Page 124 of Call Me Sir

One word springs to mind. Inclusion.

This isn’t the usual elite; this is a mix of individuals my team found. My team has such a nice ring to it. I should have dragged them to the dance floor with me.

“Who is this?” Someone shouts to Oliver.

He pauses dancing to introduce me to someone named Val. He tries to explain who she is, but it’s too loud.

“Nice to meet you!” I shout to her and offer my hand.

Rejecting my hand, she pulls me in for a hug. “Anyone who loves Oliver is a friend of mine!”

All I can do is smile at the tall, beautiful girl.

Until we all start dancing together in a circle. There’s glitter on the floor and bubbles floating above the crowd. I don’t know the song playing, but it’s thrumming through my entire body, along with the drinks I’ve had.

Everything is wonderful.

Except when it ends. The dance is dispersed after several songs and we’re directed to our tables.

Plopping down in my seat, I try to take in everyone still moving to where they need to go. The variety of people, now no longer an ocean surrounding me, is even cooler to witness.

“Are you okay?” Sal’s question is asked with a chuckle as he gently runs a finger along my suit arm.

I jump at the touch.

“Goodness, they’re not tearing you apart, are they?”

I laugh, then lean into his touch. I hadn’t even registered that he was next to me.

Seated, he scoots his chair closer so he can sling an arm around me. Quickly, food is served to us and we begin eating.

Sal plants a kiss to the top of my head before we dig into our food. He’s extra affectionate tonight, and it’s magnificent but strange.

“I was dancing with Oliver,” I say between bites of salmon.

“I saw that, it looked fun.”

I quirk an eyebrow up at him. “You’re an amazing dancer, why weren’t you out there with me?”

In a low voice he says, “I prefer dancing with a partner.”

I’m not sure if he meant to be sexy, but it gets my head dizzy again.

Sipping the iced water in a fancy glass helps.

The plates are cleared away quickly and at the center of the room, a spotlight is cast on a young woman, Hannah. She’s Ace’s sister which I wouldn’t have known except Oliver told me so. The longer I look at her, the similarities I notice are the nose and an air of confidence. While Sal can conduct himself as a businessman and has a suave confidence, it seems Hannah and Ace were born for the spotlight.

My gaze jumps to Ace and Oliver who are stoically watching her.

She wears a gown that’s golden with silver stripes that match their sparkling suits.

Slowly she lifts the microphone to her red painted lips. The room is silent, minus the few flashes from the photographers intermittently, as if they need to catch every movement she makes.

My eyes trace her long, curled brown hair until she finally speaks.

“Tonight is about one thing. Love.” A few people whoop around the room, and it splits her face into a magnificent smile. “Sometimes, we have to fight for that love.”

Her gaze moves to a different spotlight, I recognize the girl from the dance floor. It’s Val.

---