Steven rambled on to Jax, trying to make up ground, but the frown that crossed his face every time he looked at my outfit reinforced something in my mind. The man I was dating was more concerned that my boss would frown upon my outfit rather than enjoy taking in the view.
We pulled up to Stonewood Tower, and I vaulted out of the SUV. The environment was toxic, and I wanted out. Brey dashed after me. “That was awkward, right?”
“So awkward,” I agreed.
Jax appeared behind her. “Fuck me. This is still not a good idea.”
We turned to see Jax staring directly at her ass.
“Jax, we’re in public. Try to have a filter,” Brey suggested.
“Try to wear some clothes,” he shot back.
I snickered at their bickering. Jax attempted to control Brey, but she had him by the balls. The man followed her into a fire to fetch her for God’s sake.
As we approached the elevator, Brey looked concerned and asked him, “Do you want to go home?”
He beelined for the door. “Yup. Good idea.”
“Great. Vick will make sure I get home safe when the party’s over.”
Jax froze, and his muscles bunched. “Are you kidding me?”
“No. I’m going to enjoy myself. If you can’t,”—she shrugged—“I suggest you go home.”
“God damn it,” he grumbled but then slid his hands around her waist and leaned onto her shoulder to kiss her neck. “Love you, Peaches.”
I looked over at Steven but he was nervously adjusting his green T-shirt and watching the elevator numbers. When the doors opened, he stepped in and smiled. “I’m excited to see what you all planned.”
Brey shrugged. “This is all Vick’s doing.”
“I can’t believe Jett agreed to this last minute.” He looked baffled. “We’re all so busy.”
“Yep. That’s why we need a break,” I explained. “We work hard and so we should play hard when possible.”
My heart rate climbed with the floor numbers though. This wasn’t playing for me. It had been constant planning and organizing for the past couple of days. A business was on the line. A business that saved my life.
The elevator doors opened to strobing lights and fog. The buzz of the employees was damn infectious. Excitement hummed in the air and I turned to Steven and smiled. He looked shocked at what we’d done. I took it as a good sign that I’d pulled off the office party of the century.
Josie shot straight over. “Brey!” She grabbed Brey’s hands. “This is fantastic.”
Brey smiled. “I honestly didn’t do much. Mostly this was the beautiful Tinker Bell, here.”
I bowed a little and Josie’s eyes went wide. “Vick, you look hot as hell. And everyone’s already having a great time.” She leaned in to whisper to both of us, “Also, I’m not supplying drinks. So, that’s always a plus.”
A laugh bubbled out of me, and I relaxed a little. Josie never made it past small talk with me, but her short spunky haircut and positive attitude—even when she was just getting coffees for everyone—made me think we could get along. “How are the drinks?”
“So spooky!” Josie squealed, waving us in.
We left the guys behind so we could admire our hard work. Luckily, Stonewood Enterprises had the space and resources to whip this together in a flash, something Samson and Sons could never have done. Brey and I had worked with Stonewood’s on-site catering and bar, along with a bunch of other vendors, to enhance the party experience. Ghouls served drinks with faux spider webs in them. Vampires proffered trays of eyeballs. Our team’s laughter roared over the “Monster Mash”—the only compliment we needed. Brey beamed along with me as our fellow employees continually thanked us. Most of the company Jett had absorbed was here too. I’d made sure everyone saw the invites and knew this was a big deal.
Gloria stopped us after we each grabbed a Witchy Whiskey Sour, served in a cup that looked like a cauldron. “You ladies pulled this off.”
Brey nodded and peered cautiously between Gloria and me. If I hadn’t been positive about Jett and Gloria’s intimate relationship before, I was now. I shrugged, and my leafy bodice bobbed up and down. “We had a lot of help. When Stonewood Enterprises has mostly everything—”
“Don’t downplay planning it on such short notice. You’ve earned many people’s respect here.”
I glanced at Brey, trying to gauge the sincerity of Gloria’s compliment. The woman didn’t give commendation or talk to me at all, really. She ran the office like clockwork and, as I now knew, had a relationship with Jett. My ankles wobbled in my stilettos as we faced off.