A Scandalous Job

Chapter Twenty

The first thing that I noticed as Chance pulled up to the Gala was the people.

Never in my life (and I live in New York) had I seen such a crowd.

It was like one big mass of people, churning and hoarding towards all the celebrities and media.

The other thing I noticed were the cameras. Every millisecond a flash was going off. Even behind the tinted windows of Chance's car, the flash irritated my corneas.

"Holy shit," I breathed out.

Chance laughed beside me. "Welcome to my world."

"This is nuts."

He shrugged. "It gets worse. Just wait till we're outside."

A thought occurred to me.

As soon as I stepped out of this car, I would be known. My name would be splashed across news channels and gossip shows. My face would be plastered to pages of tabloids.

I would no longer be known as Piper, the mousy girl from California who enjoyed math way too much.

Instead, I'd be known as Chance Burke's date to the Crystal Gala.

Woman would start internal wars with me. No doubt out of jealousy.

"As soon as I step out of this car, you're admirers are going to give me death threats on twitter," I laughed, but there was seriousness behind my voice.

"I think you have more pressing death threats to worry about," Chance murmured.

"I think I'm more worried about hormonal teenage girls rather than foreign drug dealers right now."

Chance laughed.

The minutes passed and soon we were next in line to get out.

"Aren't you nervous?" I asked Chance.

"I've done these things a million times. You'll be fine, Piper."

I nodded and took a deep breath.

A valet pulled the car in front of us away. Chance inched forward. Immediately we were surrounded with people. More flashes started going off and I could see reporters standing around the car, ready to swoop in for interviews.

"Stay there. I'll open your door for you."

Chance put the car in park and got out. As soon as the crowd saw his face there was an enormous ruckus. Girls screamed his name and the media pounced on him.

For a moment, Chance did nothing. He just stood there with his signature smile and answered questions.

"Are you here with a date tonight, Mr. Burke?" A female reporter asked. Her hair looked like a rat's nest and she wore way too much red lipstick.

"Actually, I am."

There was a collective gasp from the people surrounding Chance. It was well known that he'd been single for awhile and everyone was itching to see his new girl.

With practiced grace, Chance maneuvered his way through the crowd to get to my door.

I barely had time to take a deep breath and wipe my sweaty hands on the leather seat before it swung open.

Chance stood on the other side, blocking out everyone's view. Our eyes locked. For a moment it felt like it was just the two of us.

And then the wave of flashes hit.

For a moment, I was blinded.

The only thing keeping me from freaking out was Chance's tight, reassuring grip on my hand. It was like an anchor, keeping me grounded in reality.