Page 33 of My Book Boyfriend
Does he like Everly? She clearly likes him. And he’s not telling her goodbye. But then, he does like to avoid conflict.
“I’ll come with you,” Everly says.
“I’d like a white wine,” I say. The bar is off in the stone hallway, and the line snakes down the corridor. That is a long time for the three of us to make conversation. She could be a friend who wants to catch up.Then Aiden will return to me.“I should say hello to my boss and some of my other colleagues, so I’ll catch up with you after that.”
Everly puts her arm back through Aiden’s as they walk toward the bar. I stare after them. He has to return, right? Is my date being hijacked? I shake my head. It’s just a momentary blip. Maybe she just wants to hang out with him until her other friends arrive.
I’m the one who didn’t volunteer to get the drinks with him. I could have.
But the way he looked at Everly …
He doesn’t look at me like that.
We are just friends, after all.
But still, I asked him to be my date for this gala, and he agreed. That means he should hang out with the girl he arrived with.
I turn to look for my boss. My first instinct was right. I should get my work obligations out of the way while those two catch up, and then Aiden and I can spend the rest of the night dancing, like last year.
The place is packed, but from experience, my boss usually hangs out in the Polonsky Exhibition of Treasures. As I make my way over there, stopping to say hello to some colleagues and their dates, I see Rupert. He’s standing with a short, dark-haired woman, very attractive.
My stomach dips. Again.Fricking roller coaster.He looks very dashing in a tux.
Of course, he has a date.
And I’m not interested in him.Garden destroyer.
Keep telling yourself that, and maybe you’ll believe it.
He was just trying to confuse me.
Men.
I knew it.
I continue on my way and find my boss, wearing a red sari, holding court, standing by Charles Dickens’s desk. She looks amazing. She compliments me on my green dress. She introduces me to her husband, who excuses himself to get them drinks. Without another woman hanging on him. As it should be.
“Thanks for alerting me to that issue with the community garden,” she says. “We’ll have to stop officially meeting and holding book talks there if it’s going to rile Strive Developers.”
I nod. I figured as much. I’d seen them on the list of donors to the library, as evidenced by Mr. Strive Developers’ presence.
She frowns. Uh-oh.
“But what you do in your free time is your business.”
Phew.
Not that it would have stopped me. But I love my job, and I definitely don’t want to lose it.
“I was able to book some local romance authors to come speak on a panel for May, and I have a great panel lined up for Juneteenth,” I say.
She thanks me, and we discuss a few more things going on with the library. We walk out of the room as she leaves to join her husband. No drinks are allowed in the exhibit. I excuse myself to find Aiden. The glow from the chandeliers warms up the white, marble walls. Groups of chatting friends cluster together.
There’s Rupert again, this time hanging out with another guy. Blond but also tall and fit and attractive. Maybe their dates went to the bathroom.
They look like they’re good friends. Rupert shakes his head at something his friend says and then laughs.
His face is much more relaxed when he laughs.
