Freshly showered, he donned his favorite tuxedo. Standing in front of the mirror, his fingers moved automatically, deftly tying the black bow tie in perfect form. Satisfied with his work, he headed downstairs with a generous forty-five-minute margin before the event. He would likely hang out in the lobby to greet the guests until close to starting time, so that he and Laurie wouldn’t accidentally find themselves alone at the head table.
He stepped off the elevator and crossed the large lobby, arranged with standing conversation tables, draped with white linen tablecloths. A table near the banquet room was already manned with workers ready to direct guests to their assigned tables. A quick glance at the seating chart revealed only three or four empty places. Laurie must have worked hard to have commitments for almost every seat, even with last-minute cancelations.
First to arrive were the Worthingtons, William and Audrey, who owned this exclusive hotel chain, along with a dozen smaller ones. Audrey was still a beauty at seventy-five, the age she proudly proclaimed, bragging about the fact that she’d never had a bit of “work done.”
“Audrey, you look lovely tonight,” said Finn, lifting her fingers to his lips. “If only you weren’t married to this rascal.”
She blushed and giggled as Bill proclaimed, teasingly, “Boy, you’d better keep your hands off my woman.”
“Let’s see… your table is… ah… number seven, right up front. Audrey, I hope you’ll save me a dance.”
“I doubt we’ll stay past the auction.” She looked genuinely disappointed. “Bill’s not much for dancing.”
Next up were the Barnes, of Barnes Investments. Then came a steady stream of arrivals that kept him busy greeting people until his cheeks hurt from smiling.
He was listening to a tall tale narrated by the real estate mogul, Harvey Parsons, when Harvey stopped mid-sentence, his eyes bugging out like someone was choking him.
“Who is that?” he asked, under his breath, gaping over Finn’s shoulder.
Following his gaze, Finn turned toward the majestic open staircase that curved down from the overlook. His breath caught in his throat. Laurie!
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. With graceful ease, she descended the grand, curved stairway, draped in a sleeveless silver dress that hugged her curves and fell to the ground in iridescent waves. Her mass of long, tight curls was pinned up in an artless manner, with a few curly strands escaping to adorn the gentle slope of her neck. The overhead lights reflected in the sparkle of diamonds that lay on her golden-brown skin.
Harvey let out a low whistle. “Now that’s one hot chick. And I’m betting she’s single, too.”
Finn’s right hand curled into a fist, one that was itching to deliver a stiff uppercut to Harvey’s chin. But he kept a fake smile plastered on his face.
“She’s too young for you, Harvey.” Finn could barely make his lips move to form the words.
Harvey threw his head back and laughed. “Son, you know how they say love is blind? Well, let me tell you money is blinder. I’ve yet to find a single woman who thinks I’m too old.”
With his eyes zeroed in on Laurie, Harvey took a step toward the stairs, and Finn moved to block his path, hoping to avoid a scene. But then Harvey’s leering grin faded, and he spat out a curse. “Never mind, she’s with someone.”
“She is?” Finn whipped around, just as she reached the bottom and threw her arms around a man’s neck.
Finn’s feet were moving before his brain kicked in. By the time Laurie released her hold, Finn was standing at her side, eyeing the stranger who’d won her enthusiastic affection. This was no fuzz-faced young man, like the boy Finn had chased away that morning. No, this man had broad shoulders that could only come from lifting heavy weights. And the custom fit of his tuxedo suggested he had money, as well. Finn cleared his throat to gain her attention.
She jumped when she saw him. “Oh! Hi, Finn. Uhm… this is… this is…” she stammered, darting glances at the guy.
“I’m Jerome.” He jutted his hand forward, and Finn got his first look at the guy’s face.
“I know you,” Finn said, shaking his hand with an extra firm grip, to prove he wasn’t a wimp. “You’re Jerome Shields.” He also knew a lot of the Jerome’s football stats, but it seemed too creepy to mention. He didn’t mention he was a fan… especially since his status had just changed to former fan.
“Jerome, this is my boss, Finn Anderson,” said Laurie.
“Nice to meet you,” Jerome said, with no apparent recognition. Not surprising. He probably didn’t spend a lot of time on the computer. This man was a star quarterback— solid muscle… a perfect physical specimen… the opposite of Finn in every way. Was this what Laurie really wanted? She seemed to have forgotten yesterday’s declaration of love. He ought to be glad. So why wasn’t he?
“How do you know each other?” Finn crossed his arms, attempting to keep his expression neutral.
“We’re uhm…” Laurie exchanged an awkward glance with Jerome.
“I’m an old friend from college,” he explained, moving over to sling his arm around Laurie’s shoulder. “We used to be close… very close. Right, Lorelai?”
She giggled. “You’re the only person who ever got away with calling me that.”
Could this be the man who’d abused Laurie? Finn tried to gauge the tension between the two, but Laurie seemed relaxed with this behemoth of a man groping her bare shoulder.
“I don’t remember your name on the guest list,” Finn said. “A late addition?”
“That’s right,” Jerome answered quickly. “Laurie called me to fill an empty seat.”
“And I ordered him to bring his checkbook for the auction,” she added, jabbing his ribs with her elbow. “Do you have it?”
“Right here.” He patted the chest of his tux. “What do you want me to buy for you?”
“I have my heart set on this Bach tour in Germany,” Laurie said. “Of course I’ll have to take a boat to cross the ocean.”
“Still don’t like flying?” Jerome asked.
For some reason it irritated Finn that Jerome knew this intimate secret about her.
“It’s ten days, all over Germany,” said Laurie, “and you get to walk in Bach’s footsteps. The tour guide is an organist who plays Bach compositions on the organs in each of the churches where Bach composed the pieces.”
“A Bach tour?” Finn pulled the auction program from his inside coat pocket. “I don’t remember that being an auction item.”
“Page two. Fifth item. See it? You don’t know about it because I got the donation all on my own. It includes a two-day trip to Warsaw at the end, for a Chopin tour.” She practically danced on her toes. It was the trip of her dreams, and Finn wasn’t about to let some other man take her. Especially one who might’ve been abusive.
“It’s a trip for two. Are you planning to go with her?” Finn gave Jerome a measuring look. “You’re a fan of Bach?”
