Page 40 of Santa's Wish
"You don't have to be so impatient," he said. "We're still early."
"We are, but I want to stop by Irena's first."
He nodded obediently and slipped the jacket on. He didn't even argue when I told him we wouldn't need coats.
Irena's wasn't open, of course, but the rooftop door was, exactly as she'd said it would be.
"Merry Christmas," Irena said in greeting. She kissed both of Boz's cheeks and pulled me in for a hug and a kiss. "Lovely to see you both. Party?"
I nodded and reached for Boz's hand, showing her how gorgeous we both looked in our suits. Instead of red sequins, Boz's were blue.
"Look at how well you complement each other. Very festive." She motioned us to a table near the dance floor. "Sit. I have bottles of the synthetic blood for you," she pointed my direction, "and some dessert for you." She wagged her index finger at Boz.
She walked away, leaving Boz to stare after her until I pushed him into one of the few chairs available. The rest were upside down on top of the tables.
"We have plenty of time," I reassured him when helooked at his watch. "Never be on time for a party. You've heard the term fashionably late?"
"I assume you coined it," he countered with an eyeroll.
"Moi?" I faked a French accent as I pressed my hand to my chest. "Not a chance, sweetness. I was born and raised a pathetic early bird."
Irena returned with a bottle of synthetic blood and a plate of angel fingers. I nodded my thanks and opened the bottle. It smelled a lot like the energy drinks we used to make Jager bombs, only stronger. I sipped at the stuff while Boz picked at his dessert.
"What's wrong?"
"Nervous. I'm not great with new people."
"Colette says everyone at your job loves you," I reminded him. "Besides, the only humans who will be there are dating the vampires." Ithande would be there, and Jameson's boyfriend of the month.
"Is that what we are? Dating?" Boz asked.
"Well, yeah, aren't we?"
He grinned. "Can I call you my boyfriend, if anyone asks?"
I hated the word "boyfriend," but Boz held his breath and his heart sped up while waiting for my answer. I nodded. "Sure, call me whatever you want."
"You don't like it," he said. "Would you prefer lover?"
"Gross, no." I laughed. "Boyfriend is fine."
"Landlord?" Now he was teasing.
"It's true," I said with a shrug.
Irena turned on the festive lights above the dance floor, and music poured through the speakers. Without a roomful of people, the music seemed overloud, but it called to me. I stood and pulled Boz to his feet.
"Dance with me?"
He nodded.
I twirled him around the floor to a fast waltz. By the time it flowed into a slower number, Boz was panting and his hand felt damp in mine.
"I never thanked you," he said.
"For what?"
"Fixing all the bones in my leg. I slammed my left pinky in a car door when I was fifteen and I can still feel it twinge when it's about to rain. I haven't felt anything like that in my leg."
