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“You’ve got this, Dani. These people are just people. Just be your cool self and keep going.”

I could be charming and witty, but all I want right now is to be at home, vegging on the couch with a pint of ice cream in hand. It’s possible the beauty of the room has turned to overstimulation.

“Ah, Miles,” a man says, walking up to us. “It’s good to see you here again. Hopefully the business is going well.”

Miles gives the man his professional smile, which doesn’t light up his face. “It is, thank you. We’re hoping to get a few things ready for the hospitals this year. As always, if there’s anything you need, we’re here to help.”

“A discount helps, son,” the man says, chuckling.

With a nod, Miles says, “For sure. We’re working on a tiered program to allow that to happen, depending on units ordered.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.” The man raises his glass and heads in another direction.

“Who was that?” I ask, grabbing onto Miles’s arm.

“The head of Massachusetts General Hospital.” The vein near his temple has popped out and a light shade of red blankets his face.

I examine every part of him, noticing how tense he’s become. “Are you okay? I guess I don’t understand everything that goes into your business, but I’d like to help.” As his fake girlfriend, it’s the least I can do.

Miles looks at me and his fury softens somewhat. “He’s kind of a jerk. He likes to haggle, and my mom has never been one for negotiating prices.”

“So his dig was at the fact she’s still head of the company.”

He nods. “That’s how I took it.”

“That seems to be the favorite angle for people to take against you. Okay, who else should we watch out for?” I ask, searching the crowd of unfamiliar faces.

Miles takes my hand, and we walk to one of the small tables. He scoots my chair in and scans the room. “There’s too many, Dani. I’d be naming the whole place.”

I take his face in my hands and turn him so he’s facing me. He looks he’s about to have a panic attack.

“It’s fine. Do what you usually do and I’ll be your support system right here.” I drop my hands and glance around the room once more. “We can have a code word, or a signal or something. I’m great at distractions and I’m wearing heels again, so we’ve got options.”

He laughs. “How about ice cream?”

“I love it.” A few seconds go by and I realize he’s talking about the code word. I must be nervous. “As a code word, of course.”

His lips twitch and his eyes stare into mine. “Thank you. You don’t know how much I appreciate that offer.”

“Has this happened to you before?” I ask, not really sure how to emphasize the “this” without giving it a name. The increased breathing and the fight or flight in his eyes. He’s usually so calm and collected that what had looked like an anxiety attack surprises me.

He nods. “Every once in a while, the crowd seems overwhelming. But if I take a step back and breathe, I can usually survive the rest of the event.”

“Do you know what triggers it?” I ask, adjusting a section of hair that fell out of my half-updo.

“Stress.”

I wave my hands in front of him and ask, “Okay, Mr. Wordy. Let’s talk this through.”

He squints and gives me a half-smile. “You want to walk me through my stress? I’m pretty sure that will only make things worse.”

“It’s worth a try,” I say with a shrug. “My youngest sister, Sami, used to have something similar when she would run for school officer, or try out for one of the teams. It helped her walk through what she was feeling, and we’d help her see that there was no life-altering consequence.”

“Yeah, I could definitely use that right now.”

“Hey you two,” a voice says behind us. I glance up to see Diane and Jack walking toward us.

“Hey,” Miles says, forcing a smile.