Page 5 of Just George

“I’m sorry already, so stop being all gross.”

I rolled my eyes, and she shook my shoulder gently, or tried to. I wasn’t a small person. I had quite a bit of height and muscle on her.

“Come on, I wanna be friends.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. “You know you make my brain hurt. Like inside my skull,” I informed her, going for annoyed, hoping I sounded that way.

“Yes, I know.” She pouted, clearly trying to incinerate me with a look.

“And you should apologize to Dr. Butler since he’s caught in the middle because you didn’t tell me he was coming and you told him I was good with this whole question-and-answer bullshit.”

“Mr. Hunt, if you’re not going to answer any of my questions pertaining to the kids, then I should probably––”

“I thought you had old colleagues to see and new peers to meet,” I said, repeating Hannah’s words from earlier. “I wouldn’t want you to miss out on schmoozing just because chattin’ me up is gonna be a bust.”

“I don’t understand what you have against therapy and helping the kids.”

“I have nothing against helping the kids, but talking to me is gonna shed no light on anything to do with any of them except maybe Hannah, and only so far as she’s trying to find me a soul mate and I ain’t gonna let her!”

I finished too loud, rolling up to the parking attendant, who was standing between two police officers. There were two on my left, two on my right, and a row of others on each side to make sure no one got in without an invitation. The whole sidewalk was crowded with photographers as well, only the presence of the uniformed officers keeping them from getting in front of cars, pressing up against windows or, my favorite, climbing on the hoods. I would have enjoyed bumping them out of the way myself, but I didn’t want my employer getting sued over a gentle nudge with the front of the luxury sedan. Normally I drove Hannah in one of the many SUVs with blacked-out windows, but this was a high-profile event, so I was instructed to take something sleeker from the PR department.

“I think you’re wrong,” Dr. Butler instructed me. “Hannah, as well as the boys, all speak quite highly of you, and though I don’t understand your penchant for violence, they seem to find you quite heroic.”

I was going to jump all over him for the “penchant for violence” comment, but I had to show my invite to the attendant, which was predicated on the fact that we had all been vaccinated. I wondered how Hannah had pulled off Dr. Butler being included as, obviously, he’d been a last-minute addition, but it was Aaron Sutter’s event, so he had probably cleared the man himself. I had no idea what they were going to do if I didn’t have an official ticket with me. How did they get people back out of the insane line? But then I watched as the guy in front of me had to drive around the normal ticket booth and toward the exit. They were being exceptionally careful with the event.

The ticket was scanned, and I was given a fancy-looking gold-printed and embossed certificate that had to be placed on the dashboard. I was told where to park and then waved through. I could only imagine if it took this long to get in how long it was going to take to get back out. It would be hours, and Hannah was obligated to stay the entire time, since she was one of the hosts, along with her uncle.

Speeches and crowds and standing around—I could slip into a coma even on my feet. It was going to be an excruciatingly long night, and bonus, I got to deal with a therapist trying to ask me probing questions.

I should have called in sick.

Once I parked the car, I got out, scanned the perimeter quickly, and held the door open for Hannah, and she stood there, waiting, until the doctor was out behind her. After locking the car, I turned, put a gentle hand on Dr. Butler’s back to get him moving, and once they were both in front of me, having put on their masks, we started toward the elevator.

When Dr. Butler turned to look at me, I was struck again by the color of his eyes, that dark, clear gray, and noted the blond hair shot through with strands of platinum. Handsome man with long, lean muscles.

“What’s your sport, Dr. Butler?”

“I’m sorry?” He nearly walked into Hannah, who had stopped to wait for him, and I reached out and kept him from bumping her.

“I bet you’re a runner.”

“I am. Yes. How did you know?”

I shrugged and then looked at Hannah. “What?”

She was staring at me from behind her sequined black mask like I was some new species of bacteria she’d just discovered.

“Hannah?”

“I—there’s supposed to be someone here to—oh, here she comes.”

A woman and two men came rushing up to us and informed Hannah that she looked stunning in her sleek, fitted tuxedo with a white shirt underneath and patent stilettos. I had suggested she wear pants since the first week of November had arrived rainy with a chill in the air. It wasn’t cold-cold yet, not arctic as it got in the city in the winter, but she would have been shivering in a dress. No reason not to be comfortable, even though it was a semi black-tie event. I had no idea what that even was until she explained. It meant that yes, you could wear a tux, but you didn’t have to. A suit would work, which was why I was in a navy suit and Dr. Butler was in a black Hugo Boss.

Hannah explained that Dr. Butler was her plus-one, and everyone knew who I was already. Lots of people there had bodyguards, so I was basically ignored.

There was a red carpet to walk, the high-society of Chicago descending upon the Chicago Hilton, the event being held in their Grand Ballroom, that was filled with chandeliers and mirrored accents and had seating for eleven-hundred people but would have about half that number this evening.

Mr. Sutter was already there, greeting people at the entrance to the hall where the silent auction items lined both sides and led, then, to the ballroom, and Hannah was going to simply join him, but he shook his head and pointed to where the carpet began outside. Fortunately the rain had stopped for the moment, but the entire walk was covered just in case. I stepped to the side, and Hannah slipped her arm through Dr. Butler’s to lead him.