He looked at his watch. “It’s past Oleg’s regular hours. Why’s he taking you now?”
I slung my bag over my shoulder and picked up my keys. “He took time off earlier so that he could take me there tonight.”
“Why do you have to go tonight?”
“Because there’s a sales blitz. It’s one night only, and I’ll be getting three hundred dollars’ worth of crafts for just a hundred.”
He stood up and straightened his cuffs. “Why not just buy three hundred dollars worth of crafts on your way home from school?”
“That makes no sense.”
He studied me, his expression cool. His cheekbones looked chiseled in the light, and his gaze was hard to read. “Actually, I need you to come to dinner with me tonight.”
I froze. “Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“What about the sales blitz?” I could hear the complaint in my voice. “I set everything up with Oleg, and he’s giving up his night to help me out.”
Something hardened in his eyes. “I’m not asking.”
I knew that look.
“My time is important too, you know.” I felt my cheeks get hot as my frustration spilled over. “You couldn’t have given me any notice? I got a VP invite to the sale, and I’ve been waiting for this for two weeks.”
He looked like he was going to relent for a moment and then, to my surprise, his voice softened. And his statement became more of a gentle request. “I’m sorry for disrupting your life, but I’d like you, please, to join me tonight.”
I knew it was stupid, but in that moment, the idea that he wanted me around was intoxicating. I forgot why I was trying to resist.
My voice came out breathless. “Give me ten minutes.”
I worea blue velvet dress with a demure neckline and a fitted bodice that flared at my hips. I pulled my hair into a low chignon, and my makeup was as subtle as my jewelry. My only concessions on sass were my high stilettos that had a matching blue bow on each heel.
He stood at the bottom of the steps and watched me walk down, taking all of me in.
When I got near the bottom, he held his hand out to me. “I’m selfishly glad I convinced you to join me tonight. You look stunning.”
That feeling inside me glowed bigger. How was he able to shift the energy between us by simply turning a fraction of his attention toward me? How did he go from making me feel ignored to making me feel like I was the most important person in his world?
“Thank you.”
He helped me put on my coat, and his gaze lingered on my mouth. “What did you want to buy at the craft store?”
I loved trying to replicate DIY videos that I watched online, but I also loved how his fingertips grazed the nape of my neck when he assisted with my coat. His touch was addictive. Dangerously so.
“Just something I saw on my feed.”
He looked curious. “What?”
“You really want to know?”
“I do.”
We walked out to his truck. The night was crisp and clean after a day of rain. “It’s called the fluffy Christmas tree.”
“Which is?”
“You take a wire tree and cover it with felt or Styrofoam balls, but you customize each ball before you build it. So maybe one has white faux fur glued to it, or little decorative balls to make it look like cute little Christmas sheep. Anything works as long as it’s fluffy.”
