Page 16 of One Week With You
My time-consuming job?
That wasn’t going anywhere. But Talia would be if I didn’t get my act together. She’d already slipped so far away.
“Rafe…” she whispered, and I would’ve stolen that breathy taste of my name if she hadn’t shivered in my arms.
I cleared my throat, the sound as ragged as I felt. “It’s freezing. Let’s go.”
* * *
“So who is it that we have to schmooze tonight?” Talia asked, tucking her arm into the crook of my own. She gazed around slowly, her face lighting up whenever she caught sight of something she liked.
There wasn’t a corner of the ballroom that wasn’t decked out for Christmas. Pine garlands with gaudy red baubles and white lights draped from the ceiling. Red and green wrapped boxes with gold and silver bows were stacked as centrepieces on every table currently set for our three-course meal. A huge spruce tree towered in the corner by the dance floor that wouldn’t be empty for long. I scowled at the sight.
Myself excluded.
I didn’t dance and never would.
“Schmooze?” I threw a nod at Henry over by the bar, my expression falling into something less polite when his wife Ingrid lit up at the sight of Talia by my side. Like a shark at the first scent of blood.Shit. “Is that what we’re calling it?”
“Sure. What else?”
“I’m thinking more a brief conversation where I highlight all of my charms.”
“Oh really? What would those be?”
I grinned down at her tucked by my side. “It’s a long list. You might want to jot this down.”
“Oh, shoot. Forgot my pen.” She fisted the air with anaw-shuckskind of gesture, a smirk playing at her mouth. “Does the arrogance come as standard with the suit or is it just you?”
“It’s in the lining.”
“Stop it,” she said with a laugh. “What’s this guy’s name?”
“Alan Fraiser. He’s heading this way right now.”
Talia straightened at the sight of the short, balding man walking towards us, like a switch had been flipped.Showtime.She set her face with a bright, easy smile and nestled closer, enough that her breast pressed against my arm. I clenched my jaw, gritting out a smile that probably looked as awkward as it felt.
This is torture.
“Anything else I should know?” she whispered.
“He’s family-orientated. Old fashioned. Outdated. You name it – Alan,” I greeted loudly as he approached, shaking his outstretched hand. “Welcome to Regency-Scott. I hope you’re enjoying yourself so far. Have you had a tour yet?”
Alan straightened his bowtie – red to match the festive braces peeking out of his suit – and glanced around the room, nudging the bridge of his glasses as they slipped down his nose. “Yes, yes. Very impressive. You’ve outdone yourself.”
“I have a great team. One that could be yours if you came onboard. Just say the word.”
He hummed, a dismissive, doubtful kind of sound. This wasn’t going to be an easy sell.
“By the way, I’d like you to meet Talia.” I didn’t blush but my body temperature definitely ticked up a couple of points when I added, “my girlfriend.”
“Oh, you’re not married?” Alan looked between us, his brow furrowed. “Henry mentioned you’ve been together a long time.”
Talia cast me a confused glance. “Uh, not yet.”
“Well, you don’t want to wait too long. You’re not exactly getting any younger, are you, boy?”
Boy.God, this guy was a dick. “I’m not even forty. Don’t write me off yet.”
