Page 53 of Knot a Good Idea

12

APRIL

The limo rideis quicker than I expected.

I sit in between Hunter and Liam while Donovan sits opposite of us, watching me carefully.

It’s like he’s gauging my reaction at all times.

I sip a glass of champagne as I watch the houses of Stone County pass us by, admiring the architecture and landscapes of the area.

I wish Skylar was here. She would be losing her mind.

“You’re going to do great,” Hunter says, snapping me out of my train of thought. “I can’t wait for all those rich assholes to meet you. You’re smart as hell.”

I frown. “Uh, aren’t you just as rich as them?”

Hunter shifts and crosses his leg over the other. “A lot of these people are old money,” he shrugs. “And they don’t give a shit about what this gala is about.”

“They don’t care about art?”

Liam turns to me. “They like looking good. They likesayingthey donated to it. But they’ve never actually worked at any of the events that the gala funds. They just attend the parties, then call it a day.”

I look at Donovan. “So, you work at the art events?”

He nods. “Sometimes.” His lips stay in a thin line.

I’m not going to break, I want to tell him.

The museum is barely a twenty-minute drive, but when Donovan helps me out of the limo, it seems as if I’ve been transported to another world.

I’ve never been knowledgeable about the art scene—and I knew nothing about what is apparently one of the most well-known art museums in the country.

The building is a modern steel design with massive windows that illuminate the inside. Liam, Hunter, and Donovan surround me as I walk with them up the stairs to the entrance, their scents swirling around me and helping calm my nerves.

Wealthy people mingle, all in designer outfits and chatting excitedly with each other. I catch bits and pieces of conversations as we walk into the building.

“You would think they would have picked a better caterer?—”

“My tailor is out of the country, so I had to settle on my other suit?—”

“Funny to see Axton here. Donovan never bothers to show his face?—”

At the mention of Donovan, I catch a group of older men watching me. I plaster a polite, soft smile on my face as Liam takes my hand.

I don’t even think about it. I lace my fingers with his, and he looks down at me and grins, my insecurities from before forgotten.

I can do this.

“You belong here,” he tells me softly. “You’re better than most of them, anyway.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “I think you’re putting me on a pedestal.”

He leads me to our table, pulling the chair out for me. “I guarantee you none of them here would even know what to do with a twenty-sided die.”

I burst out laughing just as Hunter joins us. He slides into the chair on my right side.

“Stop hogging her, Liam. She’s my date, too.”

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