Page 104 of Last First Date

“We haven’t, but we are now,” he said, laughing. “I saw your runway debut. I’ve been dying to meet you. Lucky me, we share the same love of coffee.”

It left me with an icky feeling. “Actually, I’m just picking up coffee for my boyfriend. It was nice to meet you, Dave, but I’ll have to decline your invitation.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” he replied, his smile not quite fully reaching his eyes. But he graciously backed away, returning to his spot in the corner of the shop.

I let out a sigh of relief. As I carried my two cups of joe out of the shop, I couldn’t help but worry about how my life was changing. The spotlight from the fashion show wasn’t something I could just shrug off, and it seemed to be dragging me further and further from the life I was used to.

This whole recognition thing was not impressing me. I realized it might not have been the smartest thing to have gone so public while living in a relatively small town. People were going to recognize me.

When I arrived at the office, I was not in a great mood. I moved through the office, thinking about talking to Knox about how to handle my newfound fame. I had already decided I was going to buy pepper spray. People were weird. I needed to protect myself.

I rounded the corner and stopped cold when I saw Benjamin casually occupying my desk. His smug expression did nothing to alleviate my irritation.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded, my tone sharper than I intended. I didn’t care that he was a paying client. He got me kicked off my first and only planning project because I shut down his advances. I had nothing to say to him.

Benjamin leaned back, a self-satisfied smirk playing on his lips. “Waverly,” he said, dragging out my name.

“If you’re here to see Knox, you’re at least fifteen minutes early,” I snapped. “We have a waiting area. Use it.”

He chuckled. “How are you?”

“Irritated.”

“New York looked rather eventful for you,” he commented without getting out of my chair. “I saw the pictures. And video, which is definitely my favorite. Watch, repeat, watch again. You’ve become quite the sensation.”

The mention of New York sent a shiver down my spine. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at Benjamin’s attempt to sound casual about stalking me on social media. “You’re a pig.”

“Hey, now.” He chuckled. “I’m a paying customer.”

“Not mine.”

“I was thinking, my grand opening is going to be huge,” he said. “I need a spectacular woman on my arm. And who better than the new local celebrity?”

The audacity of his request left me speechless. A forced smile played on my lips as I struggled to find the words. “Benjamin, I appreciate the invitation, but I already have plans.”

His eyebrows rose in disbelief. “Really? What could possibly be more important than being the star of my party? Besides, the internet agrees—you’re spectacular.” He held up his phone, displaying a picture of me from his socials.

My discomfort intensified. The unwanted attention from men was one thing, but Benjamin’s persistence felt like a different breed of intrusion. I tried to maintain a polite tone. “I appreciate the compliment, but I have plans that I can’t cancel. Now, if you’d like to take a seat in the waiting area, I’ll check Knox’s schedule. I don’t believe you were on his schedule for today.”

He got to his feet and leaned in close. His proximity made me uneasy. “Come on, Waverly. A night with me at the most exclusive party in town? It’s an opportunity you shouldn’t miss.”

The condescension in his tone grated on my nerves. “I’m afraid I’ll have to, Benjamin. Now if you’ll please.” I tried to keep my tone civil, but he was pushing the boundaries of my patience.

“But, Waverly⁠—”

“Enough!” I cut him off sharply. The entire office seemed to hold its breath at my outburst. “I’ve already given you my answer. Your insistence is not changing it.”

Defeat flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by anger. “You’ll regret this, Waverly.”

“Oh, I highly doubt that,” I retorted with a glare, making a mental note to tell Knox about Benjamin’s behavior.

“You think just because you strutted down a runway, you’re too good for me?” he said, laughing. “Come on. This is my way of making up for what happened at our last meeting.”

“Benjamin, you don’t need to make up for anything. I just need you to go. You and I have nothing to discuss. If you need a meeting with Knox, have your assistant call and I’ll see what I can arrange.”

“Knox and I go way back. I don’t think he would appreciate you giving me the brush-off.”

“Then he can take it up with me,” I said, my patience wearing thin. I was a professional and the last thing I wanted to do was something that would be perceived as unprofessional. “Until then, this is my workspace and I prefer it undisturbed by unwanted and unscheduled visits.”