22. Aftermath
22
AFTERMATH
WYATT
A guard said, “Ma’am, we must go.”
Odette said nothing—shooting me a sweet goodbye look and marching off. I waited in the shop a few more minutes, gathering my thoughts. Why did I trip all over myself? I was hardly a hopeless teenage boy, but the last two times I’d seen her, I’d lost my train of thought more than I hadn’t.
Stephen met me back at the office.
“Are you quite alright, sir?”
I shook my head as if to do a hard reset. “Uh… I am.”
“Do you need a moment? Did the meeting go off the rails?”
I cleared my throat, “No. I need you to confirm travel details with the palace regarding the Vision 360 conference.”
Stephen raised one eyebrow. “What?”
“Princess Odette was the board member who accepted the invitation to attend with me. So, we will work with her team. I believe her person is named Karin.”
“I recall that, yes. I will reach out.” Stephen’s face suggested he was holding back.
“Yes, Stephen?”
“You’re spending a great deal of time with her. There’s… nothing going on?”
My mouth dropped.
“Well, is it out of the question? She’s an attractive young woman. You appreciate her company?”
“You sound like my mom, Stephen.”
He shrugged. “Maybe there is something there.”
“I’ve not been with anyone since Isla,” I said. “And Isla was slightly older—not what? 12 or 13 years younger? She’s too young and too sweet.”
“But you find her attractive ?”
He knew. How? I refused to admit I found her attractive.
“Even if I did , we’re just friends and colleagues. I couldn’t—and wouldn’t—make a move.”
“If I were single and a twenty-something fit man came onto me, I’d be hard-pressed to deny myself, Wyatt. Don’t do yourself a disservice and look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“Just talk to the palace, alright?” I groaned, not dignifying that with a response.
The truth? I couldn’t stop thinking about her ass or her thighs and how good it would feel to be between them. That was a downright confusing, befuddling feeling.
Time for a cold shower.