I spent the week before the company Christmas party altering the dress that Aaron bought me the day he “bought” me. It wasn’t a Christmas color, but I thought I could make it look Christmassy with the right touches. I took the floor length and turned it into a maxi that ended just at my knees. I used a dark silver silk scarf that I rarely wore to make a sash around the waist, and I cut off the sleeves to make it sleeveless, adding silver sequins to the shoulder straps. It was perfect! I added a beautiful antique silver Santa Claus necklace Melissa bought me for Christmas a few years ago and topped it off with a pair of silver bell earrings. I wore my hair up in a loose bun and wore the silver pumps I’d worn with the dress the first time around. I thought it all came together beautifully.
I was excited about the party, mostly because I assumed Aaron would be there. It had been weeks since I’d laid eyes on him. The day at the park when he’d kissed me had been the last time I saw or spoke to him. I sent him emails, left him cookies, invited him to dinner and sent him a Christmas card. I hadn’t heard a single word from him in return, and a smarter woman would have given up by now, I told myself. I was plenty smart, but I was also stubborn. I believed strongly that sometimes there are things worth fighting for. I didn’t imagine our kiss, or the way Aaron looked at me. He was interested in me, but for some reason he was holding back. I wasn’t a desperate woman running after a man who didn’t want her. I was a woman who knew what she wanted, and he had sent me more than one signal that he wanted me too. I wasn’t ready to give up just yet… at least not until he told me to straight to my face.
I arrived at the party alone. It seemed to me when I walked in that everyone had someone and I was beginning to regret not taking a date. Even Gary brought a date. That was like an arrow to my heart. I took a deep breath then and walked in with my head and my spirits high. Whether or not I got to see Aaron, and whether or not he talked to me, I was going to have a great time tonight.
The room was decorated beautifully with red linen tablecloths and white poinsettias on each table. There was an eight foot Christmas tree decorated with lovely hand-tied bows and delicate looking glass ornaments. There was a dance floor with red and white striped posts around it and beautiful wreaths hanging on them. It looked and smelled like Christmas and the soft sounds of Christmas music piped out of the speakers.
I looked around and spotted the “marketing” table. Max and all the crew I worked with and supervised every day were there. Max had told me they would save me a seat. On my way over to it, I spotted Aaron. He was at the executives table, way in the front. He looked so handsome in a perfectly tailored black suit and red tie with a red swatch in the pocket and stylishly mussed dark hair. I couldn’t help but look at his lips and remember that kiss. The only problem with his look was that as usual, he looked so serious. If he only knew how beautiful his smile was, I think he’d use it more.
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CHAPTER TWELVE
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AARON