"The garden is looking great," he said. "And I've got the plans for the garden path your sister suggested. I was thinking about your idea of pressing leaves into the wet cement for imprints. I think we should make a signpost key and it can be an identification game the kids play."
Right to business. No wonder Tasha liked him.
I got up and crumpled up my sandwich wrapper. "Thanks for lunch, Tasha. Before I go, maybe we can chat a bit more about the gala?" I asked.
Tasha gave a distressed frown and stood up quickly. "Sure, I'll just walk with you—"
"Hey, yeah, I forgot I'd see you at the gala too," Seth said. "I'm so glad Tasha invited me. I don't get much of a chance to wear a tuxedo. Should be fun."
Tasha didn't move, and neither did I. Then she bit her lip and asked, "How about Ellison? We'll see her there too?"
I should have stuck to flying solo, but as soon as I knew Tasha was taking the landscaper, I had to bring someone. Ellison, of course, was delighted.
The night of the gala, when Ellison walked in on my arm, no one doubted that I was happy. How could I not be over the moon with a stunning force of grace and fashion on my arm? Ellison navigated the charity gala with ease, and everyone looked at me with a new respect. Even Berger and the crew of junior execs couldn't come up with any jokes. We were the perfect couple.
"Did you hear me, Rainer?" Ellison asked.
"What? No." I blinked and turned back to her. Across the downtown ballroom, Tasha had just arrived with Seth, the landscaper. The damn golden boy looked great in a tuxedo, and I hated him even more.
"I was asking if we should bid on Italy or Switzerland," Ellison said. "The Switzerland trip is in the fall so it might work better with our schedules, but the Italy vacation is at a private castle."
"Our schedules?" I asked.
Ellison patted my arms and put down a bid on the Italy vacation. She then led me through the rest of the silent auction, making tasteful choices and impressive bids. Charity was the only time Ellison let her deep, deep pockets show.
Or maybe she'd been writing my name after the astronomical sums. I couldn't pay attention to anything but the swirl of Tasha's deep-blue dress across the room. I was still watching her when my phone buzzed. I saw Tasha take out her phone too, so I raced to check the message.
"Apologies," I said to Ellison. "I've got to meet with the other execs over the speeches and toasts. You know how it is."
Ellison knew and smiled. She really was the perfect woman, but my stomach coiled when she reached up to kiss me. That's why I turned my face at the last moment and let her land on my cheek.
The feeling stayed with me as I met Tasha backstage. I couldn't even speak, I was so frustrated. Ellison was purposefully projecting the happy couple scene that everyone wanted to see, and no one noticed that I wasn't interested. I'd have to be insane not to be interested.
But all I wanted was Tasha.
"Stan wants us to do a quick speech about the community garden," Tasha said. "Are you up to it?"
"If you're standing next to me," I said.
"Good. Fine." Tasha moved to open the curtains, but I grabbed her hand.
She turned to me with a shocked expression, but I couldn't let go. "I wanted to come here with you," I blurted out.
"We're both here," Tasha said as if I was a slow child. "I'll stand by the podium while you handle the little impromptu speech."
"Here's an impromptu speech," I said. "I can't leave it at just one night."
Tasha tore her hand out of mine. "This is not the place to discuss what, ah, happened. It was a mistake."
"I don't think it was." I struggled to catch her other hand and hold on. "In fact, it felt like the only thing I've done right in a really long time."
"You're here with Ellison," Tasha hissed.
"Only because you brought the hero to a bad romance novel," I said. "And how many times am I going to have to tell you that I'm not with Ellison?"
Tasha's cheeks were flared red, and I knew she had sharp words waiting to flay me with, but the curtain suddenly opened. She had no choice but to put her hand in mine and walk with me to the podium. The band stopped playing, and every eye in the place turned to us.
I didn't let go of her hand. Even after I'd given the charity gala crowd a two-minute run-down of GroGreen and our successful community garden, I held on to Tasha.