If it took opening up to her to make her open up to him, it was well worth the risk. He was finding it more and more difficult to deny the feelings that had surfaced since he’d been faced with the possibility of her walking out of his life forever.
If it hadn’t been for Miles’s ill-timed call about a meeting today, last night may have ended in a very different way. He’d wanted her, and he’d finally decided it was time to stop fighting it. His father’s call, which came just as they were at the end of the wine, had been an intervention that might have saved him from making a colossal mistake.
Felicity’s promotion was important. Austin knew he needed to put her future over these confusing feelings that were clouding his judgment. She would probably get the advertising job, but Miles would probably end up firing them both if they broke the cardinal rule of not fraternizing. Blood be damned, Miles would have no compunction about sacking one of his own children if they didn’t follow the rules.
Reliving the story about what happened with Kelly was a good reminder of that. Miles had cut him off in heartbeat and it had taken Austin a solid five years to work himself back into his father’s good graces. He couldn’t jeopardize that for these strange feelings that had suddenly materialized.
He hadn’t been in his right mind last night. Actually thinking he’d seen Felicity in a car parked outside the gallery. In retrospect, the woman in the car hadn’t looked anything like her. The woman’s eyes had been large and haunted, not at all like Felicity’s. While she wasn’t the blind eternal optimist, she had a way of holding herself that was so steadfast. Even in his darkest times, even being near her gave Austin hope. But if he knew what was best for everyone, he needed to keep a professional distance between Felicity and himself. At least until he could sort out these feelings and get them under control.
As Austin exited the elevator and navigated the long corridor to their little corner of the Fortune Investments world, he contemplated whether he should invite Macks to the ball. Felicity would be there as Kevin’s date. The thought sent pinpricks of irritation coursing through him. Even though she’d said she wasn’t interested in Kevin and was only going to the gala with him because that had been a stipulation of his donation. Austin had driven home the point that she didn’t have to do that, but she had still insisted on going with him. Maybe that meant she wanted to?
Even if it would be difficult to watch her with the guy, he wasn’t going to invite Macks. He didn’t want to make her think he was interested in her in any way that wasn’t platonic. Maybe seeing Kevin with Felicity, as painful as it would be, was exactly what he needed to get over her and on with his life. As he rounded the corner, he heard her on the phone. She was using her all-business voice. He hoped she wasn’t upset about last night.
* * *
“I’m sorry, Ms. Cole, I can’t give you Mr. Fortune’s personal cell number. I’m happy to take yours and give it to him.”
Felicity thought Austin had called Macks from his personal phone. He must’ve used his work cell phone. He had two, and he guarded his personal line jealously.
“Felicity, isn’t it?” Macks asked.
“Yes.”
“Felicity, I thought we were friends. Friends take care of friends.”
Good grief, the woman was persistent. She was probably the type who wasn’t used to people telling her no.
“I’m sure they do. But I still can’t give you Mr. Fortune’s personal number.”
Macks growled. She actually growled. Low and guttural. “When will he be in?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Now she’d switched into superiority mode. Her words were clipped and crisp. So much for being friends. “Aren’t you the one who keeps his calendar? Isn’t it your job to know?”
Felicity looked up and saw Austin standing there. She made a face and pointed to the phone. He mouthed, Who is that?
On her notepad, she wrote, Macks Cole. Shall I tell her you’re in?
He shook his head and waved her off. Then he took the pen from her hand. His hand brushed hers and she flashed back to last night when he’d held her hand.
He wrote on her notepad, Coffee before Macks. I’ll call her back. The way he smiled at her put her completely at ease. He wasn’t acting differently toward her after sharing such a big part of himself with her last night. In fact, it felt as if the two of them shared a secret—a few secrets, actually. The intimacies they’d shared last night and the fact that Macks wanted to talk to him, but he didn’t seem very eager.
“I’ll have Mr. Fortune call you at his earliest convenience,” Felicity said into the phone.
Austin reached over her and pushed the speaker phone button in time to hear Macks say, “I certainly hope you do, because after I talk to Austin and tell him how unaccommodating you were, it could mean your job.”
Their gazes locked. Austin frowned, and Felicity simply raised her brows at him.
“I will relay your message, Ms. Cole. Have a nice day.”
Felicity heard a click and the line went dead.
“Good morning,” she said.
Austin shook his head. “What a nightmare way for you to start the day. I’m sorry. You don’t have to put up with that.”
Felicity shrugged. “I couldn’t very well hang up on her.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I hear the phone lines in this office can be temperamental. Sometimes people get disconnected. Especially when they act like jackasses. What set her off?”
“She wanted me to give her your personal cell phone number. I figured if you hadn’t already given it to her, you might not want her to have it.”
“Good call,” Austin said. “I don’t want her to have it, especially after hearing that much of the conversation. Forget her.”
There had never been two words that made Felicity happier. “Aren’t you taking her to the gala?”
Austin grimaced. “No. I never got around to asking her.” He looked at her in a way that made Felicity’s pulse kick up. “Now I’m glad I didn’t. But speaking of the gala, do you have moment?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Grab your coffee and come into my office. Our conversation last night made me realize something.”
In the back of Felicity’s mind, a wild daydream played out. Austin was asking her to be his date to the ball. But before she could close the distance between her desk and his office, she had grounded herself with the absurdity of the thought and reminded herself that it was a good thing that he couldn’t read her thoughts.
“Talking about my family’s wedding dilemma last night made me realize that our gala might be at risk, too. I think we need to hire security to make sure Charlotte Prendergast Robinson doesn’t try to pull anything. She’s been too quiet for too long. I don’t know if it’s because she’s lying low, knowing she’s being watched... After all, Savannah says the authorities are on to her. Then again, it’s possible that they have the wrong person and Charlotte isn’t the perpetrator. What if someone else has been targeting the Fortunes all this time and the authorities have been after the wrong person? It’s all a big question mark. I know it’s a lot to ask this close to the event, but I think we need to make sure we have a strong but discreet security presence at the charity ball. Because the reality is at a gathering like this, we could be in serious trouble.”
Chapter Ten
Felicity did a twirl in front of the mirror in her suite at the Roosevelt. The fitted red ball gown hugged her curves like it was made for her. The strapless corset top nipped in her waist, making it look tiny, before it flared into a chiffon, A-line skirt that made her feel like a princess.
Maia had come by and had done her makeup and hair, leaving it to fall in soft curls around her shoulders.
Felicity did one more twirl, wistfully taking it all in, before she grabbed her clutch purse that contained her hotel ro
om key, lipstick and compact for touch-up. There wouldn’t be time to run up to the room once the ball got started. But she could if she needed to. That’s part of the reason why the suite was such a nice gift from Austin.
Austin had surprised her with the key card yesterday. He’d arranged for early check-in. She’d arrived with her dress, shoes and accessories for the gala and a suitcase for the night. That had made it possible for her to spend the morning supervising the transformation of the ballroom from ordinary beautiful to gala extraordinary. Then she’d taken the elevator back up to her room, showered and let Maia help her get ready for the big event.
The other part of why it was so wonderful was tonight, when all was said and done, all she had to do was ride the elevator back to the tenth floor and she was home for the night. She’d worked hard this week, verifying last-minute details and lining up the security that would unobtrusively blend into the background. It had been a good call on Austin’s part. Due to all the disturbances that had been swirling around the Fortunes, both near and far, it was better to be safe than sorry. However, it had taken some doing on her part to find the security personnel at this late date. She’d been forced to jump through several hoops to pull it off, but she had.
As she walked into the ballroom, she looked around at the gold-and-white wonderland. Stunning arrangements of white flowers displayed in towering gold vases offset by pearlescent linens and gold Chiavari chairs. Flickering white-and-gold candles rested atop mirrored bases that reflected the light. Elegant china, crystal and fine flatware set the stage for the sumptuous meal to come, which was detailed on the engraved gold-and-white menu cards placed atop the plates. The silent auction items were lined up on tables around the perimeter of the room. The band was doing a final sound check.
Felicity glanced at her phone, checking the time and making sure there were no SOS calls from the league of foundation volunteers who had agreed to help out tonight. There were still fifteen minutes until the doors would open and the guests would spill in. Before she’d let herself into the ballroom, she’d checked on the early volunteers who were seated at tables in the atrium near the ballroom, ready to check in the guests as they arrived.
Everything was in place and it all looked absolutely perfect. She took a minute to close her eyes, take a deep breath and savor the calm before the party started. When she opened her eyes, Austin was walking toward her, looking stunning in his Armani tux. She knew it was Armani, because she’d gone with him to render an opinion when he’d purchased it. Like something out of a dream, he floated toward her, smiling. The sight of him made her lips curve upward, too.
“Would it violate a human resources rule or make you feel uncomfortable if I said you look absolutely gorgeous tonight?”
“Not at all, because so do you,” she returned, basking in the glow of his compliment and feeling just this side of giddy because of how all her hard work had come together. “You clean up well, Fortune.”
Actually, he wore a suit to work every day and looked gorgeous. But this tux was above and beyond.
“Yeah, well, I try,” he said. “I met with the security team. I have all but four stationed by the check-in tables. I have one in the lobby, one at valet and two are in this room.” Austin pointed to two well-built men dressed in tuxedos, one stationed at each door. Felicity had thought they were part of the waitstaff.
“They look great. They’ll blend right in.”
“They all have a photo of Charlotte and if they notice anything suspicious, I’ve instructed them to call the police right away.”
Lisa had agreed to work with Felicity to help ensure that the program stayed on track. Austin would be the emcee for the evening, but Felicity would be close by to cue him if he needed to know what came next.
Felicity started to review a few points. “After the doors open, we’ll give people about an hour to get drinks and bid on the items in the silent auction—”
Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Kevin telling her he was at the hotel.
Come have a drink with me. I want to introduce you to my entourage.
Quickly Felicity texted back. Sorry, going over the final details of the gala. See you when the doors open.
Let me in now. I’ll bring you a drink.
She didn’t answer because she knew he would continue to argue the point. He and his entourage—who even said something like that?—would just have to entertain themselves.
When the doors opened, Kevin and his buddies—five guys and a woman—found her straight away. Unfortunately, Felicity was in the middle of trying to locate a missing basketball that had been signed by the New Orleans Pelicans. It had been there before the doors opened because she and Lisa had double-checked all the silent auction items.
Kevin made quick introductions and then she had to scurry off to locate the missing ball, which, it turned out had rolled off its stand and under the table skirt.
The next time Kevin found her, she was with Austin in one of the hallways off the ballroom that led to the kitchen, coaching him on his welcome remarks.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Kevin seemed a little miffed and looked at them like he’d stumbled upon a secret liaison. “Your dinner is still on the table. The servers keep trying to take it away. Do you want it?”
“Kevin, I’m so sorry,” she said. “After the opening remarks and the first dance, things should slow down a little. Thanks for bearing with me until then.”
He grunted something she didn’t quite catch and then disappeared out the way he’d come.
Austin’s welcome speech went off perfectly. The only small hitch to the program came right before he was supposed to take the dance floor with his sister, when Savannah’s shoe broke. The first dance was traditionally danced by a couple of the Fortunes and it was meant to get the party started. This year, the honor was Austin and Savannah’s.
“Felicity, I can’t go out there in bare feet. I’ll step on my dress.” Savannah held up a pair of five-inch heels.
“Do you want to wear my shoes?” Felicity offered, noticing too late how tiny Savannah’s feet were compared to Felicity’s own size nines.
“Thanks for offering, but I don’t think that will work,” she said as the band played another riff of the song that preceded the first dance. Lisa had scurried over to let the bandleader know what was holding up the show and now, the singer was trying to stretch out the song until they were ready.
“Will you dance with Austin, Felicity?” Savannah suggested.
Felicity glanced around the room looking for Belle or Georgia or even Sarah, but they all seemed to be well hidden. She really didn’t have a choice.
There was something in Savannah’s smile that hinted that her shoe malfunction might not have been an accident. And then it hit Felicity—she would get to dance with Austin.
“Are you okay with this?” she asked him.
“Sure,” he returned, his expression unreadable.
Savannah signaled to Lisa and pointed to Felicity. Lisa seemed to get the message because she told the bandleader and he announced, “Mr. Austin Fortune, dancing with Miss Felicity Schafer.”
When Austin took her into his arms, she felt like she’d finally found her home. They swayed together, his hand on the small of her back, their bodies moving in time to the music. For a few short minutes the rest of the world melted away and it was just her in the arms of the man she loved.
All too soon, the music changed from the slow, romantic song to something more upbeat. The singer was inviting the rest of the guests to join them on the dance floor, and Felicity felt a hand on her shoulder.
She looked up to see Kevin ask Austin, “May I cut in, please?”
“Sure,” Austin said. “You kids have fun.”
No! Don’t go.
But he did. He walked off as Kevin tried to pull her into slow dance form despite the up-tempo song. Felicity resis
ted by taking her hand and spinning herself out in a modified swing dancing move. At the end of the song, which seemed to go on forever, she told him she was thirsty and needed something to drink. Like a good date, Kevin was off to the bar to get her something.
By the time he returned, about ten minutes later, it was time for Felicity to help facilitate the silent auction results. She thanked him for the drink and explained what she needed to do. But before she could get away, he asked, “How long do you think you’ll be? My friends left after dinner. They had another party.”
Felicity felt a little sorry for him for spending all that money only to share his table with people who would ditch him? And she knew she was being a lousy date, but she had warned him that she had to work the event.
“Why don’t you ask someone to dance?” Felicity suggested. “I’m sure there are plenty of women who would love to.” Even though most of the women were there with dates. Still, she had no choice but to excuse herself and get to work, leaving Kevin with a glass of scotch and a long face.
* * *
As Austin passed by Kevin Clooney’s table, Kevin stood and blocked his way.
“If I didn’t know better,” Kevin slurred, “I’d think you were purposely trying to keep Felicity and me apart tonight. What the hell, Fortune? What’s your problem?”
Clooney had a glass of what looked like scotch, straight up, in his hand. Judging by the way he was slurring his words, it wasn’t his first drink of the evening. Probably not his third either. He had pulled his tie loose and unbuttoned the first button at the collar. Austin glanced around for one of the security personnel they’d hired, but they were surveilling the entrances and exits.
“I don’t have a problem, Clooney,” Austin said. “But I think you’ve had a little too much to drink. You either need to settle down or I’ll call you a car and get someone to help you down to the lobby.”
“I don’t need your help, Fortune.” As a waiter walked by, Clooney held up his half-full glass and motioned for a refill. In the process, some of the amber liquid sloshed over the side. As Clooney transferred his glass to his other hand and clumsily wiped the liquor on the leg of his tuxedo pants, Austin caught the waiter’s eye and gave a subtle shake of the head. He mouthed the word water. The waiter nodded and mouthed back, Security? Austin gave a subtle nod.
A Fortunate Arrangement Page 13
