“We’re past the get drunk on New Year’s Eve stage, we just want to sip,” Jake said.
“I completely understand,” she said and pulled a bottle I didn’t recognize out from under the bar. “Ice?”
“Yes please,” we both said at once.
“Looks like you two are getting along,” she said still in the deadpan tone she’d started with.
“I guess we are,” Jake said and bumped his shoulder into mine.
“I think we are,” I said and the two of us grinned at each other.
“Let me know what you think of that,” she said before moving to the next customer.
“Oh, this is good,” Jake said after taking a sip.
“Did you plan to stay until midnight?” I asked because not everyone was interested in welcoming the new year with a room full of strangers.
“Yes, how about you?”
“Of course, what else would I do?” I asked, knowing he’d have no clue. “Mind if I ask you something?”
“If I minded, I would have stopped talking to you a while ago.” He took another sip of his drink and turned to face me making our knees touch, but neither of us moved away.
“What are you looking for here? You’re handsome, very easy to talk to, and very charming. Why would you want to come to a mixer to meet someone?” I hoped he didn’t take offense to my words, but it didn’t make sense to me. He wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable at all, in fact, he seemed to enjoy being around so many people.
“I wasn’t lying when I said I want to meet someone. There’s been a few relationships I thought were more serious than they turned out to be. I want someone who wants to be with me not out of responsibility but out of love.” He said it with a straight face, but that grin eventually showed itself. I leaned closer and kissed his cheek right next to that dimple, unable to stop myself.
“I really love your smile,” I said. As he turned to meet my eyes, his flashed with fire for a moment. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“Spencer, tell me again what you’re looking for,” he whispered so close I could feel his breath on my lips and had to force myself not to lean in even closer to him.
“Someone I can have conversations with about nothing and never feel the need to fill the silence with words if we’re alone. Someone who makes me laugh but also understands when I need time alone. Someone who would be there for me when I need them.” His hand reached up and he glided his fingers across the edge of my hair just above my ear. “I want to havesomeone to sleep next to at night besides Toby.” He leaned back waiting to see if I was serious before dissolving into laughter.
“Toby’s a lucky dog,” Jake said and settled his hand on my leg. “We should get something to eat.”
I started to say I didn’t need food, or another drink, I just needed to know we’d end up together after tonight. But I didn’t say that, and I followed Jake’s lead as he picked up his glass, tipped the bartender, and walked to where we’d been told the buffet was.
Four
Jake
Luckily, there was anunoccupied, small table near the buffet. “How does this look?” I asked Spencer who put his drink on the table, and I followed suit. The games were still being played so the line for the buffet wasn’t long.
“Perfect. Should we go ahead and eat?” he asked.
“Sure, then we can beat the crowd.” The two of us walked over and were shown where each station was. This was no ordinary buffet, it was all top choice foods including prime rib, lobster, crab, prawns, and a big variety of salads and hot side dishes. We both wandered around the stations and took a few items from each until our plates were full.
“I don’t think I can fit much more,” I said, and got a better grip on my plate.
“It all looks so good,” he said, and we walked back to the table we’d chosen.
“I’m impressed. When they said buffet, this is not what I was imagining,” he admitted as I sat down across from him.
“Didn’t you eat when you attended last year?” I asked.
“No, mostly I stood to the side and hoped no one noticed me standing off to the side,” he answered with a shrug.
His eyes met mine for a moment before I changed the subject. “You never said where you work.” I watched as he speared some salad with his fork.
