Page 6 of The Billion Dollar Bet

“Oh well,” she mumbled, as she got behind the wheel. “Just have to balance the rift.”

Cassandra could have bought a nice car when she graduated had she used her inheritance for luxuries instead of her pursuing her dream. She had been advised to sell the house her grandmother left her and to get an apartment.

If she had taken the one of the few job offers she’d received to work alongside some notable researchers at a few other Universities, she might have had the opportunity to get a brand new car. Having a dream of your own meant sacrificing luxuries in place of necessities. Her car was in prime working condition. It had to be. Her part time stint at MIT required that she be mobile.

The Old Cambridge mansion was only fifteen minutes away and she was pulling into the driveway behind a Porsche in a short period of time. She watched as a valet took the Porsche keys while ushers guided the people towards the entrance.

When the car in front of her drove away, Cassie pulled up her own car. The valet standing next to her vehicle stared at her and then glanced at the vehicle with a frown as though wondering if Cinderella forgot her carriage. She handed him the keys and allowed the usher to escort her to the door.

Several delegates from the VitaLove Foundation greeted the guests, while someone took the coats. It was late spring, but the cool night air gave off a feel of late winter. She handed her coat to the attendant and made her way into the ballroom where live music was being played from a stage. That was perhaps the only thing at these kinds of functions that Cassie enjoyed – except for the fact that people were pledging to help the less fortunate. That was the icing on the cake.

With a smile, she thought of her anonymous pledge made earlier that afternoon. Five thousand dollars was like a mustard seed compared the millions that would be donated from the many corporations in attendance. Still, she recalled the parable of the widow’s mite and knew she was doing her best. She could also take comfort in the fact that when her work was complete, she would be helping millions of people.

A waiter balancing champagne on a tray stopped by her, she smiled and shook her head. She needed orange juice or something without alcohol in order to keep a level head. When she left the function she would need to return to her lab to observe the specimen she left to incubate.

Making her way towards the bar to get that non-alcoholic drink, she was accosted by a professor she’d met while she interned for three months at Harvard. He was tall and dark, quite good looking and married. However, that didn’t seem to stop him from flirting with her.

“Miss Melody,” he greeted. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“I received an invite, Professor Cameron.”

“I knew sooner or later you would gain some attention,” he replied with a wide grin. “You are one of the best young minds I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you here alone?” His eyes settled on her breasts, the lust in them blatantly displayed from the world to see.

Someone else moved into the space, a space Cassie now deemed too crowded for her taste. She was beginning to become suffocated while still searching for an answer to the professor’s question. If she answered that she was alone, he would take it as an opening to hit on her. Then someone was taking her arm.

“As a matter of fact, she is here with me.”

Her head whipped around, making contact with the most beautiful blue eyes she’d seen up close. They were familiar eyes and that voice she’d heard recently. He was smiling down at her, his three stooges standing a few feet away with grins on their faces. Cassie was about to protest when her eyes caught those of the professor.

It took a split second for her to decide that she would rather take her chances with a playboy than with a man without scruples.

“Devin,” she breathed his name as her heart skipped a few beats. “When did you arrive?”

“A few minutes ago and my eyes immediately found you, my sweet.”

Devin, playing the gentleman, reached down and kissed her cheek before extending his hand to the professor whose face had hardened. Her skin tingled where his lips touched that she drew in a breath.

“Hello,” Devin said. “I’m Devin McCarthy, and you must be Cassie’s uncle.”

“I’m Professor Cameron, a former associate of Dr. Melody.”

“So, Uncle Cameron, I can call you that… right?” Devin asked. “Would you mind if I steal away my date?”

“Not at all,” the professor replied, not to happily. “I will see you soon, Cassandra.”

It was when they walked away that it occurred to Cassie that Professor Cameron might have been the one to recommend her to the VitaLove Foundation. She worried that a word form him would rescind the offer. When she had moved a few feet away, she pulled her arm from Devin’s grasp.

“Thank you, but you needn’t have done that.”

“You look like you needed saving.”

She laughed. “Funny, I don’t recall being in danger.”

“Oh, he’s dangerous alright. You just didn’t know how dangerous.”

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