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“Sorry,” she whispered.
He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer as they made their way through the party. She couldn’t help but notice that a few eyes had started to drift toward them—more specifically, her—and she heard his words in her head again.New blood.
An older couple approached them first, the man’s bald head held a shining reflection from the lights around the edges of the building. “Asher,” the man said, reaching out his hand.
Asher shook the man’s hand warmly, moving his hand from Blythe’s waist to touch his arm. “Mr. O’Connor, sir, I’d like to introduce you to my date, Blythe.”
“Blythe,” the man said politely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He looked at Asher with raised eyebrows, and for a moment Blythe thought he was going to compliment her. “Did you see we snagged the Deluthe account?”
Asher let out a confident laugh. “I did.”
“Well done, m’boy,” Mr. O’Connor said, patting his shoulder. “Elderman will be getting a call Monday morning, you can bet on that.” He wagged a finger in the air. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got to catch up with Chad and see if he’s heard anything about the Miracle account. Nice to meet you again, Bright.” With that, he offered Blythe a quick handshake and disappeared.
“Sorry about that,” Asher said. “He’s never been very good with names.”
“Is that your boss?” she asked.
He nodded, grabbing two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and handing one to Blythe. “Thank you,” she told the waiter, tapping her glass against Asher’s. “It’s weird being here and not being one of them.”
“Well, get used to it,” he told her, his eyes burning into hers.
“I don’t know if I could ever get used to this,” she told him honestly, looking around the crowded party.
“Come on, you attend fancy parties all the time.”
“It’s not exactly attending, and honestly, no. I attend parties like the one I met you at…mostly in houses, and though they’re nice, they’re nothing like this.”
“Well, I know it looks fancy, but honestly, it’s mostly just about impressing our clients. If it were up to most of the guys here, we’d all be at a sports bar with a bottle of beer.” He smirked, waving as they passed a few of his colleagues. He introduced Blythe to a few more men as they hurried past, making their way to a far corner of the roof.
“Your job must be so fun,” she mused, wrapping one arm around her middle to protect herself from the cool breeze.
“It can be,” he admitted. “But it can also be super stressful.” He nudged her hip. “Which is why I’m thankful I ran into you.”
She looked up at him, shocked by his words. “You are?”
“Yeah. I mean, you’re so low key, Blythe. It’s kind of refreshing. New York girls are…stressful and dramatic and…honestly, I’ve never met anyone like you.”
She offered a small smile. “I’m nothing special,” she drawled.
“You are,” he told her, lifting her chin so she would look at him when she looked away. “You are special.” With that, his lips met hers and the party faded away. She lifted one arm, draping it over his shoulder as his arms went around her waist. She’d never felt more special in her life.
Chapter Six
“Have a good night, Cathy,” Blythe called to her coworker as she exited the building. She’d worked two parties back to back, and Blythe was thankful when Cathy offered to clean everything up so she could go home and catch some sleep. What she really wanted was to get out of her shoes—she was exhausted, and her feet were on fire.
She stuck a few of her tips into her back pocket—mostly ones—but held onto a twenty as she spied a coffee cart up ahead. She needed something to help her stay awake on the cab ride to the suburbs. She approached the young man, holding out the bill. “Double shot Americano please.” Who cared that she hated coffee? If she couldn’t stay awake, she wasn’t sure what might happen. Her luck, she’d end up a state away with a sky-high cab bill.
He took the cash, slipping it in his pocket and pouring her a glass. She stared at the sign on his cart, letting her know he accepted PayPal and Venmo. When he handed her the drink, she thanked him and turned around, ready to walk away when something caught her eye. She froze in her spot, despite the agitated people in line behind her just waiting for their turn to order.
She stared through the glass of the restaurant, the glare on the windows making it hard to tell if she was seeing what she thought she was. She swallowed, taking a step forward and placing one hand over her brow to shield her eyes from the light. Without conscious thought, she found herself headed into the restaurant.
“Asher?” she said as she approached his table. The brunette with the pompadour turned, confirming her fears.
He was sitting at a small table across from a woman with strawberry-blonde hair and a dark tan. When she smiled, her teeth were almost too white.
“Blythe? What are you doing here?” he asked, staring up at her with a look of confusion.
“Better question…what areyoudoing here?” she asked, gesturing toward his date. She was exhausted, which was only aiding her irritability. Normally she would’ve been much more reserved; she rarely chose to start a conflict, but she couldn’t hold it in.
