Page 6 of Masked Love

While I’d complained about it being inappropriate, which it was, I was more worried about my growing infatuation withmy boss, especially seeing him outside of work and realizing he wasn’t as grumpy as I initially perceived him to be.

“Tell me more about yourself, Greyson.”

I wiped my hands and face on a napkin after sucking from the head of a crawfish. “Well, I grew up in Baton Rouge and came to New Orleans, and not just for work. I love it here. The energy of the place, the old-world feel… love it. My life is pretty boring, really. I grew up with loving parents and older twin sisters who used to torment me to no end, dressing me up in their clothes or testing out the latest makeup trend, much to my father’s dismay.”

“The baby of the family, huh?”

I smiled. “Yes, and the family favorite, of course.”

“Of course.”

“I played tennis in high school, was bullied way too much from being gay to wearing glasses or not being part of the American favorite pastime of playing football.” I shrugged and popped some Cajun-fried shrimp into my mouth.

“You seemed to have come out okay.”

“I’m awesome like that,” I winked.Ugh, did I just wink at my boss? Gross.“What about you?”Yes, let’s stop talking about me before I make more of a fool of myself.“Something that no one else really knows about you.”

He chewed on a spoonful of gumbo, swallowed, and then wiped his mouth, seemingly debating on how much to tell me, judging by his long pause. “Well, it’s not uncommon knowledge, but I don’t exactly advertise it, either. I grew up in the foster care system until I was eight. My parents died in a car accident, and there was no one else, so they dumped me into the system until my current parents adopted me. They couldn’t conceive, so they fostered me. Honestly, I was surprised they didn’t want a baby instead, but they understood how hard it was for older children in foster care, so they wanted to take in a child that would beless likely to be adopted. I went from having nothing to having everything I could ever dream of.”

Wow, I had no idea. No wonder Xander wanted to start something all on his own, even if he had a little financial help. I rested my chin in my hand as my admiration grew for my gorgeous boss. “That’s amazing. I’m glad you got a new family.”

He smiled and looked unusually shy. “Me too. They went on to adopt three more children from the system. I was the first. Then came my two brothers and one sister. My little sister has Down syndrome and is the sweetest thing. But since I’m the oldest, I’m my grandfather’s favorite. He’s also the hardest on me because of it.”

I loved that. What an interesting family. Great parents to take in those kids who were less fortunate. I had to beat back the growing admiration with a stick.No getting attached to my boss.

We chatted about our lives and friends for a while longer until we finished eating, then we headed to the bar for a couple of drinks upstairs on the mezzanine.

“I’ve actually got a private table up here, but I like to be in the crowd. Then again, the bar upstairs is quieter, and we won’t have to wait in line for a drink.”

I’d been so lost in Xander’s blue eyes and talking about himself while slowly falling harder than I should because, hello, he was my boss, so I didn’t really take in the crowd.

Once we got our drinks, we stood shoulder to shoulder against the ornate wrought-iron railing to look down on the people dancing the night away, wearing amazing costumes. I loved people-watching. That was the beauty of New Orleans. So many came here to dress up, party, and live life. And locals knew how to throw an awesome party.

There were way too many witches andDraculas. There was a cool mummy that looked surprisingly realistic, a few zombies,and a gay couple dressed up as Cleopatra and Mark Antony, which I absolutely adored.

“While I miss my friends tonight, this place is amazing,” I said.

He looked over at me with thoughtful eyes. “I got demanding yesterday. Sorry, I was just… under some stress and pressure. And a little desperate. I didn’t want you saying no.”

I gave his shoulder a little nudge with mine and sipped my cabernet. “Forgiven. But yeah, I miss my friends. I haven’t seen them as much as I would like.”

“It’s a busy job. I’m not easy on my employees. Especially since I’m still growing, and growing rapidly.”

“It’s a good job.”

“And you do great work. I don’t tell you that enough, I know. You’re always on top of everything and ease my burden immensely.”

Le sigh…

Yep, that was what I needed to hear—to feel appreciated for how hard I worked.

“Thanks,” I muttered into my wineglass to mask my blushing despite the lighting being dim enough to hide it. “So, is yourfriendhere?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.

“I haven’t seen him yet.”

“Should we practice kissing before he shows up?” I asked, feeling bolder now that I’d had another glass of wine. I’d intended it to be a joke, but Xander’s smolder had me suddenly questioning everything. I gulped at his intense stare before he smirked.

“Surely, we both know how to kiss.”

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