Page 37 of The Charmer

"Will there be a buffet?" I asked.

"No. Usually they have a waiter circulating with starters, and then all the food is served at the table."

I took another sip of the best champagne I'd ever tasted. I shuddered thinking how much it had to cost, but it didn't matter. Tonight it was free, and I planned to enjoy every single drop.

We immediately ran into another waiter with a food tray, but that was no surprise. Glancing around, I realized there were a lot of them circulating about. Julian took two small plates and handed one to me. They had an assortment of fried shrimp and what looked like a slice of a very sophisticated po'boy with a toothpick holding it all together. I immediately went for the po'boy.

"Mm, I needed this," I said before we set our glasses on a nearby empty table. I practically swallowed it whole and then proceeded with the fried shrimp. It was exquisite as well.

After we were both done, a waiter appeared out of nowhere so he could take the empty plates. Julian and I grabbed our glasses again.

"All right, now that we've got something in our stomachs, bottoms up," he said.

I grinned. "I was just thinking about downing the rest of it."

He winked. "I thought so after our Sazerac experience.”

"Oh, so that's the impression I left on you, huh?"

"It's a very good one. Trust me," he assured me.

We clinked glasses again, and then I drank with much bigger gulps than before. Obviously, I couldn't finish it all at once, but neither did Julian.

Once we paused to breathe, he said, "We're going to need some water too."

"You've read my mind again."

"I'll be right back.”

"I’m going to look at some of the paintings." The nearest one depicted scenery that was clearly straight out of the bayou. The shadows, the light, and the colors of the water and trees were so good that they transported me right there. I swear I could even smell it. I closed my eyes, drawing in a deep breath.

"You've got to be kidding me."

My eyes flew open. Kyle was approaching me. He looked me up and down once. "What are you doing here?"

"I’m here with Julian," I said breezily.

He snorted. "These aren't your type of events."

"I'm making some changes." I felt even bolder than usual. Why did he think he could just come up and talk shit to me?

"I see you're wearing your one good outfit. Jesus, you’re—”

"Don't you fucking dare finish that sentence," Julian said, and I startled. I hadn't even realized he was coming toward us. He put the glasses of water on another table and turned to Kyle.

"Or what?" Kyle challenged him. "Will the illustrious Julian LeBlanc get his hands dirty in the middle of an event like this?"

"Yes," Julian said. The way he carried himself made me think he wasn't bluffing. His hands were pulled into fists as he rolled his shoulders backward. He was holding his head high.

Kyle snorted. "You actually came here with her?"

To my astonishment, Julian instantly transformed. He glanced at me, and his body relaxed.

"Of course. I wanted her to meet everyone." Then he came over to me and pulled me to him in a way that could only be described as intimate. The side of my body, especially my left boob, was pressed against his chest. We were glued to each other. I could practically feel the reverberations of his heartbeat against my rib cage.

"Just so you know, if you plan on taking her to more social events, that's the one good outfit she has," Kyle sneered.

Julian's eyes instantly turned from warm to fucking pissed off.

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