“Lexi? Jackson?” I called. There was no response. I did not have time for this. I circled the tree and found them in a clinch. “Really? You’re doing this now?”
They broke apart. Jackson was rumpled and Lexi looked dazed. Jackson said, “I was trying to take her mind off her nerves.”
“Mission accomplished,” I said. The sarcasm in my voice could have sliced through steel. “Come on, let’s get you ready.”
I took Lexi’s hand and hauled her to the ladies’ room. The attendant and I helped fix her mussed hair and she reapplied her lipstick. She looked lovely and fragile and completely petrified.
“I take it you’re afraid of public speaking,” I said.
“Afraid?” she asked. “Try I’d rather jump out of a plane, swim with sharks, or be forever lonely, like live alone in a tower with no Internet lonely.”
“You might have mentioned this before,” I said.
She raised her hands in the air. “I thought Nick would be here. I thought he’d come around. Whenever I’ve needed him, he’s always been there. Always.” She was shaking all over, and she looked like she was going to cry. “Until now.”
Fury bubbled up inside me. I was mad at Nick, I was mad at Lexi, I was mad at Soph for convincing me to come to Phoenix, and mostly, I was mad at myself because, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shut off the feelings I had for that man.
“Listen,” I said. “It doesn’t have to be a long speech. All you really need to do is go up there and say thank you to everyone for coming out and supporting New Dawn. I’ll have Jackson stand front and center and you just talk to him. And I’ll be right there with him. You can do that, can’t you?”
Lexi stared at me. She took a deep breath. “Yeah.” She nodded. “I think so.”
“Okay, let’s get it over with,” I said. I figured we’d better move while she was in the right frame of mind. The old “rip off the bandage quickly” strategy.
As we stepped out of the ladies’ room, Jackson was waiting for us. His face was scrunched in concern and he stepped toward Lexi. I shot up a hand and held him off. “Later, Romeo. Right now she has a speech to give and you’re going to help her.”
“Whatever you need, babe,” he said. The smile Lexi sent him was a stunner, and if they weren’t so darn adorable, I’d have been consumed with jealousy. I glanced at my watch. Yeah, there was no time for that.
“Let’s go,” I said.
We swept into the reception and headed for the stage. Soph was at the podium, and she was addressing the crowd. Her inner cheerleader was turned up to full spunk as she charmed and disarmed the guests. I saw Miguel, standing off to the side, watching her with the same mix of awe and pride I’d seen on his face on their wedding day. Well, it looked like they were back on track, so that was something.
When Soph saw us, she beamed. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce the incredible woman whose vision has brought us all here tonight, Alexandra Brewer.”
There was a commotion at the center of the room and suddenly over the applause a small but loud chant began. It took me a second to realize that this wasn’t an approving crowd noise but rather it was taunting.
“Ban New Dawn! Ban Gentrification!”
Jackson and I exchanged an alarmed look. In a flash, I knew this was the group responsible for the slashed tires and bomb threats that had stalled Lexi’s building site before Nick got involved.
“Take her,” Jackson said. He pushed Lexi at me and spun around, marching into the fray.
“Jackson, wait!” Lexi cried.
The murmurs and commotion continued. I looked at Lexi. “What do you want to do?”
Her hazel eyes were enormous and she glanced up at the stage where Sophie was waiting.
“I can’t let them ruin the gala,” she said.
I glanced over my shoulder to see Jackson, holding two of the male protesters by the scruffs of their necks. They were young, twenty-somethings with neckbeards and glasses. I thought Jackson would toss them out. He didn’t. Instead, he dragged them forward front and center beneath the stage.
The applause grew louder, and I wondered if it was for Lexi or Jackson. I glanced at the rest of the protesters. They looked to be college-aged as well. Two of the hotel’s security guards brought them, three women and a man, forward.
“Sit and listen,” Jackson barked at the students. They all sat. It was the wise choice.
As the applause grew in volume, Lexi navigated the steps to the stage. I moved to stand front and center beside Jackson just like I promised her.
The glare of the spotlight shone on her new highlights. She was so lovely, she looked like she’d walked out of a story about fairy princesses. Her smile was nervous as she waved to the crowd, and I could see that her hands were shaking. I saw Jackson stiffen out of the corner of my eye, and I knew he likely wanted to go and snatch her off the stage and smuggle her to safety. I didn’t blame him a bit as I felt the exact same way. Seeing her so petrified was absolutely excruciating.
“Hello,” she said into the mic. It boomed around the room, and she yelped. Her eyes went wide, and she put her hand over her heart as if to make sure it was still beating.
“Um, hi,” she said, trying again. Her voice was softer when she continued, so soft it was almost impossible to hear her, and we were right in front.
I glanced at Soph, who was standing off to the side with Miguel. They glanced from the students to Lexi and had matching looks of What the hell is happening? on their faces, and I quickly glanced away because there was no way I could answer them at the moment.
“I want to thank you all for coming,” Lexi continued. Her gaze was zeroed in on Jackson. Her voice was little more than a mouse squeak. Conversations started up around the room, the protesters started to get restless, and I was certain that what was being said was not flattering. I glanced at Soph again and our gazes met. She looked like she was about to storm the stage and take over. I shook my head. Lexi had to do it.
“This project, New Dawn, i . . . it . . . it’s more than just a . . . um . . . an . . .” Lexi looked at Jackson. Her face was a mask of horror. It was clear she had gone completely blank and had absolutely no idea what to say.
“Oh, shit,” Jackson muttered. I was right there with him.
“Ban—ouch!” One of the protesters started to chant but Jackson stepped on his hand. When the man shot him an accusatory look, Jackson flexed and the guy settled down.
A restlessness swept through the crowd, and the murmurs and whispers took on a fevered pitch. Lexi visibly paled, and I stared at Sophie. Okay, now we had to do something.