Page 50 of The Longest Wait

“You are beautiful.” He kissed her cheek.

These were the moments Sofia had to keep herself in check.Because, for just a second, it felt like he meant it. It felt like shewas the only person he wanted to look at and pay attention to.Sofia couldn’t let anything get to deep. She went down that roadbefore and it didn’t turn out well for her. It hasn’t seemed like hehas changed all that much. Even in ten years.

“Had I known a nice dress was all it took, I would’ve called atruce a decade ago,” she said for some comedic relief.

“Glad you remember there’s a truce.”

Funny enough, that’s all she wanted. Another night with Alexwhere she can be herself. Well, be herself while showing Alex whathe was missing.

They shared a drink, allowing mindless chatter take over. Sofiafigured if they didn’t talk about anything too serious, like what theythought about each other and his constant idiot behavior, thenthere was no way they could argue.

Once they brought up sports, for once soccer wasn’t involved.Turned out they could argue, like who was the better: the Sixersor the Knicks? It was all in good fun. Besides, she was a Sixers girlall the way; she knew they were the best.

As soon as they got to the engagement party, Alex whisperedin Sofia’s ear, “I want you to meet my boss, so we can get it overwith. Then, I want to grab a drink with Travis.”

“And I want to meet his date,” Sofia added.

Before they got too far into Tavern on the Green, the restaurantfor the engagement party, Travis ran into them.

“Hey, man,” Travis said with a stunning woman at his side.“This is Melody.”

Sofia shook her hand, loving the woman’s style. Melody hadmahogany skin and she glowed in the pale yellow dress she wore.She looked like a supermodel. “Sofia. And I love your dress.”

“Right?” Melody agreed swiftly. “I can’t believe they let mehave it. Most shows don’t allow us.”

“Us?” Sofia wondered who the us was who got such beautifuldresses for free.

Melody hushed her voice. “I’m a model and normally we can’tkeep the clothes. But at my last show, the designer was a doll andsaid I had to have it. If you tell anyone I’m model tonight though,I will say you’re lying.”

Bingo, she was right about her career. Who knew models wereso nice?

“Why? If I was a model, I would tell anyone who would listen,”Sofia gushed.

Melody rolled her eyes. “These events are stuffy. Once they findout what I do for a living, they tend to believe the only conversation I can carry is about designer labels and makeup tips.”

“I mean, I would take any makeup tips.” Sofia and Melodylaughed while they chatted in the corner, waiting for the boys tocome back with their drinks.

Over an hour passed, and Sofia enjoyed every minute once shelet go of overanalyzing all things about Alex. Time flew by as thefour of them had a good time together. Sofia and Melody got alonglike they knew each other forever, and she felt Alex’s arm relax whenhe swung it around her waist.

Melody checked her phone. “I hate to be that person, but itis almost ten and I have work tomorrow that requires me to be atshoot by four a.m. I need my beauty sleep.”

They exchanged goodbyes, with Sofia and Melody exchangingnumbers. There was no break for her to get alone time with Alexbecause an older woman with salt and pepper hair down her backjoined them.

“Sofia, I would like to introduce you to one of my leaders,Maria Flide,” Alex said with pride in his voice.

Maria nodded to his introduction. “I’ve never seen you sohappy, Alex. Every time I glanced your way tonight, you two onlyhad eyes for each other. Does this mean that you’ll be celebratingan engagement of your own soon?”

Alex looked like a deer caught in headlights, and Sofia felt likean idiot because she was on cloud nine. This was only a truce, notreality of how Alex felt.

She decided to have a little fun. “No engagement for us. Nottoday any way. We talked about it and I know he plans to ask, buthe refused to take away any attention from your daughter. And I’msorry for not saying sooner, but congrats!”

Alex and his boss talked in more detail, while Sofia glancedaround the room, not wanting to interrupt their conversation sinceit was work focused. After his boss left, Alex looked at her with anunimpressed stare.

Sofia glimpsed into her glass of champagne. “You should’veseen your face. I had to say something other than the obvious,which is the only commitment you can make is to your job.”

“Don’t do this, Sofia, don’t go back on the promise we madeeach other.”

Sofia lifted her nose in the air. “I’m getting a little tired ofpretending to like you.”