Page 72 of Dance with Me on New Year's Eve

Her eyes lit up. “Thatisexciting! Darling, did you hear that?”

“Yes, I’m right here,darling,” Peter said with a queasy expression. For someone who rarely showed emotion, that was a curious sight. “Congratulations on the new hire.”

I looked between them, a smile playing on my lips.

Peter nudged her, and she sighed. “He lost a bet, and now we get to call each otherdarlingfor a whole week!” She smiled gleefully and squeezed his hand. “Though I think by the end of the week, we’ll just want to keep doing it forever, won’t we, darling?”

“We’ll see.” His nose wrinkled. “Darling.”

She stretched up to plant a kiss on his chin, and I saw his slight grin.

I looked away, surprised how much the affection between them had grown in less than a year. I felt like even more of an outsider than I ever had before. Almost all my friends and even acquaintances had a partner. Realistically, I knew I’d probably be alone forever, other than maybe a couple dates here and there. I wouldn’t ever have a husband or even a long-term boyfriend. And I didn’t want that.

I didn’t want that.

I really didn’t.

Except lately, I wondered.

I snapped out of my reverie when I felt a hand gently touch my arm and linger for a moment. As my eyes began to refocus, I saw Jeff stepping back.

He looked confused, perhaps concerned.

And now I was confused.

Turning to look at Hazel, I cleared my throat. “Sorry, what?”

She narrowed her eyes first, but then a laugh erupted from her mouth. “I asked if you’d have any objections to planning mylaunch party.”

My brows furrowed as I tried to remember when such a party was ever discussed. Nothing turned up. “I didn’t know you wanted a party. It makes sense though.”

“So you can do the planning?”

Hazel’s eyes were so eager that I couldn’t say no.

Still, I should say no.

“Sure, OK,” I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. I’d hoped to get away from event planning, but she was my boss, after all.

Her eyes lit up. “Wonderful! And of course, you both need to attend.”

I inhaled sharply and looked at Jeff with panic. He just nodded.

My head bobbed up and down quickly. “Sure, OK.”

A huge holiday party? Not a chance.

I’d get out of it. I’d figure out a way.

“Don’t even think about trying to make a last-minute excuse, Roxy,” Hazel said in an unusually sharp tone.

My eyes went wide, but then she winked as she strode past me to the window. I stood there awkwardly with Peter and Jeff, two men who were also kind of high on the awkward scale. Well, maybe not Jeff. He was generally decent at polite communication; it was mainly around me that he made a point of being curt and condescending. Only … not as much lately.

Hazel came back over to us after looking out the window for a moment.

“Just don’t skip out, please? This is important to me.”

People always said that:Don’t missmyparty because it’s important to me. Yeah, everyone’s party is important to someone. Why does their version of important have to trump mine? Most people had no idea what they were asking of me, the level of distress I’d feel. Even people pleasers had our limits.

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