Not If I Date You First

Chapter 32

ADA

"Everything alright over there?" Liam presses his hand against the small of my back as he ushers me toward the line of people standing outside the door to the Celeste Bartos Forum of the library. I can hear a band playing a cover of a pop-rock song as we get closer. The sweet, floral scent of lilac permeates the air.

"Everything's great." My voice comes out a little too bright, a little too enthusiastic. Liam's forehead creases. My fingers long to reach out and smooth away his concern. But it's taking everything I've got to keep from choking on my panic over seeing his ex-girlfriend getting chummy with my co-worker and biggest competition.

Mia and Liam were together for years. I'm sure she knows all about his past, and if she tells Chrissy, I can kiss my job at Huntley goodbye.

"I'm sorry for whatever Mia said when we were at the Rainbow Room." Liam traces circles across my back with his fingertips. "She talks a lot of shit, but that's all it is. Talk and drama."

Guilt spears through me. He's worried about me, apologizing to me when I'm the one who made a deal with my boss to try and reveal his secrets. I have to figure out a way to get Agnes to put me on a different assignment without handing my dream job over to Chrissy on a silver platter.

I give him the most reassuring smile I can muster. "I'm a little nervous is all."

"You've got nothing to be nervous about," Liam says. "This is all a show. Botox, juice cleanses, and designer labels. You're the only real person here, and you're stunning." He runs his thumb over my cheek, making me Wicked-Witch-of-the-West-style melt all over the polished marble floors.

I so badly want to be real with him and not have all these secrets between us. I just need to figure out how to do that and still get the position with Huntley.

We walk through the doors into the ballroom, and the sight quite literally takes my breath away. The soaring, arched ceiling is glowing a deep, violet color. White lights swirl across it, giving the appearance of a starry night sky and reminding me of The Great Hall at Hogwarts. Candles flicker on the tables, surrounding the enormous glass vases that serve as centerpieces, each of them topped with giant bouquets of white roses and lilacs.

"Welcome. Please take a gift bag." A girl wearing a simple black dress hands me one of the bags I spent hours stuffing in Agnes's office.

"Oh, no." I pass it back to her. "I'm just here with him." I set a hand on Liam's arm.

"Right." She flashes me a bright smile. "You're Liam Anders's plus-one."

Liam takes my hand, nodding at the girl. "She is."

My heart does this maneuver inside my chest where it simultaneously leaps and plummets at the same time. The idea of being Liam's plus-one is like living out a daydream I never  knew I had. But I want to be more than that too. I keep thinking about Grams warning me to never risk my dreams for a guy. Is that what I'm doing?

I thank the girl and take the bag, more confused than ever. We wind our way through the tables that surround the dance floor. It's crowded with celebrities swaying to the music, and I realize it isn't a cover group playing at all. It's the actual band. Of course, it is.

I reach for my camera out of habit, but my hand meets nothing but the silky folds of my dress. It's almost physically painful to think about how many exclusive shots I could be getting tonight since the rest of the press weren't allowed inside, but I remind myself that I chose this. To come here as Liam's date and not as a member of the press. I just hope I made the right decision.

I follow Liam to a table where Ariani Shazad and Faye Donovan are sitting. Ariani's long black waves are resting on Faye's shoulder. Her salmon-colored gown compliments the low-cut white pants suit Faye's wearing as they murmur to each other, looking as perfect and in love as ever. The two of them are serious relationship goals.