I stood just inside the large room feeling stiff and uncomfortable. Maybe Maysie was wrong. Because this had the makings of a really bad idea.
I had no idea where Vivian even was. And I had to go to the bathroom. But hell if I was going to try to get these pants down. They looked as though they were spray painted on.
I was anxious and ready to get the romance part over with. I didn’t know what the hell I was going to say. Something told me tapping Viv on the shoulder and saying “Tada!” wasn’t going to cut it.
“You’re looking lost,” a tiny woman said from beside me. I fidgeted in my tight pants and shiny shoes.
“You could say that,” I mumbled, swatting away some glittery shit that was falling from the ceiling.
The lady chuckled. “Do you work for the Kimble Foundation?” she asked.
“What? Uh, no,” I said, distracted by the monstrous ice sculpture thing that looked as though it wanted to eat me. Whose idea was it to put that scary shit in the corner?
“I didn’t think so. Are you here with someone?” Why was this lady bothering me? Couldn’t she tell I wasn’t in the mood for chitchat?
“Not exactly,” I explained, trying to look around for Vivian. Though I wasn’t sure how I could find anything in this huge crowd.
I thought I seen Gracie and Riley but I couldn’t be sure. I knew that they had come with Vivian. Maysie had given me the rundown once we were back in Bakersville.
I hid before they could see me. I didn’t want them to notify Vivian of my presence before she had a chance to see me herself.
Maybe I should have just called Vivian and gone to see her. Screw the romantic gesture. It had been days since we last spoke. She probably wanted to take my head off by now. But Maysie convinced me going grand was the only way to do this.
My pinched ball sack was cussing Maysie out right now.
“Who are you looking for, darling? Let me help you before you pass out.” The little old lady seemed nice enough and she did seem concerned about my overall state at the moment. Not that I blamed her. I was sweating like a pig and fidgeting more than a whore in church.
“I’m looking for Vivian Baily,” I told her.
The lady smiled and it made her look ten years younger. Hell, if she was thirty years younger and I wasn’t stupidly in love with someone else, I would totally have tapped that.
“Vivian works for me! She’s the one that put all this together! Didn’t she do an amazing job? I’m Marion, her boss!” the lady said, holding out her hand.
I looked around the room, really taking stock of everything Vivian had done. And Marion was right. The place was incredible. I didn’t take a lot of notice of fancy schmancy crap, but even I could appreciate it.
There was so much to Vivian that I didn’t know. So much that I planned to spend a lot of time figuring out. I had a future to invest in. . .with Vivian.
I shook Marion’s hand. “It looks bitchin’,” I agreed.
Marion smirked and I realized my gutter mouth had gotten loose again.
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
Marion waved me off.
“No worries. There’s nothing wrong with some colorful language. I like to drop an F bomb every now then.” I laughed loudly. This Marion broad was pretty cool.
She pointed across the room. “The last time I saw Vivian, she was over there.”
I tried to find Vivian but still couldn’t see her.
“Okay, I should go find her. Thanks, Marion,” I said, granting her my best panty- melting smile.
She may be old, but even Marion wasn’t immune to my charms.
“You’re welcome. I hope you find her,” Marion called out as I started to walk through the crowd.
“Me too,” I said under my breath.
I bumped into a waiter, who spilled wine down my front. I tripped over a woman’s shoe and stomped on her toe, prompting her to hit me with her purse.
I ate a couple of hors d'oeuvres and drank a few cocktails. And I still couldn’t find Vivian.
And just when I was debating the futility of my plan, it was like the climax to every stupid CW drama I had ever watched when there was nothing else on TV. The lights dimmed, the music changed to a slow, romantic number, and suddenly I saw her.
She was standing in the corner, laughing with a man, letting him put his hand on her lower back.
My good mood vanished instantly and I saw murderous, gut-wrenching red.
She was beautiful in a long silver gown that slit up the thighs and plunged down the back. Her hair was pulled to the side and fell in curls over her right shoulder.
She looked down right f**king edible. I wanted to taste the skin on the back of her neck, knowing it would taste like salt and vanilla.
I wanted to hear her laugh, her eyes dancing as she looked up at me. And I wanted those same green eyes on fire when she threw her shoe at my head.
I wanted everything about her.
I slowly and purposefully walked across the expansive room towards her. I clenched my fists as I watched the guy beside her lean down and whisper something in her ear. And then he was walking away and leaving her alone.
Just how I wanted her.
I stopped several feet away and waited for her to see me. And when she did, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.
I grinned. “Nobody puts Viv in a corner,” I said.
“Did you just quote Dirty Dancing at me?” she asked incredulously.
“Sure did, baby. It is your favorite movie.” The music’s slow and sexy tempo begged for me to move.
I held my hand out. “Dance with me.”
She raised her eyebrows at me defiantly. “I can’t. I’m here with someone else,” she sniffed, turning her back to me.
I grabbed her hand and put a finger beneath her chin and raised her face so that she had no choice but for her to look at me.
“I don’t care who you came with. I only care that you’re here with me now. And at the end of the night, I’m going to take you home. With me. Because that’s where you belong.” I dared her to dispute me. I challenged her with my eyes.
She bit her bottom lip. “What is this, Cole?” she asked, her green eyes peering up at me.
I cupped her face in my hand and kissed her softly on the lips. “This is my grand romantic gesture,” I answered.
I pulled her out onto the dance floor.
She sighed, though I couldn’t tell if it was from irritation or surrender. But she let me put my arms around her and I wanted to shout in victory when she laid her head on my shoulder.
“You look ridiculous,” she muttered.