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“How about you? What doyoudo?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could come up with a response, Ross’s assistant was back at the mic and the room quieted again. I held a finger to my lips and shushed Bennett with a wink, turning my attention to the stage, wishing I could keep my focus on Bennett for the rest of the night. There was so much to like about him—he seemed humble, dedicated to his family, and a genuinely loving person. He was passionate about the things in his life. And there was something more, too. Something inexplicable that made me want to touch his leg under the table, see him get tipsy on vodka, and see where the night took us.
Chapter Five
Bennett
Icouldn’t believe my luck. There I was, at a fancy banquet, and a very hot guy was actually interested in what I had to say, or at least acting like it. If he was acting, he wasveryconvincing. His green eyes had sparkled with amusement in the lights of the art museum as I babbled on about kickball rules and how our team had come together. The first part of the evening had flown by, largely thanks to my rambling and his follow-up questions, and the next thing I knew, there was someone on the stage talking about the Foundation and all the good work it was doing for Port Grandlin and beyond.
I couldn’t help but monitor Dex in my peripheral vision while the first presenter spoke. He had to be forty or older and he carried himself with such self-confidence, like he’d never had a reason to doubt himself in his life. It was incredibly compelling. Not to mention, goddamn but he was sexy. His black suit fit him like it was expertly tailored, not a thread out of place, and his dark hair, lightly interspersed with silver strands, was perfectly styled. He had what looked like two days’ worth of salt-and-pepper stubble covering his sharp jawline and a full bottom lip that made me think of things I probably shouldn’t have been thinking about a stranger.
The crowd in the room burst into applause, cutting through my thoughts as I blinked a few times and looked around, shaking my head to focus on the fancy event unfolding in front of me. Another man was taking the stage, this one about the same age as Dex, maybe a little older. The man stood at the mic and cleared his throat before introducing himself.
“Good evening. My name is Ross Timmer and in addition to Eric’s remarks, I’d like to thank you for supporting the Michaels Foundation. We wouldn’t be here without you.”Ross… Timmer?I recognized his name from somewhere, but I couldn’t place it for a second. Then it hit me. He was the one who’d signed the award notification letter.
I rolled my eyes at his words. “He’s glad we’re all in need of help?” I whispered to Dex.
Dex grinned. “I think he probably means the sponsors.”
“Right,” I murmured. That made sense, but Mr. Timmer could’ve been a little clearer with his words.
Once Ross started his speech, Dex turned to me, lowering his voice. “I’m starving. I hope dinner starts soon.”
“Seriously. What are they feeding us, anyway?”
He shrugged. “No clue.”
“Please welcome Bennett Cantrell to the stage,” announced Ross from the stage.
A rush of adrenaline flooded my system, my cheeks blazing hot. “Wait, what?” I hissed. Dex grimaced and shrugged again.
“Bennett, are you with us this evening?”
Panic washed over me. I did not want to get on that stage, but it seemed like I didn’t have a choice at the moment. I hadn’t been expecting to have to go on stage to accept the grant. I’d thought it was just a “thank you” dinner, or maybe a fundraiser,considering all the sponsors. I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me, though. It made perfect sense.
My legs worked of their own volition to stand me up and propel me toward the stage. As I approached, Mr. Timmer reached out and shook my hand, pumping it several times before releasing me. “Mr. Cantrell, we’re so glad you could join us tonight.” The flash of a camera went off from somewhere behind me. Ross handed me a certificate and gestured for me to continue walking along the stage to shake hands with other people, presumably from the Michaels Foundation, until I could finally retreat to my seat, where Dex stood, applauding my award.
The moment before I sat down, another photographer rushed up to me. “Gentlemen, can we get one more photo?”
My hands shook a little until Dex stood and put one palm on the middle of my back. His touch made something in my chest settle. I took a deep breath and forced a smile as the photographer’s flash went off again, temporarily blinding me.
I blinked several times and sat again. “Oh myGod,” I murmured, burying my face in my hands.
Dex chuckled beside me, grazing the back of my hand with his fingertips. “You did great. Really.”
With a nod, I swallowed the sour acid in my throat. I hated being in the spotlight and I reallyhadn’texpected to have to get up and walk a stage in front of what felt like hundreds of people. I wasn’t the only one called on stage, though—each recipient was called up and introduced to the crowd. Soon enough, the awards presentation part of the night was over, each recipient having been called up to the stage to receive their certificate and shake hands, and servers were releasing us to visit the buffet.
Once I’d piled my plate high with food and gotten yet another drink, I returned to my table. I’d expected him to abandon me to my own devices and find his assigned seat, but Dex stayed closebehind me. A weird relief settled over me as he sat in the same seat he’d been occupying earlier. While we ate, we continued to talk.
“Okay, next question,” Dex said. “Tell me a fun fact about yourself.”
My eyebrows shot up, and I swallowed a mouthful of mashed potatoes. “That’s an interesting question.”
He laughed and nodded, taking a bite of his own food. “I have a few.”
I pushed food around on my plate aimlessly, hoping to dodge the question entirely. “I’m not super interesting.”
The heat from his body gave me goosebumps as he leaned in close. “I doubt that very seriously,” he murmured, barely over a whisper.
