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Luna
The venue dazzled.Clearly the planning committee knew what they were doing when they chose to rent out the New York Public Library’s main branch and transform it for a night of good food, dancing, and raising a hell of a lot of money for a good cause.
Upon arrival, I towed Beck to the auction area where all the goodies the gala volunteers spent the afternoon preparing were regally presented to lure in prospective bidders. I adjusted table skirts as I inspected the setup, pleased with what I had found.
Then I dragged us over to the bar area, which I’d sponsored, where we had a healthy mix of cocktail and mocktail options. Kiera, one of our best bartenders from the club, was working, so I said hello to her and made sure that she had what she needed. The woman had it handled.
Finally, I approached Khelani, the executive director of the foundation. She’d established it after enduring sexual assault at the hands of the man she should have been able to trust the most—her husband. She’d been lucky in that she got out and had the funds to start a new life. She recognized not everyone was that lucky and decided to create a space for victims of all forms of assault.
The second I made my first penny from Club Deux, I committed to the foundation. A portion of my funds went there every month. Not only did the foundation help survivors, but it also tried to change policies to prevent assault in the first place.
I hugged Khelani and then turned toward my date. “Khelani, I want to introduce you to Beck Bennet.”
They shook hands, and I smothered a smile with my sparkling water as I watched her size him up.
Beck wrapped an arm low around my waist. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m glad Luna let me come with her. The work you do is incredible.”
Her brows raised. “How much do you know about the work we do?”
It was a test, and I found myself holding my breath to see how he’d respond.
“I did my research after Luna told me she was involved, and I have to say the work you’re doing in congress is impressive. Not to mention the individual supports you provide. I work with a lot of veterans and try to do the same with them, making sure they have the housing and financial supports are foundational, alongside making sure they have access to mental health services.”
This piqued Khelani’s interest. She immediately dovetailed into one of her many efforts around universal mental health screenings and linkage to care and Beck animatedly reacted and offered ideas. They were mid-conversation when something drew my attention from across the room.
Carter and Delaney were there, the woman strutting like a supermodel with her attention fully on me, while Carter waved and chatted with people they passed by.
“She’s obsessed with me,” I murmured, only half-joking.
Beck gripped me a little tighter, the only indication that he heard me.
Meanwhile, someone tapped on Khelani’s shoulder and whispered in her ear. “You’ll have to excuse me; duty calls,” she said while pointing at Beck. “I want your contact information to see how we can combine some of our efforts.”
He saluted her, bringing his full attention back to me. “You look beautiful tonight. This is amazing work you’re dedicating yourself to.”
My cheeks warmed, so I buried my face in his chest, carefully not to ruin my makeup.
Beck kissed my flaming cheeks before whispering, “We’ve got company.”
I suppressed a groan, twirling to greet the incoming couple. Hopefully the smile plastered to my face was halfway convincing.
“Carter, Delaney. It’s nice to see you both.” I leaned in for an air kiss. Not usually my thing but it seemed like the right move considering we were wearing gowns and tuxedos.
Beck greeted them with a handshake before tucking me close to him again. The possessive move had me ready to tug him into the nearest coat room.
While Carter appeared genuinely happy to see me and meet Beck, Delaney’s face told a different story. But then maybe I was reading too much into it.
“I have a feeling we will raise a lot of money tonight,” Carter said to me glancing around the room.
“I hope so,” I said, keeping it friendly.
Carter gestured to the room. “The planning committee put so much time and effort into this thing. These last couple weeks I’d spent nearly every evening on some sort of call.”
I nodded. Despite my reduced role in the planning this year, I still received the meeting notes and supported however I could. Carter meant well but I couldn’t shake the irritation that his statements implied. It felt like he was telling me I should have done more.
Delaney kept touching Carter’s shirt, a claiming in her own right. “I practically had to beg him to come back to bed.”
I nodded, struggling to maintain the smile plastered on my face.