Page 83 of Hesi-Dating
"Amanda, can I ask you something professionally since you're a specialist in learning disabilities?"
"Sure."
"I, um…I've always had trouble reading, but as a foster kid no one ever helped me figure it out. It's embarrassing as hell to admit this, but I need help. I can't do well in school because of it. I think I have a form of dyslexia. Do you know anyone who can help adults?"
"Oh, God, Joley." She touched my shoulder. "Thisis why we need you as a mentor. You're one of the ones that slipped through the cracks. Of course, there are people who can help you. We have someone who works for me that can help. I'll text her information to you later. If I forget, text me tomorrow."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
A teenager with curly, purple-tipped hair rushed up to Amanda. "There's this lady…actually, I think she's the mayor of San Diego. She's ripping into this guy over by the bar on the far side. He's been super sweet and was helping us fix the slideshow on Brayden's computer. We couldn't figure out why it wasn't running right. He's not a techie or anything but he's being helpful. Can you rescue him from the bitch? Like, she's trying to skewer him for no reason."
Amanda's face tensed. Anything against the mayor had political disaster written all over it.
"Hey, Amanda, I can handle it if you want," I offered. "You can cover the table, or maybe she can for a few minutes." I nodded to the teenager. "I'll go rescue this guy."
"That'd be great." Amanda released a shaky laugh. "Try not to get hurt. The mayor can be a snake."
I sent her a reassuring smile. With a purposeful stride I wove through the crowd to the area of the bar on the far side. It was set up like an actual bar with a counter, tall chairs, and two bartenders. Several groups milled around the bar or sat there. At the far end, I saw a woman who looked vaguely familiar from TV, she must be the mayor, sniping at…I froze in place, unable to breathe. My pulse pounded in my throat as I watched Seth. His eyes slowly scanned over to me as if he sensed me watching him.
My composure shattered. From one shocked look from him.
Fuck.
It'd been so many months, but my gut reaction to him hadn't diminished.
Taking a deep breath, I knew what had to be done. I couldn't think about how sexy he looked in his tuxedo and cowboy hat. I couldn't get all wrapped up in who didn't call who or who set me up to die and then ghosted me. Actually, I didn't care. This was a rescue, pure and simple.
ChapterThirty-Four
SETH
"If I have anything to do with it, there's no way you're getting re-elected," Sara Vaughn hissed out. One clump of hair strayed from the impeccable bob around her face when she leaned toward me. She tucked it behind an ear. "The fact we have to see each other at events like this is intolerable."
"Sara, can't we?—"
"It's Mayor to you, dickhead. No one does that to me. No one."
She had already skewered me publicly for a drug bust she claimed my department botched, not that anyone had done anything wrong. I'd spun that one as best as possible. When a reporter asked me about why the mayor would be against our department, I shrugged and spoke about the exemplary people I worked with. Sara had then tried to claim the most recent school bomb threat was my department's fault, but I'd caught that lie early. We came off as heroes when the kid who called in the threat was caught and no bomb was found.
She poked me with a finger when she launched into some complaint about a demonstration we didn't clear fast enough around a women's health clinic. I tried to crane away to avoid the next finger punch into my chest but failed. Her nail gouged through my shirt.
My gaze slid to the right as my sixth sense of being watched kicked in. I blinked a few times to focus, but I still saw the same vision in a long black gown walking my way.
Joley?
Is that really her?
From the shocked look on her face, she hadn't expected to see me either.
She looked so damned good, even better than I remembered.
"Are you paying attention to me?" The finger poked me again. I backed up, not that I could go much further with the bar counter pressed into my back.
"Hey, sweetie. Are you ready to help me at the silent auction table?" Joley asked me.
Sara jumped away from me.
Finally, I could breathe.
