Page 35 of Be Our Ghost
“One more thing,” Alejandro added. “Costumes are mandatory for everyone, including the event staff. Something decent, not a cheap number from Party City.”
Never in his life had Knox been so grateful for the chance to dress up. With the right disguise, he could observe everyone without attracting attention. If he was lucky, he might get to connect with a few of his former coworkers and tell them he hadn’t forgotten them. Maybe then, he could put old ghosts to rest.
“I’ll do it,” he said. “Just send me the details.”
Charlie spoke up quickly. “But you’ll probably need help at your station, right?” She turned to Alejandro with her sunniest smile. “Any chance I could assist Knox? I’m a huge fan of the show.”
Without asking, Knox knew she was volunteering for his sake. To ensure he made it through the evening without melting down. While it wasn’t something he would have asked her to do, he was grateful she’d thought of it.
“We could probably use you, but only if you promise to behave professionally,” Alejandro said. “No asking for autographs or selfies. Understand?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t dream of doing anything that intrusive.” When he didn’t respond right away, she clasped her hands together. “Please, Alejandro.”
He gave a dramatic sigh. “Fine. Decent costumes. Professional behavior. No photographs. Got it?” He turned to Selena. “What about you? Would you like to help? You could dress up as a sexy serving wench. Or a sexy pirate. I’d pay money to see that.”
Her dark eyes flashed with anger. “Go to hell. And get out of our bar.”
“As always, it’s been a pleasure, princesa.” He gave a little bow. “Knox, I’ll be in touch.”
After he left, Selena gritted her teeth. “He’s such a prick. I hate those pet names he uses.”
“He wasn’t that bad,” Charlie said. “You have to admit, he’s smoking-hot, and that suit looks like a million bucks on him.”
“I’ll admit he’s…attractive. He looks even better without the suit.” When the two of them stared at her, a rosy flush crept across her cheeks. “Not that I’ve seen him naked. He works out at Northlife Fitness, same as me, and we’ve run into each other a few times.”
Charlie grinned. “Uh-huh. Whatever you say.”
“I’ve got to finish up so I can get out of here at a decent hour,” Selena said. “Have a good weekend.”
“You, too.” Once Selena was gone, Charlie leaned across the bar. “Just so you know, I’m not into Alejandro. Not even a little. Sure, he wears a suit incredibly well, and I love his accent, but he’s not my type. I like teasing Selena because it gets her so riled up.”
Knox loved it when Charlie showed her naughty side. “For someone who looks so innocent, you’re actually a wicked little pixie. You’ll be perfect as Tinker Bell.” He was already imagining how sexy she would look, wearing a short green dress and ankle boots.
Rather than banter with him like she usually did, she reached over and took his hand again, giving it a tight squeeze. “Speaking of costumes, are you sure you want to work at that gala? It could be super stressful.”
“Weren’t you the one encouraging me to get closure?”
“I was, but this seems kind of risky. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I don’t want that, either, but I’m not sure when I’ll get a chance like this again. I think if I can find a disguise that covers my face, I’ll be safe. If I don’t feel comfortable exposing myself, then I’ll keep it on all night.” With any luck, he’d get the chance to connect with a few of the people he’d cared about, without making himself too vulnerable.
“I can help. Laurel has a friend who works for VOS Musical Theatre, and she’s borrowed costumes from them before. I’ll have her ask if they have anything we could rent for the gala.”
“Sounds good. Are we still on for Sunday? I couldn’t get into Il Terrazzo. Anyplace else you’d like to go?”
Her concerned expression vanished. In its place was the sunny smile he knew so well. “How about somewhere in Chinatown? I love Chinese food.”
“That works. I’ll pick you up at six. All right?”
“You got it, Captain Hook.” With a wink, she walked away, giving him an enticing view of her ass.
Sunday couldn’t come soon enough.
Fifteen
For once,the stars had aligned in Charlie’s favor. She and Knox had enjoyed a scrumptious meal at the Fan Tan Café, located in the heart of Victoria’s Chinatown. After eating dinner, they walked over to the Inner Harbour and talked for another hour. Now that Knox wasn’t keeping his past a secret, the conversation between them flowed freely.
During their drive back to her apartment, she wrestled with her next move. She wanted to barrel on full speed ahead and invite him up to her place, but they hadn’t even kissed. Shouldn’t they ease into things more gradually?
