Chapter 18
It was the day of the gala and Sasha was trying to stay focused on the tasks at hand. But between Conner and anxiety about her stalker’s reappearance, her head was all over the place. Luckily the posts for the day she was able to just copy and paste from the marketing department, so that was easy content, but there was another account that followed her today that had gone through and liked all their old content. That in and of itself wasn”t super strange and if she weren”t in this current predicament, but everything was suspicious to her now.
The gala was something she had been looking forward to, having a job that allowed her to get this dressed up from time to time was definitely one of the perks. She had on a red sparkly dress that was low cut, had a high slit, and hugged all her curves. Her dark hair was in soft waves and her make-up was perfect with a red lip. She felt amazing. She was slipping her phone into her clutch to head to the gala when she decided to check her phone one last time.
The suspicious account had left a comment on the gala post about how they couldn”t wait for a picture from the gala. And once again, it wasn”t anything she could block over, though she still had an uneasy feeling.
As she walked into the ballroom, people had just finished setting up she could take some pictures. The tables and the dance floor were perfect. The purple of the magic”s logo was everywhere but glammed up. Purple, gold, and celestial patterns filled the space giving it an ethereal quality. She took a picture of the silent auction items, and the entertainers setting up.
Next, she stopped by the player’s auction table. This had been her idea and she was excited to see how it all turned out. There were some great options for the players to get involved with from the rink’s summer hockey program to volunteering for a day at a pet adoption event. She would have to remember that one, hockey players and puppies would be pure social media gold.
Some of the magicians were getting their props ready. Next to them was a little round woman with wild red hair. She must be the fortune teller Wes had told them about. She had just finished setting up her table and was sitting behind it.
“Excuse me ma”am, can I take your picture for the team”s socials?”
“I’m not sure what those are,” the woman said. “But feel free to take a picture, lass. My aren”t you a pretty thing? You must have to bat away the players all day.”
“All the players here are perfect gentlemen...well most of them,” she smirked.
“I’ve met a couple and I must say they sure are handsome.”
The doors had been open for ten minutes and people were starting to come in. The music was starting, and things were starting to pick up.
“And it looks like one of those handsome players is admiring you, lass.”
Sasha followed the woman’s gaze to Conner. Her heart stopped; he was breathtaking. Can men be breathtaking? She had never considered them to be before now, but Conner McPhee standing over there in his tux was enough to damn near stop her heart.
His eyes met hers over the dance floor and he smiled at her. At that moment all the feelings she had been fighting for this devastatingly handsome man boiled over. From their rocky start to the way things had been starting to change in the last few weeks, to the way he demanded to keep her safe, she wasn’t capable of fighting her feelings anymore. Things had been different since her car broke down. He looked at her differently, and if she was being honest, she loved it. When she had woken up on his chest the other night, it should have been awkward, but it wasn’t. It felt right. Things had changed. If he asked her, she would be his. It was a new realization, but one she realized was true without a shadow of a doubt.
Conner started walking over to Sasha. She turned to tell the old woman goodbye only to find her smiling at them like the Cheshire Cat, like she knew something they didn”t. But that thought was gone before it even took hold because all she could focus on was Conner.
In just a few steps he was standing next to Sasha and the woman.
“Sasha, you are breathtaking,” he said with awe in his voice. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. At that moment sparks like Sasha had never felt before in her life shot through her body.
“Thank you. You look handsome tonight as well, Conner,” she said, trying not to openly gape at him.
“I believe I met you in Mystic Falls,” he said, turning his attention to the woman standing next to them. “Bridget, am I right?”
“Correct ye are. Yere Kate”s brother are you not?”
“That”s right. We met at the winter festival.”
“That we did lad, why don”t ye stop by my table later and let me read your cards,” she said with the same Cheshire grin.
“That sounds nice.”
“Well, I’ll let you two lovely young people chat,” Bridget said, excusing herself from the discussion to head back to her table as the ballroom started to fill.
Sasha turned to Conner who was still had a look on his face she had never seen before. He looked at her and licked his bottom lip, now that face she knew. It was the same one the suit cam had caught and right now it turned her core molten, and she was about to combust. She needed to get some air.
Someone waving at her across the dance floor caught her eye. It was Evie in a beautiful navy gown.
“If you”ll excuse me, Conner. I need to go,” she said as she put her hand on his arm, sending that spark of electricity through her entire body like it had before.
“Of course, I”ll find you later,” he said with a smirk. “Maybe on the dance floor.”
“Maybe,” she said as she looked up into his sparkling hazel eyes.
She made her way across the dance floor to Evie, happy for the reprieve from the full assault of Conner”s sexiness. She shook her head as she came up to Evie.
“I’m so glad you could make it! You look amazing,” Sasha said, wrapping her up in a hug.
“Of course! You look pretty incredible yourself. Red is gorgeous on you,” she said. “I”m excited for the auction. The rink put up their scholarship program. Hockey is so hard for some families to pay for, so this will really help with that. Plus having a professional on the ice with those kids for some lessons is a great cause.”
“I’m sure your package will be a big hit.”
Sasha had fun as the night went on. There had been lots of fun and dancing. It was time for the auction, and it went off without a hitch. Conner had paid an exorbitant amount of money to spend the day helping the Glendale boys and girls club paint their gym and gave money to a field hockey team at the center.
She had taken some wonderful pictures and was ready for the community to see how much this organization stepped up tonight. But right now, the players were letting loose before they all buckled down Monday and started training for the cup.
“Come dance with us!” Kate McPhee pulled her hand out onto the dance floor. Kate, Evie, and Frankie were all there. They all danced like it was college again to the sound of Whitney Houston”s I Wanna Dance with Somebody. It was a perfect night and Sasha had forgotten all about the shadiness that had been going on and the possibility of her stalker finding her again.