A Perfect Momen(14)

“Scooby Doo and the gang! You seriously need to catch up on your American cartoons. I know they play them in England…Hey! Did you get my happy birthday text yesterday? You never replied.”

“Oh shite, yes. I did. Sorry…My brothers showed up, so I got distracted.”

“Sexy soccer brothers?” she asks with a provocative purr to her speech.

Groaning in disgust, I answer, “It’s football over here, mate. You’ve been in London long enough now to use the proper term. Now, did you call for a reason, or just to distract me from my very serious work to educate me on animated American telly and tell me I have hot brothers?”

“Uptight British—” Leslie grumbles, but I cut her off.

“Oi darling, don’t you have a go at me! You’ve left me stranded here at the office because you had to go and have a cute, perfect baby with that sinfully sexy fiancé of yours. I’m not to be trifled with right now. I’ve had to deal with Benji, Hector, and Roger all on my own. Plus two trips to China since you left.”

“Fine, fine…Viiiiii,” she drawls out the I in an exaggerated, smug British accent.

Leslie and I have been working side by side for several years now. She was in charge of working directly with the Chinese factories that make our camera bag designs until her recent maternity leave. I’ve had to pick up the slack ever since. Leslie, Hector, and I are the three designers. We work on various satchels, wallets, clutches, and totes that are all technology and photography friendly. There are a handful of other clerical people we work alongside, as well as with our boss, Roger.

“Thank you for taking care of the fort while I am away. You know I love you.” She makes obnoxious kissy noises into the receiver. “Okay, stop distracting me. I don’t want to talk about work…I have a very serious question. Are you ready?”

“Ready,” I answer.

“Are you sure?”

“Sure.”

“Are you prepared?”

“Primed and poised,” I quip.

“Do you have a formal evening gown?” she rushes out in one breath.

My brow furrows at this query. Leslie excels at random, but this still surprises me. “This seems like an incredibly peculiar question.”

“Well, do you?”

Sighing heavily, I recall the white floor-length evening gown I bought last year for New Year’s Eve. Normally I despise wearing white with my blonde hair because I feel washed out. But this dress is a diamond white that has just enough glimmer to make my alabaster skin look positively luminous.

“I do happen to have a dress,” I reply sadly at the fact that I still have never worn it anywhere. It’s tragic, really. Pierce was a DJ who worked at a posh nightclub in Chigwell and they were hosting a huge formal party. Then the cheating rumours began and the whole Gareth blowout happened the day before New Year’s Eve. Leslie tried to strong arm me into going just to spite him. But instead, I had a cosy night in with my main man, Bruce.

“Perfect! I have a proposition for you.”

Leslie goes on to explain that Theo’s family hosts a formal charity gala every year in London and two of her former roommates, who were going to attend, had to back out last minute.

“Theo’s family is throwing the event you say?” I ask cautiously. “So they’ll all be there I would assume.”

“Yes, yes. Of course,” she replies dismissively. “You’ll be at a table with some of my old roommates. Frank, Finley, and Brody. Then Reyna and Liam will be at your table as well. You met them all at The White Swan Pub soft opening a couple of weeks ago.”

I exhale when I realise she hasn’t mentioned the one I’m most curious about. Recalling my less than stellar first impression I had with Theo’s brother, Hayden, I can’t tell if I’m relieved or disappointed to hear he won’t be sitting at my table.

Hayden Clarke is…memorable…to say the least. He had that sexy soulful look about him that lured me right in. “That sounds quite fun,” I reply, clearing the frog in my throat.

“Do you think you can secure a plus one?” Leslie asks. “The plates are three hundred quid a piece and are already paid in full. Oooh, maybe one of your brothers?” Her voice rises with excitement.

I exhale sharply while rolling my eyes. My gaze happens to land on my coworker, Benji. I catch him picking dirt out from beneath his fingernails with an opened paperclip and my nose crinkles. “What would you say if I wanted to bring Benji instead?” I whisper quietly into the phone. “I really think the bloke needs a nice night out.”

Leslie groans, “Your brothers would be much more thrilling, but dammit, you’re probably right about Benji. Do you think you can keep him occupied, though? I can’t trust that Theo won’t get twitchy if he starts following me around all night.”