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“You never have to apologize for contacting me. I’m available 24/7,” Cameron replied.
“I need you to go with me to the charity auction tonight.”
“I’ll pick you up at six,” Cameron said after a moment.
My eyes widened in surprise. I knew that he was flexible, but he was good to go just like that? “It’s black tie.”
“I have a suit,” Cameron replied. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to embarrass you.”
I shook my head. “You couldn’t ever do that.”
Oops. I hadn’t meant to let that slip.
“Then, I’ll see you tonight,” Cameron told me, letting his smile shine through his warm voice.
“See you then,” I said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
We ended the call, but his words echoed in my ears. I pushed them away. It was time to be productive.
I took my cup of coffee to my home office, where I worked on my desktop computer. I tried not to think too much about what my friends would say if they saw me.It’s Saturday,I imagined Emilia saying.You’ve worked hard all week — give yourself a break.You should be at a spa, getting ready for tonight, not working,Brooke would say.How much more money and success do you possibly need?
The truth was, there wasn’t a limit. I didn’t have a magical number I wanted to hit in my bank account balance, or a certain accolade I wanted Firth Marketing to achieve. All I knew was that I had to work. It was a habit, a compulsion. If I worked enough, maybe I wouldn’t notice how quiet my apartment was.
Suddenly, Anderon’s voice came to me.Your work is impressive, but there’s nothing more important than love.
With a groan, I shoved that sentimental nonsense out of my mind and put all of my attention on the campaign documents before me.
When evening approached, I finally got up from my desk and started to get ready. As I curled my hair, I wishedEmilia was with me. It was always more fun to get ready with a friend, and we would consult each other on makeup looks or which accessories to wear.
After what felt like an eternity, I’d finished my hair and completed my makeup: cat eyeliner to accentuate my brown eyes, blush and bronzer on my cheekbones, my lips painted a bold red that would match my dress.
A quick check of my phone showed I only had ten minutes until Cameron was due to arrive. My lounge clothes formed a pile on the floor as I pulled them off, my stomach flip flopping as I grabbed my dress from my closet — the red dress. Secretly, it was also my favorite.
I zipped up the dress and slipped on a pair of heels. When I looked in the mirror, I looked…well, nice, but also…nervous. My mouth was twisted and there was a worry line between my brows.
Calm down.I went to more business events than I could count, but this felt like it bordered on… a date. It wasn’t by any means, but it had the pressure of one because Cameron was going with me.
We were dressing up. Attending as a pair. Spending hours together over expensive drinks and tasty hors d'oeuvres. How would I be able to bear tonight?
Suddenly, there was a knock on my front door.
The air left my lungs, leaving me breathless as I quickly took one more look into the mirror to make sure everything was perfect. I could’ve added a little morevolume to the back of my hair, but I had no time for that. I had to go.
I took a deep breath and strode to the front door. When I opened it, Cameron stood on my doorstep, wearing a tuxedo with a matching black bow tie. His hair was combed, his jaw impeccably shaved, and he wore cologne that was bold with a hint of something sweet, taking over my senses and momentarily rendering me speechless.
He looked amazing.
Cameron flashed me a half-smile and gestured to me. “You look incredible.”
An uncontrollable blush rose to my cheeks.
“So do you,” I said as a small smile formed on my lips. “Thank you for coming with me on such short notice.”
“It’s my pleasure.” When he extended his arm out to me, I wrapped my fingers around his bicep, swallowing hard at the firmness of his muscles. I stepped out of my apartment, my side bumping against his as I moved too fast.
His free hand rested on top of mine, helping steady me as our eyes locked. “Ready?”
For a second, I forgot what he was asking that I was ready for. Heated electricity charged the air between us, making my heart race when I realized just how close we were. Mere inches separated our faces. Centimeters lingered between our bodies.