Page 15 of Party Favors

“I am most definitely not his call girl,” I responded.

“No, but you’d like to be.”

That was so ridiculous it didn’t even merit a response. When Vella got worked up like this, it wasn’t worth arguing with her. I just nodded and said nothing.

She didn’t understand how things were between me and Adrian. As I’d said, we were a team. I liked that he relied on me. Needed me.

I enjoyed being useful and good at my job.

“Just so you know, I don’t like him,” she added.

“But you don’t like anybody.” It was hard to take her judgment of Adrian seriously, given that she had been at Elevated for only two days and really did hate everybody else in the world besides me.

Vella studied me for a moment, chewing on her lettuce the same way an evil, demented bunny might. “Regardless of how you feel about him, the bottom line here is that Adrian’s getting married to someone else. You need to move past it.”

She was right. Even if I didn’t want to admit it, I had to find a way to go forward and let go of this silly crush.

“Do you have plans tonight?” she asked. I was immediately suspicious.

“Yes, I do.”

“Sitting alone in the dark and drinking excessive amounts of beer while watching videos of royal weddings does not constitute plans.”

“Sure it does.”

“Nope. We’re going out and having a good time.”

I started to protest. “But I won’t have—”

Vella held up her hand. “Adrian’s out of town. You don’t have hours and hours of sitting at your desk waiting on him ahead of you. You’ll get to leave the office at a reasonable hour, and you can come out and have irresponsible fun like the twentysomething that you are.”

Again, she was right. My schedule had opened up considerably. Without having Adrian here assigning me busywork or needing me to babysit his time, remind him constantly about meetings, or follow up with vendors for him, I could go out and act my age.

I did have Hyacinth’s party to plan, but I already had a bunch of vendors in mind that would be responsive and easy to work with. I couldn’t imagine that Hyacinth was going to change her mind multiple times about what she wanted, as she’d barely agreed to the theme I’d presented.

And now I was going to have a full eight hours at the office to devote to her event.

“Okay.” I nodded. “Let’s go out.”

“Yes!” Vella pumped her fist in triumph, as if she’d just won a victory. “But on one condition, though.”

Uh-oh. “What condition?”

“You have to speak to at least one man before the night’s over.”

I nodded. I could manage that.

“An attractive, age-appropriate man,” she added on, trying to close off any loopholes. “You’re not going to chat up some middle-aged bartender and claim that it counts.”

That made my stomach feel a little queasy. It had been an actual eternity since I’d spoken to a cute guy outside of the office. I’d had zero work-life balance for so many years that I was pretty sure the part of me that knew how to flirt had dried up completely, like the Sahara.

“And bonus points if you get his number.”

“Sure.” I was as likely to run into the Easter Bunny as I was to get a hot guy’s phone number, so it was easier just to placate her.

Vella was still revved up, though. “Because you know the best way to get over someone—”

I interrupted her. “Is this where you tell me it’s to get under someone else?”

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