hired.
“That woman,” Grayson stammered. “The one you just spoke to, where is she going?”
Catherine arched an eyebrow at Grayson, one hand perched against her hip in defiance. “Look, Mr. Days, I apologize for her departure, but it won’t leave us short-staffed.”
Grayson waved her off, “No, it’s not that. Is she all right? She looked upset, or even ill…”
Catherine nodded, relief seeming to take over where false-defiance had poised only moments ago. “Oh, yes. She said she wasn’t feeling well, so I sent her home for the night to rest. We’ve got a packed schedule the rest of this week and the last thing I need is an employee falling out in a client’s floor.”
“I see,” Grayson said, running a series of thoughts and options through his head. He had to find a way to see Amber again. He had to find a way to get a message to her, or track her down. The pounding in his chest told him that his very existence might depend on it. “Is there any way I can get her contact information?”
Catherine took up a defensive posture again, this time her dark eyes drilling directly into Grayson’s.
“I’d like to send her my compliments,” Grayson lied. “I was planning to gift all of the workers at tonight’s event, and it’d be unfair for her to miss out just because she took ill.”
Catherine studied him for a long moment before nodding and waving at a wiry looking caterer in the corner of the room. The man fast-walked across the room toward them, a small notebook in his hand. “Allen, would you do me a favor and get Mr. Days the mailing address for Amber Kelli.”
The man, Allen, snapped to attention before flipping through the notebook, “Can do.”
“Thank you very much, Catherine,” Grayson said to the manager as she nodded toward him and walked off to find some other worker to supervise.
After a few moments of searching, Allen finally came across Amber’s information and copied it down on a napkin for Grayson, who thanked him heartedly.
When Allen had returned to the table, and Grayson found himself alone again, he stared blearily at the napkin, his hands shaking as he gripped it. At some point, he would have to find the time to go to the address on the napkin, and do everything he could to claim his mate. Right now, though, he had a party to attend to and parents to fawn over.
Stuffing the napkin into his pocket, Grayson walked toward his parents’ table and leaned down to kiss his mother on the cheek.
“Is something wrong, dear?” his mother questioned, taking his hand in hers as he stood back up.
Grayson shook his head, “No. Or, at least, I don’t think so.”
Grayson’s father studied him for a long moment, and he felt the presence of the older bear gazing into his soul. “You’ve found her, eh?” the man said finally.
Grayson nodded. “She was one of the caterers. Left while I was giving the toast.”
“Bah,” the older man scoffed. “Damned formalities get in the way of everything. Should’ve never left her side, boy.”
“You should go after her,” Grayson’s mother offered, much to his surprise. She’d always been a romantic, yes, but she was also a stickler for respect and the rules. You didn’t just leave in the middle of your own party, not when every guest there had been personally invited.
“I can’t just leave…” Grayson stammered.
“Sure you can,” his father bellowed with a wink. “This party is for your mother and me, not for you. Get out of here and stop hogging all the attention. We raised you better than that.”
Grayson glanced from one parent to the other, searching for any sign of uncertainty. “You’re sure?”
They both nodded and waved him off.
Without another word, Grayson darted toward the exit in search of Amber Kelli.
3
Amber smelled the rain in the air long before the first drops trickled onto her head. The heaviness of the storm poured through the city all at once,
“That woman,” Grayson stammered. “The one you just spoke to, where is she going?”
Catherine arched an eyebrow at Grayson, one hand perched against her hip in defiance. “Look, Mr. Days, I apologize for her departure, but it won’t leave us short-staffed.”
Grayson waved her off, “No, it’s not that. Is she all right? She looked upset, or even ill…”
Catherine nodded, relief seeming to take over where false-defiance had poised only moments ago. “Oh, yes. She said she wasn’t feeling well, so I sent her home for the night to rest. We’ve got a packed schedule the rest of this week and the last thing I need is an employee falling out in a client’s floor.”
“I see,” Grayson said, running a series of thoughts and options through his head. He had to find a way to see Amber again. He had to find a way to get a message to her, or track her down. The pounding in his chest told him that his very existence might depend on it. “Is there any way I can get her contact information?”
Catherine took up a defensive posture again, this time her dark eyes drilling directly into Grayson’s.
“I’d like to send her my compliments,” Grayson lied. “I was planning to gift all of the workers at tonight’s event, and it’d be unfair for her to miss out just because she took ill.”
Catherine studied him for a long moment before nodding and waving at a wiry looking caterer in the corner of the room. The man fast-walked across the room toward them, a small notebook in his hand. “Allen, would you do me a favor and get Mr. Days the mailing address for Amber Kelli.”
The man, Allen, snapped to attention before flipping through the notebook, “Can do.”
“Thank you very much, Catherine,” Grayson said to the manager as she nodded toward him and walked off to find some other worker to supervise.
After a few moments of searching, Allen finally came across Amber’s information and copied it down on a napkin for Grayson, who thanked him heartedly.
When Allen had returned to the table, and Grayson found himself alone again, he stared blearily at the napkin, his hands shaking as he gripped it. At some point, he would have to find the time to go to the address on the napkin, and do everything he could to claim his mate. Right now, though, he had a party to attend to and parents to fawn over.
Stuffing the napkin into his pocket, Grayson walked toward his parents’ table and leaned down to kiss his mother on the cheek.
“Is something wrong, dear?” his mother questioned, taking his hand in hers as he stood back up.
Grayson shook his head, “No. Or, at least, I don’t think so.”
Grayson’s father studied him for a long moment, and he felt the presence of the older bear gazing into his soul. “You’ve found her, eh?” the man said finally.
Grayson nodded. “She was one of the caterers. Left while I was giving the toast.”
“Bah,” the older man scoffed. “Damned formalities get in the way of everything. Should’ve never left her side, boy.”
“You should go after her,” Grayson’s mother offered, much to his surprise. She’d always been a romantic, yes, but she was also a stickler for respect and the rules. You didn’t just leave in the middle of your own party, not when every guest there had been personally invited.
“I can’t just leave…” Grayson stammered.
“Sure you can,” his father bellowed with a wink. “This party is for your mother and me, not for you. Get out of here and stop hogging all the attention. We raised you better than that.”
Grayson glanced from one parent to the other, searching for any sign of uncertainty. “You’re sure?”
They both nodded and waved him off.
Without another word, Grayson darted toward the exit in search of Amber Kelli.
3
Amber smelled the rain in the air long before the first drops trickled onto her head. The heaviness of the storm poured through the city all at once,
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