ChapterTwenty-One
The charity functions Bianca’s family members threw were always the same. Parker would show up in a scandalous outfit that would draw the envy of everyone in the room. Scarlett would memorize the guest list and work her way through it in the order that most efficiently capitalized on networking opportunities. Their father would spend the night talking with the old boys’ club.
And their mother? She would mingle and over-indulge in wine, all the while pushing Bianca into the spotlight, showing off her doll to her friends.
At least, she normally would. Not tonight.
It was the first time Bianca had seen her since their family dinner. And while on the surface she was her usual social self, Bianca could see the cracks in her veneer. Even more appeared with every glass of wine she drank.
A part of Bianca felt sorry for her. But the rest of her couldn’t let go of the two decades’ worth of frustration she felt toward her mother.
And she wasn’t going to let those frustrations preoccupy her. How could she, when Sam was right there? Her bodyguard had all hands on deck for the event, but her own attention was mostly on Bianca.
And she was in a suit. Bianca herself was dressed in a shimmery red long-sleeved dress that flattered her in all the right places. But she looked nowhere near as hot as Sam.
“You’re killing me,” Bianca muttered to Sam as she picked up the single glass of champagne she was allowing herself to indulge in. “No woman has ever looked so good in a suit before. Why are you tormenting me like this?”
“I’m not dressed any differently from how I dress for work,” Sam said.
“You’re wearing a vest, for one thing.” Bianca glanced over her shoulder at Sam as they left the bar. With so many people around, it was all she could chance. She didn’t want to get caught ogling the woman who was supposed to be nothing more than her bodyguard. “Vests are the haute couture of butch fashion.”
“Where did you hear that?” Sam closely followed Bianca through the bustling crowd. “Some magazine? A blog?”
“A blog? You really are old.”
Sam snatched Bianca’s wrist. Jeez, I won’t call you old again. But she quickly realized that Sam was simply steering her away from a drunk contingent of her mother’s middle-aged friends.
“You’re lucky I’m working,” Sam whispered in her ear, using those two seconds they were close together to her advantage. “Otherwise I’d make short work of this dress out back.”
Bianca had half a mind to play coy, but her skin was so hot with desire for Sam that she simply let her ass brush against her bodyguard’s hip before stepping away.
It was as far as she was willing to go this evening. There were too many people around, including a few members of the extended Black family who happened to be in the area. Second cousins and friends-of-friends wanted her time. Photographers wanted to capture her look for the evening on camera. Everyone wanted her attention.
Throughout it all, Sam stayed within reach, but out of sight. Every time Bianca indulged in the fantasy that Sam was here as her date, not her bodyguard, she was shocked back to reality when an acquaintance turned her nose up at Sam and asked, “What’s with the suit? She got a gun?”
Sam had her taser holstered at her belt, but she’d assured everyone before the event started that a select number of her employees were packing real heat. They were the ones on the sidelines, keeping an eye on everything and communicating with Sam via an earpiece. The first time Bianca had flirted with her, Sam gestured to the earpiece and shook her head. Apparently, she could turn it on and off with a touch of a button, but she liked to leave it on most of the time. She was that dedicated to the job.
Kind of hot, if you ask me.
“Bianca!” A bright head of white hair parted the crowd. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Bianca did a double-take as Sam’s hand instinctively went to her taser. Yet she relaxed as it became clear that the tiny young woman in a silvery dress was about as big of a threat as one of her sisters.
Although Bianca immediately recognized Tara Staudenmaier, it took her a moment to realize where she knew her from. They’d met at a mutual friend’s birthday party in New York last year. Tara had been introduced to the socialite world via her older and worldly girlfriend, Astrid Evans. Sure enough, Astrid was only a few feet away, speaking with Scarlett.
“Hi!” Bianca said. “What are you doing here? You guys came to Seattle for something like this?”
“We were in the area when Astrid suddenly remembered she’d been invited to this. I’d just been telling her we haven’t been to a fun party in a while.”
“You look great!” Bianca was already envious of Tara’s naturally white hair and how fantastic it looked with her dress. The perfect ringlets and light blonde baby hair Bianca had been born with were long gone. Everything on her head was the work of her favorite stylist.
“Have you seen the kitten pen?” Tara exclaimed.
“Not yet. I’m going to check it out later.” Volunteers from the shelter had set up a quiet room and brought in kittens for a mini adoption event—and to remind the charitable attendees what they were raising money for. I can’t imagine Spike being here. He’d be hissing from the heights of someone’s head. Probably Parker’s, just to mess up that flawless hair of hers.
“Hey…” Tara nudged Bianca and pointed to Sam when she wasn’t looking. “Who’s the hottie? Also, is she available? Because Astrid’s been in a mood, if you know what I mean.”
Bianca was only slightly taken aback. “That’s my bodyguard,” she said with a straight face. “Don’t mind her. She’s a real stick in the mud. Doubt she’d be into whatever your girlfriend’s cooking up.”