Page 82 of The Billionaire's One-Night Stand Nanny
“Then stop interfering with the staff. And quick, before Camille sees me fraternizing. She thinks there’s some kind of VC guy here who wants to acquire her event planning company, and she’s being a real–shit, there she is.” She cringed and made a shooing motion at me. “Bye, Flora! Go havefun!”
I stood looking after her as she retreated to the kitchens. She’d refused to show me the cake, claiming confidentiality. I’d thought it had been nerves, but seeing her here, in her element, she seemed like she had everything completely under control. I thought managing a classroom of twenty-five was a challenge, but a waitstaff of fiftyplusall the food? Hazel was incredible.
“Bothering the waitstaff?” came a soft, warm voice from behind me.
“No, I–” I turned and came face-to-face–or chest-to-face, at least–with Ryan, wearing a perfectly fitted tuxedo. His strong shoulders looked even broader in the dark, formal attire, and I let my gaze linger. All the men here tonight were wearing tuxes, but none of the rest of them lookedquiteso attractive in a bowtie. Or maybe it was the playful smile just above the knotted silk that I knew was just for me. “Hi, Ryan.”
“Flora,” he said, the corner of his mouth quirking up. He pressed a flute of champagne into my hand, wrapping my fingers around the stem. “Edie said you needed this.”
I rolled my eyes. “I was just checking in on–”
“Your sister’s fine. Maddie is fine. I, on the other hand…” He bent closer, whispering in my ear. “Ineed a favor, Flora.”
“Oh?” I asked. His clean and spicy cologne smelled intoxicating, and I leaned toward him.
“I need you on my arm tonight.”
“Ah,” I said in a whisper as he straightened again. “So you don’t seemso lonely?” I teased.
But he shook his head and smiled. “No, not that, sweetheart. I want to show you off,” he admitted with a nod. “I’d be a fool not to, with you looking like that–”
I blushed as his eyes swept over me in my gown, floor-length and deep burgundy, with an off-the-shoulder neckline and a full skirt. It was by far the fanciest thing I owned, and the most expensive, but Maddie loved it. She’d told me in the store that I looked like a princess, and when Ryan had seen me in it for the first time, I’d felt like one, too.
“But also because I waited a long time to have you by my side, and now, I’d like to keep you there,” he finished, taking my left hand, the one that wasn’t holding the champagne, and held it between his own. His thumb smoothed over the back, over the diamond that sparkled on my finger: the engagement ring he’d slipped on my finger one sunny, late-summer morning in Central Park, Maddie smiling shyly off to one side. The memory–and the ring–still made my stomach flip pleasantly. He took my hand, slipping it into the crook of his elbow, and steered me back to where Edie was waiting, now joined by James and Charlie Martin and their friend Barrett. I’d been getting to know theFriday night Bankworth crew. I’d thought it might be awkward with them, especially with Charlie–he’d both gotten me a jobandseen me naked before we ever had a proper conversation–but they’d been surprisingly okay with my transformation from nanny to girlfriend, and then to fiancée. It helped that I’d already known Edie and James, but it was really because of Ryan: despite the occasional teasing, the four of them were close and supportive.
“Ah, here she is,” Charlie said. “You’ve returned triumphant.”
“Sorry, sorry,” I apologized. “I was just–”
“Trying to slip into the staff, I heard,” Barrett smirked. “That nosy wedding planner mentioned to me that you’ve been distracting her head caterer.”
“I was doing no such thing!” I protested. “Well, maybe–”
“It doesn’t matter, you’re here now,” Edie cut in, holding out her champagne glass. I met her with mine, the clink lost among the convivial sounds of the party: a string quartet playing in one corner, a hundred people’s conversations, high heels on marble, and bursts of joyful laughter from all around.
“No date to the engagement party, but a fiancée at the wedding. Not bad,” Charlie said to Ryan. He winked at me. “And I’m still–tragically–single.”
“Ah, well, better you tragically single than some poor soul suckered into tragically dating you,” Barrett sniped.
Charlie pointed a finger at him. “Watch out, Barrett, I’m the only one you’ll have to hang out with when these four are splitting milkshakes on double dates every weekend.”
“Yeah, I think I’m busy,” Barrett said. “I have a work thing, you know how it is, restaurant business.”
“Ha. I’ll have to get a girlfriend after all. Or maybe a nanny, or an employee, hmm?” I laughed and leaned against Ryan, used to Charlie’s playful teasing by now. “I heard a one-night stand works wonders, maybe I should try that–”
“And who will be the unlucky victim?” said a willowy blonde woman in a low-cut navy dress. I recognized her from the book launch as Edie’s literary agent.
Charlie stiffened, frowning. “Samantha. How is it that somehow you always arrive right at my worst moment?”
“I’m sure you don’t want me to answer that,” she said with a wry smirk which lost its edge as she turned away from him. “Hello, Edie,” she added. “And it’s Flora, right? It’s good to see you again.”
“You too,” I said.
“Flora just finished reading that rom-com you sold, Sam,” Edie said.
“Oh! That’s right!” I’d stayed up nearly all night last weekend and been dead Monday morning for school. Ryan’d had to make me an extra-large thermos of coffee, and then he–the wonderful,wonderfulman–had stopped by the school at lunchtime and dropped off a second cup, knowing that what we had at home was worlds better than the swill in the school break room. “Edie mentioned that you were the agent!”
“And?” Sam asked.
