Wedding Duress (Events By Design Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) Page 7
She looked around and blinked before congratulating her assistant.
“Good job getting two limos! You are really good!” she said, pointing to the second smaller black car that waited at the curb. The town car idled quietly behind the stretch limo, only its driver wasn’t waiting at the open door for its passengers to enter. Mandy shook her head.
“That wasn’t me. I may be good, but I’m not ‘psychically call for another limo’ good. I think that car belongs to that guy over there.” She pointed and Stacy followed her gesture to find Nathan walking towards them. Her heart dropped a little bit in her chest, both from knowing he’d see her in this slightly inebriated state, and from knowing that today’s event wasn’t exactly the caliber that his company was used to.
Her spirits picked up tremendously, though, when she saw the smile on his face and the bouquet in his hand. He held them out to her, then wordlessly pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The party goers cheered as they climbed into their car, leaving Stacy reeling from their approval and Nathan’s kiss.
“What was that for?” she asked, suddenly sober.
“I’m just happy to see you. This wedding is over, and as you promised, you owe me a date. Plus, with the news floating around the internet already, I have grounds to fire you, thus making you no longer my employee, thus making you eligible once again according to your own rules to go out with me. See? It’s a win for me, no matter how you look at it!”
She knew he was teasing, but she couldn’t help feigning hurt. “You would fire me? After all the publicity I managed to create for your company today? Before you answer, remember there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Having a beauty queen’s wig ripped off by her former future mother-in-law during an old lady beat down that was taking place on our watch might go in the bad publicity column. I personally think it was epic, and I think you’re a hero, but your ‘don’t date the boss’ rule is still getting in my way. I just don’t see any other options. Sorry!”
“So, are you saying that the beat down and the wig… and the ruined wedding dress, and the laxatives in the cake icing and the rest of it all… those aren’t reasons enough for firing me?”
“Nope. Not at all. If I fired you for that stuff, I’d have to replace you. And where am I going to find someone who can handle all of those problems with class and poise, while still somehow managing to look smoking hot? Plus, you let me do this.” He kissed her again, taking his time and letting the heat from his lips warm her mouth. Before long, Stacy’s hands wound around his neck and she was returning his kiss. The limo honked loudly as it drove away with her friends—both new and old—but she didn’t care.
“I’m pretty sure this is sexual harassment, boss,” she said with a sarcastic smile, breaking the kiss and stepping back an inch to look at him.
“Hey, firing you is still and always on the table, I suppose. But I’d rather not. I have too much fun watching you work.”
He stepped back and opened the passenger door for her, gesturing grandly for her to get in. “Where to, my lady? The night is still semi-young, and you do have a promise of dinner to keep.”
She looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling devilishly. “I happen to know where there’s a large buffet of exquisitely prepared dinner for two thousand, just sitting there going to waste. It also happens to be in a fairly exclusive and mostly empty reception hall. Who knows? We might have the whole place to ourselves, if you don’t count a few burly football playing stragglers.”
He kissed her quickly and ran around the car, jumping in and pulling the car out into the street with barely a glance over his shoulder. Stacy giggled at his sudden burst of enthusiasm, and thought warmly about all the wonderful things she’d ever liked about Nathan. His kindness, his generosity in letting her keep the company going so no one ended up out on the street, even his smoldering good looks… they were all a part of the total package that was him, only she’d been too focused on not ruining all that Abigail had worked for to see it. Until now.
The warm glow of happiness slid slowly through Stacy’s veins as Nathan drove them back to the site of the reception—sure, she knew it could have been the whiskey, but she wasn’t going to argue with a good feeling—and she mentally toasted Abigail with a glass of Dom Perignon, only half a glass as Abigail believed alcohol was the undoing of many young ladies. The old matriarch would have never approved of a night of whiskey shots with friends, but the kind, firm old lady would have happily celebrated today’s victory just the same.
Also by Ally Gray
Available Now:
I Do, You Die - An Events By Design Cozy Mystery - Book 1
Coming Soon:
In-Laws & Outlaws - An Events By Design Cozy Mystery - Book 3
The Bride Wore Black - An Events By Design Cozy Mystery - Book 4
Mob Wedding Mayhem - An Events By Design Cozy Mystery - Book 5