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For a fraction of a second, I stopped, unable to look away. I was smitten. I knew it, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to hide it. Not after Henry’s encouragement.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Despite my best efforts, work wouldn’t let me go now that some of them had seen my messages. I spent another hour sitting at the bar with whiskey on the rocks, trying to get them all to act without me and fix mistakes themselves.
I sighed a few times, trying not to get too exasperated. People danced, and I barely got a second to take it all in. As the party wore on, I grew more and more surly, and I knew I was showing it. I couldn’t be this distracted by people or life when I was supposed to be having fun.
On some level, I knew a party like this wasn’t entirely my idea of fun. I didn’t like to dance much, and I wasn’t sure what to say to people when I had already been talking to them for a long time.
I tried to put my phone away again, noticing that Juno was dancing with all her bridesmaids, and they looked like they were having a great time. Again, watching Kit have fun only made me like her more. It was clear she was comfortable, happy, and carefree. It was a trait I admired.
For so much of my life, I had to appear professional, do business, and be sensible. Seeing people just let go and still somehow look amazing and not worried about what othersthought of them was both wonderful and made me feel sad. I couldn’t do it, no matter how much I wanted to.
“I’d have thought you’d be up for dancing,” Kai said as he came to the bar to get another drink. “You’re young enough and have enough taste in music.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “And two left feet.”
“Alma says the same thing about me, but she still encourages me to dance. Something about letting go and having fun anyway. People admire confidence and don’t care about professionalism all the time.”
“Not in my world.” I frowned, wondering yet again how he could read my earlier thoughts so well.
“I don’t suppose you noticed, Lukas, but we’re not in your world today. We’re in theirs, and almost no one here is going to remember how well you danced or how good the bride looked and how much alcohol they drank. You can be whoever you want to be today.”
I nodded, but I didn’t move, picking up my latest drink instead. The bartenders were quick to serve Kai, and he was ready to head back out to the terrace where his wife was. I was grateful not to be nagged, but it had done its damage. I was drawn to the dance floor, where plenty of the people at the party were having fun.
Did I want to dance? I had no idea, but I didn’t want to sit and answer work messages anymore. I’d had enough of work. I downed the drink and started walking over to the group dancing, aiming for Kit without really thinking.
“Lukas,” a voice called from my side, and then one of the other bridesmaids appeared in front of me. I knew her least of all of the wedding party, but she smiled as if she knew me. “I was hoping to find you.”
“I wasn’t exactly hiding. I’ve been at the bar the last hour or so.”
The woman didn’t pick up on my lack of interest and stepped closer when I tried to move around, reaching for my arm and taking it.
“We really need your help with something. Come sit with us.”
She didn’t give me much choice, taking my hand and pulling me away from everything. I considered resisting, but I knew it would be rude not to at least see what she was so adamant about that I needed to be involved in. There was a chance it was something important, and I had just enough alcohol in me that I minded less.
When she got to her table, the wedding guest book was open on it, and another two women sat nearby. All three eyed me hungrily, something I was far too familiar with.
“We’re struggling to figure out what to write. Will you help us?” She thrust the book at me, and I almost let it fall to the ground, but she had at least some point. I hadn’t written in it yet, but I should do so.
For the moment, I humored them, took the book, and sat down, although I made sure to choose a seat a little bit farther away from them than I imagined they would have chosen for me.
“The trick, ladies, with anything like this, is to read what everyone else has said before you, so you gain some inspiration.” I was making it up as I went along, but it seemed plausible.
All three ladies smiled and seemed to appreciate me putting in any effort to help them, and I could flick through the book and focus on the messages inside rather than them. I read several of the better ones aloud, wishing I’d thought of them. It helped me get ideas for what I wanted to write as well.
There were enough that just said congratulations and wished the happy couple well that I thought I could go one step above, if nothing else. After reading a few more, the woman closest to me picked up the pen and reached for the book.
With nowhere else to go and no desire to engage in conversation on another topic, I let her take it and write her message while her friend read it over her shoulder. Both of them opted to write theirs before me, and I checked my phone again and replied to one more work message in order to clarify an instruction.
Hoping my work colleagues would finally be able to handle everything without me, I tucked my phone away again to see that my current companions were waiting. None of them looked impressed, but I wasn’t sure I cared that much. Work was work, and as much as I liked to have time off, I ran the company. That meant certain problems could only be my problem, no matter where I was or what I was doing.
As they shoved the book back toward me, I sensed some iciness. Had I missed one of them talking to me?
“So…are you all enjoying the party?” I asked as I quickly wrote a short phrase and signed it. It wasn’t much better than basic, but it would have to do.
“It’s good enough. I think we’re going to get more drinks.” One of the women grabbed the arm of another, and all three got up and left. I shook my head, more than a little confused. Somehow, I had offended all of them. That much was clear. But I had no idea how I’d done so and what I could have done differently. Now and then, the opposite sex baffled me.
