Chapter 5 – Fundraiser Gala Pt one

Harmoni

Tonight was the night of the fundraiser gala organized at Pearson Enterprise. I had gone shopping a few weeks ago and found a fabulous dress. The dress was close-fitting, hugging all the right curves before falling freely from halfway through my thighs all the way to the floor. The jewels sewn on the dress reflected the light.

Overall, it was elegant and classy. I loved dressing up, but I rarely had the opportunity to do so since I tried my best to avoid crowds. I was seldom invited to an event with my father unless his company hosted it, since my father thought it would be too dangerous. Understandably so, since he often received threats.

This fundraiser happened once a year, and all the money received went to the education of children in third-world countries. It took a very long time before I started going to this event due to my fear of crowds, but my psychologist recommended I go as a first step to overcome my qualms.

Each year it got better, and after the third, I managed to get through the entire event without having a panic attack. It might seem like nothing, but I learned to celebrate the small victories as much as the big achievements.

Looking at myself one last time in the floor-length mirror, I took a deep breath and headed out the door. This would be a long night, crowd or not. I did say I liked dressing up; I did not, however, say that I enjoyed the company of snobbish people and kiss-asses who thought they should get on my good side in case I inherited the company's business.

I could hear my father talking with someone in the living room, but my focus was on the young man standing at the bottom of the staircase. His back was facing me, and all I could think about was how damn attractive he looked. His figure was tall, and his shoulders were wide, which was clearly accentuated by the tuxedo he was wearing. As if sensing my presence, he turned around, only for me to realize who I had been complimenting less than two minutes ago.

William.

~Seriously, could he not just stay in black? Did he have to look better and better?~

~I swear you could put him in a chicken costume and he would still somehow make it look sexy. Damn this man and his amazing genes!~

Snapping out of my inner thoughts, I focused on putting one step in front of the other and walking down the stairs carefully. The combination of this tightly fitted dress and my 3-inch heels were not necessarily the best combination. Especially since my dress was floor length and I could easily step on it and make a fool of myself.

Smiling proudly at myself when I finally reached the last step, I looked up to see William with an impassive look. Wrong move. Clearly, this was the moment the trail of my dress decided to somehow end up under my heel. Before I could react, I felt myself falling forwards, my arms flailing like a distressed seal.

~Honestly, did it have to happen on the last step?~

Generally, if this were a book or a movie, the bodyguard would use his inhuman speed to catch me and straighten me before I hit the floor and make a fool of myself. Yeah well, I painfully realized that this was not going to happen when I landed on my hands and knees just at his feet.

"Aren't you supposed to at least try to catch me?" I asked him incredulously, clearly not hiding my frustration. His impassive face had now changed to feature a smirk, obviously enjoying my embarrassing fall. I guess my stunt from yesterday hadn't been forgotten.

"Are you hurt from this tiny fall?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at me, taunting me.

"No, but...,” I started but was rudely cut off by his reply.

"Then there was clearly no need for my assistance. Your dad is waiting for you in the living room,” he added before moving forward and leading the way.

Standing up and dusting off my dress, I followed him. He was infuriating! How dare he. I could have gotten hurt, who knows? Okay maybe that was a lie. I doubt I would have suffered any damage from that fall, but still, he should have tried. Right?

~Surprised he didn't try after seeing how you've been behaving?~ A voice in my head stated. I huffed, pushing those thoughts away, knowing they made a valid point.

Entering the living room, I saw my dad speaking with his bodyguard Josef. His conversation ended when he saw me, but I was still too angry with William to ask them what they were hiding.

"You look absolutely beautiful, sweetheart,” my dad complimented as he stepped forward to kiss my forehead.

“Thanks, dad. I guess you don’t look so old when you clean up,” I teased while smiling widely at him.

He shook his head, chuckling before turning to Josef. “Remind me why I thought having a kid was a good idea?”

“Hey!” I exclaimed, playfully feigning outrage and crossing my arms against my chest, earning a laugh from both my dad and Josef while William stayed in the back near the wall. Other than a slight twinkle in his eyes, you could hardly tell the scene in front of him amused him.

***

William opened the door for my father, who then held out a hand to help me out of the car. I was immediately blinded by the various photographers who stood by the entrance asking for a statement or merely screaming “Over here! Over here!”. I felt my grip tighten over my father’s arm. Sensing my distress, my father placed his other hand over mine. This simple gesture brought me some comfort, but I would much rather we headed inside immediately.

Unfortunately, even I knew that would not be possible. We posed for a few minutes before entering.

“Thanks,” I quietly said so only my dad could hear.

“No problem, sweetheart,” he replied, smiling. However, I couldn’t help but notice how his smile didn’t reach his eyes. I had always wondered if my dad somehow pitied me for all the issues I had developed after my mother abandoned me. My thoughts were cut short when the first people greeted us.

I smiled through the usual polite greetings and the cringe-worthy flatteries of kiss-asses.

I guess the ass-licking would start a little earlier than I had expected. Before long, both men then started discussing business and their most current deal. I tried to pay attention but tuned out rapidly.

I realized that William, Benjamin, and Logan were no longer by our side. I scanned the room, trying to see where they were but couldn’t see them. I was about to give up looking for them, knowing they were here somewhere when my eyes met his silver ones. He was looking right at me.

His impartial mask was in place, but I could somehow sense some worry in his eyes. I gave him a quick smile and nod. Hoping it would reassure him that I wasn’t seeking him out due to any trouble. He seemed to relax slightly and nodded back to me.

Most bodyguards were lined up against the wall of the room; some were dressed in their regular uniform while others, like William, were dressed to blend in.

I turned my attention back to my father when he started leading me to the exposition room. All items that were being bid on were in this room. There was everything from jewelry to paintings. I smiled as I grasped the amount of money we would probably be able to raise tonight.

I was proud that the company my father was running didn’t merely look at financial results like profit and revenue but also aimed to make a difference in the world by giving back.

***

“Can I have this dance?” I heard someone ask. We had been at the gala for a few hours now, and I was honestly bored out of my mind, dinner had been pleasant, but most of the conversation revolved around work. I hadn’t spotted anyone my age either. My father was in deep conversation with one of his subordinates on the other side of the room.

Looking up from where I was sitting, I recognized one of my father’s colleagues. I admit, I was not enchanted with the fact that I would dance with a man much older than my father, who I also barely knew. Yet, I didn’t want to cause a scene or give any reason for my father to feel embarrassed. So I made sure to put my most professional façade on and agreed politely. Let’s just hope he isn’t one of those handsy guys.

The music had just started, and we were swinging to the melody when I felt his hand move slightly lower. ~Guess he is one of those~ I thought to myself while internally rolling my eyes. It was still respectable, but it was already low enough to make me feel uncomfortable and pray the song wouldn’t last too long.

After another few beats, I felt his hand move even further south to a place that would no longer be deemed appropriate. I was grossed out and about to pull away when someone yanked me away from this man quite roughly.

No words were exchanged between the men because there was no time. Before I could understand what was happening, I felt a hand on my head, bending my head slightly down. My loose hair fell around my face like curtains, shielding my face from the world.

By then, I had noticed the commotion that had started. Bodyguards were tense and reaching for the people they were protecting and heading out as fast as possible. Something was going on. Something very wrong.

“Stay quiet, keep your head down and follow me. We need to get you to safety,” I heard William’s familiar voice. His presence reassured me, and although I had been giving him hell these past few days, I was glad he was here at the moment. He had one arm around my shoulders, keeping me close while the other one was on his ear, trying to hear the person on the other line above the disorder.

“I got the girl; we're heading to the car,” I heard him say. We walked faster towards the parking garage. William was clearly on high alert; his eyes were darting everywhere while I was still in shock, trying to comprehend what was happening.