Chapter 8
“You know,we were teasing when we said you were Cinderella. You could have stayed out past midnight and not turned into a pumpkin.” Paige teased when I showed up at her door at the end of the night.
I tossed my purse aside and flopped onto her couch with a sigh. “I know. I just?—”
Paige texted Javi, and he knocked on her door seconds later. Javi didn’t even say hello before he began peppering me with questions. “What did I miss? How was the ball? Was it awfully boring? At least you didn’t pay for the ticket.”
“No. It wasn’t boring.” An image flashed through my mind of Jasper spinning me on the dance floor and holding me close.
Paige’s brows lifted and she pointed at me. “Wait, a minute. What’s that look for? Did something happen? Tell me everything.”
I hugged a throw pillow to my chest, wondering where to start. “At first I was just trying to network and talk to people about restaurants. But then I went to sit at my table for dinner. They’d sat me next to a man.”
Javi rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “O-kay. Now we’re talking. Tell me about this man.”
I paused and bit my lip, unsure of what to tell them. “He was gorgeous. Alright? The most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. But he was also the most charming. I swear he could charm the stripes off a zebra.”
A knowing grin spread across Paige’s face as she plopped onto the other end of the couch next to me. “Ah. So you did meet a Prince Charming. Now I really want to hear more. Details… Stat!”
“The man was obviously a player. And I’m absolutely not interested in that.”
A puff of air escaped Javi’s lips. “You don’t have to marry the man. It’s okay to just have a good time. I bet a guy like that knows how to have fun.”
“Do you want me to tell you what happened or not?” I asked, my voice edged with irritation.
Javi sank onto the chair across from us. “Yes. Yes. Just hurry up about it. I’m not getting any younger.”
I closed my eyes and shoved all the words together. “He kissed me.”
Paige gasped and her hand covered her mouth. “This gorgeous stranger kissed you? Like a quick peck?”
“No, a full-on, stop my heart and notify my next-of-kin kind of kiss. But only to save himself! There was a woman after him. Stalker type. I ended up… helping him avoid her all evening.”
“With more kissing?” Javi waggled his eyebrows.
“With a fake engagement.”
Both of my friends’ eyes went wide and mouths dropped open.
I played with a loose string on the pillow. “His plan worked. The woman left. But as I sat there eating my dinner, I heard your voices in my head.”
“And what wisdom did we impart?” Javi asked with a smug look on his face.
“That I should have fun and enjoy myself for just one night.”
He nodded proudly. “Yeah. That sounds like us. You should listen to us more often.”
“Well, tonight I did. I told him that if he wanted to convince his stalker he was off the market, it would take more than a little kiss. We needed to keep the charade going the rest of the night.”
Paige slapped her hand on the back of the couch. “Get out! You said that? I’m so proud of you.”
I was pretty proud of myself for initiating that, too. “He agreed. So the rest of the evening, we were inseparable. We talked and laughed and danced. It was magical.”
“I’m so happy for you.” Paige’s excited smile shifted, and her face scrunched in confusion. “But if you had such a good time, why are you home so early?”
“It started to seem real. We almost kissed on the dance floor. It was like we were both in a trance—in our own little world and not caring that there were hundreds of people around us.” I sighed. “When I realized what was happening, I had to get out of there. I bolted, got a cab and here I am.”
“Wow. You’ve had quite a night.” Javi grinned. “Please tell me you got his name or number, so you can see him again.”
“Nope.” I said popping the p. “That was part of my agreement to go along with the charade. We wouldn’t exchange personal information, and there would be no other contact. It was a one-time thing. And now it’s done.”
Paige shook her head. “You had the most amazing night with a real Prince Charming, and that’s it. You’ll never see him again. And you’re okay with that?” She tossed a pillow at me, hitting me in the head. “What is wrong with you?”
Javi agreed with Paige and threw his hands up in frustration. “Have we taught you nothing?”
“I don’t have time for a relationship, you guys. You know that. I thought you’d be happy I gave myself this one night of fun.”
Paige reached out and patted me on the shoulder. “You’re right. I am happy you went for it tonight. I’m proud of you.”
“I went to this thing with the sole purpose of making contacts to better my career. But ended up spending all my time glued to this man. I should get bonus points for that. Don’t you think, Javi?”
He sighed heavily. “I suppose.”
“And back in my real world, it’s time for me to either find a new job or get moving on opening my own place. A relationship would just get in the way of that. And that’s the last thing I need right now.” I was trying to convince myself as much as them. “I know what my priorities are, and it’s not dating a player, no matter how charming he is.”
“At least you got some good memories out of it.” Javi got up to leave, and Paige locked the door behind him.
I sat back and smiled, picturing the look in Jasper’s eyes when we almost kissed. These memories would fuel me for a long time to come. Which was a good thing, because who knew how long it would be before I had time for anything like that again?
If ever.