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“It’s a good move. Don’t worry.”
“Tell me about your week,” Olin said, needing to get the focus off of himself for a moment. The song changed to something slower, more romantic. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Kayla rushing Michael to their own corner of the dance floor.
“Thank you for asking,” Meegan replied. “It was good. We moved on to the color blue. The kids had a lot to say about the sky and Bluey of course. I had to stop myself from boring them with the very thrilling story of what life was like before blue M&Ms.”
“I forgot about that,” Olin replied. He smiled as Meegan let out a gasp.
“It was such a pivotal moment in our history, it should be a national holiday.”
“I’ll start a letter writing campaign immediately.”
“I’d appreciate that. It’s the correct way to use your power and influence. Next, we are on to the color purple and I know one of the kids is gonna ask me to explain red onions and then my classroom will descend into complete chaos.”
“You really love teaching.”
“I do. This age and preteens are my favorite. Both have this burst of independence, but they still want to be babied. It’s a lot of work, but it's so much fun watching them discover the world. Everything is still new to them and they are so proud when they take new steps. It’s inspiring, really.”
“I bet.” Olin gave in to the sudden urge to hold Meegan a little closer. At first, he thought she came willingly as a part of their deal, but he couldn’t deny the way she sighed when she rested her head on his shoulder.
They only got three songs in before the emcee for the evening interrupted the music to introduce the Los Angeles superintendent of schools. As they turned to face the speaker, Meegan stepped directly in front of Olin and pulled his hand around her waist. Again, he knew the move was all a part of the plan, but Olin realized he liked having her close. He liked feeling the warmth of her body, the softness of her stomach under the flowy fabric of her dress. Her deep floral scent. He didn’t know if this was the right moment, but with his heart suddenly thudding in his chest, he leaned down and brushed a kiss to her temple. He held her tighter as she leaned back into him for just a second, before she turned and kissed him on his cheek.
After, the emcee came back and announced their plans for dinner and reminded people of the silent auction and the raffle for a trip to The Maldives.
“Are you gonna check out the silent auction?” Meegan asked as the orchestra resumed playing.
Olin had already directly donated to the arts program and the LA Philharmonic, which would benefit from the auction, but the look on Meegan’s face suggested she wanted to get in on the fun. “Let’s go check it out.” He nodded to Michael as they made their way over to the prize tables. They got about ten feet before they were intercepted by Hannah Crowder.
“Olin! So happy to see you.”
“Hannah.”
“And you’re with a woman!” Even though showing Meegan off was part of the plan, Olin didn’t like what Hannah was suggesting or the way she looked Meegan up and down. Before Olin could push Hannah out of the way and keep walking, Meegan held out her hand and introduced herself.
“Meegan Whalen. The circus bear Olin hired tonight canceled at the last minute so I, a human woman, stepped in.”
Hannah’s face turned bright red as she let out a sputtering laugh. “Oh no. I’m embarrassed. We’ve been trying to set Olin up for so long, I asked him if he was gay.”
“Wow, that’s so rude,” Meegan replied. “What’s your name?”
“Hannah. Hannah Crowder,” she sputtered.
“Very nice to meet you,” Meegan said, before she turned her attention back in Olin’s direction. Olin cleared his throat. High fiving Meegan right in Hannah’s face might have been too much, but he might buy her the Tiffany bracelet up for auction, just as a thank you.
“We’ll see you later, Hannah,” he said.
“You two enjoy your night.”
“I don’t think she knows the meaning of embarrassed,” Meegan said when they were out of earshot.
“I think you might have shown her.”
* * *
Olin had to admit, the rest of the night went pretty well. He introduced Meegan around and she managed to charm everyone. He was still getting to know her, of course, but he was impressed by the effortless way she carried herself, and how engaging she was in the most boring of conversations. It actually took the pressure off of him for once. When they got cornered by Adam Woolrich and his very annoying partner, Bob, Meegan swooped right in and told Bob all about her thoughts on how Los Angeles was implementing the charter system. She kept Bob engaged for the perfect amount of time before Olin felt they could end the conversation and move on.
Even though they didn’t win the vintage Bronco Meegan told him to bid on, it had been an enjoyable evening. They said goodnight to Michael, Kayla and Daniella, then weaved their way back to the street where Olin’s driver for the night was waiting. It took them no time to get back to the hotel. Their night was over, but Olin wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Not yet. He asked his driver to circle the block for a moment. He knew they’d hatched a plan. He knew exactly what he’d asked Meegan to do, the clear nature of the relationship, but some time between dinner and the final time they hit the dance floor, Olin realized both of his boxes had been checked.
He found Meegan Whelan extremely attractive and he really enjoyed being around her. She was very funny, yet calm. She could enjoy a quiet moment and knew exactly how to navigate a conversation. Olin knew himself. He could see something real with her and he needed some clarity on that now, he realized. He wouldn’t be able to sleep without it.
