Page 123 of Fierce-Hyde

Not everyone stayed long, but just stopped in and Tori was getting tired herself.

It was eleven and she’d been up since six, working at eight, and then came right to this party and had been mingling and eating since five. One more hour and they could pass out in bed.

She’d had one glass of wine two hours ago and then switched to water or soda because she was more fearful she was going to fall asleep if she drank more.

Even Hyde was only on his second beer that she could see and he’d just gotten that.

“I can’t believe how long of a day it’s been,” she said when Hyde came back to her side. He’d been talking to Drake while she kind of stood next to him. She was fine with that as even her voice hurt with all the talking she’d done today. Had to be loud with all the people too.

“I know,” he said. “We can leave at any point. We don’t have to stay to the end. Not everyone does.”

“I noticed that,” she said. There were a few with young children that went home to them in the past hour.

She thought Raina and Cody would have, but they said with Duke spending the night at Raina’s parents, it was nice to have the night to themselves and not worry.

“Do you want to leave?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “You finish your beer. It’s not like we’ve got plans tomorrow. We can sleep in. I’m going to get another soda though. Maybe the caffeine will wake me up.”

He leaned in to kiss her. “Give you some energy for when we get home. But I’m okay with doing all the work. You like it that way.”

She felt the heat hit her face. “Stop trying to embarrass me.”

“You don’t embarrass easily,” he said, winking, his hand trailing down her arm as she smiled and walked away.

“Now is our chance, Carolyn,”Diane said. “Looks like Tori is alone.”

“Let’s go,” Carolyn said.

The two of them had been watching Tori and Hyde all night but hadn’t had a chance to make their move without someone pulling one of them away or getting Tori away from them.

“Mom,” Ryder said to her. “Where are you going?”

“Later, Ryder,” she said. She was finally onto everyone. They were purposely keeping her and Carolyn away from Tori.

Ryder shrugged and mumbled he tried and she wasn’t even going to be offended over that.

“Tori,” Carolyn said. “How are you doing?”

“Great,” Tori said. “What a wonderful party. I can’t imagine the amount of work this takes.”

“It’s a lot,” Diane said. “But Carolyn and I have been doing this for years. We’ve got some help now.”

Payton did all the food and desserts. Jade and Kara would come down from work and help set things up too. Even Megan and Raina helped this year too.

“That’s nice,” Tori said.

“Speaking of nice,” Carolyn said. “You and Hyde look nice today. Almost like a perfect couple.”

Tori laughed. “I’m not so sure there is such a thing as a perfect couple.”

“Never,” she said. “But we all like to think it. No one is perfect and never will be. It’s how you work through those imperfect times that matter.”

“And as I’m sure you both know, Hyde and I have had a lot of those imperfect times.”

“Nonsense,” Carolyn said. “We all have been there. Ryder and Marissa butted heads a lot. I mean, no one else can say they didn’t talk for nine years, right? Look at how well they get along now.”

Tori frowned. “Guess I never thought of it that way.”

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