Chapter Chapter Twenty Two
Amy
I was so excited about the evening that I couldn’t even sit down.
I kept walking around my living room all dressed up.
I’d styled my hair in a very elegant braid on one side and was wearing silver jewelry and matching high heels.
The red dress complemented my hair so much that it brought out a few strawberry blonde strands I didn’t even know I had!
But I hadn’t worn these shoes in a while, so I had to break them in. My toes were already feeling the pain.
When I heard a car pulling up the street, I instinctively knew it was Knox, so I opened the door, darted out, and locked it before he even managed to get out of the car.
He laughed as he rounded the hood. “You couldn’t wait, could you?”
“No.”
I practically ran toward him, holding my black silk jacket on my arm. It fastened in the middle with a belt, and it wasn’t exactly a match for this dress, so I dearly hoped I wouldn’t need it.
“Fuck, you look so gorgeous.”
“As do you, mister. You look great in a suit. Delicious, even.” He put a hand on my waist, and as I rose to my toes, I whispered in his ear, “If you want to go a bit late, we can totally go inside first.”
He groaned. “Damn it. Why didn’t I think of that? I wouldn’t have told him to come with me.”
“Him?” I asked.
He straightened up and cleared his throat. Then I glanced toward the car and shrieked. Finn was grinning from the back seat, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Knox, why didn’t you tell me?” I waved at Finn, feeling like an utter fool.
“I forgot.”
I looked from Finn to Knox. “You forgot about him? He’s right there.”
“He couldn’t hear us, you know.”
Maybe not, but judging by Finn’s smug expression, I was pretty sure he could guess what we were talking about.
I took a deep breath as Knox stepped to one side and opened the door for me. I got in carefully so I wouldn’t mess up my dress.
“Hi, Finn.” My voice was a little squeaky. It got like that when I was nervous or embarrassed, which had been happening a lot lately.
“Sorry to be such a cockblocker,” he said instead of hello.
“Fucking hell, Finn,” Knox said, then started to laugh.
My face was on fire.
Finn just shrugged. “I call things as I see them.”
Knox shook his head as he closed my door and then came around to the driver’s seat.
“Finn will be Finn,” he said as he climbed into the car. “Ignore him.”
A loud “Hey” came from the back seat in obvious protest.
“I know how Finn is,” I replied. “I just... I don’t know how to handle both of you at once.”
“Well, you’re going to learn. The way I see it, the more the three of us hang out together, the more practice you’ll have,” Finn informed me.
I laughed. “Fair enough. So, Finn, I remember you never having a serious relationship in college. Did you have any after?”
Glancing in the visor mirror after having checked my lipstick, I could see Finn’s shocked expression.
“Since we’re getting familiar, I get to ask uncomfortable questions too,” I went on.
“Not uncomfortable, just unexpected. I’m not a relationship type of guy.”
“Yeah, the only woman I ever remember you mentioning a few times was Olivia,” Knox added. “When was that? Two years ago?”
Finn nodded. “Yeah. She and I had fun for a while. And that’s all I’ll say on this topic.”
Hmmm... I debated pushing some more, but decided to change the subject.
“So, who wants to tell me what exactly tonight’s benefit is about? Actually, Finn, can you tell me so that Knox can focus on driving?”
“Sure,” Finn replied as we drove off. “We’re donating to homeless shelters.”
“That is a good cause,” I said.
“But Knox here had this great idea today about setting up our own charity branch where we could, among other things, arrange for high school students to get internships in companies.”
My breath caught as I looked at Knox. “You did?”
He looked at me. “Yeah, babe. And I actually meant to tell you about it myself.”
“That’s right. You did mention that. Sorry, my bad,” Finn said with a laugh.
I knew he hadn’t done it on purpose to steal Knox’s thunder. Finn was just a chatterbox—always had been.
“What can I say, babe? You inspire me. And I don’t think it’s necessarily straight-up charity work. It’s a fantastic way to get involved in the community and simply give back.”
“Yes, it is,” I said.
Damn, I was so emotional. I kind of wished Finn wasn’t with us so I could hug the living daylights out of my man—and maybe climb on his lap too.
Oh no. I was starting to get ideas.
I sank back in my seat and looked outside. I couldn’t believe that Knox had truly listened to me. Not only that, but he was making my dream come true even though it definitely wasn’t his dream. This man was full of surprises, and I loved him so, so much.
Knox went on and told me about his plans, and I hung on his every word. Unfortunately, we arrived much too soon, so we had to cut the conversation short.
“We’re here,” Knox announced.
“What about parking?” I asked, but then said, “Oh, there’s a valet again.”
Goodness. I wondered if I’d ever get used to the fact that valets were a thing.
“You know it,” Knox said with a smirk.
As soon as we stopped the car, the valet opened my door, and I carefully climbed out. I loved my attire, but it was a bit cumbersome getting around in such a long dress.
Knox came up on my left side and took my arm in his. Finn was on my right with both hands in his pockets. Looking ahead, I could see an actual red carpet leading into the building.
“They went all out, didn’t they?” Finn said with a whistle.
“Yes, they did,” Knox replied.
“Come on, let’s make a splash, brother.”
Knox grinned. “Divide and conquer.”
Stepping inside, Finn headed into the huge ballroom to the right, and we followed. The place was full already.
“Divide and conquer?” I asked Knox.
“Yeah. We make small talk with the guests, basically to make sure the right people see us.”
“I thought the whole point of this is for the host to raise money for the homeless.”
“It is, but these events also double as a catch-up with like-minded people, potential clients, and so on. But we’re also here tonight for an entirely other reason.”
“And that is?”
“I want to brag about you.” He gave me one of his most seductive smiles that included that sexy dimple, and then he kissed the corner of my mouth. “I fucking love that you’re here with me.”
“I’m happy to be on your arm.” I wanted to say so much more, but couldn’t help myself and instead told him, “I can’t believe you’re starting a foundation.”
“That got me lots of points, huh?” he asked.
“Oh yeah, it did.”
“I listen and aim to please my woman.” He kissed my temple. “Come on, I want to introduce you to a few people.”
To my astonishment, Knox introduced me to business partners as his girlfriend.
The first time he said the g-word, it felt like a shock, but the more he said it, the better it felt.
I had a permanent smile on my face and truly felt like Knox and I were one.
I was simply in love with the man. We even spotted Cynthia but didn’t stop to greet her. I was perfectly fine with that.
After about half an hour, Knox cleared his throat. “I need a drink. I’m parched.”
“No wonder. You’ve been talking nonstop.”
I pulled him off to the side. “Let me button this back up. It came undone.” Knox turned to face me. “Stand still,” I told him, then moved my hands up his abdomen to the top button of his jacket, fastening it again.
When I let my hands drop, he looked straight at me. “Fuck, I’m happy you’re here tonight.”
I grinned. “So am I, boyfriend.”
He laughed. “Hey, I like how that sounds.”
“You’ve been saying ‘girlfriend’ a lot, so I thought I could test out your word too.”
“How does it feel?” he asked, tilting closer.
“Perfect.”
He kissed the corner of my mouth. “Want a margarita?”
“Hmm... Why don’t you surprise me with something else, boyfriend?”
“Will do. Want to come with me to the bar? Actually, no, wait.” He glanced through the open door. We had a good view of the bar from here, and it was packed.
“Nah, I’ll just stay here,” I told him.
“Good idea.”
“I’ll go sit over there.” I motioned to a few random chairs and small tables that were empty.
The event was well planned, with seating for people to sit down when they needed to. I desperately needed to rest my feet a bit. I should have broken in the heels yesterday because I already had blisters.
As I sat down, I took a deep breath, licking my lips. Yeah, I was thirsty, too, even though I hadn’t talked nearly as much as Knox. I was ready for that drink.
“So, you and Knox, huh?”
I looked up to see Cynthia in front of me.
“Hey, Cynthia. Good to see you again. We noticed you earlier, but I think Knox said he needed to greet some other people first.”
“We, huh? You already do everything as a we?”
She was wearing another suit. It looked good on her; she was very attractive.
“I figured something was up last time when Knox turned me down. But I’m surprised this has lasted.” She fluttered her hand about, which annoyed me.
So I shot back, “Not sure why you were surprised.”
She waved her hand again. “Oh, please. He’s not the kind of guy who settles down, even if he’s introducing you as his girlfriend. It’s surely just a phase for him.”
I laughed. “You’re so sure, huh?”
“Yeah, I’ve known Knox for a long while. Every aspect of him.” Her grin was extremely catty.
“Well, I went to college with him and have known him for over a decade.”
“Honey, I’ve been in his bed longer than you have. I know what keeps his interest, trust me.”
“Here’s the problem, Cynthia—I don’t trust you at all. You’re just bitter because he’s lost interest in you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I was just trying to be nice to you, woman to woman. Let you know how he plays his cards. Knox will be done with you in no time.”
“I’m not interested in what you have to say. I’m here with Knox, and that’s all that matters.” I had to admit, her comment about him being “done with me” did sting a bit, but right now, it was about putting this woman in her place.
“You’re his new toy, that’s all. This will probably be the last event he attends with you. By the time the next one rolls around, you’ll be old news. I’m guessing your friendship won’t survive this either.”
My stomach lurched because that was a big fear of mine. It was as if she knew. I never wanted to lose Knox as a friend, not ever.
“That’s not really your concern, is it? Besides, you’re the one who’s old news right now. Knox didn’t even glance at you tonight. You think I didn’t see you looking at us? You’re jealous.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Have it your way. I’m just trying to help you out, but I can see you and Knox don’t have much in common. He likes people who challenge him intellectually.”
“I’d truly love it if you didn’t pretend to know what Knox likes. If you did, you wouldn’t be yesterday’s news.”
She gasped but didn’t say anything else. I waited, tilting my head slightly, lifting a corner of my mouth. Did she think she could come here and spew her venom, and I’d just take it? I could give as good as I got. This viper clearly needed someone to put her in her place.
Finally, she turned around and marched right to the bar. I felt victorious and relieved when Knox returned a few minutes later, handing me an orange drink.
“What’s that?” I asked him.
“Tequila sunrise.”
“Oh, all right. Why not?” We clinked glasses. “What are you drinking?”
“The same. I decided that we’re not driving home. We’ll Uber, and I’ll get the car in the morning.”
I grinned. “Someone’s in a party mood, huh?”
“Yes, I am.” He sat down next to me. “And I want us to have fun.”
After a few sips, I asked, “So, you’re done making the rounds?”
“Not even close. I’ve got about half a dozen people to greet and introduce my girlfriend to.”
My stomach somersaulted yet again. Girlfriend.
“Then we’ll spend the rest of the evening at my place,” he added.
I laughed. “You just decided that, huh?”
“Fuck yeah. In fact, I’m going to keep you there all evening.”
“Knox,” I admonished, “you could have given me a heads-up so I could have brought some clothes to change into.”
He tilted his head to one side and then moved his chair closer to mine. He whispered in my ear, “You can just walk around naked. I have absolutely no problem with that.”
I grinned at him. “That’s a genius idea.”
“Yep.”
“Perfect plan. I’ll walk naked around your sexy house for the whole weekend.”
His eyes flashed, and he cleared his throat. “On second thought, we don’t need to waste any more time here tonight.”
“Oh no. You said you want to brag to people about me, and I’ve got this amazing dress on. I want to actually get a chance to wear it before you strip me naked for two whole days.”
From the way he looked at me, I was certain Knox was going to whisk me away no matter what, but to my astonishment, he didn’t. We spent another three hours at the event. I was surprised that we didn’t run into Cynthia at all.
Had she left already, or was she actively avoiding us? Honestly, I didn’t care. I had this amazing man on my arm, a killer dress, and fabulous cocktails. Life was excellent.
What more could I want?