Page 81 of One Bossy Date
I squeezed his arm playfully, aware he was joking. This man had no insecurities whatsoever, least of all about his apartment. “You know I love this place. Your mom’s is just so…”
“Comfortable?”
“Right? Everything is so soft and relaxing. So feminine.”
“Yes, I think she had a few rooms redone after my father died.”
“That would make sense,” I said. “The bedroom is a queen’s paradise.”
He shook his head and chuckled. “Well, I wouldn’t know that.”
“She gave me a dress to borrow for the dinner. A dream dress. Anders, you’ll die when you see me in it. It’s so, so beautiful, and exquisite, and it’severything.”
“Well, that’s nice.” He looked at my face and immediately saw my frown. “Isn’t it?”
“I just feel so horrible. She mentioned the pregnancy when she wanted me to try on the dress. I almost refused the kind gesture entirely because I feel so bad about lying to her.”
“Yeah, I know. I feel shitty too. How about we tell her that you’re not tomorrow at the dinner? We can say the doctor called, and it was a false alarm.”
“Could we? That’s what I was thinking. That would be best. I know it’s not the greatest news for a festive Christmas dinner, but at least the lies won’t be that bad then…”
“Deal. We’ll tell her tomorrow. First thing. We’ve waited long enough.”
29
ANDERS
Iremained closed in my office while the caterer and decorators did their work across my living area. Sitting at my desk, I was already dressed and ready for the evening in a more festive suit than I normally wore—plain black slacks with a gray suit jacket that hinted at plaid with very thin, almost imperceptible lines crisscrossing the material. I left my shirt unbuttoned at the neck and added a woodsy cologne I only wore on special occasions. Zoe had been closed up in her room for a few hours now, and I assumed she was prepping.
When she slipped into my office to tell me the team had finished and drinks were being poured, I was taken aback. She looked like an angel. An angel in red. I’d never seen the dress my mom had lent her, and I truly believed it was made for Zoe. The bold red, while definitely not my favorite color, was entirely complimentary against her tanned skin and golden-brown hair. On her, it looked amazing. Tonight, she had her hair straightened, and it flowed freely around her body, almost reaching her waistline.
“You ready, Anders?”
“Yeah, ready.”
The dress framed her curves perfectly. Her legs were impossibly long, and her calves looked delicious with the way her heels forced them to contract. When she turned around to leave again, I noticed that her back was bare.
“Zoe?”
She paused at the door, peering back in.
“You look lovely tonight.”
She smiled, dropped her eyes to my suit, and replied, “You don’t look too bad yourself.” With one last sultry glance, she disappeared.
Two minutes later, I closed my laptop. I stood from my desk and fastened my jacket with one button, then strode out to host this family event my mother had cast my way.
When I entered the front room, it truly was stunning. My mom’s team had once again outdone themselves, and I could feel Christmas in the air. It was the decorations, festive music, and the massive Christmas tree they’d set up in the TV room. A waiter offered me champagne on a tray, but I refused and asked him to please keep my glass filled with soda and lime all evening. He immediately headed back to the kitchen, which was now hidden behind an array of decorated room dividers.
Zoe stood near the windows, and I began to head in her direction, but Murphy’s Law intervened, and the doorbell rang behind me. I pivoted on my heel and opened the door, expecting to see my mother with my great-aunt Gwendolyn on her arm, who she usually had driven over from Staten Island for these family events. Aside from them, I was expecting my uncle and his wife, along with three of my cousins and their spouses. Only, it wasn’t any of them standing beside my mother. It was somebody else—a couple I recognized only from pictures: the Humphries. Charles Henry Humphries and his wife, Helen Humphries.
Charles was the CEO of Humphries Properties, the very same man I’d been trying to meet. Pure excitement was written all over my mom’s face.
How had my mother done that?
I knew my mom was acquainted with Helen, but I hadn’t realized she was close enough with her to bring them along to private family events.
“Hello, everyone, please come inside.” I stood aside and let the three of them in, while one of the waiters immediately appeared to take coats and handbags to a separate corner. After shedding her black coat, my mom flattened her red fitted suit and held on to my arm.