well, I take that back. I’ll jump later when I’m barefoot. It’ll hurt a heck of a lot less when I’m not wearing these stilts.
Jules and my dad rush over to me, smothering me with hugs and kisses. Their excitement is contagious, and a few of the administrators walk over to shake my hand and tell me how impressed they are with the work I’ve done in such a short amount of time.
They think I’m just diligent and driven. They’re right…somewhat. But they don’t know that the reason I jump-started it all was mainly because there are never any guarantees with this kind of diagnosis. Waiting around to cut through red tape just means that we’re letting time get the better of us and some of the kids just didn’t have the time to spare.
My mother didn’t.
And the positivity has helped so many of them. Kids whose treatments have stopped working, kids who’ve needed transplants to stay alive, kids who’ve been given only months to live…this program has done wonders for them, giving them something to look forward to each day. And some of their conditions have actually improved because of the added attention.
And I’m glad that more people want to become part of our tribe. My heart swells at the well-wishes and congratulations, and I know Mom is smiling down on me. I can feel her with me, just like I do each day I visit with the kids.
I swallow hard, past the growing lump in my throat. This is where I was always meant to be, and what I was meant to do. I reach out and hug my dad hard around the neck, breathing in his fatherly scent of Royal Copenhagen. It’s the only cologne he’s ever worn, even though I’ve tried to mix it up on him a few times in the past. He’s a creature of habit, and tonight, I’m really glad for that. Tonight, I needed that familiarity. One whiff has the power to bring back memories of happy times we shared with Mom, and they comfort me now, knowing that she’ll always be part of my life and my work.
“I’m so proud of you,” he whispers, rubbing my back. “So is Mom.”
