“Thank you all so much for being here tonight and giving me the chance to be the new leader of Mitcham Metals. Enjoy the rest of your night, and make sure to take advantage of the open bar.”
A loud cheer came from the back of the room, and the rest of the crowd joined in.
Nessa reached for my hand, and we walked off stage with Marcus following behind us.
“Oh wow,” Nessa breathed out when the curtain closed. “That was the most nerve-wracking thing I have ever done.” She held her hand to her stomach and laughed. “I’m glad I didn’t eat before because I am almost sure I would have heaved my dinner on the front row of tables.”
I squeezed her hand. “You were just as great as I thought you would be.”
“I’m gonna go talk to a few people,” Marcus interrupted. “You should, too, Nessa. There are some people I should introduce you to, also.” He had turned to leave and glanced over his shoulder. “You have time to chat with your sister later.”
I furrowed my brow. Nessa didn’t have two minutes to spare for her sister?
“I’ll be right out, Marcus,” Nessa promised.
Marcus nodded, though I could tell he wasn’t happy with her answer.
Nessa smoothed down the front of her dress with her hands and took a deep breath. “I think I need a drink.”
I waited until Marcus had disappeared and then stood right in front of Nessa. “Ness,” I hissed.
She looked up at me and frowned. “Hann,” she replied.
“We need to talk.”
“We are.”
I shook my head. “No, I mean we need to talk when we can.”
She reached up and pressed a hand to my forehead. “Are you feeling okay, Hannah?”
I knocked her hand away. “I’m feeling fine. I mean, we need to talk when no one else can interrupt us.”
“About what?” she asked.
She had no idea I knew what she was doing. How to tell your sister you managed to eavesdrop on a very important and personal conversation? And also, tell her you possibly have a solution to her problem once you talk to someone you met tonight.
I had about thirty seconds to fit about ten minutes of conversation. “I met a man,” I blurted.
Her eyes bugged out, and she grabbed my arm. “That’s great!”
Oh lord. “Not like that.” I tipped my head to the side. “Well, not like that, I don’t think. I mean, he is majorly hot, and maybe there could….” I trailed off and shook my head.
“What’s his name?” Hannah asked. “Is he here?” she asked.
“Uh, well, I don’t really know his real name.”
Nessa tipped her head to the side. “You met a man but don’t know his name?”
“Well, no, but I gave him my number, and I thin–.”
Nessa cut me off. “Hannah, what on earth are you thinking? You met a man and gave him your phone number without even knowing his name? How long did you talk to him?” she demanded.
I waved my hand at her. “It was at least a minute. But you need–.”
“Hannah Lynn Mitcham. Have you lost your mind? You met a man for a minute and gave him your number?” she scolded. “I thought you have more sense than that. Mom taught both of us better than that.”
“But you’re not listening to me, Nessa.”
She shook her head and stepped back from me. “I have heard more than enough from you, Hannah. If that man calls you, you are not to talk to him. There are crazy people out there who would hurt you if they knew who you are.”
“He doesn’t know who I am, Nessa,” I insisted. Well, he actually did since I gave him my business card, but I wasn’t going to mention that because I’m sure that would have just sent Nessa off into another fit.
“And that is the way it is going to stay. You will not speak to that man.” She pointed her finger at me. “Do you understand?”
How had this happened? I was trying to tell Nessa I could help her with her problem, and now she was scolding me for giving my number to Ice. “Nessa, this man is–.”
“Hannah.”
“Nessa, please, don’t shut me out without even hearing what I have to say.”
Nessa shook her head. “You can’t just give your number to strange men you don’t even know.”
“He’s not strange. He’s going to he–.”
“Enough, Hannah!” Nessa thundered. “Mom and dad are gone, and I am the one left to look after you. You have to know what I’m telling you is the best for you.”
“But you didn’t even listen,” I insisted.
She shook her head and turned on her heel. “I said enough, Hannah. Let it go.” She brushed past the curtain and stepped down the stairs.
I dropped my head and sighed. She didn’t even listen to me.
How had that started so well and then ended so badly?
I wasn’t going to give up, though.
So, Nessa wouldn’t listen to me about Ice. Maybe I should have waited to bring him up until I knew that he was actually going to help me.
That had been my mistake. I had been excited about the fact I had possibly found someone to help before I knew if he was actually going to help me.
He might not even call me, and then I would be back at square one.
I lifted my chin and took a deep breath.
I needed to step back, get my plan, and head together before talking to Nessa again.
Now I just needed to wait for Ice to call me.
*
Chapter Six
Ice
I looked down at the card and then back up at the woman on stage.
Not the Ice Princess. The woman who had walked out holding hands with her and was now dutifully standing while the Ice Princess gave her sappy speech.
“What’s that?” Mercury nodded to the card in my hand.
“I’m not really sure,” I muttered. “The chick on stage gave it to me when I went to the bathroom. She asked me to call her.”
“Are you telling me the Ice Princess gave you her phone number when you went to the john?” Mercury growled.
I shook my head and pointed to the curvy redhead. “She gave me her phone number.” I handed the card to Mercury. “She must be related to the Ice Princess in some way since she’s up on stage with her.”
Mercury looked at the card. “Her sister is on stage with her right now.”
“No way.”
“That is Hannah Mitcham on stage.” He held up the card after reading it. “And that means the Ice Princess’s sister asked you to call her.”
I snatched the card back from him. “I don’t think she was trying to hook up with me. She said I could help her.”
“Yeah, help her take that dress off later.”
As much as I would like that, I knew that wasn’t what Hannah had meant when she asked me to call her. “Something didn’t seem right with her. I ran into her when she walked out of the men’s room.”
Mercury blinked. “I think you had a much more eventful trip to the bathroom than you led us to believe.”
It had been eventful. Even more so now that I knew who Hannah actually was. I figured her to be a niece or something of Hal Mitcham, not his other daughter. I didn’t even know he had two daughters. The Ice Princess was the only one I knew about.