Always A Pleasure [Book 2]

Twenty-One

A lot of Katherine's comfort that evening flew out the window when Harrison was forced to leave her side to make a speech to the entire gala due to him being CEO of King Enterprises. But the pride she felt watching him up there more than made up for it. Happiness completely engulfed Katherine as Harrison spoke so freely and confidently in a room of hundreds of people. He was eloquent and funny and engaging with his words.

He even spotlighted his father in his speech, speaking words that were mostly just for show, like how much he admired his father and how much he had appreciated the opportunity he was given to run the company while his father was recovering from a devastating heart attack. His father smiled and clapped for his son — which was also primarily for show.

Katherine almost hated being privy to such private information. It was like pulling back the curtain to see that the Wizard of Oz was just a man. But thus was life.

Harrison ended his speech before enthusiastically thanking the supporters for donating to such a special cause. And just before he left the stage, he announced that King Enterprises would match every dollar that was raised that night, which wowed the crowd instantly.

Katherine knew immediately, by the look on Michael King's face, that it wasn't something that usually happened, that Harrison had thrown it in on a whim. Maybe to provoke his father, she didn't know. All she knew was that it was above and beyond generous since the gala had already pulled in nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.

"250 million dollars. Are you mad?" Michael shot at Harrison as quietly as he could when he returned to the table.

"I'm hoping to raise quite a bit more than that, father," Harrison said, looking happy and smug at the same time.

"You will pay for this," Michael threatened, causing Joyce to pat her husband's arm and whisper something to him to get him to calm down.

"No. I think it will be King Enterprises paying for it," Harrison countered, sending his father a complacent smile.

"Mm," his father seethed, his eyes piercing daggers at his son.

"I always knew you were benevolent," Katherine said quietly, smiling over at Harrison.

He turned to look at her with a wide, bright smile on his face. He was so beautiful in that moment, she almost couldn't handle it.

"Dance with me," she suggested and he nodded immediately.

Harrison led her out onto the now nearly packed dance floor as a full orchestra played the soundtrack of the night. Katherine felt like she was in a dream as Harrison expertly spun her around the dance floor. She had been so nervous at the thought of dancing at the gala, but when it came down to it, she knew it didn't matter if she messed up because Harrison would be right there to help her along.

By the time she and Harrison had left the dance floor and went to the bar for more drinks, Harrison was being pulled away by the head chairman of UNICEF. Katherine stood on the sidelines, sipping on her champagne, people-watching as she waited for Harrison to finish networking.

"It looks like you need a partner to dance with," Katherine heard and looked up to see Michael King standing next to her.

"Uh..." She stammered, feeling almost paralyzed by the thought of having to dance with him.

But she knew it would not be acceptable to turn down a man as affluent and prideful as him, and there were quite a few cameras in their midst that might catch the slight. It just wasn't plausible.

Katherine nodded once and plastered a fake smile on her cherry-red lips.

"Brilliant," he cheered celebratorily as he grabbed her champagne flute from her hand and set it down on the nearest surface.