I'm Not Charlotte Lucas(17)
The lights went out, with a single spotlight highlighting the woman on the dais. “Welcome to the Teaching United Charity Ball. We are overwhelmed by the donations made thus far and hope you will enjoy the dinner and dancing, your hearts made lighter from the contribution you’ve made to bettering the lives of children all over the world.”
Liam shifted in his seat until his leg pressed against mine. Chills swept through my body, followed by a wave of heat when he rested his hand on my knee and leaned close. I offered him my ear, grateful the dark could cover my rapid breathing. I needed to get a handle on myself. I was developing a crush on Vera’s grandson, and it was not good. There was no way this would end well.
“That’s Ruby Fischer. She basically runs the entire organization.” His breath tickled my ear, sending a shiver down my shoulder. His hand tightened on my knee. “Are you cold?”
Oh goodness. He’d noticed my shiver. I shook my head, afraid of croaking if I tried to speak.
Liam leaned closer, his breath grazing my ear. “I can give you my jacket.”
Another traitorous chill shook my shoulders. He sat back and unbuttoned his tux, and my hand flew to his to halt him. “I really don’t need it.”
He looked disbelieving, but when his gaze settled on mine, his eyes were swarming with depth and warmth that made my breath catch. Was I wrong? Did Liam feel that same electricity between us, like a live wire left unattended and sparking at every tiny motion?
No. It couldn’t be. His caliber of girlfriend was sitting three feet away from me in all her flawless glory, and I could not even measure up to the perfection of her manicure. I curled my half-bitten nails into my palms.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage the president of Teaching United, our very own Liam Connell.”
Chapter Eight
Liam’s face lost the warmth he was directing at me, as though someone had dumped an entire bucket of ice water on him while simultaneously pulling his chair out from beneath him. The ballroom erupted in cheers and clapping. Even Naomi Price looked warmly at Liam as he pasted a smile on his face and stood up.
I joined the applause, but Liam startled me when he leaned down and whispered in my ear. “I blame you for distracting me. I have no earthly idea what I’m being called up for.”
Shivers chased my spine as I watched Liam approach the dais and lean forward to kiss Ruby Fischer on the cheek. He whispered something in her ear, and I watched for Ruby to have the same shivering reaction I had, but she remained composed.
How did she manage that?
She laughed, throwing her head back before saying something to Liam, and he nodded. The tease. He had totally said that to guilt me. He was no longer approaching the mic unprepared. He must have just asked the emcee why she called him up to the stage.
“Thank you for being here today,” Liam said, his deep voice washing over the crowd and causing the applause to still and the room to grow quiet. He was so tall, so commanding, his simple, relaxed bearing commandeering the entire room.
“When I started this foundation, I had no idea how large it would grow.”
Excuse me? Started the foundation?
“To date, I’ve played four hundred sixty-two football games overseas, which means that many, many more lessons were taught, math was learned, and books were read. My amazing friend and the executive director of Teaching United, Ruby Fischer, has put together a slideshow for us to see some of the incredible children who are benefitting from your generous donations.” He paused, his gaze sweeping the room until it landed on our table. I felt like he was looking directly into my soul, but every other woman in the immediate radius likely felt the same thing.
“Please consider the state of these children and how further donations will be put to great use. If you’re interested in becoming an advocate for Teaching United, or a teacher or mentor, please see me or Ruby or the tab on our website that says in huge, bold letters, Join Us.” His lips lifted into a delicious half-smile, a crease forming in his cheek. “We will take all the help we can get.”
Gentle laughter weaved through the seated socialites, and Liam thanked the audience before saying something to Ruby and then walking out of the ballroom. I had to force myself not to follow him with my eyes, but I couldn’t help the disappointment I felt that he hadn’t immediately come to sit beside me again.
“He’s always had such charisma,” Naomi said, leaning over Liam’s empty seat. “I always told him he should go into acting, but he’s too stubborn for it.”
Or maybe too humble. But I didn’t say that to her. Instead, I smiled and turned my attention to the large screen lowering at the front of the room. I hadn’t ever been addressed before by a movie star, but I found that it wasn’t as exciting as I would have imagined.
The slideshow began, and Ruby left the stage, standing to the side with her hands clasped before her. She was so elegant, and I couldn’t help but feel a tad jealous at the way Liam had been so easy around her. What had he called her? His amazing friend?
I wouldn’t mind being Liam’s amazing friend. But then again, this was all just one big favor—and the longer I sat on this date, the longer I felt like Liam was doing the favor for me. I wasn’t even doing my job as a buffer between Liam and his ex-girlfriend. They were literally sitting next to each other. Not that he had appeared put off by the matter beyond his initial expression when she had sat down.