Ten
Max
After a million questions from my mom and grandma especially, the peace of the car was nice. Instead of having my usual driver, Ed, take us to the gala, I'd opted for an Uber because that's what Jared would do in a situation like this.
I tugged at the sleeve of my ill-fitting tux. It was too bad I couldn't wear my real one that had been custom made for me, but again, it would be highly suspicious for Jared to show up in anything that hinted at the wealth I actually possessed.
With the exception of that slight annoyance, I was positively thrilled about this evening. That it had come to fruition at all was a miracle, thanks to my uncanny ability to spin in office chairs and withstand the hottest of hot sauces.
I still felt bad about Cordelia and the fact that our bet had literally made her sick to her stomach. But tonight, I was determined to make it up to her and show her not just a good time but a fantastic time, maybe even the night of her life.
The driver pulled up to her place, and I jumped out. She was just exiting her fancy building, and honest to God, the sight of her took my breath away. Of course, she always looked pretty to me at the office, but seeing her in a cocktail dress that fit her like a glove? I stood there like a total dumb-ass teenage boy seeing his prom date, my jaw probably hanging open.
Pulling myself together, I closed the distance between us, offering her my arm on the wide walkway, wondering how much I could get away with gushing as Jared.
She paused a beat before putting her hand through my elbow, gorgeous eyes squinting up at me. "Well, how do I look?" she asked in an annoyed voice.
I couldn't help laughing. Leave it to Dee to just outright let me know I'd fucked up. "Beautiful."
"Yeah, thanks," she said, taking a few steps. "A few seconds too late and with prompting."
Stopping her dead in her tracks, I put my hands on her bare shoulders and turned her to face me. "Dee, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever known. And just now when I saw you, I was so awe-struck and blown away, I couldn't think of any words except pure gibberish. But you look so fucking stunning, I'm the luckiest man in the world to be by your side."
"Nice save, Jared." A hint of a smile played about her sexy lips. "That almost sounded sincere. Almost."
"That was sincere. The sincerest thing I've ever spoken."
Laughing, she took my elbow again and started forward. "Let's go. We've got a temperamental actress to try to woo."
After helping her into the back seat, I settled in beside her, itching to put my hand on her knee, her leg, her arm, her anything. Frustration swept through me, that I couldn't be my true self, that she didn't know the real me, and even if she did, she already hated me.
It was all so messed up.
"So what's the plan?" she asked.
"Plan?"
She shot me a funny look. "Yeah. Plan. You do have one, right?"
"Uh, no, not really. I thought we'd just wing it."
A noise of frustration came out of her mouth. "Wing it. Brilliant idea."
I'd used my connections as Max Sterling to get us in, or rather my assistant had, but we were entering the gala as Jared and Cordelia, not exactly two people with the highest pedigrees that could just walk right up to one of the world's biggest movie stars. Even at an event like this, she'd be surrounded by her security team. Or at the very least her protective husband, famous musician The Gray.
"Hey, winging it has worked well for me in life."
She grunted, a noise that kind of sounded sexy to my ears. It didn't help that she smelled so good, or that her cleavage was so tantalizingly on display in this dress. All of a sudden, everything about Cordelia had been elevated, and I was seeing her in a completely new way.
It was like a light had been switched on, illuminating her, making her skin glow, her lips look irresistibly inviting, her very presence intoxicating. Fuck, how the hell had that happened?
I needed to keep it in my pants because nothing could ever happen between us. So there was no point in pursuing it. But it didn't mean I couldn't have a little bit of fun along the way while I could.
She was quiet as we pulled up to the outside of The Lumina Grand Hall, one of the city's most elegant and historical venues, complete with a green carpet out front.
"Have you ever been to an event like this?" I asked her as our driver slowed to a stop.
"No. Have you?"
"Nope." Fucking liar.
Helping her out of the car, I couldn't help noticing her legs, but I dragged my eyes back up to her face. This wasn't about whatever this was. Tonight was about Venus La Fleur and getting her to say yes to us.
Holding out my arm again, she looped her hand through, and we walked the green carpet. She didn't want to stop for photos, and I was glad about that. The last thing I needed was to be photographed as Jared and have someone recognize me in pictures online. Now that I was so fully entrenched in this scheme, I wanted to be Jared a while longer because I had to see this thing out.
We entered the huge space with marble columns and ornate chandeliers setting the scene. Cordelia paused for a second to take it all in, and I had to admit, they'd really outdone themselves. Everything seemed to have an extra layer of sparkles, which was quite fitting for someone like Venus.
"I don't see her yet," Cordelia whispered.
"Knowing her, she'll probably make a late entrance when all eyes are on her." I scanned the nearest table to see they had name cards. "Should we find our seat?"
"Sure."
We meandered through the maze of tables, a string quartet playing in the background while servers carried around trays offering appetizers in odd shapes that were maybe supposed to resemble animals? Everything was vegan tonight, which wasn't really a surprise considering the cause.
Taking a detour to the bar first, we headed for our table with cocktails in hand, a purrfect martini for me and a meowgarita for Cordelia. Watching her actually say that word to the bartender had made me nearly lose my mind trying to hold back the laughter. The murderous glare she gave me didn't help.
Every table apparently was named after a rescue animal, and once we sat down, I took a minute to admire the story of Bark Twain, an Aussie mix whose tragic past and heartwarming tale of rescue were printed out on a small card.
I wiped at a tear then, after glancing at Dee who held out an impatient hand for it, I promptly hid it behind the huge floral centerpiece.
"Would you please give me the card?" she asked.
"Nope."
"Give me the damn card, Jared."
I didn't budge and she got up, reaching for it, all the while huffing and puffing with annoyance. But honestly, I was just trying to protect her. Sad animal stories fucking sucked. Even though Bark Twain had a happy ending, his journey... just fuck.
Really, I could have stopped her, but I didn't, because the last thing I wanted to do was make a scene with the two of us wrestling over a piece of paper. So while Dee read it, I took a long drink, until I heard a loud sniffle beside me.
"Shit. My makeup," Cordelia muttered. "Why did you let me read that?"
"Babe."
She carefully dabbed at her eyes with a napkin while I watched her. Goddamn, she was pretty. And smart. And so fucking snarky.
Sighing, I looked away, scanning the room once more, trying to see if there was anyone I knew. A few faces were kind of familiar, but with my little issue, it was hard to say. All I could do was hope and pray that no one would walk up to me and greet me as Max.
While Cordelia and I ate hors d'oeuvres and sipped on our drinks, our table began to fill up, the two of us making small talk with the people around us. Mostly, all anyone could talk about was Venus La Fleur, although a few actually seemed to care about the animals. It was an interesting mix.
A few people made a gasping noise, and then all eyes turned toward the entrance where Venus stood in the grand archway, pausing to survey the room, jutting her hip out and posing as if she knew everyone wanted to take her picture... which they did.
Even Cordelia seemed impressed, making a sound next to me. "Wow, she's even more gorgeous in person. Don't you think?" she asked.
"I suppose?"
Honestly, even though Venus La Fleur was known as one of the most beautiful women on the planet, she did nothing for me. She was too much. Too flashy, too everything, and I couldn't imagine how exhausting that would be to be around all the time. To each their own, of course, but all I could think about was what I was quickly realizing was my type.
Short women with bite apparently.
I felt Dee's eyes on me. "You don't think she's the most stunning woman alive?"
I shrugged. "Maybe to some people."
"Jesus Christ, Jared. What impossibly high standards for female beauty you must have."
"That's not it at all," I argued. But my voice and my point were lost in the mayhem that followed as Venus made her way through the room and the emcee hit the stage to welcome her, the crowd erupting like she was the second coming.
And that was just the beginning of the night as we dined on a three-course meal prepared for us by a Michelin-starred chef, listened to a series of speeches, and then watched a video about a bunch of different rescues, includinginterviews with their new owners.
Dee and I both sniffled our way through it.
"Damn," she whispered afterwards. "I had no idea this night would be so emotional."
"Fucking animals. They do it every time." I handed her a spare napkin that sat next to my empty plate. "How's your drink? Want another?"
"I'd love another."
I watched her carefully. "What was it again?"
"You're joking."
"Seriously, I don't remember what it was."
"A fucking meowgarita, Jared. Okay?"
Not bothering to hide my grin, I got up and headed toward the bar, stopping at the silent auction along the way. Maybe it was the buzz of being here or maybe it was the warm, gushy feeling for animals that made me do it, but I couldn't resist bidding on something, writing my real name down and bidding an exorbitant amount that could probably be matched only by Venus herself.
It was for a good cause, and it seemed like the right thing to do. Besides, silent auctions were just that. Silent. And no one would ever know.
Taking my seat next to Dee again, I handed her the drink. "Here's your meowgarita."
She gave me a cute smirk. "Thank you."
"Ladies and gentlemen," the emcee announced, "we're going to announce the winners of the silent auction now."
Well, fuck. So much for the silent part of a silent auction.
My stomach churning at how this might turn out, I sat there stewing as names were called and people cheered, the booze clearly flowing freely at this point. Someone won a private dinner with tonight's chef, another person a luxury vacation package, and another a Caribbean cruise.
Mine was last, of course. They'd want to announce such a big amount as the finale.
What the hell had I been thinking?
"Esteemed animal lovers, what an incredible night this has been," the emcee exclaimed. "We've seen some amazing generosity tonight, and our rescue animals are so grateful. And now, it's time for the final bid of the evening."
Oh, God.
"This bid is not just impressive. It's absolutely astonishing. Drum roll, please!"
Someone obliged with an actual drum roll.
"Our final item is a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork—a giant portrait of Venus La Fleur's adorable Shih Tzu Freddie dressed as Napoleon! And it's been won with a jaw-dropping bid of one million dollars!"
The crowd went wild as I thought about hiding somehow.
"Yes, you heard that right, folks—one million dollars! Let's give a huge round of applause to Max Sterling for his incredible generosity and unwavering support for our noble cause. This monumental contribution will make a world of difference for our rescue animals. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Putting my head down, I tried to crouch in my seat, cursing my height for once. There were bewildered noises and murmurs as people searched the room, presumably looking for Max Sterling.
"I guess he's not here," the emcee finally said. "A generous person who doesn't want the accolades. Well, we appreciate it all the more and can't wait to send off this beautiful artwork to Max. And with that, we'll get on with the evening. All that's left to do is dance." He sashayed away as a live band took the stage to enthusiastic applause.
"So typical," Cordelia muttered under her breath.
"What's so typical?" I asked, daring to look up now that the moment had passed.
"Fucking Max Sterling. Making the night all about him. Showing off his billionaire status. Winning a portrait that Venus for sure bid on of her own dog. And then dipping."
Shit. Shit. Shit. I'd royally fucked up. I hadn't even noticed what the portrait was or if Venus had put in a bid. And now, not only had I done exactly what Dee had accused me of, I was stuck with a truly horrendous piece of art. If one could call it that.
"Yeah, that guy sounds like a total ass," I agreed.
Cordelia downed the rest of her drink, her eyes glowing in the flicker of the candlelight. "Let's forget about that motherfucker and remember our mission. Come on. Venus is on the dance floor."
"Well, well, well, look who's on board with the mission now, huh?"
Ignoring my teasing, she grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the dance floor, close to where Venus was holding court, a crowd gathered around her as she half danced, half talked to her many admirers.
The music was loud, everyone letting loose now that the main event had ended, the party vibe contagious. At least for me. Cordelia still seemed all business, which was especially amusing since she'd been so against this idea.
Distracted, what Dee was doing could hardly be considered dancing, swaying her body slightly while she stood close to me, peering around my shoulder to watch Venus.
"You're so sly," I teased.
Her sharp eyes turned to me. "What? I'm just trying to assess the situation and figure out when and how we can approach her."
"Maybe we should just let it happen naturally, you know? Let fate do its thing."
"Fate? You believe in fate?"
"Yeah, I do. You don't?"
"Nope. I think we make our own fate."
"Why am I not surprised," I said.
"What's that supposed to mean? I just believe in hard work. That's all."
"So do I actually. But I believe fate has a major hand in it as well. Not everybody who works hard succeeds."
Staring past me, she thought for a long moment, the music slowing down as the band played the first few notes of a romantic song I hadn't heard in ages.
"You might have a point," Cordelia finally said.
"I might have a point? You're actually agreeing with me?"
She bumped my arm slightly with her shoulder. "Don't let it go to your head."
"Wait. Just for the record, you are actually agreeing with me, right?"
"Maybe. Would you just shut up and dance?"
After glancing around at all the couples surrounding us, including Venus and her husband who'd appeared out of nowhere, Dee placed her hands on me, cutting off any gloating I was about to do... actually, cutting off all coherent thoughts in my head.
"You're supposed to put your arms around me too," Dee whispered.
Right. Fuck. Why was I being such a dolt?
All those dance lessons my mom had made me take years ago flashed through my mind, but I couldn't remember a damn thing. Somehow, though, my hands knew where to go, one settling on the side of her waist, and the other finding her hand, our palms coming together, our fingers intertwining, her hand so delicate in mine.
Given her sharp edges and bite, it was surprising to me how soft she felt, the curve of her waist, the way her skin was so smooth. In my imagination, she was all hard angles, and I had to admit, the contrast was intriguing to me.
Instinct taking over, muscle memory apparently a real thing, I truly began to lead her in a dance, her surprised exhale against my chest making me smile. The space between us became charged with an unexpected electricity as our bodies began to move in sync.
Glancing down at her, I tried in vain to get a good glimpse at her eyes to get an inkling of her thoughts, but she kept her head averted to the side, looking at something behind me.
My gut clenched. I didn't want her distracted. I wanted all her focus on me and me alone.
So I pulled her in tighter, our bodies coming together, her curves fitting against me perfectly. I was rewarded with another gasp-like noise. I liked it. And I wanted more from her.
I suddenly craved it more than anything.
Holding her as close as possible, her body seemed to melt against me, her breasts soft against my chest. Fuck.
She felt incredible. Was there any chance she was feeling it too?
There was no way in hell.
But then something amazing happened. Cordelia's body relaxed completely, her head coming to rest against me, tucked perfectly in the space under my jaw, something about the gesture so trusting, almost vulnerable.
I felt a twinge in my chest. A twinge that I hadn't felt in forever.
The music seemed to slow, and the world around us faded away, leaving just the two of us swaying together, lost in this moment.
An overwhelming urge overtook me. Just to kiss this girl and see what it'd be like.
But I'd probably get slapped if I tried. Oddly, the thought made me smile, almost laugh. And the shift in mood broke the spell, the magic dispersing as Dee lifted her head away and cool air flooded the sudden space between us.
Above her head, I spotted Venus in the puppy cuddle corner, with only the attendant for company, a little dog in her arms that she was cooing over. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to approach her.
My mouth close to Cordelia's ear, I said, "Now's our chance." As much as I hated to do it, I gently let her go, her eyes widening as she looked in the direction I indicated with my nod.
"Let's go."
To my surprise, she grabbed my hand, and together, we walked the short distance to where Venus stood. I'd actually met her as myself, as Max, a few years back. I doubted she remembered me, but God, that would make it easier if I could throw my name around at least.
No one gave a crap about Jared—shit, what was my last name again? And Venus certainly wouldn't either. But even if I failed miserably, I had to give this thing a try.
For Cordelia.