Page 80 of One Midnight Kiss

I didn’t respond right away. I thought back to Paris, to the woman I had in the back of my mind almost constantly.

“You came back from Paris kind of weird,” he continued, almost cautiously. “Talking about that girl. Love at first sight.”

“Yeah, maybe,” I said.

“You need to be careful with Natalia,” he said. “A girl like her doesn’t come around often. And comparing her to some mystery girl from Paris you barely spoke to? That’s a waste of time.”

I rolled my eyes. “This conversation is a waste of time.”

Jerrod ignored my comment, as usual. “Pining after a fantasy is a waste of time. And so is this sham with Natalia. There’s something real between you two. Why not just—” He gestured vaguely, like the answer was obvious. “Take the fake ring off. Date her. Get to know her. See where it goes.”

“I am,” I said.

He chuckled. “But you’re still thinking about Paris. You know nothing about that woman. She might be all smoke and mirrors. Hell, she might even be married. She might have children. She might not use her blinker when she drives.”

He knew that was a pet peeve of mine.

I sighed, turning back to my computer, but I wasn’t really seeing the screen anymore. “I get what you’re saying, but it’s not that simple.”

“You’re making it complicated,” he countered. “You want my advice?”

“Nope,” I said.

“Well, you’re getting it anyway,” he said, standing up. “Stop hiding behind this fake engagement and do things the right way. Or you’re going to lose her before you even have her.”

He gave me a pointed look, like he’d just solved the world’s biggest problem, then turned to leave. “See you at the party tonight?” he asked over his shoulder.

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

He shook his head, clearly not satisfied. “It wouldn’t look good for the CEO to no-show. It’s just rude. They show up for you every day. You can show up for one night.”

He walked out, leaving me with his advice. Jerrod’s words had hit a nerve, but it wasn’t because he was wrong.

Eventually, I grabbed my coat and decided to head out. I had a few packages to drop off at Wilder’s place anyway—Christmas presents from our parents that had been sent to my apartment. They were traveling the world in their retirement. To make things simple and because my building had security, everything was shipped directly to me. No porch pirates were getting their hands on our things.

When I pulled up to the house, I noticed another car in the driveway. Natalia’s. I hadn’t expected to see her here. It was strange, how even the sight of her car made my pulse quicken.

I walked up to the door, pushing it open without knocking. Wilder and Christa never locked it when they were home. I stepped inside and heard voices coming from the living room. Christa was laughing when I walked in. Natalia was standing there, holding a sparkly green dress over her arm.

“Hey,” I said, the word coming out rougher than I intended.

Natalia’s expression was a mix of surprise and something else—reluctance, maybe. Like she wasn’t sure if she wanted me here.

“What are you doing tonight?” I asked before I could stop myself.

She hesitated, glancing down at the dress in her hands. “Nothing.”

I wasn’t sure I believed that. Obviously, she had a dress over her arm for a reason.

“There’s a company Christmas party,” I said. “I would love if you came with me.”

Christa was watching us, her eyes sparkling with that smug, hopeful look she got when she thought she was matchmaking. Natalia shot her a glare before turning back to me.

“You want me to go?” she asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

“Yeah,” I said simply. “I want you there. People will expect you to be there with me.”

“Because of our engagement,” she said with a sigh.