“Not at all. Not at all,” Max assures me.
12
ABBY
“Okay, Romeo, I need you to behave tonight. You had a nice walk now, and Emma the teenager down the street is walking you again in a few hours. I have no idea what is going to happen tonight. But if by chance I bring back a tall and handsome Lucas, then please,pleasebehave,” I beg to my dog.
Romeo looks at me with sinking eyes and yawns. I pet his head with a stroke then come up from kneeling. I walk to the long mirror in my closet and look over my appearance. Long black fitted dress with capped sleeves that fall off my shoulders, long silver earrings. My hair is half up with a few curls, and I feel my makeup is elegant. You can’t go wrong with an Audrey Hepburn-inspired look.
When my doorbell rings, I smile to myself in the mirror and grab my clutch purse from my dresser and head to the front door. Romeo already barked and is anxiously waiting for who is on the other side. I’m excited too.
Already I feel as if I’m floating, and I haven’t even gotten a glimpse of Lucas in a tux. I’m floating because tonight can be so many things, but most of all it can be fun and enjoyable. It’s not every day I get dressed up or arrive at a black-tie event with the new heartthrob of a doctor that the town keeps whispering about. For a brief moment, I remember when I saw him all dressed up when it was homecoming or some event in high school. I wasn’t disappointed then.
Opening my front door, I’m most definitely not disappointed now either. “Lu-cas,” I’m barely able to speak.
This is a sight.
“Wow, Abby, you look… breathtaking.” There’s a glimmer in his eye as he stands at the other side of the door in a tux and his hair is slicked back. A smile far sexier than he probably means for it to be. The bowtie complements him, and maybe it’s his suit, but it accentuates his features. Extra sharp and chiseled.
“Lucas… I’m not sure I can breathe.” I’m honest as his eyes soak in the view in front of him, which is me, and that thought affects my air supply.
He kisses my cheek, but I am unable to move.
“You okay?”
My eyes finally move and look at him. “Yeah. You just look… really handsome. No, screw it, you look really hot.” The corners of my mouth slant up.
“Happy to have that effect,” he grins.
Saying bye to Romeo, I close the front door and lock it. I don’t bother with a coat because the taxi is waiting, and we will be inside all night. Since we can only assume wine will be flowing, we decided on a taxi. I’m well aware that leaves the night open for where the return journey may be.
In the taxi, we greet each other with a proper kiss, and before we know it, we arrive at the venue and quickly work our way to our table. The whole group is there, and we open a bottle of champagne in no time. Considering this whole event is for the hospital, it’s no surprise that Dr. Kade is in demand with people constantly asking for his attention and conversation. I understand it completely and decide to let him do a round while I walk around with Jess.
Roaming the silent auction, we look at what’s on offer.
“A ski lesson for two, how original,” Jess sarcastically mentions as indeed we live in Colorado where skiing is easy to find.
“Yet you just put your name down,” I tell her.
She shrugs a shoulder. “It’s for charity, right?”
“A massage for two gets my name on it,” I say as I sign my name on the sheet.
“Something tells me I am no longer your plus one if you win.”
My eyes roll to the side. “Possibly not. I don’t know. Maybe we’re just both a distraction for each other.”
“Highly doubt that. Lucas is too sweet to play the asshole card. He genuinely seems interested in you and you’re kind of cute together. The vet and the doctor, all grown up, and now you both have a second chance at love. It’s too perfect.”
“Exactly. Too perfect. I am trying not to get too ahead of myself.”
Jess laughs and touches my shoulder so I look at her. “Enjoy whatever it is. But the way he’s looking at you from across the room, something tells me that you will have a lot to enjoy tonight.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.
I grab a glass of champagne from a waiter’s tray as he floats past and down a gulp. “That is what has me a little nervous.” I was with the same guy for years and it was mundane at best. Now I’ve had a dry spell and I am out of practice.
Lucas’s brown eyes watch me as he walks my way with his mouth in a confident crooked slant. I feel warmth run through me; he keeps having that effect. He reaches me, snakes an arm around my waist, and our foreheads touch.
“Come on, let’s go to our table before everyone sits down,” he speaks softly, and I nod in agreement.
