I Thought Love Had to Be Earned Through Chores, They Hugged Me novel · Chapter 21 of 24
Chapter 21: The Gala
The gala was at the same hotel in Chicago.
Same ballroom. Same chandeliers.
Three hundred guests again, in gowns and tuxedos, at round tables with lighthouse centerpieces.
This time I wasn't in a server's uniform.
I was in the yellow dress, because it had pockets, and because Mom asked me which one I wanted and that was the answer.
In the left pocket was my notebook.
In the right was the button off the broken phone. The number five.
When we came in, the hotel manager was at the ballroom door in his blazer.
He saw me and stopped talking to the man beside him.
"Miss Westbrook," he said. "The panel's holding. I had the whole circuit redone after your fix."
"Good," I said. "Did they use the right gauge?"
"They did. I checked, because I figured you'd ask."
The busboys at the service door were watching us.
One of them gave me a little wave, down low by his hip.
I waved back the same way.
Our table was at the front, near the stage.
The board sat at the next one over.
They didn't look at Mom.
Mom didn't look at them.
She had her handbag on her lap, both hands folded on top of the clasp.
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–12 of I Thought Love Had to Be Earned Through Chores, They Hugged Me are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
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