Chapter Chapter Ten
Amy
“Ready to go?” Knox asked.
“Yes. I was just grabbing my bag. Where did I put it?” I turned around, blinking. Why was I lost in my own tiny home? “Oh, that’s right. I left it on the couch.” I found it and put it on my shoulder. I also took a light jacket that went well with my dress.
As Knox led me to the car, I couldn’t help but glance at him. God, was he sexy in his dark blue suit. Yum, yum, yum. I could count on one hand the times I’d seen him wear one. But he somehow got even better with age.
As we got in the car, I asked, “So, where is the event?”
“Near Balboa Park.”
“How often do you go to events like this?”
I wanted to ask something else too. Did he always take someone? I knew Knox didn’t do relationships, but we’d never truly spoken about... well, how he got laid. Did he just pick up women in bars? Did he actually take them on dates?
I swallowed hard, glancing out the window. It was none of my business. Absolutely none. Knox could do whatever he wanted, just like I could.
“Now and again. Depends if I’m in the mood. And if I think something will come out of it.”
“Do you think something will come out of tonight?” I asked, looking at him again. His profile was stunning. He had strong cheekbones and a defined nose. His hair was lighter now, I realized. From here, I could see a few flecks that were more golden than brown.
“No, tonight I’m just going to listen to some guys talk about where they think the industry is heading.”
“‘The industry.’ That seems like such a blanket thing to say. The industry is huge,” I went on. “And I’m sure each niche has got its own particularities.”
Knox grinned. “I’ve missed your brain, Amy. I always felt you could make a great CEO.”
I frowned. “Oh, if I had a penny every time someone questioned why I wanted to be a teacher,” I murmured.
“I’m not questioning it. I know why. You love working with kids, forming their little minds.
And honestly, education could use more people like you who are completely passionate about teaching.
Anyone can be a CEO. Well, anyone with a brain,” he amended.
“But I always thought that not all teachers should be teachers.”
I smiled. “I know what you mean. Some of the teachers I had in my early years clearly hated kids and felt we were a nuisance.”
“Exactly. I always had a feeling that most of my teachers just hated our guts.”
As the car stopped at a red light, I crossed my legs. I heard a sharp intake of breath. Out of the corner of my eyes, I looked at Knox. Oh, he was checking me out. I was sure of it.
I ran my hand through my hair, pulling it over the side of my face to cover my smile. I felt giddy at the idea of Knox checking me out. Goodness, I was behaving so strangely.
We arrived a short while later in front of an elegant white building. I figured it would take a while to get a parking spot, but Knox simply stopped the car right in front of the entrance and said, “Let’s go.”
“You’re parking here?”
“No. It’s valet parking.”
I’d never ever been to an event with a valet. I thought that was only a thing in movies. Granted, San Diego had its upscale areas, but I didn’t go to them.
“Amy?” Knox asked, a tinge of concern in his voice.
“Sorry, I was... Yeah, sure. Let’s get out.”
I’d always known that Knox and I lived in different circles—especially after college. But until he uttered the word “valet,” it hadn’t seemed so real. Although, of course, his gorgeous house made an impression too.
He handed the key fob to an elderly man dressed in a black uniform with a cap. I pressed my lips together.
“You’re about to burst out laughing,” Knox stated after the man got into the car and drove away.
“I thought valets only existed in the movies. You know, ‘Bond... James Bond.’ It never occurred to me that it’s an actual job.”
He laughed. “It’s not a snobbish notion. It’s difficult to find space for everyone attending. He’s taking the car to the nearest parking lot, which is not that near at all. I believe he gets well compensated with tips.”
“Probably.” But I was still hung up on the process. “So, he walks back? That must take a long time.”
“No, there’s another valet at the location returning with a car.”
“Oh, okay.”
Knox put an arm around my shoulders. I so loved his touch. I just wanted to melt against his body.
Amy, this isn’t the first time Knox has held you like this. He’d actually done it a million times over the years, and a part of me always reacted because, hello, sexy man touching me. But now I wanted more of it.
He led me to the entrance, where two gorgeous women stood. They were wearing identical black dresses that were exactly my style—short, but not overly tight.
“Good evening. What’s your name?” one of them asked, looking from Knox to me.
“Knox Sterling, plus one.”
A shiver raced through my body. That’s just a figure of speech, Amy. It doesn’t mean you’re his date.
“All right. Have a nice evening,” the other one said.
“Amy, you okay?” Knox said. He let go of me and looked me straight in the eyes.
“Yeah, of course. Why not?”
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Bossy, aren’t you?” I teased.
“Hell yeah. You know I am.”
I couldn’t tell him, though. It sounded ridiculous.
Why did you say I was your plus-one?
He’d laugh me off.
“Tonight is a bit different from what I thought it would be,” I said instead.
“In what way?” he pressed.
He was not going to let this go.
I just smiled at him and said, “I want a drink.” That would help me relax.
“All right. Want to leave your jacket?” He pointed to a coat check line.
“Good idea.”
There were several people with jackets in hand, waiting. I dutifully took my place in line, checking everyone out. Thankfully, I’d done well choosing my dress, although a lot of the women were wearing suits. Clearly, this was a work event for most people.
My turn came quickly, and after handing the clerk my jacket, I turned around.
Knox came up to me with a glass that I was pretty sure held a margarita. The drink in his other hand was orange.
“Please tell me you’re not getting me drunk while you’re having boring orange juice.”
He grinned. “No drinking and driving.”
“I kind of like that you’re so responsible. I wouldn’t have associated it with you for the longest time.”
He rolled his eyes.
“How are they even serving margaritas at a work event?” I asked.
“They aren’t. I just paid the bartender extra. They have all the ingredients, but the organizers only included a few things in the package.”
“Knox! You didn’t have to do that.”
“I figured you’d love it.”
“And I do.” I took a sip. “It’s really good.”
“See?” he teased.
“All right, so what’s the plan?”
“There’s a speech starting right now about how digital security is likely to change with artificial intelligence.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“After that, it’s mostly about mingling. I have zero interest in the other speeches.”
I took another sip. “I need to eat before the speech. This will go right to my head otherwise.”
Knox winked. “Your wish is my command. The food is on tables by the bar.”
From the huge hallway, there were four rooms: two in which presentations were taking place, and two where people could mingle.
“The food looks great,” Knox said as he brought me to the buffet.
There were mini toasts with toothpicks in meatballs, and salads. I grabbed something from each, along with a disposable fork.
“All right, I’m ready to listen to the speech now.”
“There’s no food allowed in the rooms. Although,” he whispered, leaning toward my ear, “we can rebel and sneak some in.”
I didn’t know if it was the tone of his voice or the way his breath felt on my ear, but his words felt sinful. I pulled back, shaking my head imperceptibly so I could clear my mind.
“Nah, I wouldn’t want to break the rules just for this.”
He tilted his head, clearly repressing a smile as I practically devoured the food. Once I was done, I put my plate on the stack labeled “Used Dishes.”
“Ready.”
The corners of his mouth ticked up.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I like the way you phrased it. You wouldn’t break the rules for this, which begs the question: What would you break the rules for, Amy?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, then took another sip of margarita.
“I’m not sure yet, but I can contemplate that while we’re inside. I am allowed to bring my drink, right?”
“Yes, obviously. They wouldn’t want anyone to dehydrate.”
“Oh yeah, that’s exactly what I’m doing,” I said with a laugh. “Come on, let’s go.”
The speech was boring, if I was honest. Twenty minutes into it, Knox said, “Let’s just leave. This dude’s rambling and clearly isn’t up-to-date with the newest developments in artificial intelligence.”
“Oh, I thought it just seemed boring to me.”
A few other listeners walked out with us. The hallway was full.
“Is it me, or is it even more crowded than before?” I asked.
“Yep. Clearly, the other speaker isn’t very good either.”
The other guy was still talking, because I could hear him from the corridor, but people were just walking out in droves.
“Knox Sterling, I thought I might see you here tonight.”
A stunning redhead came up to us. She wore high heels and a suit that was to die for. It was white with a zipped jacket instead of the traditional buttons. She looked at me briefly and then focused on Knox again.
“Cynthia, good to see you. I also figured we might run into each other. This is my friend, Amy.”
She turned to me with a smile. “Hi, Amy. You work with Knox? Are you a brainiac too?”
“I’m a teacher,” I replied, and her face instantly changed.
That had happened to me more times than I could count over the years, especially when I was dating. One guy actually told me that he wasn’t looking for a woman who had no money, and he’d have to sustain financially.
“Knox and I go way back. We were friends in college,” I explained.
Cynthia looked at Knox with a peculiar expression before saying, “So, they really knew how to pick them for tonight, huh? I tried to listen to both. Such a bore.”