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“Fine, we’ll talk about something else.” She pouts. “Tell me what’s happening with work.”
I fill Jen in on the blog series I’m working on and what’s happening, or not happening as is the case, with the children’s books I’m still trying to find a publisher for. As always, Jen is the perfect cheerleader, telling me not to give up on my dream, which I really need to hear. Between my work on the romances and things taking off with Engage, I haven’t focused on my fables recently, and while there are times when it’s good to step away to get some perspective, I can’t put them away forever. It’s time to get them back out, and I appreciate Jen’s vote of confidence to remind me of that.
I move on from Jen when she spots another friend and get pulled into conversation with some potential investors about my role in the company, eventually finding my coworkers and chatting with them. About an hour into the evening, Charlie leads a presentation about how he came up with the idea for Engage, what we’ve accomplished so far, and what we have planned in the coming months. Afterward, there’s more time for mingling.
Throughout the whole event, I’m constantly aware of Chris, but he never approaches me, nor me him. He raises a glass and nods in my direction when I inadvertently catch his eye during the presentation, but beyond that, I may as well have been invisible. Clearly Jen had exaggerated when she said Chris couldn’t take his eyes off me.
As the evening wears down and the crowd starts to dwindle, I make my way to the coat check. Since Jen already left to pick up her daughter, and my coworkers are starting to trickle out, I assume my exit will go unnoticed.
Chapter 7
Chris
My panic subsides when I find her sitting on a bench near the front door. Thank god she hasn’t left yet.
“The heels looked great with that dress, but somehow you make the Chucks work, too.” Lisa seems to start at the sound of my voice, but she keeps her focus on her shoes.
“I’m pretty sure the Chucks would get me on a worst-dressed list,” she says as she rises.
“In that dress, no one would notice the shoes. Why the wardrobe change?”
“I’m not interested in making a best-dressed list if it means the permanent loss of feeling in my toes.” She picks her heels off the floor and dangles them from her fingers. It’s not meant to tease me, but my cock stirs all the same.
“Ah, a practical choice,” I say as she tucks her shoes inside her tote. “So you aren’t the type to make sacrifices for fashion?”
“Well, I did wear the heels to start.” I take her coat from the bench and help her into it, noting the way she shivers when my fingers brush against her skin. She pulls away too soon, reaching for the door. “But I have my limits, and that means no walking the two blocks back to my truck in heels after standing in them all night.”
“You’re walking back to your truck? Alone?” I dart after her to hold the door.
“Yes.”
“You shouldn’t be walking by yourself at night.”
“Why not?” She blinks. “I do it all the time.”
“Here?”
“By my house, mostly, but sometimes here. It’s a safe area.”
“Bad things can happen even in safe areas. I don’t like the idea of you walking alone. Let me drive you back.”
“I’m fine, really. I can take care of myself. Besides, it’s only two blocks.”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t take care of yourself.” I take her hand and lead her toward the parking lot. “I said I didn’t like the idea of you walking alone, especially in that dress.”
“What’s wrong with my dress?” She glances down and self-consciously pulls the zipper of her coat to her chin.
“Nothing’s wrong with it.” My eyes roam over her. “But everyone who saw you in it tonight looked twice.”
“Is that bad?” She frowns. “I wondered if it might be out of place for a work event since everyone else was wearing dark colors.”
“That’s not why everyone was looking twice.” I take her hand again and continue walking.
“Oh God, did I spill something on it?”
I can’t help it—I laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
