Page 48 of Hockey Heart

“That’s right. Don’t be intimidated by these people Sarah, they’re not everything you think they are, believe me.”

I nodded, thankful for the reassurance. But the butterflies flooded my stomach again as Jimmy flashed his pass through the window at the security, and then we pulled up to the concierge at the bottom of the red carpet.

“What if someone asks me who I am, Jimmy?”

“Just tell them you do charitable work for vulnerable children in the city. It’salmosttrue and no one’s going to push you on that.”

Then the car door opened and the noise and cameras blinded me, all clamoring to catch whoever was about to step out, desperate to capture them as a still image that could be looked at and commented on by people all over the world. The flashes quickly slowed as they realized I was no one worthy of their efforts.

Stood there awkwardly at the bottom of the carpet, holding my hands over my dazed eyes, the lights still burned onto my retinas, Jimmy came beside me. He took my arm and led me, blinking heavily, between the crowd and across the thick red velvet carpet toward the entrance to the ball.

A few more flashes went off and someone yelled at me, “Hey! Beautiful dress!”

I turned to see where the voice came from and the yeller lifted his camera to his eye.

“Why don’t you show it off?” Jimmy said in my ear, followed by an encouraging wink.

I remembered how I’d looked in the mirror before I left and a burst of sweet confidence flooded through me. Hell, I might as well make the most of this. Who knows if I would ever look this good again? I made a couple of (at least what I thought was) glamorous poses and suddenly felt the rush of being on the other side of the camera, on the other side of life, and Ilikedit. Then the next car pulled up, and suddenly all the attention was ripped away from me and passed onto the new arrival. I suppose that’s fame in a nutshell.

We entered the reception, and I clung tighter to Jimmy’s arm, feeling increasingly like a fraud.

“Hey, can I leave you a second? I’ve got to shake some hands, but I’ll be back,” Jimmy said.

He saw my horrified expression and looked around the room.

“Hmm. Okay, let me introduce you to Andrea Barker over there. She’s kind of snooty, but you’ll be safe with her for a moment.”

Andrea Barker looked like a Disney villain with silver streaks running through her dark hair, but I nodded anyway and Jimmy led me over.

“Andrea, my dear. Please meet Sarah… Erm…” Jimmy turned to me to fill in the missing pieces.

“Sarah Miller! Very nice to meet you, Miss Barker.”

Andrea looked down her nose at me, sighed, and then said witheringly, “Yes, it must be nice for you, I suppose.”

Jimmy spun to smoothly lift two glasses of champagneoff a tray from a passing waiter and handed one to me. “I’ll be back in a moment, okay?”

I nodded and looked back at my new and reluctant babysitter.

“So, Miller. What is it you do? Please don’t sayinfluenceror I might choke.”

“Oh. No, I work with privileged children in the city.”

“Privileged children?” She replied with a frown.

My face reddened at the mistake and I stumbled back at her, “Oh, I mean they weren’t privileged, but now they are.”

“Oh, right. I see,” she said, still unsure, before adding, “But… Why?”

“You mean… Why work with children?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

Jimmy arrived back just in time to rescue me.

“Andrea, I hope you’re playing nice,” he smiled at her knowingly.

“Niceis not me Mr. Kemp, I preferelegant,” then she flashed another look at me, “Absolutely gorgeous dress, by the way.”

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