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“Nope. Eduardo said the owner is on to a new project and wants a quick close. Because we were agreeable, it’s mine.Ours. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s your baby.”
“Well, just know that I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you don’t regret your investment. I will make you proud.”
“You already do.”
The words earned a smile that was quickly pulled back as if shown to her in error. “You can’t say nice things to me tonight, okay?”
“Why not?”
Jamie placed a hand on a nearby cocktail table. “I was too nervous to eat because I don’t do this kind of thing often, and now the wine has gone to my head, and I just want to talk to you.” She’d blurted the last part but hadn’t looked away or tried to pull it back in.
Leighton could have been knocked over with a feather. “Oh.” Her skin went warm, and an intense tingle danced across its surface. “I think, um…” She glanced at the masses headed for the dance floor as the DJ kicked off the party with a Beyoncé hit. Her brain was short-circuiting. There were imaginary lines of caution tape around their whole relationship, but in the dim lighting of the vibrant room with alcohol coating her judgment and Jamie looking at her like that? She was ready to step right over it. “Let’s dance.”
Leighton didn’t wait for an answer. She took Jamie’s hand and pulled her along to the sound of quiet laughter from behind.
“Wait. Dancing?” Jamie called over the music.
“Yes, have you heard of it?”
But they were already in the middle of the dance floor and moving. Gelled lights flipped and dipped, and in that moment, Leighton’s inhibitions vanished. They’d raised more money that night than any of them had expected. Why not cut loose? They’d worked hard. Leighton danced with anyone and everyone to the fast-paced music, the DJ overlapping one song with another. The moments of eye contact she and Jamie exchanged turned into brief touches. Harmless. But not. Leighton was tipsy rather than drunk, but definitely leaning into it. Leighton pressed her back against Jamie’s shoulder and flipped around. Jamie took her hand and pulled her in before dancing away. Whatever game this was, Leighton couldn’t stop playing. Across the dance floor with white light silhouetting her from behind, Jamie took her hair down and gave it a shake. Leighton had to remember to keep dancing when all she wanted to do was make sure that exact moment was emblazoned in her memory for always.
The event eventually began to wind down with guests taking their leave one by one. Tables were quietly cleared and stripped as the last few attendees enjoyed themselves. The dance floor was down to half, and Jamie gave her wrist a squeeze.
“I think I should go,” Jamie said. “There’s a business to run tomorrow.”
“Are you sure? Because this was fun,” Leighton said in her ear, heart pounding and not from dancing. Tonight felt like a dream she didn’t want to wake up from.
“You know, it really was. Walk me out?”
“Of course,” Leighton said quietly, locating her discarded heels and clutch. “I should head home, too.”
“Come home with me.”
* * *
“Come home with you?”
“Not like that.” Jamie closed her eyes and took a breath. She tried again. “It’s an important day. Eduardo said he had the papers messengered over. Let’s have a signing drink and celebrate. I have one of those half bottles of bubbly and would feel sad opening it alone.” Jamie did a lot alone. She didn’t want to tonight. Wisdom be damned.
“I’d love to have a glass of celebratory bubbly with you. Sure.”
It took Jamie a moment to compose a response. She’d lost herself. Leighton had no business being so beautiful. Her end of the evening look, heels in hand, stole the air from the room.
“Great. Let’s say our farewells, and I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“The ride’s on me. I hired a car service for tonight.”
Jamie paused. Leighton did everything in style. “I think I just upgraded.”
Jamie crossed the room, kissed Jessica’s cheek, and thanked her for the opportunity. Afterward, she made the rounds to the other committee members, said good night, and headed to the front with tingling palms and a shiver of anticipation. Jamie had no clue what she was doing, prolonging their evening together. But in the moment, she didn’t care about repercussions. She was walking out onto the ice and hoping it would be fine. Their offer had been accepted. The event had been a smash hit. Clarissa was getting married and achieving happilyever after status. And for once, Jamie wanted to take something for herself. She wanted to enjoy a little crumb of happiness all her own, even if it was just for an hour or so.
“Just over here,” Leighton said, leading the way down the steps to the waiting black town car. She moved with such confidence and grace. All part of the drug that was Leighton, thrust into her life because a department store had an eye on expansion. The world was strange.
Her senses fired in overdrive as they made their way through the city to her place. The driver had the windows down as he navigated the streets of downtown, which offered a nice summer breeze. The radio played on low, and Jamie was wildly aware of the fact that the side of her hand was lightly touching Leighton’s. Had she realized it, too? Jamie turned to look at her, studying her profile as the wind blew her hair and the streetlights caressed her features. Jamie was struck when Leighton turned her head and met her gaze. A soft, sincere smile appeared, and for a minute it was just the two of them in this world. The spell was broken when the car came to a stop and the driver turned down the music. Right. They had arrived and were idling in front of Jamie’s building.
“Oh. This is me.”
