“Of course.”
There’s a beat of silence.
“You’ve done very well tonight,” I tell her, and then regret it immediately. It sounds so stiff, like I’m praising Yusefi at his quarterly performance review.
She looks genuinely surprised. “I have?”
“Yes, you did much better than I expected.”
Her face falls.
Did I really just say that?
Why is this so difficult?
I have another try. “The guests have responded very positively to your presence,” I say.
Oh, good grief.
“Oh. Well… that’s good?”
I press my lips together. I can do this. “That came out wrong. What I meant to say is that you charmed everyone.”
I want to add that despite her concerning behavior earlier today, she’s charmed me too. But that makes me feel too vulnerable, too open to whatever this thing could become between us. Right now, these new, unfamiliar feelings are making me feel extremely self-conscious.
Her face brightens. “Thank you, Fred. Really. To beperfectly honest, it’s been easy to be charming because everyone has been so welcoming. And you know what? I didn’t spill a thing tonight. Not even a drop.” She beams at me with pride.
“The night is still young,” I reply, chancing my arm at a joke once more.
Her face creases into a beautiful smile. “Fred! Was that another joke?”
My belly warms. “I think it was.”
“I never knew you could be jovial.”
“‘Jovial’ is not a word I’ve ever used to describe myself.”
“Well, I think now you should add it to your list of adjectives.” She smiles at me and I smile back.
This is… nice. Yes, she has the potential to be a total disaster, but tonight she’s shown she can be the opposite, too.
She suppresses a yawn.
“You’re tired,” I say. “Allow me to escort you back to your rooms.”
“That would be so kind of you.”
We say goodnight to my parents and various guests before I hold the door open for her, and we slip out into the hallway. When we reach her door, she thanks me for escorting her.
“It was my pleasure, Astrid,” I say.
“You know, my family and friends call me Asti. Like a star.”
“Would you like me to call you that?”
“I would.”
“Okay.” I try the name out. “Asti.”
