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Returning to William, I find him patiently waiting, a curious look in his eyes.
"I'm back... you were saying..."
He nods. “I took the liberty of ordering the house platter for us to share.”
“That’s great,” I say, picking up my glass and taking a greedy gulp. But I fear that no measure of alcohol is going to be enough to calm my nerves.
He takes my hand, his words warming the air between us. "Emily, I just wanted to say that I really enjoy spending time with—"
But then, my cousin starts a conga line, and they’re heading in my direction. “One second, I just gotta fix my contact.”
Each time I return, William attempts to restart our conversation, but fate—or rather, my family—intervenes. From rescuing a niece from a broken heel to responding to an impromptu karaoke challenge, my evening becomes a carousel of chaos.
“Oh, I just got an email from my financial advisor, I really should call him…” I say, rising to my feet again.
This time the room spins, and I eye the empty glass beside my dish, wondering just how many drinks I’ve had.
William makes a huffing sound. "Emily, I'm trying to tell you—" he starts once more, only for me to spot my aunt signaling me frantically from across the room.
"I'll be right back!" I promise, leaving William mid-sentence yet again.
As the evening progresses, William's patience wears thin. His attempts at a heartfelt conversation are constantly thwarted by my increasingly absurd departures – from helping the waiter fix a wobbly table to investigating a fictional issue with the restaurant's aquarium.
Finally, as we're about to leave, William, looking both amused and exasperated, says, "I feel like I've been on a date with a ghost tonight, Emily. You're here one minute and gone the next."
I offer an apologetic smile, my heart sinking. "I know, it's been a crazy night. I promise it's not usually like this."
But as we return to the estate, I stagger into the hall and fall into William’s chest.
“Whoops,” I say.
“You’re drunk,” he says, his voice flat.
He carefully picks me up in his arms. “I see now, why you didn’t want to go out tonight. You seem to know everyone in this town,” he said.
“I did grow up here,” I confess as he scales the staircase.
I clasp my hands around his neck and inhale his woody scent. “That’s a nice cologne you’ve got on… is it Calvin Kline?”
“I’m not wearing cologne,” William replies.
I gasp. “That delicious smell isyou?”
For the first time all evening, William cracks a genuine smile at me.
When he opens my door and carries me into my room, the alcohol running in my veins gives me a crazy idea. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you my undivided attention tonight but let me make it up to you now.”
In an attempt to appear sultry, I try to kick off a heel. But it’s glued to my foot.
William sets me down near the bed and watches with amusement as I huff and kick with frustration.
“Allow me,” he says, lowering to his knees.
I hold my breath as his warm hands slide down my calf and find my shoe, then he carefully takes it off.
“I feel like Cinderella,” I blurt.
William rises to a stand and gives me a penetrating stare for a moment. “I have to admit it feels like you’ve been hiding something. Is there anything you want to tell me, Emily?”
