boss, but then thought better of it, deciding instead to keep things upbeat. “So, tell me, Rumpel, are you a supporter of the Founding Friendships organization? Or, are you just here for the free champagne?”
“Speaking of which . . .” He nodded toward a passing server, slipped his hand around mine, and led me toward the little round table where he’d first found me. He lifted two champagne flutes from the server’s tray and set the glasses on the table. Then he pulled a chair out for me.
“Thank you,” I said, slipping into the seat and kicking off my heels.
“In answer to your question . . .” He slipped into the seat next to me and took a sip of champagne, before setting the glass down again. “If you’d asked me half an hour ago, I would’ve said I support the foundation but am also here for the champagne and canapés.”
I tilted my head. “And what would your answer be now?”
“That I’d forgotten about the champagne until you mentioned it.”
A small smile formed on my lips. “And the canapés?”
He shook his head. “Someone has me too distracted to think about canapés.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I smiled and then took a sip of champagne. This guy was way too enticing. So unusual that a man could capture my interest like this.
“Nice laptop,” he said, nodding at my bag.
“Oh, um . . .” I cringed. Suddenly, bringing my “I’d Rather be Reading” tote bag tonight didn’t seem like such a good idea. I thought of my sophisticated black satin purse discarded on my bed at the last minute as I was leaving the room.
“Turn pages, not heads.” He examined the stickers on the top with interest. “Read between the lines. To read or not to read . . . is that even a question? Am I sensing a pattern here, Belle?”
I smiled, liking the nickname. I raised a bare shoulder. “What can I say? I like books.”
His eyes flicked to mine for a long moment, before he turned his attention back to my laptop. “And this one?”
I watched him tap his index finger against the biggest sticker on my laptop, which was a photograph of the most beautiful heels of all. Silver, sparkly, and way beyond my budget. But I kept them there for inspiration. Someday my shoes would come (and hopefully be more comfortable than the pair on my feet).
“Ah, those heels.” I bit my bottom lip and then smiled. “Some people dream of buying a house, or a fancy car, or a boat in St. Tropez. Me? I dream of owning a closet full of beautiful shoes, and I will . . . one day.”
I didn’t add that if my manuscript hadn’t been rejected, part of my advance would’ve been spent on those gorgeous heels.
He chuckled. “Reading and shoes. You certainly have interesting priorities.”
I raised an eyebrow, immediately regretting it as my contact lens stung my eye again. “Guess there’s a lot to learn about me.”
He lifted a few strands of my hair again. “Fortunately, I’m a good student.”
My heart flipped. How could this man, this complete stranger, make it so challenging for me to breathe properly? In the space of an hour I had gone from no interest in dating to not wanting this date—although it wasn’t a date, really—to end.
An elderly lady sat down at the table, and then looked up at us in surprise and confusion. “Oh, I’m sorry, dears. I thought this was my table. I must have gotten confused . . .”
Without missing a beat, ‘Rumpel’ stood and held out his hand to me as I slipped my feet back into my heels. “No, this table is yours. We must have been confused and sat at the wrong table.” He winked at the old lady, who looked relieved. “It must be the champagne.”
As we walked away, I glanced over at him. “You know that was our table, right?”
He leaned close to my ear. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her she’d gotten it wrong. It seemed kinder to give up the table. I hope you don’t mind?”
He’d been acting for her benefit? So sweet!
“Do I mind that you’re an incredibly thoughtful gentleman? I’m going to go with no,” I said, amazed at this masked man walking beside me.
Just before we reached the dance floor, I suddenly stopped, our joined hands causing our arms to stretch between us. He turned to me with raised eyebrows. I stepped forward, closing the distance between us,