I’m just about to say something when a woman wearing a headset starts to speak. “Excuse me, everyone. Can I have your attention, please? Thank you so much for your patience tonight. There was a minor water issue that we’re working to resolve.We should be able to go in shortly. In the meantime, we’ll be bringing more appetizers out for you to enjoy. And don’t forget to grab a drink at the bar.” She waves her hand, then spins around and walks over to the bride and groom.
I glance over at this angel in red, and she meets my gaze.
“I have an idea,” she says, grinning.
“Oh, yeah? What’s your idea?” I move in a little closer to her.
“How invested are you in staying here?”
I mean, is this a trick question? “Uhh, not very.”
“I … ” She starts to say something, then stops.
“I … ” I prompt her.
She laughs. “I was going to say, do you want to get out of here? Let me show you what a Manhattan Christmas is like.”
Fuck. Yes. “Absolutely. But I don’t even know your name.”
She tilts her head to the side. “Let’s go with … Vixen. And you can be … Blitzen.”
“What? Why?” I chuckle.
“Because it’s fun and the holidays are magical.” She holds out her hand to me. “What do ya say, Blitzen? You wanna go make some Christmas magic with me?”
I place my hand in her small one. “Lead the way, Vixen.”
CHAPTER
TWO
Liam
When we get to the elevator, she drops my hand and presses the button for the lobby.
“So, where are we going?” I ask her.
“Well, since we’re already at Rockefeller Center, we can take a minute to admire the tree, if you haven’t yet.” She looks at me, brows raised.
“I didn’t even know it was here.” I shrug.
“Right, right. So, we’ll do that first. It’s, like, a must on the list.” She pulls out her phone and taps something that I can’t see.
“You really aren’t going to tell me your name?” I place my hand on her lower back and scoot in closer to her. I can smell her perfume; it’s light, but it smells like the roses in my mom’s garden.
“Nah, I don’t think I will. And don’t tell me yours.”
“Are you a felon on the run or something?”
“Maybe, maybe not. Honestly, I just want to have mindless fun tonight.”
“Life’s been crazy lately?” I ask, but actually, it’s like a statement of my own.
Between traveling, workouts, game play, game strategy, contracts, deals, managing time with friends and family … I’ve been a little stressed myself.
“You could say that the real world can get a little intense sometimes. Let’s just have a good time together tonight. I never get to see the city from a tourist’s view, so this will be fun for me. Let’s live in the fantasy.” She reaches around her back and takes my hand in hers again just as the doors to the elevator open.
“Okay, let’s live in the fantasy.” I squeeze her hand, and she looks over her shoulder at me and winks.
