Just to be safe she pressed closer to Elijah and kissed him harder. It took Charity a few moments longer than she thought it would to pull away. Slightly out of breath, she leaned her forehead against his and whispered, “Is she gone?”
Elijah’s shoulders rose and fell as his eyes searched hers a moment before glancing behind her. “She’s stomping down the road.” He chuckled. “I mean it. She’s literally stomping her feet. I think she’s pretty pissed.”
Charity straightened and turned to watch the girl. “I don’t think she’s going to be bugging you anymore. Just check your food and coffee for poison.”
Elijah pressed his fingers against his lips. “That was pretty impressive.”
So are you. She grinned at him, and tried to ignore her inner voice.
He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. “Th-The idea, I mean. Smart thinking.”
She realized he was thanking her. “Then I believe you owe me dinner now.” She started walking to the restaurant, wishing the evening air would cool the heat off her face. “And I’m starving .”
Chapter 10
Charity spent the next day setting up the double conference room for the evening’s staff party. Last night’s dinner played over in her mind again and again. She’d set her iPod on the docking station connected to the room’s sound system and tried to focus on the task at hand.
Except the fake kiss kept tempting her imagination of what it might be like if Elijah wanted to kiss her. She couldn’t deny he was good looking. The whole doctor thing was a turn on.
Stop it! She rolled her eyes for the tenth time that hour. She needed people to come tonight, to relax and have a good time and want to be part of this gala. She moved another table to the wall perpendicular to the wet bar. Well, it wasn’t much of a bar until she had cases of beer, wine and several bottles of whiskey delivered. Then she had to have one of those cafeteria fridges with sliding doors brought up. She’d just finished stocking it when her father walked in.
She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. It felt warm. She’d have to make sure the fans or A/C was on for the evening. Thank goodness the room had glass doors to a balcony that overlooked the city.
Her father cleared his throat. “The room looks different.”
Charity had the large conference table removed and put into the room across the hall. The room had loads of space now. She’d set tables and cushion ed chairs throughout the room, covered the tables in white tablecloths with specks of silver sewn throughout. It gave the effect of glitter – like diamonds.
“There’s going to be quite a few people coming in and out tonight.” From the emails replies, there would be at least fifty.
“What should I wear?”
The question took her by surprise. The man always wore a suit or something dressy. She doubted he owned a pair of jeans. “Just wear dress pants and a button up. You can wear a suit if you want but this room’s pretty warm. You’ll be ditching the jacket before you finish your first conversation.”
“Noted. Do I need to make some sort of speech?”
“Do you want to?”
“No.”
“Then you don’t have to. Just mingle around the room and introduce yourself to whoever’s here.”
“Everyone knows who I am.”
Did the man always have to be so confident? It made him a great doctor but it also made him frustratingly annoying. “I’m sure they do, Dad, but you don’t know everyone here and people like to feel special if you make a point to talk with them or say hello or even ask their name.”
He opened his mouth, bu t then closed it and didn’t say anything.
“You’ll enjoy yourself. Be here by seven at the very latest. People will start showing up around six and want to eat. The food’s coming around seven and if people start eating before you’re here, they won’t wait around. They’ll leave.”
“Okay. I’ll be on time.”
“Thank you.”
He walked out
Elijah’s shoulders rose and fell as his eyes searched hers a moment before glancing behind her. “She’s stomping down the road.” He chuckled. “I mean it. She’s literally stomping her feet. I think she’s pretty pissed.”
Charity straightened and turned to watch the girl. “I don’t think she’s going to be bugging you anymore. Just check your food and coffee for poison.”
Elijah pressed his fingers against his lips. “That was pretty impressive.”
So are you. She grinned at him, and tried to ignore her inner voice.
He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. “Th-The idea, I mean. Smart thinking.”
She realized he was thanking her. “Then I believe you owe me dinner now.” She started walking to the restaurant, wishing the evening air would cool the heat off her face. “And I’m starving .”
Chapter 10
Charity spent the next day setting up the double conference room for the evening’s staff party. Last night’s dinner played over in her mind again and again. She’d set her iPod on the docking station connected to the room’s sound system and tried to focus on the task at hand.
Except the fake kiss kept tempting her imagination of what it might be like if Elijah wanted to kiss her. She couldn’t deny he was good looking. The whole doctor thing was a turn on.
Stop it! She rolled her eyes for the tenth time that hour. She needed people to come tonight, to relax and have a good time and want to be part of this gala. She moved another table to the wall perpendicular to the wet bar. Well, it wasn’t much of a bar until she had cases of beer, wine and several bottles of whiskey delivered. Then she had to have one of those cafeteria fridges with sliding doors brought up. She’d just finished stocking it when her father walked in.
She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. It felt warm. She’d have to make sure the fans or A/C was on for the evening. Thank goodness the room had glass doors to a balcony that overlooked the city.
Her father cleared his throat. “The room looks different.”
Charity had the large conference table removed and put into the room across the hall. The room had loads of space now. She’d set tables and cushion ed chairs throughout the room, covered the tables in white tablecloths with specks of silver sewn throughout. It gave the effect of glitter – like diamonds.
“There’s going to be quite a few people coming in and out tonight.” From the emails replies, there would be at least fifty.
“What should I wear?”
The question took her by surprise. The man always wore a suit or something dressy. She doubted he owned a pair of jeans. “Just wear dress pants and a button up. You can wear a suit if you want but this room’s pretty warm. You’ll be ditching the jacket before you finish your first conversation.”
“Noted. Do I need to make some sort of speech?”
“Do you want to?”
“No.”
“Then you don’t have to. Just mingle around the room and introduce yourself to whoever’s here.”
“Everyone knows who I am.”
Did the man always have to be so confident? It made him a great doctor but it also made him frustratingly annoying. “I’m sure they do, Dad, but you don’t know everyone here and people like to feel special if you make a point to talk with them or say hello or even ask their name.”
He opened his mouth, bu t then closed it and didn’t say anything.
“You’ll enjoy yourself. Be here by seven at the very latest. People will start showing up around six and want to eat. The food’s coming around seven and if people start eating before you’re here, they won’t wait around. They’ll leave.”
“Okay. I’ll be on time.”
“Thank you.”
He walked out
Similar Books
