Chapter 14 FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE
The tech industry gala was being held at the Four Seasons, and Harper had been nervous about it all week. This would be their first major public appearance as a married couple. Not an intimate dinner with potential investors or a quick brunch with Claire. This was hundreds of people from Seattle's business elite, all watching, all judging, all looking for cracks in the story.
Amanda had sent over a dress that morning. Midnight blue silk that clung in all the right places and made Harper feel both elegant and exposed. She stood in front of the mirror, barely recognizing herself.
"You look beautiful," Sebastian said from the doorway.
Harper turned to find him in a tuxedo, looking like he had stepped out of a magazine spread. Her breath caught slightly, which was ridiculous. She had seen him in suits dozens of times. But there was something about the tuxedo, about the way he was looking at her, that made her heart race.
"You clean up pretty well yourself," she managed to say.
"Are you ready for this?"
Harper thought about the board meeting scheduled for next week. About Marcus's threatening texts. About the fact that everyone at this gala would be analyzing their every interaction, looking for proof that this marriage was real or fake.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said.
In the car, Sebastian went over the guest list. Harper tried to pay attention, but her mind was racing with everything that could go wrong. What if she said something inconsistent with their story? What if someone asked a question she was not prepared for? What if people could tell just by looking at them that this whole thing was an arrangement?
"Harper," Sebastian said gently. "You are spiraling."
"I'm not spiraling."
"You are doing that thing where you bite your lip and your hands start fidgeting. You are definitely spiraling."
Harper looked down and realized he was right. Her hands were twisted together in her lap, and she had been chewing on her bottom lip without realizing it.
"I'm just nervous," she admitted. "This is a big deal. Everyone is going to be watching us."
"Let them watch." Sebastian reached over and took one of her hands, uncurling her fingers and lacing them with his. "We have got this. We know our story. We know how to act around each other. And most importantly, we actually like each other. That is more than a lot of real couples can say."
Harper looked at their joined hands. Sebastian's thumb was doing that circular motion again, the one that always made her feel calmer.
"What if someone asks about the two week timeline?"
"Then we tell them what we practiced. We fell in love fast. We did not see any reason to wait. Simple, consistent, believable."
"And if they do not believe us?"
"Then that is their problem, not ours." Sebastian squeezed her hand. "Harper, look at me."
She met his eyes, finding steadiness there that helped quiet some of her anxiety.
"We are going to walk in there together," Sebastian said. "We are going to be ourselves. And anyone who has a problem with how fast we fell in love can deal with their own skepticism. We do not owe anyone explanations."
"Except the board next week."
"Except the board next week," he agreed. "But tonight is just about showing up as a married couple and enjoying ourselves. Can we do that?"
Harper took a breath. "Yeah. We can do that."
The gala was already in full swing when they arrived. Crystal chandeliers, champagne fountains, and hundreds of people in evening wear filled the ballroom. Harper felt Sebastian's hand find the small of her back as they entered, a gesture that was becoming familiar. Comforting, even.
"Sebastian!" A man in his sixties approached them, smiling broadly. "Congratulations on the marriage. We were all surprised by the news."
"Thank you, Robert." Sebastian's hand stayed steady on Harper's back. "This is my wife, Harper. Harper, Robert Chen, CEO of TechVision."
Harper shook his hand, forcing a smile. "Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine." Robert's eyes were sharp and assessing. "Sebastian did not mention he was seeing anyone, and suddenly he is married. That is quite the whirlwind romance."
"When you know, you know," Sebastian said smoothly. "No point in waiting when you have found the right person."
"Indeed." Robert's smile did not quite reach his eyes. "And how long did you say you had known each other before the wedding?"
Harper felt Sebastian's hand press slightly harder against her back. A warning or encouragement, she was not sure.
"We met at a charity auction about a month ago," Harper said, sticking to their story. "But it only took about two weeks to know we wanted to get married."
"Two weeks." Robert's eyebrows raised. "That is very decisive."
"That is love," Sebastian said, his voice carrying a warmth that sounded almost real. "Sometimes it hits you fast."
"Apparently so." Robert looked between them, clearly skeptical but too polite to say so directly. "Well, I wish you both the best. Marriage is a wonderful institution when done for the right reasons."
The implication was clear, but Sebastian just smiled. "Thank you, Robert. Enjoy the evening."
As Robert walked away, Harper let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding.
"That was pointed."
"That was Robert being Robert. He questions everything." Sebastian guided her toward the bar. "But we handled it well. Consistent story, united front. That is what matters."
They got drinks and circulated through the crowd. Harper met dozens of people whose names she immediately forgot, all asking variations of the same questions. How did you meet? How long have you known each other? Was it not fast?
Sebastian stayed close the entire time, his hand rarely leaving her back or her waist, presenting them as a unit.
And the strange thing was, it did not feel like an act. It felt natural. Every time Sebastian touched her, every time he looked at her while answering questions about their relationship, Harper felt her heart respond. This was supposed to be performance, but it was starting to feel real.
"You are doing great," Sebastian murmured in her ear during a lull in conversation. "Better than great, actually."
"I'm just following your lead."
"No, you are not. You are holding your own. You are confident and charming and everyone here can see why I married you."
Harper looked up at him, trying to read his expression. Was that part of the act? Or did he mean it?
"Sebastian Colton!" A woman's voice cut through the moment. Harper turned to see an elegant woman in her fifties approaching them. "I heard the news. Married. And here I thought you were married to your work."
"Linda." Sebastian's smile was genuine this time. "Harper, this is Linda Morrison. She runs the Morrison Foundation. Linda, my wife Harper."
"Your wife," Linda repeated, shaking Harper's hand warmly. "I have to admit, I was shocked. Sebastian has been determinedly single for years. What changed?"
"I met Harper," Sebastian said simply.
Linda studied Harper with kind eyes. "And what do you do, dear?"
"I'm an architect. I specialize in historic preservation."
"How fascinating. And how did you two meet?"
Harper launched into their practiced story, but Linda's genuine interest made it easier. She asked thoughtful questions about Harper's work, seemed genuinely delighted by their romance, and did not carry Robert's undertone of skepticism.
"You know," Linda said after they had talked for several minutes, "I can see it. The way you look at each other. That is not something you can fake."
Harper felt her cheeks warm. "Thank you."
"Hold onto this," Linda said, looking between them. "Real connection is rare in our world. Do not let cynics like Robert Chen make you doubt it."
After Linda moved on, Harper and Sebastian found themselves alone near the windows overlooking the city.
"She was nice," Harper said.
"Linda is one of the good ones. She actually cares about people, not just appearances."
"Unlike Robert."
"Unlike most people here, honestly." Sebastian turned to face her. "But they are not wrong to be skeptical. Two weeks is fast by anyone's standards."
"Are you having regrets?"
"No." Sebastian's answer was immediate. "Are you?"
Harper looked around the ballroom, at all the elegant people networking and scheming and performing their own versions of success. Then she looked at Sebastian, at the way he was watching her like she was the only person in the room that mattered.
"No," she said quietly. "No regrets."
Sebastian's expression shifted, something warm and genuine breaking through his usual control. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the gesture so natural and intimate that Harper forgot they were in public.
"Dance with me," Sebastian said.
"What?"
"Dance with me. Married couples dance at galas. It is expected."
He led her to the dance floor where other couples were swaying to a slow song. Sebastian pulled her close, one hand at her waist, the other holding hers. Harper rested her free hand on his shoulder and tried not to think about how perfectly they fit together.
"See?" Sebastian murmured. "This is not so bad."
"It is not bad at all," Harper admitted.
They moved together in silence for a moment, and Harper realized she was enjoying this. Not just the dancing, but being here with Sebastian. Being the person he chose to bring to events like this. Being the one he introduced as his wife.
She was enjoying it too much.
"Harper," Sebastian said quietly. "Can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"Tonight, with you here, I am not pretending. The way I am looking at you, the way I want to stay close to you, that is not for anyone else's benefit. That is real."
Harper's breath caught. "Sebastian..."
"I know this started as an arrangement. I know we have a contract and an expiration date and all these complications. But somewhere along the way, this started feeling like more than business. And tonight, dancing with you, I do not want to pretend that it is not."
Harper looked up at him, her heart racing. "I do not know what to say."
"You do not have to say anything. I just wanted you to know." Sebastian's hand tightened slightly at her waist. "Is that okay?"
"Yeah," Harper whispered. "That is okay."
They continued dancing, but everything felt different now. More intense. More real. More terrifying.
When the song ended, Sebastian did not immediately let her go. They stood there on the dance floor, looking at each other, and Harper felt like they were the only two people in the room.
"We should probably mingle more," Sebastian said finally, but he did not move.
"Probably."
"In a minute."
"In a minute," Harper agreed.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Harper met more people, answered more questions, smiled until her face hurt. But all she could think about was Sebastian's words on the dance floor. This started feeling like more than business.
She felt it too. Had been feeling it for weeks, if she was being honest. But hearing him say it out loud made it real in a way that was both thrilling and terrifying.
In the car ride home, Sebastian took her hand again. Neither of them spoke, but the silence was comfortable. Charged, but comfortable.
"Thank you," Sebastian said as they pulled up to the building. "For tonight. For being perfect."
"I was not perfect."
"You were to me."
Inside the penthouse, Harper kicked off her heels and immediately felt shorter. Sebastian loosened his tie, and they stood in the living room, neither quite ready to end the evening.
"I liked tonight," Harper said. "Being out with you. Meeting your colleagues. Dancing."
"I liked it too. More than I expected to."
"Sebastian, what you said on the dance floor..."
"I meant it." He moved closer to her. "I know this complicates things. I know we have the board meeting next week and Marcus making threats and a million reasons why this is a bad idea. But I cannot keep pretending I do not feel something here."
Harper's heart was pounding. "I feel it too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She took a breath. "But I am scared. This was not supposed to happen. We were not supposed to actually..."
"Fall for each other?" Sebastian finished. "I know. But maybe we do not have to fight it. Maybe we just see where it goes."
"And if it does not work out? We still have to live together for the next eleven months."
"Then we figure it out. Together." Sebastian reached up and cupped her face, his thumb brushing across her cheekbone. "But Harper, I do not want to spend the next eleven months pretending I do not want this. Do not want you."
Harper leaned into his touch, her eyes closing briefly. When she opened them, Sebastian was watching her with an expression that made her breath catch.
"Okay," she whispered. "Let's see where this goes."
Sebastian smiled, genuine and warm, and Harper felt something in her chest crack open. This was dangerous. This was probably a mistake. But looking at Sebastian, feeling his hand on her face, Harper could not bring herself to care.
They stood there in the living room for another long moment before finally heading to bed. No pillow wall. No careful distance. Just two people who had admitted they wanted something more than a contract.
As Harper lay in the dark, Sebastian's arm wrapped around her wa
ist, she felt both terrified and hopeful.
This was real now. Or at least, it was starting to be. And Harper had no idea if that was the best decision she had ever made or the biggest mistake.
But she was willing to find out.