I laugh. “I know, right?” I shovel more cheese and biscuits into my mouth. “I’ve never even filmed myself having sex. I wouldn’t even want to watch that back, let alone show other people.”
“What?” Nathan frowns. “You’ve never filmed yourself having sex?”
“No.” I scowl. “Have you?”
“Everyone’s done that.”
“Not me.”
“Why not?” He seems shocked.
“I don’t know?” I laugh. “It’s never come up. Nobody I’ve slept with has ever suggested it.”
He stares at me in disbelief. “Eliza, just how vanilla is your sex life?”
I widen my eyes. “Well, very vanilla if this is anything to go by.”
He sips his champagne as if fascinated. “And you like vanilla sex?”
“Not really.” I shrug. “I’ve never thought about it before. I guess I’m waiting for a big, bad man to teach me bad things.”
His eyes hold mine.
I smile, slightly embarrassed by my lack of experience. “Anyway, I forget what sex is even like.”
“How long since you have had it?”
“Two years.”
“You haven’t had sex for two years?” he gasps.
“Nope.”
“Jesus, Eliza.” he whispers. “Why not?”
“I guess I’m waiting for Mr. Right this time.”
He stares at me for a moment before he speaks. “So, what you’re saying is that you’re waiting for a Mr. Right to teach you how to be bad?”
“Precisely.” I smile. “Do you know anyone?” I tease.
He runs the backs of his fingers down my cheek as if distracted. “Maybe.”
I smile up at my beautiful friend. He looks so handsome in his dinner suit. I rearrange his bow tie and run my fingers through his messed-up hair.
“Are you ready to go, Mr. Mercer?”
His tongue darts out and slides across his bottom lip, and I get the feeling he has something else on his mind. “If we must.”
4
Eliza
We walk into the ballroom. The venue is grand with high ceilings and beautiful, low hanging chandeliers. Huge vases of beautiful pink and cream fresh flowers sit on every table alongside lit candles. Glamorous people in black tie are standing everywhere.
“What’s this ball in aid of again?” I ask as I scan the room.
“It’s a fundraiser for The Children’s Medical Research Hospital.”
“Looks swanky.” I smile.
“I certainly hope so. The tickets were ten thousand dollars.”
“Each?” I frown.
“Yes.” He twists his lips as he looks around. “It’s a good cause.”
I widen my eyes. “Jeez.” I try to work out how many people are here and how much they are raising.
A bartender walks past with a silver tray of champagne.
“Champagne, sir.”
“Thank you.” Nathan takes two and passes one to me. He takes a sip of his. He winces and looks at the glass.
“No good?” I frown.
“Not twenty thousand dollars good.”
I giggle. “Nothing is that good.”
He takes my hand and leads me over to the seating arrangements where he scans the chart.
Hmm, I think there would be at least five hundred people here. I do the math in my head. Is that five hundred thousand?
“If there are five hundred people here, is that five hundred thousand dollars raised?” I ask as Nathan leads me over to our table.
“Five million.” He replies distracted as he weaves in and out of the tables.
“Holy crap, that’s a shit ton of cash,” I whisper.
He chuckles as we arrive at our table, and he pulls out my chair. “You have such a way with words, darling.”
He undoes his dinner jacket button with one hand before he sits down. He instantly turns to the woman and man he is seated next to.
“Hello, I’m Nathan Mercer. Nice to meet you.” He shakes their hands and then gestures to me. “And this is Eliza.”
“Hello.” The lady and man smile. “I’m Mario, and this is my wife Alessandra.”
“Hello.” I shake their hands. Nathan and his impeccable manners. He introduces us wherever we go.
“Lovely ball room, isn’t it?” Alessandra smiles.
“Gorgeous.”
“Dr. Mercer!” someone calls, and we turn to see a woman smiling and waving. “How lovely to see you.”
Nathan smiles broadly and offers a wave. His eyes dart to me for approval to go talk with her.
“Go, I’m fine.” I smile and lift my glass of champagne. “I’ve got company.”
She smiles and waves at me, and I wave back. I’ve seen this woman at a lot of the charity events we go to. She’s a doctor and seems nice.
Nathan kisses my cheek. “I’ll bring you another one back. Won’t be a minute.” He nods to our tablemates. “Excuse me.” He gets up and goes and talks to her, and they walk over to the bar and fall into conversation.
Mario frowns at me. “That’s not the Dr. Mercer, is it?”
“Umm.” I raise my eyebrows. I get asked this a lot.
“The heart surgeon?”
“That’s him.” I smile.
He watches Nathan across the room at the bar. “Wow, he’s so young in the flesh.”
My heart beams with pride. “He is, and his reputation is well deserved.”
Another couple sit down at our table. “Hello.” They both smile, and we do the introductions and shake hands.
I glance over to see Nathan is looking my way. He doesn’t leave me alone for long. He’s now talking to three other men, and he holds up a finger as if to say he’ll be a moment.
“I’m fine,” I mouth over at him.
“Eliza?” I hear someone call.
I turn to see a familiar face, and I laugh. “Gretel.” I turn to the people at my table. “Excuse me.” I stand and kiss my dear friend on the cheek.
Gretel is my ex-boss. The best damn boss I ever had, actually. If she hadn’t retired, I probably never would have even contemplated leaving. She’s beautiful with her silver bob haircut and glamorous designer clothes. Her husband is the mayor of San Francisco, and Gretel knows everyone in town.
“Oh, it’s good to see you.” She smiles as she holds my hands in hers. “Are you here with Nathan?”
“Yes.” I gesture over to the bar. “He’s talking to some friends.”
“Oh my God, what is this I hear about you leaving?”
“Wow.” I shake my head. “News travels fast. I only resigned today.”
“Where are you going to be working?”
“For Doctor Morgan.”
She frowns. “The plastic surgeon?”
“Yes, that’s him.”
“Boy, he’s a dish.” She smiles and plays with a piece of my hair. “You sure are a magnet for good-looking doctors.”
“Too bad I can’t snag any of them.” I laugh. “And Nathan doesn’t count.”
“Speak of the devil.” Gretel smiles. “Hello, darling.”