Page 37 of Silver Fox's Surprise Baby

“Sounds like he’s starting to regret his decision,” I say, laughing as we spin quickly in a tight circle, holding each other a little tighter as we stumble.

“He can keep regretting his decision.” Aurora smiles at me and shakes her head. “That ship sailed a long time ago.”

The song changes and Aurora and I stop spinning. From the corner of my eyes, I can see people looking at us and leaning together to whisper. I hold my head high and loop my arm through hers, walking back to the table.

Evan turns to face me as we sit back down. He grins and nods to Aurora. “Making some new friends?”

“Yeah.” I let go of Aurora’s arm and slide back into my seat. “But everyone is staring at us now.”

“Let them stare,” Aurora says loudly, smirking when the people at the tables around us make a point of ignoring us. “It’s awful that all of these stuffy people think that the worst thing that can happen is some people having a little fun.”

I laugh as plates of food start to circulate. The food smells amazing and it looks even better, making my mouth water as I see the roast chicken and the delicious vegetables on my plate. My stomach rumbles as a waiter pours me a glass of white wine.

Dinner is rather uneventful, most of the people around the table talking about their businesses. It seems like they have nothing better to talk about than trying to make themselves sound more successful than the others.

The only two who don’t bother to talk about how much money they’re making are Evan and Aurora. The two of them chat about some place in Asia that they’ve both gone to for vacation.

I feel lost in a world I don’t understand and can’t possibly compete with.

By the time dinner is over and the dancing starts again, all I want to do is go home, but there are still speeches left to listen to. Evan spent most of the morning practicing his speech and I don’t want him to miss it, but I still feel entirely out of place here.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat as Aurora walks to the stage to make her speech. Evan follows behind her. I watch until he disappears behind one of the curtains beside the stage. Aurora climbs up to the podium and puts on a bright smile.

“You know, I thought I made it clear that you need to stay away from my son,” Evan’s mother says as she sits down in Evan’s empty chair. Evan’s father takes the empty seat on my other side.

“I’m just here to support him.” My heart hammers faster in my chest as I keep my gaze focused on the stage. Aurora steps to the side, grinning and clapping as Evan takes the center stage.

“Do you think we don’t know what you are?” Evan’s father says, leaning closer to me. “I know that you’re only involving yourself in his life for his money.”

“That’s generally the way a job works,” I say, my tone tight as I glance at him. “Your son pays me to manage his household. I do that job.”

“I have no doubt of the other things that you’re doing for Evan as well,” his mother says, her voice filled with venom. “I know women like you. You do whatever it takes to get as much money as possible.”

“You know nothing about me.” I clasp my hands together in my lap, trying not to make a scene.

“I know that you are just another girl in a pretty dress and all of this will end once my son wakes up and realizes what you really are.” His mother gives me a cold smile.

Evan’s parents get up and walk away as his speech concludes. I feel awful for not hearing any of it. His parents’ words keep circling through my head, playing over and over again.

I watch him step down from the stage, stopping to talk to people on his way back to the table. When he looks up after talking to another person, his eyes meet mine. My heart beats faster as he winks at me quickly before turning to talk to someone else.

“Are you alright?” Evan asks as he finally makes it back to our table. “You look like you’re not feeling well.”

“I’m fine,” I say, giving him a small smile. “This is all just a lot. It’s hard to believe that things like this exist.”

Music starts playing again and couples take to the floor. The song is instrumental and haunting yet beautiful. Evan holds out his hand.

“Dance with me.”

“People are watching. There are already people here who think we have a massive scandal going on. Do you really think it’s the best idea to dance together?”

“I think that this is a charity ball, and we came here to have fun tonight while you look stunning. Now, dance with me so we can give them all something to talk about.”

My cheeks warm as I take his hand, giving him a hesitant nod. Evan smiles and pulls me to my feet, leading me out to the dance floor. His hands land on my body as we start to dance, moving in a way that feels entirely foreign to me.

I can feel the eyes on us and I know that his parents are watching.

At the end of the day, his mother is right.

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