“Grandma, this is my date, Kane. He’s the one I was telling you about the other night. The one who works at Good Neighbor House.”
“Oh, yes.” She set her glass down then clapped her hands and smiled, her eyes twinkling in the same way that Desmond’sdid. “It is wonderful to finally meet you. You make my grandson so happy.”
“Thank you.” I wasn’t sure what else to say as guilt rolled through my stomach. Desmond told those closest to him about me. I, on the other hand, had told no one I’d gone out with him. Not my parents or my siblings. Only my co-workers knew, simply because they’d been there when he’d asked me out.
“Desmond, my boy.” The booming voice belonged to a man who looked like an older version of my date. I assumed him to be Mr. Adan, the CEO of the company and Desmond’s grandfather, as he strolled over to us. He squeezed my date’s shoulder then turned toward me. “This must be the omega you’ve talked so much about.”
“Yes, Grandpa. This is Kane Northrop.”
The older gentleman took my hand and kissed the top of it. “It is an honor to meet you. Thank you for helping my grandson find a cause to be passionate about.”
My cheeks warmed from the attention of one of the most talked about men in all Saramto. “I don’t think I had much to do with that. He’d already chosen to do the drive before we met.”
Mr. Adan patted the top of my hand. “Yes, but it’s because of you that he’s now committed to the Good Neighbor House, even had the charity named in his will.”
I glanced back and forth between the two men, unsure how to react. I hadn’t known Desmond for even a month, yet I was meeting his family, and my workplace was now one of his beneficiaries. “He’s a good man.” I rubbed Desmond’s side, yearning to grip his coat to steady myself from the overwhelmingness of it all.
Desmond wrapped his arm around me. “We should probably head to our table. The coordinator looks like he’s ready for you to start things.”
“Ah.” Mr. Adan waved over to the man trying to adjust the microphone. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Kane. We’ll see you later.”
Desmond ushered me toward a round table in the back corner of the room, far from the main table where his grandparents were seated.
“You’re not sitting with them?” I hoped bringing me to the party hadn’t got him banned from sitting with them.
“No.” He didn’t pause at my question. “I do not want to be in the spotlight with them. My uncle and aunt can fight for that honor. I’m sitting with the administration team I work with. It’ll make for a better evening if we go there.”
“Oh, okay.” I glanced back at the head table, trying to figure out who else was related to Desmond. Then I spotted Envi and his husband at the table in front of them. “Hey, do you know Envi well?” I hadn’t meant to ask the question out loud, but my filter temporarily stopped working.
Desmond paused for a moment as he squeezed my hand. “He was the first artist I met when I came to work here. He stuck up for me when others assumed I just got the job because my grandfather felt bad for me.” He chuckled before walking again. “Plus, he and his family are sometimes at my grandparents’ house when they have their pool parties.”
I nodded, taking it all in. I’d learned more about his family than I ever expected at a Christmas party.
At the table, Desmond introduced me to his co-workers and their mates. We ate the most delicious meal I had ever tasted, and I appreciated that no one commented about my food, considering the rest of the table was filled with predators. After dinner, Mr. Adan gave a speech thanking all of those who worked at the record label, as well as their families, for the sacrifices they made. He even made a gentle reminder foreveryone to remember those in need over the holidays and to consider donating to a charity for Christmas.
Desmond leaned over to show me his phone. On the Adan Records website, they had a special page dedicated to the charities the company and their artists supported. Listed at the top was Good Neighbor House.
I leaned into him and kissed his cheek, my heart swelling with how everyone had embraced me and my workplace. It seemed so unreal. I remained thankful that even in the more difficult times, we could provide for everyone who’d requested a helping hand.
Some guests left after the speech, while others took to the dance floor. That’s when Desmond stood and offered me his hand. “Would you care to dance with me?”
I took his hand and walked with him to the polished parquet floor. Many of his co-workers were already up there shaking their hips to the upbeat music. We joined them, forming a circle and having fun for the next few songs.
Then the music slowed. Desmond raised his eyebrows, and I nodded. He’d been such a gentleman the entire night, I yearned to feel his hands on my body. He held me against him with his hands on my hips. With our height difference, I rested my head on his collarbone and enjoyed the intimacy. Our first kiss the week before had been magical, but this moment felt different. Full of warmth and coziness. A strange combination to feel around someone I barely knew. Feelings that made me want to get to know him more. I savored every second until the song ended and the music became more upbeat.
I thought we would return to our table until one of the Adan artists came up to us and wanted a group selfie. With me in it. I found the whole thing strange. Nobody would care about me being in a picture. Probably would blur me out or put a sticker over my face if they posted them online. Yet, it kept happening.Over and over. Not just to us but everyone around the banquet hall. Desmond even got invited to join several people up in their rooms for an afterparty. That was the moment I realized I could not handle celebrity life. Being in the hall filled with strangers already drained my energy. The idea of continuing the party fueled my anxiety. Maybe this was where Desmond and I realized we were too different.
Chapter Eight
Desmond
I watched as Kane’s energy depleted, the color slowly draining from his face. It was time to leave the party. Not ready to take him home yet, I decided to take him someplace quieter. During an unscheduled group selfie moment, a couple of the artists had invited me to their rooms for a smaller gathering. I thought that it might be better for Kane to get to know some of the people I worked with on a more personal level. Probably good for me, too, since I usually avoided any type of gathering.
On our way up, I wrapped my arm around him, and he snuggled into my side. As much as I wanted to get my own room and take him there for the night, I didn’t know if we were at that place in our relationship yet. I did not want to give him any reason to push me away. Not when my wolf was as fond of him as I was.
As we stepped out of the elevator, another couple waited to get in.
“Hi, Desmond,” Linc said, one of the former members of the pop group FNL, and now a producer for the label. “It was a wonderful party, as always. Your grandfather is a great man.”
