Page 103 of One Night Only
CHAPTER 41
EMILY
HMC headquarters is alive with Christmas music and laughter and the sound of glasses clinking together as something mouthwatering lingers in the air. Today is the last working day of the year, and the whole office finished up early to celebrate. But as I stand in the corner, nursing a glass of champagne, I’m consumed with panic, watching while everyone else seems to be having the time of their lives.
“Hey, you good?” Fran sidles up next to me wearing a pink, sparkly Santa hat.
I nod. “Yeah, I’m just trying to work up the courage to ask Andy if I can leave early.”
Fran’s eyes widen. “Oh, yeah… are you telling himwhy?”
She knows precisely why I need to leave early. Because I have a flight to catch. Dallas flew home this morning. He’s already there, and he’s been constantly checking on me. It’s as if he’s afraid I’m going to purposely miss my flight. And, I’m not going to lie, the thought did cross my mind. I’m quietly terrified. But I love that man, and my love for him trumps my fear of flying half way across the country to meet his family for the holidays.
“I was going to… but I don’t think I can.” I bite my lip, glancing at Andy across the office floor. He, too, is currently wearing a Santa hat. Standard red, not pink or sparkly. He has a beer in one hand and a microphone in the other, singing along to “Jingle Bell Rock” with Tyson, one of the agents.
Fran follows my gaze. “He looks pretty happy… maybe now would be the best time to tell him. At least then he has two weeks to get over it before we return in January.”
“Or, he could fire me on the spot, and then I’ll have to spend the holidays looking for a new job…” I counter.
“Okay,glass half empty,” Fran mutters, rolling her eyes at me.
I heave a sigh, nerves roiling low in my belly. “I just feel like maybe it would be best if Dallas and I told Andytogether.”
“Just… be careful,” Fran says carefully. “The longer you hold off, the more Andy might see it as a betrayal.” She glances back at Andy before looking at me again and offering a gentle smile. “Andy and Dallas are really close.” She gives my arm a squeeze before running up to the makeshift stage when Tyson calls her name off the karaoke list to sing “Santa Baby.”
While everyone gets into Fran’s sultry performance, I spot Andy by the bar, getting himself another drink, and after a few more moments of gut-wrenching deliberation, I take a deep breath and approach him.
“Hey, Andy.”
He spins around, his grin a little slanted from the beers he’s already consumed. “Oh, hey!”
“Can I… speak with you?”
“Yeah, always.” He nods. “What’s up?”
My eyes flit to the side where there are a couple of HMC employees waiting in line for the bar, and I offer him a hopeful smile. “Maybe in private?”
Andy’s brows knit together, his smile fading a touch, but he’s quick to nod and point to the corridor that leads to our offices.
I lead the way, Andy following a few steps behind, and the closer we get to my office, the higher my heart creeps up into the back of the throat. By the time we walk inside, I feel like I’meither about to be sick or faint, neither of which would be ideal given the situation.
I turn around, my hands clasped together in front of me, and Andy hesitates, looking me up and down, a weary expression coming over him as he waits.
Oh, God, I wish I’d thought this through.
“So… what’s up?” he asks, his tone cautious and tentative.
I swallow hard, finally meeting his eyes. “I um…” I glance at my desk, at my handbag, and my memory is suddenly jogged. “I got you something.”
“You got me something?” Andy smirks.
I bend down, grabbing the small FAO Schwarz gift bag and cross the room to give it to him.
With a curious smile, he takes it and peers inside, his brows lifting and his face morphing into something that could only be described as awe as he pulls out the gift.
“It’s probably silly.” I shrug. “I saw it in the window as I was walking by and… it made me think of you.”
Andy stares down at the stuffed giraffe in his hand. He doesn’t say anything. Just studies it for a long silent moment, sniffing a soft laugh.
