20. Leo
20
LEO
W hat. Was. He. Thinking?
“And you are a beautiful woman?” How cliché could he get?
But it wasn’t really a cliché if it was true. She looked elegant and refined and still so…Sage. She carried herself with the same energy in that incredible (and no doubt expensive) dress (which hung off of her like a waterfall—great there he goes making comparisons to nature like some love-struck idiot—next thing he’ll be writing sonnets about her).
Get it together.
Right. She carried herself with the same confidence in this dress as she did in sweatpants back at home. In a world of fake, two-faced people, she was a breath of fresh air.
Okay, so he has so far compared her to air and water, what next? An earth metaphor? Maybe how she set his blood on fire? Good grief, he needed to get his head out of the clouds and firmly back on the ground. Flying was getting easier the longer he spent with her.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, breaking what he supposed was the awkward silence he had created.
“Flying.” He cleared his throat.
“What?”
“Back door is this way.” He led them through the door and the back halls, trying not to think too long and hard about the way her delicate hand felt on his arm. He wanted to hold that hand. He wanted to go on one of their sunset walks and hold her hand and say nothing at all and simply enjoy the feeling of her hand in his.
He was feeling feelings and that simply would not do.
No.
He had work. And with her new revelation of a spurned crush (lover was much too harsh a word) he had some new background checks he had to complete on the fly. So much flying today. He hadn’t meant to fly off the handle at her but goodness gracious she didn’t realize how serious this actually was, especially after what happened earlier at her home. He’d talk to her about it. Maybe on the plane. The situation was under control at this point anyway.
He navigated them straight to the double doors of the foyer. Sage made a move to go in, squaring her shoulders and ready to stride in. He grabbed her upper arm.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. He didn't mean for his voice to go all husky. “For raising my voice like that. It was uncalled for and you didn’t deserve it.” He rubbed the goosebumps along her arm with his thumb and stared at the place where his thumb met her skin for a moment too long. He cleared his throat and released her.
She looked taken aback, eyes slightly wider, her mouth parted. She caught herself, answering, “Accepted. And I’m sorry for holding out on you. That wasn’t right of me.”
Holding out on him? She had no idea how much she held from him. He wanted to know more about her. More of what she liked and hated, her favorite foods (other than fluffy pancakes and tea). He wanted to know her dream vacation destination. He wanted to know her deepest fears and her guilty pleasures.
Well, shoot. He found himself yearning for a change.
A man could dream.
“Apology accepted. Now, shall we?” He plastered on a grin, swung open the doors, and ushered her in.
He really didn’t have time to play the goofy identity of Bob right now. He was busy scanning the crowd, looking for people that shouldn’t be there. He lingered in the foyer, scanning the crowd for this Jason guy. He’d had a moment to pull up his profile and it only took a twenty-dollar tip to the doorman to confirm that, yes, Jason the Jerk was in the building. A guest of an official invitee, so there was no throwing him out.
At least not yet.
Still, if this Jason dude tried anything then Leo would be more than happy to throw him through the doors like a cartoon character.
He and Sage meandered to the giant ballroom where patrons dropped off their coats at the tables and made their way to the other side where a very exciting cocktail hour was taking place.
“You going to be okay?” Sage asked.
“Okay?”
“I mean, I know you don’t drink and I didn’t know if it was a problem for you?—”
“I don’t drink because it’s nasty and makes me feel sick just smelling it. Teenage Leo did enough drinking and partying to last a lifetime.” Leo suppressed a shudder.
Sage laughed, grabbing a glass off of a tray passing by her. “I don’t drink often. But when I do it’s gotta be stupid expensive stuff that tastes like juice.” She sipped the pink drink and made a sour face. “This is not it.”
She was being nice to him, offering him an olive branch after their little spat in the car.
“We all have our vices. Mine were pills. For a time.”
“Ah.” She nodded like it was no big deal. They both knew it was. Confessing an embarrassing secret, an addiction (despite being recovered from) was intimate. “We all have our struggles. You don’t need to tell me.”
“But you noticed,” Leo said. How had she noticed?
“I notice a lot of things, too.”
“So, you’ve said. How?”
Sage dropped her glass off on a tray passing by. “You work out a lot. You have a limp sometimes. I notice on our walks now, only when you’ve done a long run though. And you never take anything for it. You ice religiously and use my heating pads when you think I won’t notice?—”
“I resent that accusation.”
“But you don’t deny it. I think the Hello Kitty heating pad works the best.”
“It does,” Leo admitted. When had they gotten so familiar?
Sage laughed. “You have protein powders and gross pre-workout?—”
“You’ve tried it?”
She shuddered. “Once. You’re healthy, but not that healthy. You still have Oreos and steal my Girl Scout cookies. I just figured there was a history…pain is complicated.”
“Pain is complicated,” Leo said. “Bad car accident in high school got me started. Then a pretty gnarly training accident first year in the military. Got dependent on the opiates. They had no business giving me enough to kill an elephant. And now even Tylenol feels like a hit. And I know myself well enough to want another. And another. And then something stronger.” He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. Why was it so hot in here?
Sage placed a hand on his shoulder. “So, you found a solution that works for you. And you stuck to that. And your life is better for it. That’s all that matters.”
“And you?” Leo asked because the conversation was flowing and he didn’t want it to end a dang it, he just wanted to know her. “Any secrets you’ve been hiding other than your Jason guy? Addictions you want to get off your chest? Dark skeletons in your closet you want to shed some light on?” It would have sounded so serious if they weren’t grinning at each other.
She thought for a moment. “I am terrified of dying alone because I know if I do, it’s my fault.”
Before he had any time to react to that revelation (not that he had anything on his silver tongue to say) Sage was whisked away by Jared who “Just has to introduce her to some VIP people.”
There was a definite feeling of lack on his arm now that she was gone. It was soon replaced by Iris. It wasn’t the same. She was talkative and friendly at the dinner last night and smiled at him like a friend she’d known for years.
“So,” Iris said. “Are you aware that you are dating Sage or is that just happening in her head?”
“Wait what?” Leo took a break from scanning the crowd (lingering a little too long on Sage’s back—okay fine her backside) and turned to Iris. “What does that mean?”
Iris snorted, wrapping her arm around his in an exaggerated way that could only scream “This is a platonic type of physical touch because I am being so weird about it.”
Iris gestured to Sage. “I asked her if you were single. Sage sputtered a bit before answering but basically came up with a weak nonanswer of something along the lines that you are talking to someone and aren’t exactly available right now.”
“She did, huh?” Leo felt himself puff up a little and told himself to simmer down. He didn’t, of course. This was Big News and he was allowed to stand a little taller (and broader) because of it. Goodness gracious, was he a bird, ready for a chance to do a crazy dance to impress a lady?
How far the mighty have fallen .
“Took me a minute to figure out that the woman in question you were talking to had to be her.” Iris released his arm and grabbed a champagne flute, giving a mock cheer in Leo’s direction. “Congrats. I’ve never seen her smitten before. But to be fair, I mostly spend time with her through a screen. Be nice to her.”
“I’m her assistant. Of course I’m nice to her.” That hadn’t always been true but he didn’t need to elaborate on that right now.
“You know that’s a standard she has, right? Pretty sad. After a terrible blind date, we talked for a bit about it. I asked what she wanted in a guy, you know, asking what her standards were, she just looked defeated and said she only wanted someone who was nice to her.”
“That is…”
“Pathetic?”
“Profoundly sad,” Leo said.
Iris walked away, calling over her shoulder. “Just be nice to her. Also, I know your name isn’t Bob.”
“Great,” Leo mumbled to himself.
Sage and Leo reconvened for dinner and Leo only had to break Sage away from one man who seemed a little handsy but it turns out he was Italian and that was “just how they are” according to Sage. Interesting. Leo considered doing one of the DNA test things to see how much Italian ancestry he had and figured he should start tapping into that particular cultural side.
Dinner was an extravagant affair. The important tables were introduced quickly and the announcer had a charismatic quality that allowed the room to laugh and relax, which was the point considering they dove straight into the auction. Vacations, motorcycles, art, and everything in between were auctioned off, the charismatic MC angling for more dollars each round. Lily bid on behalf of LilyTech.
“What?” Leo asked Sage. “Not into Greek vacations?” He gestured to the package being auctioned off.
Sage snorted. “I have never been out of the country. I swear I have traveled more than anyone, but only within the boundaries of the states. I should really get a passport.”
Leo’s eyes widened. “Yes, you really should.” Especially since if given the opportunity he’d whisk her away to Italy (you know, for his newly developed cultural side).
Jason sat with the CEO of the hospital. Apparently this Jason Jerk was his nephew and he pulled some strings and was a last-minute addition to the table. Leo couldn’t help but notice how Jason’s eyes also scanned the crowd, settling on Sage more often than he’d like.
And when the live auction finished and the dessert served, the tables in the lobby were opened to the public for the silent auction part of the evening. Sage took her time walking out there, Leo trailing behind her.
But he wasn’t the only one.
“Well, well, Miss Moon… Fancy seeing you here!” Jason said, intercepting Sage who had been busy reading a sign on a table.
Sage faltered for a moment but then gave into a side hug. Leo stood close, ready to intervene but Sage seemed at ease. She smiled and chatted with him and this Jason guy accompanied her around the foyer as she looked at the tables and placed some bids.
It was evident that Jason wasn’t carrying any weapons (other than an unfortunate haircut). It had been an intense part of his training protocol and the weight of the suit jacket and pants was even, there were no bulges or anything to warrant suspicion. Still, the guy seemed sleazy. His eyes lingered too long on Sage. It was like he was trying to undress her with his eyes, and the way he licked his lips? Disgusting. Sage wasn’t a meal to be had.
But if she were Leo supposed she would taste divine. Like sweet cherries with just the right amount of tart.
He loved cherries.
Still, Leo and Sage had discussed this. Leo would only ever intervene if there was a reason to. And so far, there wasn’t a reason.
The pair posed for some pictures and Jared looked like a kid in the candy store. He captured so much content of the pair, muttering, “Finally something people can speculate about.”
“What does that mean?” Leo asked, making the social media manager jump.
“Oh, the ‘will they won’t they get together’ tension was pretty good for the brand. Jason has a massive following outside of Sage’s circle so the overlap is nice. You should read some of the gossip sites, people speculating. It was good exposure.”
Leo scoffed. “Exposure.” That was something he’d never be able to understand. She lived her life online. At least he once thought so at first, but being with her, doing life with her, it became evident that she was wholly transparent with her audience about certain aspects of her life. Not everything though. She was a complicated person with a complicated life and she managed to make it seem like her fans were friends. She made it seem like she had her life on display.
But did her fans know that she cries every time she watches 50 First Dates? Because Leo did.
Did her Patreon members know that she could taste the difference between green tea brands? Because Leo did.
Did her subscribers know that she always, always turns her face to the sun the moment she steps outside? That she squinted at the rays like it was a secret greeting between her and the light? Because Leo did.
Did her fans know that she has a fear of heights?
A fear of poison ivy?
And of splinters?
And frogs?
And the dark?
And needles?
Because Leo did.
Instead, all he could respond to Jared was a simple, “Right” despite knowing how wrong he was.
And in a blink of an eye, the silent auction was over. The guests were ushered back into the ballroom where the tables had been cleared and the open floor was already littered with a number of people dancing (too elegantly, in Leo’s estimation. This wasn’t Pride and Prejudice the 2005 version—which Sage had proudly proclaimed was the best adaptation and Leo was forced to agree). Still. Leo found himself ready to put on his waltzing shoes. Too bad Jason was already in the circle, swaying with Sage. She looked stiff and awkward and she glanced at Leo.
She looked at him again.
Then again.
No, this wasn’t her admiring his well-fitted suit (thank you Jesnson for always insisting on packing an expensive suit for emergencies). No this was her asking for help.
It was a nice thing to be needed. Almost the same sensation as being wanted.
Leo wasn’t two steps away from the pair when he heard a strained laugh come from Sage. “I love candied nuts. And filberts. Have you had filberts?”
“Excuse us,” Leo said in a way that did not convey he was the least bit sorry to be interrupting the pair’s slow dancing. He gathered Sage to his side, arm around her, and escorted her to the table of drinks. Sage quickly released herself and dove for a glass of water.
“What happened?” Leo asked.
“He’s just—” Sage took a deep drink of the ice water and then refilled the glass. “Ugh, he’s just a creep. But not enough to call him on it, you know? If I said something about a small comment he made he would say I was being too serious or took it the wrong way. That I was too prudish. So, I let things slide because maybe I was reading too much into it. But ugh!” She drank some more water and held the cup of ice to her throat. “He’s just a creep. Too many small comments and I just had enough. He tried to grab my butt. Maybe. His hand kept sliding lower and lower and I tried to step back to create some space.” She was blushing now. Embarrassed and was that shame?
“Hey,” Leo said.
She looked away, staring at the punch like it was the most interesting thing in the world.
“Hey,” he said again, reaching out and taking her chin in his hand, pulling her face toward his. He waited until she made eye contact with him. Tears welled in her eyes.
“I just wanted to dance?—”
“He made you uncomfortable and that is his fault. You did nothing to warrant his advances. You are not to blame here.”
“Is there a problem?” It was Jason coming to check on Sage like a dog who lost his bone.
Leo rounded on him. “Give us space and we don’t have to make a scene.”
“Do you want to take this outside?” Jason asked, puffing up.
Leo cracked his neck because he wasn’t immune to the posturing that males had to do. Plus, it looked dang cool.
“Look, kid,” Leo said in such a low tone that Jason actually leaned in a fraction to catch his words. “Take a hint and take a hike. I do not want to see you so much as look Miss Moon’s way or even attempt to talk to her. The niceties are done. You blew your chance, move on. If you do not respect her boundaries I will personally escort you out and yes, I have the authority to do that.”
Jason looked to Sage where she shrank back half a step but nodded.
“Maybe we should take this outside after all,” Jason said.
Leo shook his head. “First rule of fighting is to always look at your opponent’s shoes.”
Jason glanced down at Leo’s feet. “What do you mean by that?”
“These boots are Italian leather. Hand crafted and fitted perfectly. See a scratch on them?”
Jason shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’ve had them for three years,” Leo said. “It’s because I refuse to run in them. I refuse to do anything but wear them to nice events where a scuffle or skirmish is least likely to happen. So why look at your opponent’s shoes? Well, if they are not prepared to run, they are prepared to win. You, on the other hand,” Leo made an exaggerated show of looking down at Jason’s shoes. “Those sneakers are quite the fashion choice for an event like this. But at least you’re prepared to run. So, tell me. Do you still want to go outside?” Do it, punk. Say yes. Give me an excuse to hit you.
He deflated some. “Sage, is this what you want?”
“It’s what I wanted when I asked you to let me go four times.”
“You said you wanted to dance!” Jason said, all bravado out of his voice. He was just a whiny kid.
“A dance!” Sage hissed. “I love dancing. Actually dancing. Not getting felt up by a total stranger?—”
Leo cut off what she was about to say by extending a hand and ushering Jason toward the nearest door. “Take a walk and find a new dance partner when you’re ready. Also, just a word to the wise, never pick a fight with a guy in flip flops because that is definitely a guy who does not plan on running.” And like a good boy, he actually left.
“That was a mistake,” Sage said, rubbing her temples. “I need Tums. I am going to have heartburn with this stress.”
“Why a mistake?” Leo asked.
“He’s going to look you up. Your cover is blown. I know it.”
Leo couldn’t care less. Sure, Bob was all fun and games on trivia night but he preferred being Leo. “Dance with me?”
She lit up like the sun for the briefest of moments before doubt flashed over her. “I’m actually a terrible dancer, and your shoes?—”
“Cost me a whole forty dollars at the mall.”
“What?”
Leo shrugged. “I do have nice Italian shoes. Just not these. But faux leather is easier to wipe off blood.”
“Has that happened before?”
Leo shuddered at the memory. “Oh yes.” The dry cleaners were not happy with him.
She took his hand that was still extended out to her. “I really do love dancing.”
“I know.”
“But I am bad at it.”
“I know that too.”
But still, they danced. It was an easy sway and Leo showed her a few steps which she caught on to quickly and they danced in circles because she wasn’t totally certain how to reverse her steps the other way despite Leo trying to lead her. She laughed when she stepped on his shoes and whispered a quick “sorry,” before she stepped on him again.
He didn’t mind. It was hard for his feet to hurt when he was floating ten feet off the ground anyway.
The live band was impressive with their choice of music, light and airy yet clearly curated pieces to create movement and a comfortable dancing atmosphere for any skill range. Some people swayed back and forth, some actually waltzed in small circles.
“How come you know how to dance? Like a fancy dance?” Sage asked.
“Parents are rich and go to events like this all the time. They love throwing money around for charity instead of doing actual work. Just kind of grew up knowing how I guess.” That and Great Aunt Betty forced him to be her dance partner for every little thing. That woman had the energy of a hummingbird.
A comfortable silence followed and Leo was content to just focus on the feeling of her hand in his. He’d wanted this. Been thinking about what it would be like to hold her hand in public without a second thought. This was doing nothing to stop the growing fantasy in his brain. He imagined kissing that spot on her skin right where her neck and shoulder joined. It was just open and staring at him in that strappy gown. It would be so easy to lean down slightly and brush his lips over her. She might let him. He found himself leaning in, smelling her signature scent of strawberry and green tea and something else he’d come to know as just her. Something that only people close, people intimate, knew.
Did she close the gap or did he pull her closer?
That spot on her neck teased him.
“Ask me again,” she said, leaning in so her whisper could be heard over the music and crowd. Her breath tickled him. The physical reality of her being right there and her lips so close brought him crashing back to earth.
“Ask you what?”
“To forgive you. Ask me again.”
This was real. Too real. Was this crossing a line? No. No, it couldn’t be. It was just burying the high school hatchet. Closing a door on the past. It wouldn’t be crossing a line unless he kissed her.
Which he wouldn't.
Probably.
He caressed her hand and closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, giving his brain a moment to join his body.
He took his hand from her back and brushed a hair from her face. He wasn’t willing to let go of her hand just yet. He squeezed it tight as he spoke. “Sage, I am so sorry for what I did. I can’t make excuses for my behavior. Just know that I am so sorry for what happened and what it did to you.”
“Just ask.” Her voice cracked.
“Will you forgive me?”
“Yes.”