By the time we catch the pig, and we check and restrain Rudolph with some Bute—horse Tylenol—my one show-stopping dress is both ripped and dirty.I sigh.
“Let me just go change, and then we can go.”
Cillian looks a little frustrated.I can’t really blame him.He’s the broker at his firm, which means he’s the big boss, and he’s not even at his own party because of me.
“I’m so sorry,” I say.
“It’s totally fine,” he says.“There was nothing you could do about it.”His smile doesn’t look forced, but I can only imagine he’s annoyed as I change into a much less fabulous dress.When I come back out, wearing a plain, green sheath dress from Boden, he offers his arm.“You still look amazing.If anything, this letsyoushine, and that’s how it should be.”
“I really am sorry.You’re late to your own holiday party, and now your date looks like...well, she looks like a middle-aged mother of five.”I sigh.
“My date looks very smart, and I’m terribly lucky to be going with her.”His smile is both boyish and roguish at the same time.I’m not sure how he manages it, but it looks entirely genuine.
That eases some of my anxiety.
Once we reach his office—not many venue options in a place as small as Lismore—people descend on usen masse.
“—have to announce the winners of the raffle, and employee of the year.”
“We didn’t start the dinner yet, but the caterer’s saying that it’s not their fault if the veg?—”
Oh, boy.
That pig is the literal worst.I’m so mad at Mason for giving it to Blaine without talking to me first, and then dumping it on me last minute for some kind of business trip.As if a pig wouldn’t survive in his back yard for a day or two without him.Hasn’t he heard of a water trough?
But Cillian’s managing things left and right with confidence and a smile.He looks really,reallygood in a suit, and within moments, he’s started dinner, and he’s introducing me to the people at his table.
“I had no idea this company was quite so large,” I admit.“There must be four huge banquet tables of people here for what I thought was a small real estate firm.”
“Mr.Doherty runs three offices,” the woman to my left says.“I run the Waterford office for him, but he comes in once a week.He didn’t tell you?”She glances at her date in surprise.
“I run the Cork office.”A stocky man in a pinstriped suit without a date looks just as shocked.“In fact, I think Cillian does more business than?—”
Cillian shakes his head.“It’s about time for us to start the awards and announce the raffle winners.”He’s barely taken two bites before he brushes his lapels off.He turns toward me.“Do I look okay?”
I straighten his tie, but then I smile and nod.“You look amazing.”
He leans forward like he’s thinking about kissing me.
In front of all his employees.
I shake my head just a bit, and he winks.Then he stands and walks to the front of the room, pulling out some cards as he walks up the stairs to the raised platform.He approaches the mic and turns on his hundred-watt smile.“I’m sorry for the delay tonight, but we had an unavoidable situation.”He catches my eye and smiles.“But I promise, the delay will be worth it.These cards I’m holding are the gift cards for the employee of the year at each office.”
There’s a lot of clapping then.
The caterers come to clear Cillian’s soup, and I put up my hand.“No, no, he’s not had any yet.”
“He won’t eat it once it’s cold,” the woman who runs Waterford says.“He’s quirky about that.”
I realize how little I actually know about Cillian Doherty as his co-worker—his employee—explains basic things like his food preferences to me.“Oh, okay.Sorry.”
Before I can wallow too much, Cillian’s calling my name.“Natalie Cleary, can you possibly come up to help me?I thought tonight that my girlfriend might be able to fairly and impartially pick the raffle winners.”
Girlfriend.
I’m in a plain, frumpy-adjacent dress, and I made him late, but he’s introducing me with a full smile as his girlfriend.Almost four dozen people in the room cheer as I stand up and walk up the stairs to stand beside him in the corner or the room.
“I know most of you haven’t met Natalie yet.”He drops an arm around my waist.“That’s my fault.I’ve been keeping her a secret, because then I don’t have to share her as much.”
