Rechie let go of him and stepped back before looking over at me. “Desmond, you know what you must do, right?”
I froze, hoping she didn’t want me to fawn over him the way she had.
She smiled in a way I knew was fake and waved her hand at me. “You must invite him to our donor Christmas party. He can be your guest.”
My throat tightened as my heart pounded so loud, I expected everyone to hear it. “Uh…”
Desmond lightly shook his head. “I don’t need any recognition or rewards. Really.”
At the slightest twitch of her mouth, I knew Rechie wouldn’t let it go. I had to invite him.
It wasn’t as if I already had a date for the party or someone else in mind. No, I planned to go alone again, as the only employee without a plus one. Since we had no more donor seats available, all those invited having already RSVP’d, it was the only way to have him attend.
“Actually—” I took a step toward him and swallowed my nerves. I’d never asked anyone to anything. “I would be honored if you would come to the Christmas party as my plus one. That is, if you’re not already busy this Saturday night and want to come with me.”
He moved in front of me and held out his hands, waiting for me to touch him.
It made my heart flutter as I put my hands in his and gazed up at him, forgetting about everyone else in the office with us.
“I would be honored to be your date.” He gave my hands a slight squeeze as his lips turned up in a soft smile. “On one condition.”
I gulped, hoping the butterflies in my stomach didn’t try to make an escape. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what the condition was. “Yeah?”
“I would like you to be my date to the Christmas party at Adan Records.”
With the collective gasp behind me from my coworkers, the magical moment ended.
“I…”
“You have to go,” Cynthia chimed in. “Imagine all the celebrities you’ll meet.”
Desmond chuckled. “I’m not that popular at work. I wasn’t planning on going, but with you as my date, I’m sure I would enjoy the night. It’s the following Saturday.”
I huffed then stomped my foot, too frightened to respond.
Desmond dropped my hands as if afraid of my response, but I could see Rechie over his shoulder glaring at me, the look telling me not to blow this opportunity for her.
I swallowed, trying to replenish the saliva in my suddenly dry mouth. “I would like that. To be your date.”
As his smile returned, he nodded. “Then I will be your date as well.” He pulled his wallet from his pocket then handed me a plain white business card. “Here’s my number. You can call or text me with the details. I must get back to work.”
Taking my hand, he kissed the top of it before I realized what he’d done. With another nod, he exited the office, leaving me with two squealing human females and my own nerves on overdrive. I had a date. A date for a Christmas party. Two Christmas parties. And no idea what to wear, especially to the one for the international recording company.
Those thoughts quickly disappeared as I felt the top of my hand tingle, remembering the feel of Desmond’s soft lips on my skin. I had a date with a handsome wolf shifter. What had I agreed to?
Chapter Six
Desmond
With one final tug on my sweater, I stopped fretting over what to wear and headed for the front door of my condo. When I’d texted him about it, Kane had told me the attire was business casual. I could have worn anything that I wore to work, but none of it seemed appropriate for a Christmas party. I preferred black, brown, and gray for my wardrobe. Pretty bland to celebrate the festive season, especially when other donors for the charity would be in attendance. No matter which functions I attended, my grandfather insisted I represent Adan Records with civility and sureness. Especially after my father had done so much to tarnish the company’s reputation. Fashion that made me stand out from the others, whether as more posh or too casual, would not adhere to that expectation. I’d settled on black slacks with a black shirt and a red ribbed knit sweater. If the sweater wasn’t appropriate, I had a red tie in my pocket that I could put on instead. After slipping into my black leather boots and grabbing my keys and jacket, I headed out.
None of the underground routes in Saramto would take me to the restaurant where the Christmas party was being held. Instead, I drove through the busy city streets toward a bar and grill I’d never been to. When I was young, my mother and I could never afford to eat at such a place. After meeting my grandfather, he told me to never eat at a chain restaurant. Yet, I refused to turn down the invitation from Kane. Even if it did seem a bit forced by his co-workers. I longed for any time with him, as did my wolf.
I pulled into the parking lot and searched for a spot. There was no valet or an underground garage as would be expected with any of my work functions. It was a nice change from thatclass of living, while still feeling like another world I didn’t fit into.
Once I found a spot and turned off my car, I ran my palms down my pants and took a deep breath. I wanted to impress Kane, make him glad he’d been encouraged to invite me, so he didn’t back out of coming to my party the following week. Picking him up would have been ideal, but when I’d offered, he’d refused and told me he would meet me at the restaurant.
After heading inside, I let the host know that I was with the Good Neighbor House. He led me to a room in the back where the noise was a level above the rest of the restaurant. I heard the holiday greetings and festive banter as others took their seats at various tables ahead of me.
