Page 49 of Terms of the Flight

“I like that. You do look beautiful, dear,” he said, after clearing his throat from the many stares we were now getting.

“Did you two pick a table yet?” Meredith asked.

Myheir reached around me to point in the direction of the table upfront with a sign on it.

“You know I reserved a table for you. Actually, take Khaleya with you for a moment. I have one more thing to do, and I’ll be right there,” he told them.

I glanced in his direction with a lift of my brow.

“I’m good. The other problem is small, go relax. You aren’t here to work. Have a glass of wine and a few of these expensive-ass hors d’oeuvres being offered. I don’t need a thing to go to waste.”

I nodded with a tight smile and turned to head for the table with his parents. He said I wasn’t working, but wasn’t I? This was part of my responsibilities, to appear as the doting girlfriend. I hated that any time he wasn’t near me, this is where my mind went.

“You alright, honey?” Meredith asked.

I nodded and gave her a tight-lipped smile. Then I took the seat next to her as his father talked to a few people at nearby tables. Clearly, a few people from the bank were here.

Soon Simone and Jace made their way to the table. Simone took the seat beside me, knowing once Myheir got there she would have to move down. We talked for a little while until he made his presence known on stage.

I stood up a little straighter as I watched him stroll onstage like he owned it, and he did. This man was everything and then some. The bad part about it was every chance he got, he’d been putting those lips on me. The sad part was I missed it, and he hadn’t been gone for more than fifteen minutes.

“Welcome to the Blackwell Brilliance Benefit. I hope everyone has been having a good time, and that you’ve made your way over to the bidding hall. Every donation will change another kid’s life and lead them down a path that one day will bring joy into your lives. I always say a gem is the stepping stone to brilliance.” He paused and allowed the crowd to give applause.

The man knew how to work a room.

“Second, I want to thank my love for being the most beautiful woman in this room. Sorry, Mom,” he said, winking in my direction.

The crowd seemed to zero in on our table. For the first time in forever, I was sure I was blushing as I waved him off.

“You wish, son,” Darren said aloud, causing the crowd to laugh, including me.

Darren leaned over and kissed Meredith’s cheek.

Myheir held his hands up in mock surrender, then continued with his speech, introducing Jamieson. He was far from the boy in the back. Now he was a confident young man ready to make a difference for the program.

Myheir patted his back and gave him the stage. He stepped back, not leaving him alone. I knew that wasn’t supposed to happen, but he took the boy’s feelings into consideration. I groaned. Here he was, yet again, showing me a layer I didn’t expect to see.

Jamieson went through his speech, sharing his experiences with the program and how it changed his life. I knew Myheir was a jeweler, but being able to see his side quests made me admire him even more. But it made me think—was I a side quest too?

I tried to shake those negative feelings off as the speeches ended and Myheir gave the servers the okay to bring out the main entrees to each table. Then he announced that the raffles from the donations would begin in the next thirty minutes.

He practically sprinted from the stage to get back to my side at the table. Simone had already moved over to sit next to Jace, so he could slip into his seat easily. Then he placed his arm behind my chair before leaning in to whisper in my ear.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked.

I nodded with a tight smile.

“Why?”

He shrugged.

“When I was on stage, I noticed your expression change a few times. So when we leave, we’re going to talk about that. I don’t know what’s going on in your head, but I prefer to get in front of it before it gets too out of control.”

I turned in my seat to face him, and his lips were close to mine. I’m sure he hadn’t expected me to turn around.

“You just think you know everything, huh?” I asked.

Myheir took that moment to kiss me a few times before tilting his head to whisper in my ear.