AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, they do, but in different divisions. We like to stay close to each other, but not too close, if you know what I mean.”
“I’d love to meet them sometime.”
“You’ll meet Dax soon. He and I work pretty closely together.”
“If he’s anything like you, I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”
My eyes widen, and I cough nervously, her comment catching me off guard. I wasn’t expecting a compliment from her. Needing time to recover, I take a large swallow of my drink.
I clear my throat before responding. “My brothers are nothing like me, fortunately for them. Dax is dedicated to work but a constant flirt. He rarely dates but seems to have women around him a lot, regardless. My youngest brother, Ethan, seems allergic to work, especially recently.He used to be the social butterfly of the family, but right now, he just seems very distracted.”
“And what about you? How would you describe yourself?”
“Me? Well, I probably work too much and don’t have time for much else,” I say, shrugging.
If she notices my reticence to discuss myself, she doesn’t comment on it. I’m reluctant to discuss my personal life, especially the situation with Amanda.
“And what about your mom?”
“Let’s see. My mother tries to be very involved with the three of us. She insists on having all of us come together for dinner at least once a month so that she can grill us on our personal lives and keep tabs on everything. I could go on and on about my family, but you’d probably die from boredom. We are quite the family.”
“I might fall asleep, but I won’t die,” she quips. “Anyway, I’m enjoying hearing about your family. I’ve always wanted a brother or sister. Being an only child was lonely.”
Curious to know more about her, I ask, “Do you have a photo of your family? I’d love to see it.”
She pulls out her phone and scrolls through the photos. She smiles fondly at the photo before passing her phone to me.
“Here you go. This is my mom and dad,” she says.
“You look very much like your mom. You have the same green eyes. She’s very beautiful.”
“Thank you. I miss them very much.”
“Your mom is wearing a unique locket. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” I look closer at the necklace in the photo. The locket is in the shape of a heart, but what makes it unique is the infinity symbol etched on top, which has initials engraved in the middle of each infinity loop. Her face takes on a faraway look.
“That locket was very special to my mom. It was a gift from my dad on their wedding day. She rarely took it off. Unfortunately, after they passed, it was lost. I think it may have been in the belongings that were sold in the estate sale.”
“You’ve never been able to find the locket?”
She shakes her head. “No, I wouldn’t even know where to start. I have photos of it, and I know there was an inscription on the back, but I can’t remember much else about it.”
I want to ask her more, but at that moment, a server comes out to announce that it’s time to make our way to the dining room.
Lana scoots her chair back delicately. She looks relieved at the change in topic. “Looks like dinner is ready. We better make our way back in,” she says.
She puts her empty wine glass on a server’s tray. I walk a few steps behind her and can’t help but notice the sway of her elegant hips as she walks. I take another rather large sip of my second bourbon as we head into the dining room.
Dinner is set up to be an elegant affair, with servers walking around to help guests with anything we might need. I find my nameplate and motion to Lana that she is to sit next to me. The space at the table is limited, and my leg is brushing up against Lana’s. I look down and see that the side slit in her dress is open to reveal the long length of her legand thigh. I can’t explain it, but my hand is itching to reach out and touch the smooth skin.
At this angle, I have a clear view of the deep vee of her cleavage. Though likely considered modest by most people, the dress is more risqué than I would have imagined Lana wearing. It’s a fight to keep my eyes from drifting downward.
I have to stifle a groan as I notice that I am growing hot and heavy right here in the middle of the dining room. I try to scoot my chair away to put some distance between us, but there isn’t much room on the opposite side of my chair, either. Why the hell am I thinking about my assistant like this?
“Everything good? Do I need to move over?” Lana asks, eyebrows raised in question.
“Hmmm? Oh, no, it’s okay. I was just trying to give you some room. We’re a bit packed in here,” I tell her. I feel like a five-year-old as I squirm in my chair, trying to adjust myself into a comfortable position.
I search the room to see if there are any other chairs available, but the room is filling up. It seems Bill and his wife invited just enough guests to fill the room completely. It looks like there isn’t going to be an escape for now.
