by L. P. Dover
Damien laughs and spins his hand in a circle. “Carry on, Coco Chanel.”
I flip him off, with not one, but both middle fingers. “Anyway, as I was saying before, I was so rudely interrupted and mocked,” I pause and give Damien a dirty look. “I went up to her right away and asked her to dance. She smiled as I held out my hand. The second her hand touched mine, my body was on fire. My mouth watered. My throat tightened. I was in middle school all over again. We danced for three songs, all while I had the biggest hard-on. I wasn’t even embarrassed. Each time I’d brush it against her, she’d let out this little gasp, only turning me on even more. I took a chance and asked her if she wanted to get out of there, and she fucking agreed.
“I took her to my room and one thing led to another. We both agreed to keep our masks on, but I knew, without a doubt, underneath her mask was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had pinned her auburn hair, so it fell to the side. It brushed against her skin, and I was jealous because I wanted to touch her there. Her eyes never left mine as I approached her. I expected her to step away, but she stood there, and when I was within reach, her fingers brushed against my cheek,” I pause and shake my head.
“I went into that room looking for a quick fuck and ended up spending the entire night with her. When I woke, she was gone. There was a note on the pillow, and I hoped it was her name and number, but it was a note, thanking me for the most amazing night ever.” Damien doesn’t need to know I still have the note, tucked away in my dresser drawer.
“So, if you didn’t know her name, how did you find her?”
“I remembered where she was standing, always on the outskirts. I described her to Celeste, and she told me right off her name was Ensley and she was the most sought-after party planner in Charlotte, if not the entire state.”
“And now she’s planning our station’s biggest event of the year,” Damien points out. “What I don’t get is, if you want to know her, why not just introduce yourself?”
“Because she wanted a night of passion with no strings. We purposely kept our names a secret. We’ve never crossed paths before, and it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to discover I figured out who she was.”
“And you don’t think she’ll be suspicious when you just happened to come up to her again?”
I shrug. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“It’s a damn expensive one, Owen. You could save a shit ton of money by just walking up to her or hell, following her to a clothing store, and conveniently run into her.”
He’s right, I could. “If I did that, then I wouldn’t get to see you dress up in a Halloween costume.”
Damien groans. “I should boycott.”
“You could, but you won’t. You could meet your soul mate at our party. Many people do.” It’s for singles only.
“I’m not hooking up with Elvira,” he quips.
My mouth drops open, and I shake my head. “I can’t believe that girl from college dressed like Elvira every single day.”
“What’s worse,” Damien pauses, “is we met her on Halloween, and we had no idea. I couldn’t understand why everyone laughed at us at that frat party.”
“The joke was definitely on us that night.”
“And the next day,” he adds. “So, what are you going to be?”
My cheek rises as I think. “I don’t know, but it has to be something that will get Ensley’s attention.”
“Which could be hard.”
I shake my head slightly. “I may or may not have stalked her social media.”
Damien throws a pen at me.
“What? I can’t help it. I’m infatuated with this woman.”
“All right, Romeo. Tell me what she likes.”
“Reading, mostly. She watches a ton of Hallmark movies, which I get because she’s a party planner. I figure she’s looking for ideas. She likes crafting too.”
“You could go as a paper-mache rose or something.”
“Yeah, because that seems logical. I’ll ask my sister, she’ll know.” I take my phone out of my pocket and send her a quick text, asking her how a guy at a masquerade party would get the attention of the most gorgeous woman in the room.
She responds almost instantly. You need to dress up as James Bond, Jack Ryan, or Captain America!
That's all I need to know.
Three
Ensley
“Thank you, Holly. I really appreciate everything. I’ll call you back when I have all the answers.” I print off the paperwork and stack the papers on top of my notebook.
“Sounds good,” Holly replies. “If you don’t get me here at the hotel, you can call my cell.” We say our goodbyes and I hang up with a smile. The venue for the Nightmare Ball has been booked, and everything is going according to plan. Now all I have to do is show it all to Damien Forrester for approval.
Leaning back in my office chair, I stretch my arms over my head and look out my window, which has the best view of the lake. The leaves have already started to change colors. Fall is my favorite season.
After the year Jordan and I have had as far as earnings, I splurged a little bit and bought a house on Lake Wylie. Living in an apartment in downtown had its perks, but I like the idea of owning my own place instead of throwing money away on rent. Some of my friends have asked if I’m lonely in this big house all by myself, but I’m not. Yes, it’d be nice to have someone to wake up to every morning, but right now, it’s not in the cards for me. I’m concentrating on my career.
My cell phone rings and when I swivel my chair back to my desk, I see Jordan’s picture on my screen. We often talked about renting office space somewhere, but we both decided it’s nice working from our homes. Her husband likes her being at home too. There are some days he takes his lunch break with her at their house so he can get a little afternoon delight. They’re trying to get pregnant so any chance they get to have sex, they take it. I’m not jealous of what they have, but I am a little envious at times. I’ve always wanted a family of my own. Luckily, my parents are supportive of my career decisions and don’t hound me about finding a husband.
Pressing the speaker button on my phone, I turn back around to look at the lake. “Hey, girl. What’s up?”
“Nothing much. Just letting you know the DJ has been booked and I emailed all the information to you.”
Turning around, I open my laptop and sign into my email. I print off the paperwork and add it to my pile of papers to take to Damien. “Great. Thanks. I’m going to call Damien and see if he’s free for lunch. I need to get him all the info so he can move forward with selling the tickets.” It’s only been two days since our meeting, but I don’t like to procrastinate even if the tickets are projected to sell out within the first hour. The party is in two weeks so there’s a lot to do in just a short amount of time.
“Do you need me to go with you today?” Jordan asks. From the sound of her voice, I can tell she doesn’t really want to go.
“No, I can go by myself. Is everything okay?”
She snickers and I have my answer. “Ah, I get it. Hubby coming home for lunch today?”
“You got it. We’re committed to this kid making thing.”
I burst out laughing. “I see that. Hope you both have fun.”
“Oh, we will, don’t worry.”
Rolling my eyes, I tell her bye and end the call. I have Damien’s number saved in my phone, so I scroll through my contacts until I find him. The phone rings a couple of times before he picks up.
“This is Damien,” he answers.
“Hi, Damien, it’s Ensley Anderson. How are you this morning?”
He chuckles. “Doing great. You?”
“Not too bad,” I reply. “I was calling to see if you might be able to meet me for lunch today? I have everything booked for the ball but there are some things I’d like to get your approval on.”
“Sounds good. Let me check my schedule and I’ll get right back to you.”
“Perfect.” He ends t
he call, and while I wait, I make sure I have all the information in my stack of papers to give him. I slide it all into my notebook and carry it into the kitchen by my car keys. A few seconds later, Damien calls me back and I answer.
“I can do twelve o’clock. Does that work for you?”
“It does. How about at The Corner Café?”
He chuckles. “Glad you picked there. They have the best soups.”
They really do. My stomach growls just thinking about their broccoli cheddar. “See you there.”
I have two hours to get ready, so I take a quick shower and break out the skinny jeans and boots. October weather in North Carolina is funny, especially in Charlotte. In the past, we’ve had ninety-degree days up until November, but not this year. It’s been very fall-like with bright blue skies and chilly winds that makes the leaves fall from the trees. Not to mention, pumpkin spice in everything. Even my body wash is pumpkin apple. All the candles I light in my house are cinnamon pumpkin scented. I even use them in the spring and summer. Guess you can say it’s autumn all year long in my house.
By the time I finish my makeup, I have plenty of time to get downtown. Parking can be a nightmare. Grabbing my notebook and purse, I head on my way in my charcoal gray convertible BMW. It’s the nicest car I’ve ever owned, and I take pride in it. I’ve worked hard for what I have.
During the drive downtown, I listen to music for a little while and the rest of the time, I run through everything I’m going to say to Damien in my head. I don’t want to forget any of the important details. Once I get to the parking deck, I park my car and walk the two blocks to The Corner Café. It’s literally a café on the corner.
I walk in and the hostess seats me at a four-person table. The walls are a royal blue with gold furnishings throughout the building. It gives off an eclectic vibe, which I like. Also, the food is phenomenal.
“Hi there. Are you waiting on others?” the waitress asks. She’s young with thick-rimmed glasses and long, blonde hair.
“I am,” I tell her. “He should be here soon. I’m a few minutes early.”
She nods. “Awesome. I’ll grab you a water while you wait.”
“That’d be great. Thanks.” I hang my purse on the back of the chair and flip through all the paperwork. Almost all the tables in the café are full, but it’s to be expected. They have the best food in downtown and they’re fast. It’s not easy grabbing a bite to eat in the area in just an hour’s time for a lunch break; especially at a place with such exceptional food. The restaurant door opens and in walks Damien, dressed in a pair of jeans and plain gray T-shirt, looking almost like a college student. He takes off his sunglasses and when he sees me, he waves. I wave back, but then the door opens behind him and in comes Owen Jameson, the man I ran into and probably broke a couple of his toes by how hard I stepped on his foot. He’s the complete opposite of Damien with his dark blond hair perfectly coifed and wearing gray suit pants and a long-sleeved white button-down shirt. He could pass for a J. Crew model.
Damien waits for Owen and they both walk over to the table together. I stand and hold out my hand. “Hi. Thanks for coming.” They both shake my hand and I catch myself staring at Owen. There’s a feeling inside of me I can’t shake; it’s like I know him from somewhere.
Owen flourishes a hand toward my seat. “Ladies first.” I sit down and they each take their seats. “Hopefully, you don’t mind me tagging along. I don’t think I mentioned it the other day, but I’m the other owner of the station.”
My heart skips a beat and I gasp. “Oh wow, I didn’t know. It’s nice to actually meet you, now that I’m not stepping on your toes.” He chuckles and the sound of his laugh makes me lose my breath. I know I’ve heard that laugh before.
“It’s okay,” he says, smiling at me his pearly white teeth and bright blue eyes. “It was hard to walk the rest of the day, but I’m okay now.” From the mischievous glint in his eyes, I know he’s joking.
Damien’s phone rings and he holds it up. “I gotta take this. I’ll be right back.” He hurries outside, leaving me alone with Owen. I’m not complaining in the least.
I look right into his eyes. “I really am sorry for stepping on your foot.”
He waves me off. “It’s okay. I’m just glad I got to meet you. All I’ve heard are great things.”
That makes me feel good. “Jordan and I do the best we can.”
Damien hurries back in but doesn’t take his seat. “I hate to do this, but I have to go.” He turns to me apologetically. “Owen is the main decision maker anyway. You can run it all by him.”
I nod. “Okay.” He pats Owen on the shoulder and rushes out the door. “Hopefully, he’s all right.”
Owen smiles. “He’s fine. It’s probably just something going on at the station.”
Grabbing the papers, I’m about to hand them to him when the waitress comes back. She takes our food and drink orders and then disappears to the kitchen. “If you don’t mind, I’d like for you to look at these options.” I slide the papers toward him. “I was told to do what I wanted for the Nightmare Ball, but personally, I don’t like making the firm decisions without going over them.” He flips through the pages, but I stop him on the menu options. “The hotel ballroom has been booked and it accommodates up to seven hundred people if you want the full dinner option. If not, you can have a thousand guests and have several cocktail tables scattered throughout. We can even do light bites and desserts for the same number as well. It all depends on how many people you want.”
Owen purses his lips as he takes a look at the options. “What do you think we should do?”
I shrug. “Personally, I like the light bites and dessert option. If you’re having a singles ball, I’m pretty sure the last thing these people want is to eat a bunch of food and get sweaty on the dance floor. They’re going to concentrate more on the open bar and mingling.”
There’s a slight tilt to his lips; it’s sexy as hell. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s just do that then.”
I show him the paper with the DJ’s information on it. “And this guy is really good. Jordan and I have used him many times at our parties. He keeps the energy going and even gets out there and dances with everyone.”
Owen stacks up the papers and steeples his hands together on top of them. “I trust you, Ensley. I have no doubt this party’s going to be a success.”
The waitress comes over with our drinks and it’s not long after when she arrives with our food. We both got the broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl. It’s too hot to eat so I wave the steam off. I want to talk to him about the payment, but I don’t know how to bring it up.
“What’s on your mind?” Owen asks, staring curiously at me.
“Why do you ask?”
He shrugs. “Just looked like you were deep in thought over something.”
Here I go. “Actually, I was. I think you paid me too much to plan this party. It’s not costing nearly five hundred thousand to plan. Not even close.”
His brows furrow. “So, what are you saying?”
My stomach is in knots. Never have I ever told someone they paid me too much. “I’m saying I should give you back some of the money. The party has been super easy to plan. It’s not like I’ve had to slave over it. I enjoy party planning and Halloween is my favorite. I don’t feel right making so much profit from it.”
Owen stares right into my eyes and smiles. “Wow. This is a first for me. It’s nice to know there are morally sound people in this world. In my business, you don’t come across many.”
“True,” I agree. “I’ve worked with plenty who don’t even want to pay me.”
Owen leans forward. “Tell you what, Ms. Anderson. I’m supposed to plan a charity function that takes place a couple days after the Nightmare Ball. I haven’t started on it yet so I could really use your help.”
“You’re not going to pay me any more, right?”
He holds out his hand. “Right. Do we have a deal?”
I shake his h
and and the same feeling I had earlier when we touched runs straight to my heart. It’s like butterflies fluttering all through my chest and stomach. “Deal,” I say.
After we eat our lunch, Owen walks me to my car. It turns out he parked right beside me in a silver Range Rover. “So, tell me,” he begins, “are you coming dressed up for the Nightmare Ball?” He leans against his car with his arms crossed over his chest and smirking in that sexy grin of his. I swear, it feels like I know him from somewhere. I can’t put my finger on it, but I am not going to ask him.
“Of course. I don’t know as what yet, but masquerades are my favorite.”
His gaze drops to my lips and then back up to my eyes. “Do you actually get to enjoy yourself at the parties you plan or is it strictly work?”
Heat rises to my cheeks and I pray to God he doesn’t notice. Clearing my throat, I toss my purse into the front seat of my car and turn my head. “Sometimes,” I answer as honest as I can. “I’ll maybe have a couple of drinks.”
Owen grins. “Good. I’ll have to see if I can recognize you.”
The butterflies come back, and in my mind, I really want him to find me. Stop it, Ensley. You cannot mix business with pleasure.
“What are you going to be dressed as?” I ask him.
He shrugs. “Not sure. I’ll come up with something.” He walks over and opens my car door for me. “Lunch was great. If you have any more questions about the party, you can give me a call.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulls out his wallet and slips out a card with his phone numbers on it. “If not, I’ll see you at the ball.”
He’s so close I can smell his cologne. Even that is familiar. His eyes are not though. When it comes to men, I’m an eye person. The eyes are the pathway to the soul. You can tell a lot about a person by the look in their eyes. Owen’s are just dark blue, almost plain in a way. Still, there’s something in them calling to me.
He shuts my car door and smiles one more time before getting into his car. I pull out first and he follows me through the parking deck, only he takes a right and I take a left out of the exit. As soon as I stop at a stoplight, I pull out my phone and call Jordan.
