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“Okay,boss.” I grin. “So, is it like this every year?”
“Yep. I think this party is the only reason people work for me, especially since most of them hate my guts?”
“They don’t hate you.”
“They do and I know it…no need to sugarcoat it.”
I don’t say anything further in that regard. I refocus on the party. “Susan Musk has her leg wrapped around that light pole like a vine. And I don’t know how Shanice will look at you with a straight face come Monday morning? All you’re going to remember about her is this glorious moment of her eating fist fulls of cake.”
“She’ll get no judgments from me. Besides, it pales in comparison to what she did last year.”
“Oh, jeez…do I even want to know?”
Essex grins. “Wearing a pair of those skyscraper heels she always wears, she jumped on a skateboard and she was doing good for a while—so good she didn’t realize she was heading straight for the pool. Her legs went one way and the wig went the other. To this day, I don’t know where the skateboard came from and somebody took her wig. She never found out who.”
“Shut up,” I say, nudging him, tickled to tears. “I know you just made that up.”
“It sounds anachronistic, but it happened. It gets crazy out here.”
“And you’re cool with this?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because you’re all by-the-book in the office. Everything has to be done just so. Out here, it’s anarchy.”
“We’re not at the office, are we? I don’t mind them getting crazy. Most of them took rideshares here, so I’m sure they’ll get home safely. This is their time to let loose and spend my money. I can’t be mad at that. If I were them, I’d do the same.”
Sliding his hands into his pockets, Essex glances around at the sea of people who are still here. He says, “Your friend is wiped out.”
I shake my head. “Poor Ella. She couldn’t resist the free alcohol. I’m going to take her home soon.”
“That’s a good idea.”
I turn to look at him, my eyes outlining the shape of his face. His ears. His lips. He turns to me, catches me gawking. I say, “Essex, I wasn’t aware how much my request to keep our relationship private bothered you.”
“It’s fine, Tessie.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t want you to feel—”
“Shh.” He grabs my hand and says, “Come with me.”
Since we’re further back in the courtyard, I’m certain no one sees the moment he grabs my hand. Desperately, I ask, “Essex, where are we going?”
“To the guest house so I can do something to you—something I’ve been wanting to do since you arrived in that sexy red dress.”
We step inside. It’s dark. I can hear the music bumping outside.
Essex says, “I won’t turn on the lights. That way, no one will disturb us.”
“It’s super dark in here, Ess.”
“Then we’ll just have tofeelour way around, now, won’t we?” he asks, pinning me to the wall. He takes soft kisses from my lips, then goes deeper and deeper until he pulls moans from my throat. My fingers brush across the soft curls on his head while he kisses me. And he moans. He takes deep, rushed, hurried breaths like this is something he’s been waiting for all day. In the cover of darkness, we make up for what we couldn’t do in the daylight hours.
He tugs at my dress and says, “This thing needs to come off.”
“Essex, don’t rip my dress.”
“Then I suggest you take it off.”
