Chapter 29 #2
She really needed to find out if this was a date. But what if it wasn’t? Asking would make things awkward.
Barb pointed at the two empty chairs. “Do you mind if we sit with you? Unless we’d be crashing your date,” she added and looked back and forth between them with a knowing smirk.
Scottie flashed her a smile. “There’s always room for you, Barb.” Again, she didn’t correct Barb’s assumption. She steadied Willow’s chair with one hand and waited for her to take a seat before she settled next to her.
Barb caught Willow’s gaze with a broad grin and waggled her eyebrows.
Willow spread her napkin across her lap and pretended not to see it. Oh God. She was trapped at a table with the company’s biggest matchmaker, at the office holiday party that might just be a date.
~ ~ ~
Half an hour later, not a scrap of food remained on Scottie’s plate. She leaned back in her chair, letting the hum of chatter in the ballroom wash over her while stealing glances at Willow.
The flickering LED candles at the center of their table threw a golden glow across her fair features and made the satiny fabric of her dress shimmer. Now that she was no longer wearing her coat, the capped sleeves revealed her slim, graceful arms.
“Go on, you two. Don’t let us old folks stop you.” Barb’s voice pulled Scottie from her near trance.
Scottie turned her head. “Stop us from what?”
The older woman gestured toward the dance floor.
Only now did Scottie realize the band had eased into a softer, slower song, and couples were getting up to dance.
Scottie was as rusty at dancing as she was at dating.
Aside from that dance-off at bingo night, she hadn’t danced in ages.
But she longed to hold Willow close, even if it was only for the length of one song.
This might be the only chance she would ever get.
She tilted her head and gave her a questioning look, trying hard not to appear too eager.
“What do you think? Would you like to dance?”
Willow hesitated just long enough to make Scottie’s heart sink. “I’m not a great dancer.”
“Perfect,” Scottie said. “Neither am I. We can be awkward together.”
Willow gave her a reluctant smile. “All right. Lead the way, then.”
Scottie rose, her heartbeat quickening. She tried to keep her cool as she placed her hand in the small of Willow’s back and guided her past the other tables.
It was just a dance at an office party. Willow hadn’t corrected Barb’s assumption that they were on a date, though.
Did that mean she really considered it one?
Or had she decided that it was simply easier to let Barb think whatever she wanted?
The dance floor wasn’t crowded, only a handful of couples moving in a slow rhythm.
Scottie held out her hand.
Willow hesitated. She glanced around as if searching for something but didn’t seem to find it.
Scottie gave her a quizzical look, still offering her hand.
Finally, Willow placed her fingers on top.
A zap shot through Scottie’s palm, and a visible arc of light crackled between their clasped hands.
“I’m so sorry!” Willow tried to pull back, but Scottie held on.
“It’s okay. I’m getting used to your electric personality.” Scottie sent her a gentle smile. Was that what Willow had been looking for—something to ground herself so she wouldn’t zap her?
Willow stared at her for a moment, then her fingers relaxed in Scottie’s steady grip.
Tentatively, Scottie pulled her closer. A rare moment of insecurity overcame her as she worried about stepping on Willow’s toes and where to put her hand, not wanting to make Willow uncomfortable.
Then Willow settled her hand onto Scottie’s shoulder, and everything seemed to fall into place.
Scottie eased her hand onto the small of Willow’s back. The soft fabric warmed beneath her fingers, as if Willow’s body was reacting to her touch.
They found their rhythm immediately. Willow moved with elegant grace, guiding Scottie along with subtle shifts of her body as if she were the one leading.
“You lied,” Scottie murmured.
Willow looked at her with wide eyes. “What?”
“About not being a great dancer.”
Color returned to Willow’s cheeks. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
Scottie knew she was clumsy compared to Willow’s elegance, but Willow didn’t seem to mind at all.
They didn’t try any fancy moves, no polished steps, because Scottie hadn’t danced in years. But she also hadn’t felt so alive in just as long.
The hem of Willow’s dress swirled around them, the fabric rustling against Scottie’s legs with every turn.
She deeply breathed in the scent of something apricot.
A strand of Willow’s hair tickled Scottie’s cheek, and she realized they had moved closer, barely two inches between them now.
Willow fit against her so naturally, it made Scottie’s head spin.
The brush of Willow’s leg against her own sent heat spiraling through her.
Every nerve in her body was attuned to Willow’s closeness, the warmth of her hand on Scottie’s shoulder, the slide of the silky fabric beneath her fingers.
The other couples and the ballroom seemed to disappear as they slowly swayed together.
Scottie had no idea how long they danced like that. One song? Two? Maybe three?
Every now and then, Willow’s hand slid down a little, from her shoulder to her arm, then back up again, almost as if in an unconscious caress.
Scottie had left her suit jacket at the table, and with only the thin fabric of her dress shirt between them, it was as if Willow’s fingertips were trailing over her bare skin.
She swallowed hard. Her pulse beat faster than the music. Her eyes fell shut, and she struggled not to press her cheek against Willow’s—or her mouth to the tempting curve of her lips.
Abruptly, the bright stage lights came up, and the band stopped playing.
“All right, everyone!” Mr. Haggerty’s voice cut through the haze in Scottie’s mind. He tapped the microphone. “It’s time for the Secret Santa gifts! Please head over to the Secret Santa table and open your present.”
Willow’s hand slipped from Scottie’s shoulder, leaving behind a lingering tingle.
Reluctantly, Scottie let go of Willow’s hand. Their moment of closeness was over, and it was all she could do not to stumble on unsteady legs as she followed Willow across the room.
~ ~ ~
The rustle of gift wrap and the excited squeals of her colleagues seemed to come from a great distance. Willow tried to tell herself it was the glass of champagne or the wine she’d had with dinner that was making her head spin, but she knew it was Scottie’s intoxicating closeness.
Dancing with Scottie, being held close, had made her feel safe, beautiful, and electrified all at once. For the first time in her life, the latter didn’t seem like a bad thing.
Maybe she really could learn not to hate parties.
The stray thought of her overstimulated brain made her chuckle.
Scottie smiled as if by reflex. “What?”
“Oh, nothing,” Willow said quickly. “Just looking forward to opening my gift.”
Scottie nodded. “There’s mine.” She pulled a small gift bag with her name on it from the pile of presents.
Willow’s gaze was focused on Scottie’s broad hands, the strong fingers that had rested on her back just a minute ago. It took her a few moments to shift her attention to the object Scottie pulled from the bag.
It was a miniature arcade machine, a six-inch retro-style cabinet with tiny buttons and the smallest joystick Willow had ever seen.
“Ooh, that’s cool!” Scottie studied it from all sides.
Willow laughed. “Aww, that’s adorable!”
Scottie held it out to her. “Here. You love retro stuff. Want it?”
Willow stared at her, touched that Scottie would offer it to her.
But she couldn’t accept it. She would find a way to make it short-circuit before the new year.
“No, no, you keep it. I have a present of my own.” She finally spied her name on one of the tags and pulled a small, wrapped box from the pile.
Carefully, Willow peeled back the paper and opened the lid.
Inside, nestled on a velvet cushion, was a wristwatch. With its white face and a chocolate-brown leather strap, it was elegant but understated. Something that Willow could have seen herself wear—if she had been able to wear a watch.
She had tried as a teen, but it had always started to lose time immediately, then stopped working altogether within a week. After trying half a dozen different watches, she had finally given up.
“Nice,” Scottie said. “You don’t have one, do you?”
Willow bit her lip. “No.”
“It’s perfect, then.”
“Yeah.” Willow forced a small smile and tried to shake off the gloomy thoughts about draining batteries and tech disasters. All she wanted was to enjoy this evening with Scottie—and maybe to dance with her again.
But apparently, their CEO had other plans.
As soon as each employee had opened their Secret Santa gift and everyone had returned to their tables, he reached for the microphone again, launched into a speech, and presented a slideshow of important company milestones throughout the year.
Photos from product launches, anniversaries, the company BBQ, and even Barb’s retirement party flashed across the big screen above the stage.
“And now,” Mr. Haggerty drew out the words dramatically, “it’s time for the coveted Kudos Entertainment company awards!
First up: the Golden Headset Award, awarded for bravely fielding the most ridiculous call from a customer.
It goes to”—he nodded at the band to play a drum roll—“Brent Walters from Customer Support!”
A bearded guy rose from one of the tables and bowed. Under the cheers of his colleagues, he went up onstage and accepted the award.
After handing out several other awards for “accomplishments” like holding the longest Zoom meeting, killing most office plants, and having the densest sticky note jungle along their screen, Mr. Haggerty finally made it to the last award on his list. “Last but certainly not least, it’s my honor to present the award for causing most paper jams and other tech glitches! ”
The band played another dramatic drum roll.
“And the award goes to…Willow Greene from Operations!”
Laughter erupted around Willow. Her colleagues clapped, cheered, and whistled.
Willow sat frozen, the noise roaring through her ears.
“Where is she?” Mr. Haggerty looked around, shading his eyes with his hand. “Come on up and accept your prize!”
Barb gave her a nudge that finally made Willow rise.
She caught a glimpse of Scottie, who gave her a look of sympathy as Willow stepped away from the table.
The walk to the stage felt as if she were caught in one of her nightmares. Cheeks burning with humiliation, she stumbled up the three steps. Her thundering heartbeat almost managed to drown out the cheering of her colleagues.
The CEO held up a small bronze plaque shaped like a printer with smoke rising from it. “We appreciate your valiant battle against technology.” He stuck out his free hand, clearly expecting her to shake it as if she had really won a coveted award.
Willow’s gaze darted around. Just like earlier, on the dance floor, there were no metal objects in sight. Unless she wanted to rip the microphone from his other hand, there was nothing for her to ground herself on.
Mr. Haggerty stuck out his free hand a little farther.
She had no choice. Hoping for the best, she reached for it.
A painful jolt raced up her arm.
“Ah!” He yelped and jerked back, looking at her as if she had kicked him in the shin. The microphone squealed with feedback.
More laughter rippled through the ballroom.
Even Willow’s ears were burning now. She grabbed the plaque, mumbled an apology, and fled from the stage.
The faces around her blurred as she rushed past them. She caught glimpses of laughing expressions and clapping hands.
Someone from Operations patted her back as she passed.
Then one face swam into focus—Celeste. She wasn’t clapping or cheering.
Willow’s boss sat ramrod straight at one of the tables, her perfectly glossed lips pressed into a thin line and her arms crossed over her elegant dress.
Her gaze zeroed in on the plaque in Willow’s hands as if it were a personal affront to her and her entire department.
A few tables over, the COO sat with the other higher-ups of the company. He wasn’t clapping either. He squinted at her from beneath pinched brows.
Willow ducked her head and hurried past, back to the relative safety of her table.
“Hey, you okay?” Scottie whispered as Willow sank onto her seat. She rested one arm along the back of Willow’s chair, as if wanting to engulf her in an embrace.
Willow couldn’t even look at her. She didn’t want to see the expression of pity or the curious questions on Scottie’s face. “Yeah. I just need some air.” She couldn’t stay here for even one second longer, so she grabbed her clutch and jumped to her feet.
“Wait! Let me—”
But Willow was already rushing toward the exit, eyes burning with the tears she struggled to hold back.