Charity rode the elevator to the sixth floor and pulled the strap of her briefcase higher on her shoulder. What would she say to Elijah if she ran into him in the hallway? Should she lie and say she lost his number? It seemed unlikely since she’d typed it into the phone.
She let out a puff of air when she saw that his office was closed with the lights off. He probably had surgery. She stopped and stood outside her dad’s office with her fingers flying over her phone. She sent Julie a text to meet her at her hotel around three. She could change after she spoke with her dad. Closing the phone with one hand and fixing her hair with the other, her mind raced with ideas to go over for the gala. Most contracts and hospitals or companies she dealt with were very easy to talk ideas with and brainstorm. Dealing with her father… Grrrr! She had to stop being so paranoid and worried he wouldn’t like it. She rapped her knuckles against his door.
“Come in,” his baritone voice bellowed.
Charity walked in and almost turned around to walk out again. Elijah sat in a chair opposite her father’s desk, obviously in a meeting with her dad. Elijah looked at her and quickly glanced away before he could make eye contact. Her heart sank. She should have called him or texted or something… anything. Seeing him had her questioning why she hadn’t. It seemed ridiculous now.
“Charity! You’re early.” Her father’s voice broke through her inner thoughts.
She tore her eyes away from Elijah and forced a smile at her dad. “I caught an earlier flight.”
Awkward silence followed. Charity shifted her weight and hesitated sitting down across from Elijah. Stop this! She scolded herself. How old are you? She forced herself to walk by him and touched his shoulder. “Hi, Elijah. How are you doing?” She sat down in the chair across from him.
His eyes lit up when he smiled. “I’m good. How’re you doing? Busy?”
“Extremely.” She sent a mental I’m sorry but knew he wouldn’t hear it.
Elijah put his hands on the arm of his chair, about to get up. “I’ll let you guys talk.”
“No!” Charity and her father said at the same time. She shot a glance at her father.
“I can stay for a bit then.” Elijah settled back in his chair.
Charity cleared her throat “We’ve got six months exactly from this weekend until the gala.” She pulled her iPad out of her briefcase and flipped to the app she had programmed with the details of the next few months. “I will start advertising and preparing invites.”
“I understand the diamond theme,” Elijah said. “Is there going to be something that goes with it?”
“What do you mean?” Charity tried not to stare at his mouth while he spoke.
“Will it be suit and tie? Tuxedo?” He snapped his fingers. “Or something cool, like masquerade?”
Masquerade? What a neat idea. “What do you think?” she asked her dad.
“Me? I have no clue. I’d like it to be tux, but, and I’m trying to think like Charity here, a masquerade might get more women interested in dressing up.”
“I would go.” Elijah chuckled.
“You have to go,” Dr. Thompson reminded him.
“I know, but I’d want to go if I got to wear a mask.”
Charity’s thoughts envisioned him in a tuxedo and a black mask, making his eyes even bluer. She moved at the sudden heat burning inside her. “We could set it up so we have the masks available to purchase online or at the door. Or people attending could get their own. People like the easy button. I’ll have to see if
it would work. Either way, we can guarantee this will be a very formal occasion.”
“Easy button?” Her father’s eyebrows shot up.
“Just a way to make things easy. A couple of clicks and they order them. It’ll raise extra funds as well. I’ll look around today to see what is available locally. I’m meeting Julie in a few hours and we can do some shopping and checking around.” Elijah liked the idea and suddenly she loved the idea.
Elijah stood. “I need to check on my patient before their surgery.” He shook Dr. Thompson’s hand and then touched Charity’s knee as he turned to go. “See you.”
Charity’s knee tingled and the feeling ran up her inner thigh. It stayed long after Elijah left the room.
Chapter 13
“Let’s go check one more place.” Charity checked the list on her phone and the address of the last place. She zipped up her coat and pushed the door open. She turned to go to the right.
Julie grabbed her elbow to stop her. “Let’s not and you just tell Elijah that we did.”