Puppy Love and Mistletoe

by Merrillee Whren

  “You can? How?”

  Scott nodded as he turned to the other man. “Are you part of the band?”

  The man shook his head. “I’m Jeremy Fuller, the group’s booking agent.”

  “Could you get the speakers and sound equipment here?” Scott motioned toward the stage. “I used to do some DJ work and still have a computer with all the music I used on it. If I could get it hooked up, I could play that. Not as good as a live band, but better than nothing.”

  Amelia touched his arm, desperation on her face. “That would save the night.”

  Scott nodded, trying not to let Amelia’s touch affect him. This was still business. He looked over at Jeremy. “Can you help us?”

  The other man nodded as he took a cell phone from his pocket. “The group’s equipment is loaded and ready to go. I’ll have someone bring it over.”

  “That would be wonderful.” Amelia posed her hands in a prayer position in front of her.

  “And I’ll make a quick trip home to collect that laptop.” Scott grabbed his coat from the rack. “I’ll be back in no time.”

  “Thank you.” Amelia walked with him to the door. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  “We’ll make this work.” Scott stepped out into the cold, starry night. He shivered, not from the cold but from the memories. The last time he’d worked as a DJ was the night Danny and AnaMarie lost their lives. He hadn’t done another gig since. Survivor’s guilt still haunted him.

  Tonight he would put aside all that grief for the sake of the pretty head of the rec department. He would do it for her.

  ****

  “Who is that?” Lesley raised her eyebrows as she stared at Amelia.

  “You haven’t met him?”

  “No. Should I have?

  “He’s the guy doing the budget assessment for the mayor.”

  Lesley gave Amelia a knowing look. “I haven’t seen a man look that good in a suit in a long time. Keeping him all to yourself? I can see why.”

  “No. I haven’t seen much of him either, but the mayor roped us into attending the dance together.” Amelia hadn’t missed how Scott’s broad shoulders filled out his dark-blue suit.

  “Lucky you.” Lesley waggled her eyebrows. “I’d better be nicer to the mayor.”

  “Please. This is business.” Amelia pressed her lips together in annoyance. “I have to show him what the rec department does. Remember, you want to keep your job, don’t you? Besides, what will your date think if you’re drooling over some other guy?”

  “Just kidding.” Lesley glanced toward the door. “I don’t think Tony has a jealous bone in his body.”

  Amelia shrugged. “You never know.”

  “Tony has no doubt he’s the one for me.” Lesley grinned. “But you have to admit your date is one handsome guy. What’s his name?”

  “Scott Graham. I’ll introduce you when he gets back. In the meantime, let’s make sure we don’t have a problem with the food for this event. We don’t need anything else to go wrong.” Amelia motioned for Lesley to follow. “Let’s get the ticket table set up. People will be arriving before we know it.”

  While Lesley got things ready to take tickets, Amelia called to see if the caterers were on the way. She breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived a few minutes later. After the caterers set up, Amelia made one last check to make sure everything was in place. She surveyed the room just as Scott returned.

  Her heart skipped a beat as Scott smiled her way and held up a laptop. She wasn’t sure whether her accelerated heartbeat had to do with him or the fact that they would have music for the dance. She hurried to meet him. “The guy with the sound equipment is here. We should help him bring it in.”

  Scott shook his head. “You’re not dressed for that kind of work. You wouldn’t want to ruin that dress. We can handle it. Besides, I’m sure you have other things to think about right now.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” Amelia generated a smile she didn’t feel. He was helping. So what was the problem? She didn’t have to think hard for an answer. She had a date, but she didn’t have one. With Scott manning the music, who would dance with her?

  While Amelia stood there feeling sorry for herself, Lesley appeared. “You look like you lost your best friend. Isn’t the music working out?”

  Amelia waved her hands in front of her. “That’s all taken care of. I’m just in a fog about the whole disaster with the band. I hope they’re all okay.”

  “Take a deep breath. You’ve got it all under control.” Lesley patted Amelia on the back. “Now when are you going to introduce me to that handsome man who’s going to play our music?”

  Shaking her head, Amelia laughed. “Follow me to the stage, and I’ll introduce you.”

  “Is he as nice as he looks?” Lesley practically skipped alongside Amelia.

  “I barely know him.” Amelia wasn’t going to even mention the dog or pizza or game night. That would only give Lesley more fuel for her runaway thoughts.

  Lesley grinned. “I’m checking this Scott guy out to make sure he’s good enough for you.”

  “And one introduction is going to do that?” Amelia laughed again.

  “Maybe.” Lesley gave Amelia a broad, fake smile. “Let the introductions begin.”

  Amelia proceeded up the stairs leading to the stage where Scott worked with two other men as they set up the sound system. “Hey, Scott.”

  He looked up and smiled. “Amelia, what can I do for you?”

  She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She couldn’t fool herself. His twinkling blue eyes and broad smile had everything to do with her reaction. “I want you to meet Lesley Ackerman, my assistant.”

  Scott stepped out from behind the table and extended his hand. “Hi, Lesley. Glad to meet you. You and Amelia have done a fantastic job setting everything up.”

  “Thanks.” A blush crept up Lesley’s cheeks.

  Amelia couldn’t believe her assistant’s reaction. Did Scott have this effect on all the women he met? Amelia tamped down her own response to the man who was supposed to be her date. Maybe this whole episode with the band had saved her from herself. She wouldn’t be dancing with him if he was providing the music.

  “Is everything working out here?”

  “Yeah.” Scott gestured toward the two other men. “These guys know exactly how to put these things together.”

  “Great. Lesley and I have a few last-minute details to attend to.” Amelia took a step toward the stairs. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  “Will do.” Scott saluted them as they left the stage.

  When they reached the table near the front door, Lesley took a seat behind the table. “Okay, Boss, I’m all set to take tickets. And I put my stamp of approval on Scott.”

  “I think we need his approval more than he needs ours. After all, our jobs may depend on it.”

  “Be nice to him.” Lesley looked at Amelia with a big cheesy grin.

  “I hardly think I can be nice or not nice to him, since he’s playing music and I’m the wallflower sitting in the corner.”

  “You aren’t a wallflower.”

  “We don’t have time to argue about that.” Amelia nodded toward the door as she stepped away from the table. “Our first guests have arrived. I’ll check on the caterer again.”

  Lesley greeted the first arrivals while Amelia headed toward the kitchen. The whole time her mind was filled with thoughts of Scott. She shouldn’t care about the change in plans, but she did. She couldn’t help wishing things were different—wishing this was a real date with all the expectations of a future relationship. But this was business for both of them.

  When Amelia returned to the auditorium, the strains of soft mood music filled the air. She looked toward the stage, where Scott and the two guys helping him huddled together as they adjusted the sound. The choice of music surprised her. She’d been in such a panic when she learned about the band’s acc
ident that she hadn’t thought to ask what kind of music he had on his computer. At least the older folks would be pleased. And surely he had some recent popular tunes in the mix. Should she check or leave well enough alone?

  She was in charge. So she’d better find out what he planned to play, even though it might seem like she was butting in. While she made her way to the stage, she gave herself a pep talk. She had every right to know what to expect from her music man.

  As she approached the group of men, Scott looked up. Her heart did a little tap dance. When would she quit having that reaction to this man? Hoping he didn’t realize the effect he had on her, she straightened her shoulders. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” Scott stepped closer. “Can I do something for you?”

  As he looked down on her, his close proximity did nothing to calm her racing pulse. She swallowed hard. “Just checking to see if you’ve got everything working.”

  “We’re good.”

  “Great.” She had to get to the point. “What kind of music can we expect from you tonight?”

  He gestured toward the table. “I don’t remember everything I’ve got on here, but it’s a wide variety, and I plan to take a lot of requests. If I’ve got it, I’ll play it.”

  “Good. Seems like you have everything under control. No need for me to butt in.”

  He grinned. “You can butt in any time you’d like.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll leave you to it.” She wasn’t sure what to make of his statement or the twinkle in his eyes. She didn’t want to get too friendly. Bad news could be waiting in the wings if he decided to slash and burn his way through the budget and leave her without adequate funds for her department, or at worst, no job at all. Being kind but wary made for the right attitude. At least she hoped it did.

  As Amelia returned to the front entrance, Jenna and her husband arrived. After she handed Lesley her tickets, Jenna quickly cornered Amelia. “So where’s this handsome date of yours?”

  Amelia nodded toward the stage. “Being the DJ for the evening.”

  Jenna frowned. “I thought you had a band.”

  Amelia nodded, then explained what had happened. “So here we are doing the best we can.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  “Yeah, but at least I have this beautiful dress. Thanks for lending it to me.” Amelia smoothed the gauzy skirt.

  “Glad to do it. It’s nice that we’re the same size so I can get some use out of all the dresses I’ve had to buy for Derek’s formal business dinners and parties. My closet is as good as any department store.” Jenna laughed and looked toward the stage, then back at Amelia. “Time for introductions.”

  “Okay, but this really isn’t a date. It’s a business arrangement courtesy of the mayor, and now it seems like it won’t be even a business date, since he’ll be the DJ.” Amelia shrugged. “Not one dance in my future.”

  “Don’t be too sure. You never know what might happen.” Jenna winked and grabbed Amelia’s hand. “I want to meet this non-date.”

  Amelia let out a heavy sigh. “All right.”

  When they reached the stage, Scott was busy gazing at his computer. Jenna charged ahead, but Amelia hung back until Jenna waved a hand in an urgent motion to join her. Reluctantly, Amelia shuffled across the stage.

  Scott was surely going to think she was a pest and didn’t trust him to do a good job. He glanced up and smiled.

  If she were made of snow, she would have melted right there on the stage. Somehow she managed to return his smile. “Hi.”

  “Hi again.” Curiosity framing his smile, he glanced from Amelia to Jenna and back again. “Are we ready to get this show on the road?”

  Trying to get her equilibrium, Amelia glanced at her phone to check the time. She shouldn’t be letting him affect her this way, but she didn’t know how to shut down the way he made her pulse skyrocket. “Almost. Scott, let me introduce you to my friend Jenna. She helped me when Jet decided to make my residence his home for the night.”

  Scott stepped from behind the table and held out his hand. “Glad to meet you, Jenna, and thanks for giving Amelia advice about Jet. I don’t know how I could’ve explained Jet’s disappearance to Lily.”

  “You’re welcome.” Jenna shook hands with him. “I hear you saved the day by offering to be our DJ for the evening.”

  Scott gave her a lopsided grin. “Hopefully, it’ll be good.”

  While Amelia was still trying to get a handle on her emotions, Lesley ran up to the stage. “Amelia, Mr. Potter wants to see you right away.”

  “Okay.” Amelia glanced at Jenna. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Jenna grinned. “Don’t worry about me.”

  As Amelia walked away, anxiety trudged beside her. She feared what Jenna might say to Scott more than she feared what the mayor might want. Judging from her friend’s expression, Amelia worried that Jenna was in full matchmaking mode.

  Mayor Potter stood by the door with his arms crossed. Amelia hurried over to him. “Lesley said you wanted to see me.”

  “Yes. What happened to the band you had advertised?” The mayor’s eyebrows twitched above his disapproving brown eyes.

  “Didn’t Lesley tell you?” Amelia glanced at her assistant.

  Wide-eyed, Lesley stared at Amelia. “He didn’t ask me—just asked to see you.”

  “Oh.” The word came out in a squeak as Amelia turned back to the mayor. “Sir, the band was involved in a traffic accident, and Scott Graham volunteered to act as a DJ since he’s done that kind of thing before. I think everyone will still have a good time even without a live band.”

  Still standing with his arms crossed, the mayor glanced around. “Well, the place does look nice, but we better not have any complaints.”

  “I’m sure we won’t.” Amelia tried to put on a confident look, although the mayor’s concern scrambled her insides.

  “Let’s hope so. Good evening, Ms. Dunford.” Mayor Potter turned and ushered his wife to a nearby table.

  Lesley leaned closer. “That went well.”

  “You think so?” Amelia let out a heavy sigh.

  “Yes.” Lesley glanced around. “The place is filling up, and you should let everyone know why we don’t have a band.”

  “Good idea. I’ll do that now.” Amelia looked toward the stage. One more encounter with her so-called date. If only the date were real. Scott Graham was so many good things that tempted her to forget caution and let her emotions run rampant, but restraint needed to win the battle.

  Amelia tiptoed up the stairs and across the stage. When Scott looked her way, all her well-planned self-control threatened to flee. “Hi again. You’re probably getting tired of my interference.”

  “Never.” He grinned. “What can I do for you?”

  “A microphone.”

  “Sure.” He picked up the one lying on the table. As he handed it to her, their fingers brushed, and sparks flew. “Wow! Guess there’s a lot of static electricity in the air. Didn’t mean to shock you.”

  “Happens all the time when the weather’s cold. Dry air.” Amelia didn’t know how she managed to speak, much less say something coherent. That might have been static electricity, but there was definitely another kind of electricity going on here. Obviously, it was all one sided on her part, but it was there just the same. “Better make my announcement.”

  Scott stepped aside. “Go right ahead.”

  Amelia tapped the microphone to make sure it was on. The tapping sound echoed through the hall. “Hello, everyone. Welcome to the fourth annual Winter Cotillion.”

  Applause filled the room, and Amelia smiled. She went on to explain the situation with the band and gave the details concerning the meal service. Then she introduced Scott, who took over the microphone and expounded on his need for requests. “While I’m waiting for requests, I’ll play some of my favorites from my years of doing this for various events.”

  In seconds the strains of a slow r
omantic song floated through the room and beckoned couples to the dance floor. The make-believe winter wonderland glowed with a rainbow of flowing dresses accented by dark suits and tuxedos. Amelia took in the sight with a sense of satisfaction until she looked at the stage, where Scott was typing on his computer keyboard. He was lost in his work, and she was lost in dreams of what could have been.

  Hoping to keep her thoughts focused on something other than Scott, Amelia busied herself making sure everyone was having a good time as she wandered from table to table. She received compliments regarding her swift action in securing music after the disaster with the band. Giving credit to Scott for his quick thinking in the situation, she hoped the mayor was as pleased as the other attendees.

  During the meal, Amelia sat with Jenna and her husband, Derek, and Lesley and her date. Amelia glanced toward the stage. Scott ate alone while he manned his station. Soft dinner music sounded through the speakers.

  Jenna elbowed Amelia in the ribs. “I think you should check on our lonely DJ.”

  “He’ll think I’m a pest.” Amelia frowned.

  “No he won’t. He’ll think somebody cares. Nothing wrong with that.” Jenna raised her eyebrows.

  “If this was a real date, then that might be okay. But the mayor set this up, and I don’t know how to react to the whole thing.” Amelia stared at her half-eaten dinner. Her appetite, as well as her equilibrium about the situation, had fled.

  “Do you like him?”

  More than I should. The thought rolled around in Amelia’s mind. “He’s nice.”

  “Then I say go for it. Don’t worry about the mayor or work or anything else.”

  “Easy for you to say. Your job isn’t on the line.”

  “And neither is yours.”

  “I wish I had your confidence. The mayor’s determined to balance the budget, and I don’t think he cares how.” Amelia frowned.

  Jenna raised her eyebrows. “Then I would get on the good side of the mayor’s budget man.”

  “I have a bad feeling about that.” For the umpteenth time, Amelia wished her relationship with Scott didn’t have to be entangled with work. She feared his interest only came from his duties regarding the city budget.