Page 43 of Ace

Chapter 15

Gianna remembered the other thing that drove her crazy about Dex. His self-important, my issue is the most important thing in the world right now, alpha male, testosterone-filled nonsense.

Perhaps she was crazy about more than just one thing when it came to Dex, but she didn’t have to stand beside him and be interrupted and ignored. With the arrival of her father, she gave up on the press entirely and entered the party to find her people.

Tony stood with his date and was talking to Randy Tralin, the NFL quarterback. Perfect.

She approached them and Tony greeted her with a grin. “Excellent timing. Gianna West is the mastermind of our whole concept and the woman on the ground in these orphanages. Gianna, this is Randy Tralin, who I believe doesn’t need an introduction.” Tony winked.

“Just one of the best QBs of all time. That pass in your last game was amazing.”

“You think so?” He appraised her, his eyes appreciative.

She smiled back but didn’t step any closer. “I do.”

“It’s good to meet you, Gianna West.” Her name rolled off his tongue in a delicious way, and she could see why his charm would appeal to some. A server walked by with a tray of drinks and Randy handed one to her. “Tell me about what you’re doing on these campaigns.”

“Well, it’s very different from any of this, I’ll tell you.” She sipped her drink. “We go and live in the villages we’re helping, with the villagers. We work hard and give the children a safe place to be. We teach them. Get fresh water for the villages. And then depending on the location—”

“That sounds great. I’ll sign on. How much do you need?”

“Oh great! I’ll have someone reach out to you about our diamond tier.”

“Why don’tyoureach out to me about it?”

“Okay. I can do that.”

He held out his phone. “Can I get your number?”

“Thanks. We appreciate it.”

“Great. I’ll give you a call.”

“Come by the center and I’ll show you some videos of the people you’ll be helping. And I can show you where I’ve lived.”

“Yeah, great. Maybe we can catch dinner too.” He downed the rest of his drink.

“Okay. Sure.”

A couple of men joined them. And Randy became distracted talking about old football plays and what other quarterbacks weren’t doing and which receivers he preferred to others. Tony moved closer at her side. “Two down. I got the other guy too.”

“Excellent.”

Tony grinned. “The senator really hooked us up tonight.”

She looked around the room, telling herself she wasn’t looking for Dex, but her gaze kept moving until she found him. She snorted but couldn’t look away. He was surrounded by women. But to his credit, she could tell by his stance, his hands moving around and the breadth of his shoulders, that he might not even have noticed that they were female. She shook her head.

“Yeah, he really knows how to reel them in, doesn’t he?” Tony’s eyes were on Dex as well.

“What?”

“Well look at him. All he has to do is smile and they come running.” He laughed. “Is he talking up the center?”

“I don’t think so.” She studied him. “Well, maybe. But he’s more interested in Top Flight and helping the Oceanic Alliance, which helps us as well, doesn’t it.”

“Yeah, we’ve got to clean up that mess before we can do anything on those islands again.”

The chimes sounded and lights flickered. “Hey, time for dinner.” Tony waved to the next room that was set up with round tables and a platform at the front. “Win over all the VIPs. I’ll sit with the million-dollar scrubs.”

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