“This is your project, Miss Andrea. I’m in need of a date for tonight’s gala event across town. I’ve already procured a dress in your size in hopes that you might agree. It would be terribly embarrassing to go alone,” Devon explained as my eyes grew wide. “Could you finish all your work by 2:00 PM?”
I was trying hard to keep my lower lip from quivering, my nervous system overreacting and shooting electrical signals throughout my body. With a controlled smile, I agreed.
“But why are we getting ready so early? The event isn’t until 6:00 PM,” I pointed out.
Devon leaned over my desk to whisper his response, explaining that he had booked a hot massage, manicure, pedicure, and hair appointment for me to look my best. I couldn’t keep from flushing as I had never had someone so eager to have me at their side while looking absolutely extravagant.
Suddenly, all of my fantasies came flooding back to my mind and I thought about last night’s encounter. He had been planning this the whole time and I had no idea! Had he meant to kiss me last night? The look in his eye warned me of his intention, his soft lips wanting to engulf my tongue with pleasure.
I found myself leaning forward and had to stop, noticing that the two of us being so close was picking up stares and whispers from the entire office staff. The phone rang and brought me back to reality, allowing me to excuse myself from the terribly awkward situation at hand.
“I can’t thank you enough, sir,” I said before answering the phone.
“Please, call me Devon,” he said before slipping into his office.
The person on the other end of the line was repeatedly greeting me while I remained silent, totally honed in on the buttocks of the man walking away from me and towards his desk. I was leaning again. Maura cleared her throat and motioned with her eyes toward the ticket that was still on the desk. I wanted to tell her about it, but I also wanted it to be a secret.
I knew what kind of talk went around the water cooler and Maura was certainly the center of that. While Maura rose to come look, I hid the ticket in the desk drawer and held up my hand as I finally answered the person screaming through the speaker of the phone.
Defeated temporarily, Maura sat back down at her desk and tapped her pen on the pile of folders under her hand. I knew she would try to get a peek at it later, perhaps even snap a little picture to show everybody else in the office. I could feel them all glaring at the back of my head, perhaps jealous that the most handsome man of the company had given me something deliciously expensive while inviting me out.
I turned to look at the dress that glimmered in the morning light. In another five hours, I would be in the capable hands of the most elegant man in the city, getting prim and proper to be his arm candy.
While I wasn’t typically fond of being an object, I found this invitation to be incredibly flattering. Clearly, Devon found me attractive enough to be his date, but did this attraction push past our professional relationship? Would we become friends? Every cell of my body was screaming in hopes that it would, that perhaps I wouldn’t spend tonight alone.
My hope drove me to work twice as hard as any other day and I ended up finishing all of my work forty-five minutes early. I followed Devon confidently to the elevator as the entire office trailed behind us, pretending like they weren’t watching. As the doors closed, I winked at Maura who smiled in response and waved.
“I will drop you off at the spa and pick you up in time for you to slip in to your dress and get a bite to eat. What do you typically like to eat?” asked Devon as we rode the elevator down.
I stared at him blankly. Eat? We were eating dinner, too? This was turning into a real date instead of a project and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach desperately trying to get out.
“Dinner…?” I couldn’t seem to formulate a response.
Amused, Devon chuckled and said, “Yes, dinner. Where would you like to eat? Think about that while you’re relaxing. I want you to feel like a princess.”
I clutched the dress under my arms and practically melted when the doors opened for us to step into the garage. As I walked to my car, Devon said he would meet me at my house to be picked up. I already felt like a princess holding this dress. It’s elegance surpassed anything I had ever seen in my life. The drive home was filled with excited yelps and squeals, my eyes continuously turning to the dress in the passenger’s seat. I would be his princess tonight. It was a fantasy come true.