A Prior Engagement (34 page)

Everleigh slowly recovered and as she walked back toward the other hostesses, Tom saw Audrey and a waiter walking into the ballroom. The young waiter looked familiar, but at the same time, not quite.
Audrey was slumming it tonight
, and wondered if that was what upset Everleigh moments earlier. He would deal with Audrey tomorrow. She needed to learn that her actions were embarrassing not only to her family, but his reputation. Turning his attention back to the man in front of him, he continued discussing the volatile stock market and the board meeting coming up the following week.

After another twenty minutes, Tom had had enough of the lavish party and found Everleigh who was talking with Audrey and another hostess. He took her by the arm and said, “Let’s go, now.” He followed it up with a kiss on her hand to ease the demand.

Audrey shouted, “No!” Her outburst came as a surprise to all of them.

They both looked at her as Everleigh tried to figure out her sister’s bizarre plea, but couldn’t, so she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I . . . I just thought as a hostess you’re supposed to stay until the end.” She babbled on, hoping to hit on a good enough reason for her stay. “You know the better music starts in an hour. I thought we could dance and have some fun tonight.”

“Have you been drinking again, Audrey?” Tom’s insult was biting.

“No, I haven’t. I just want to spend time with my sister.”

Everleigh felt her sister’s request was sweet. “We’ll stay a while longer. Don’t worry.”

Tom turned her toward him with a tight squeeze to her upper arm. Gritting his teeth, he spoke. “Everleigh, I’m ready to go. We haven’t been together in months.” He glanced at Audrey quickly then snarled. “Tonight, I need you, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“I’m not ready.” There was an edge to her tone she hoped hid her fear. Turning their backs to Audrey, she whispered. “I saw you.”

He glared at her. “Saw me what?”

“I saw you with that woman by the bar.”

Waving to a friend who greeted them, he had a smile on his face, keeping up appearances as he leaned in. “It doesn’t matter what you think you saw, darling. What you need to keep in mind is the fate of your boyfriend.”

She hated Tom, but loved William too much to risk everything now. Everleigh put a reassuring hand on his arm even though it made her cringe on the inside. “A few more minutes please.” In her mind, she knew she’d never be with him again, but she didn’t want to cause a scene in front of everyone. “I put a lot of hard work into this event and I want to enjoy it a little longer.”

Her tone was so sweet that Tom relaxed his stance and smiled at her. “Okay, but only another thirty then go to my place.”

She nodded and turned back to her sister who no longer stood behind her. Scanning across the crowded room, she didn’t see her.

While Everleigh handled Tom, Audrey had run off to find Dallas at the waiter’s station just off the ballroom. She was running so fast he had to catch her in his arms to stop her. “What, what is it?”

“He has to get here,” she said almost out of breath. “They’re leaving soon. Where’s William?”

Dallas called his brother. “When are you getting here? They’re leaving soon.”

William responded, “I have another thirty left of my shift, but I’ll cut out early. Can you stall them?”

“Can you stall them?” Dallas looked at Audrey.

Audrey was speaking so fast that her words mashed together and became one, “Ialreadyhave.Weonlyhaveafewminutes.”

“She’s tried to stall,” Dallas said, speaking back into the phone.

“Have her try harder! I can’t show up looking like this. I’m a mess. I need to shower and get ready.”

“She’s tried, William.” Dallas watched Audrey shift anxiously in front of him with a worried expression on her face.

Audrey stomped her foot. “He has to come now. Tell him to get here as fast as he can. I’ll find him a jacket to throw on.”

William overheard Audrey talking to Dallas, but he needed to go. “Man, let me call you back in a minute. I need to deal with work.”

“He hung up on me. He has to figure out how to get out of work,” Dallas explained. His eyes checked her out not caring how obvious he was. Easily distracted, he smirked. “Let’s talk about—”

She cocked one eyebrow up then whacked him on the arm.

“What was that for, rich girl?” Dallas rubbed his arm. “You used knuckles.”

“Control your ogling eyes, waiter boy.”

She put him in his place, making him laugh. His phone buzzed in his hand and he read the text:
Be there in ten.

Tom insisted on sitting at the table with Everleigh and her parents to discuss more wedding plans. She rested her head in her hands, propped up by her elbows, out of sheer boredom.

At least ten minutes had passed and she was getting irritated as she looked for Audrey. She thought they were going to dance and have some fun and knew time was ticking away. She downed the rest of her champagne, and then finished Tom’s glass just because it was there and he wasn’t drinking it.

In a flurry of lavender chiffon, Audrey appeared, surprising her dad and hugging him from behind as a diversion. Everleigh was about to say something, but Audrey winked at her then shook her head. Everleigh was puzzled as she watched her sister slip their father’s jacket off the back of the chair and rush away.

William rode his bike through the streets with no regard for lights or stop signs, cars, or pedestrians. His insides were on fire with determination. This was it. This was do or die, make or break time, now or never.

He rode up the back alley of the hotel, and hopped off. Walking his bike in through the open kitchen entrance, he parked it in front of the staff lockers and ran to the elevators. As soon as the doors opened on the sixteenth floor, Audrey and Dallas greeted him with wide grins. By their expressions, he knew he had made it in time.

Dallas rushed him to the bathroom where William scrubbed his face with the soap from the dispenser, and dried it with paper towels. He tossed his flannel shirt to his brother and tried to straighten his black T-shirt and pants. Black wore better as a messenger in NYC because the dirt didn’t show. As soon as William ran out, Audrey grabbed him. “Wait, I got you a jacket so you’ll blend in.”

He looked at the black tux jacket and smiled. Other than prom, he had never worn one before. As he slipped it over his shoulders, he asked, “Do I want to know where you got this?”

“No, and I need it back soon.” She giggled.

“Thanks, Audrey.” He smiled at Evie’s very helpful and impressively devious little sister.

She straightened the jacket on him. “All black. Very sexy. Go get’em, tiger. I’ll cue the band leader.” And she was gone.

Dallas shook William’s hand and patted his shoulder. “You can do this. She still loves you. Break a leg and make us proud.”

“Thanks for all your help.” Pride ran through William as he looked at his brother as a grown man for the first time instead of his little brother. “You have a great head on your shoulders.”

“A chip off the old dad and big brother block,” Dallas replied with his own pride.

They walked to the ballroom doors, but William stopped to tease. “Little sis is cute, huh?”

“Just worry about the big sis. I got the younger one all taken care of.” Dallas laughed just as William entered the large party.

William walked into the room and saw Audrey near the stage signaling in Evie’s direction. That’s when he saw her,
his
Evie
, and stopped for a brief moment to take her in. She was breathtaking. She looked bored, but still breathtaking and he liked that she was bored with
him
next to her.

William weaved his way through the endless sea of tables and right behind her before anyone else noticed him. He took her hand in his and in one swift swoop, spun her around, pulling her to her feet. “Let’s dance, Beautiful.”

Too stunned to work out her own reaction, she followed her heart and his lead. William took her to the safest and most public place he could think of, the center of the dance floor. She was in his arms and their first step corresponded with the very first note of a Frank Sinatra song.

Evie stared into William’s eyes, afraid if she blinked, he would disappear. “How are you here?”

William was tired of wasting time and knew he would be dragged out by security any minute, so he went for it, declaring his love to her. “I’m madly in love with you. I need you and want us together forever. I can’t live without you. I know you still love me. Our kiss in the park and the look in your eyes right now give you away.”

Tears swelled in her eyes and she looked away, dropping her gaze. Watching their feet swaying together, her voice was heavy with emotion. “William, it’s for your own good. I can’t be with you.”

“I’m not letting you make decisions for us all by yourself anymore and you can’t change my mind . . . ever, my love. I will never stop loving you and I will never stop fighting for you. He can have me arrested on trumped up charges again, but the second I’m released I will be back begging you to be with me.”

Evie looked up at him then over her shoulder and saw Tom having a heated argument with her father, who was holding him in place. She made brief eye contact with
him
and that seemed to be the final straw. “Everleigh!” Jerking his arm from Richard’s grip, he marched over to a group of his friends—he was rallying the troops.

When she turned back to William, his face held all the love and passion she never dreamed could be for her and she couldn’t take her eyes off him again. She was lost in his world, wanting and hoping to stay there, to live inside their bubble forever. But a small crowd being herded away from them caught her attention, and she saw Audrey and the other dancers moving off the dance floor.

“Come away with me, Evie. Please. I promise to love and respect you, care for you, and cherish every day we spend together.” William glanced over her shoulder, seeing the chaos in the distance beginning to build. He spun her around as they continued to dance. Pulling her closer, protecting her in his arms, he looked into her eyes. “Baby, I love you with all my soul. Please come with me. We’ve got about ten seconds before I get taken down by.” He looked around one last time before meeting her eyes again. “Hate to rush your decision, but—”

“Yes.”

“Yes?” He couldn’t hide his surprise.

An audible sigh was heard louder than the ending of the song. This wasn’t about pleasing the crowd though. This was about winning the heart of the girl of his dreams, but the crowd’s support was nice.

“We need to go,” she said, seeing Tom working through the tables toward her. Gripping his hand tighter, she started running, William right there with her, matching her pace.

Tom screamed over the last note of the song. “Everleigh! Stop right now!”

Evie didn’t turn back. She wouldn’t. She had to move forward with William. There was no turning back now. This was it. William was it. Her future and the life she was always meant to lead would begin now. She had no regrets as she ran away right in front of her family, her friends, and her fiancé.

William let the borrowed jacket slide down his arms as they ran. He shoved the doors open to the lobby where both Audrey and Dallas were waiting for them. William tossed the jacket back to Audrey at the same time Dallas directed them. “Take the stairs up to the roof. We’ll lead them down. Give them a few minutes then sneak out through the kitchen.”

William was jerked to a halt as Evie came to a complete stop. When he turned back, he searched her face for any doubts she might be having.

Dallas slammed the doors shut and leaned against it with all of his weight.

“This,” she said, “I need to get this shackle off my finger.” She was confident in her decision as she slipped the ring off and handed it to Audrey, once and forever. “Donate this to the women’s shelter anonymously. Don’t let Tom see you. It’s worth a fortune and should raise a lot of money for the charity.”

Audrey’s eyes lit up in delight. “It will be my pleasure to get rid of this thing. Now go.”

“I love you,” Evie said as the couple ran for the stairwell.

William shouted to Dallas when he opened the door into the stairwell. “Stall and distract!”

“I’ve got this, bro. Go!”

As soon as William and Evie were safely up one flight of stairs, William stopped and asked, “Need a lift?” He pointed at the very high-heeled and sexy shoes she was wearing.

“Hold my hand, and let’s go for it. Only two more flights,” she said. Reaching the rooftop, they rushed behind a large air conditioning unit that blocked them from view of the doorway.

Both of them panted heavily, trying to catch their breath. Facing each other and then smiling, they laughed. It felt good to laugh, so carefree and their souls bonded together again.

Evie wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, William Ryder. I never want to be away from you again.”

“You’ll never have to be.”

She leaned back, needing to look at his face, still feeling this was too surreal to be happening. “I was doing it for you. Always for you. I’m afraid of what he’d do–”