on her hips. “You don’t deserve a minute, Josh.”
“I know,” he agreed softly. “But can I have one all the same?”
Amanda looked sideways at me for confirmation, and I shrugged. “Its fine, Amanda.”
She moved towards the door, and stopped when she was in front of him. “I never imagined I’d say this to you, Josh Richards, but you’ve definitely earned it. You’re an asshole.” She didn’t wait for a response before she stormed inside.
I didn’t move from the bench, and Josh stayed still and silent. After a few moments he sighed and walked to where I was, sitting next to me but leaving a small space between us.
“I’ve made such a mess of things.”
I didn’t respond. Propping my elbow on my knee, I cradled my chin in my hand. The silence stretched on and eventually I gave up. With a big sigh I moved to my feet.
Before I could take three steps, he was on his feet, too. “Don’t go.”
“I don’t know what you want from me!” I had to force myself not to yell, as I threw my hands in the air. “What do you want, Josh? Please tell me, because I don’t want to feel like this.”
Josh closed the distance between us quickly, and I took a surprised step back. It didn’t discourage him though, and he stared down at me with his face locked into a hard expression. He brought a hand up slowly and ran his fingers down my cheek, causing me to release a shuddering breath. The other hand tipped my chin up, and he paused for a beat, waiting to see if I’d object. When I didn’t, he bent down and brought his lips to mine, softly moving them against my unresponsive mouth.
I reached my arms up and entwined them around his neck before kissing him back. The kiss was tentative at first, and then our tongues met, dancing against each other. He moved one hand behind my head and dropped the other to wrap around my waist.
The kiss became frantic, and I poured every ounce of anger I had into it. I don’t know how long we continued on before the sound of the door opening caused us to jump apart, both breathless with our shoulders rising and falling.
Amanda stood there with annoyance on her face as she looked at Josh, but she turned her eyes on me and her features immediately softened.
“Melissa is wondering where you are, better hurry in.” She disappeared back inside and I stared at the door that she vanished through for a minute.
Reality started to seep back in, and I reached up to try to untangle my mask from my hair, where it’d been shoved during our kiss. Josh moved to help me, but I held up a hand, effectively keeping him at arm’s length.
“Don’t,” I warned, finally getting the mask free. I was furious with myself for kissing him, and even more angry with him for kissing me.
“Just don’t. You have a girlfriend and whether or not you choose to acknowledge that, I do. I won’t do this, Josh. Figure your shit out.”
I smoothed out my skirt and walked back inside, leaving him standing out there alone.
Chapter Ten
MMelissa stood in the back with Tim and Spencer, and when she saw me walking back in she rushed over to me. “Are you okay? I heard there was some sort of confrontation.”
I shrugged, and readjusted my hair. “One of the guests is dating a close friend of mine and she recognized me.”
Melissa didn’t accept the explanation, and she stood expectantly waiting for me to go on.
“Ugh. And apparently she doesn’t approve of our friendship and took great pleasure in attempting to embarrass me.”
She nodded and gave me a once over. “I’m proud of you for not reacting. Cara says she will stay out there for the rest of the night if you don’t want to serve anymore.”
I was immediately grateful, and I could have hugged my boss. “That’s great, thank you.”
I spent the rest of the evening filling trays with champagne, coffee, and desserts, while mindlessly chatting with Tim, Spencer, and Jamie.
Three hours later it was nearing 1:30 in the morning and the servers
“I know,” he agreed softly. “But can I have one all the same?”
Amanda looked sideways at me for confirmation, and I shrugged. “Its fine, Amanda.”
She moved towards the door, and stopped when she was in front of him. “I never imagined I’d say this to you, Josh Richards, but you’ve definitely earned it. You’re an asshole.” She didn’t wait for a response before she stormed inside.
I didn’t move from the bench, and Josh stayed still and silent. After a few moments he sighed and walked to where I was, sitting next to me but leaving a small space between us.
“I’ve made such a mess of things.”
I didn’t respond. Propping my elbow on my knee, I cradled my chin in my hand. The silence stretched on and eventually I gave up. With a big sigh I moved to my feet.
Before I could take three steps, he was on his feet, too. “Don’t go.”
“I don’t know what you want from me!” I had to force myself not to yell, as I threw my hands in the air. “What do you want, Josh? Please tell me, because I don’t want to feel like this.”
Josh closed the distance between us quickly, and I took a surprised step back. It didn’t discourage him though, and he stared down at me with his face locked into a hard expression. He brought a hand up slowly and ran his fingers down my cheek, causing me to release a shuddering breath. The other hand tipped my chin up, and he paused for a beat, waiting to see if I’d object. When I didn’t, he bent down and brought his lips to mine, softly moving them against my unresponsive mouth.
I reached my arms up and entwined them around his neck before kissing him back. The kiss was tentative at first, and then our tongues met, dancing against each other. He moved one hand behind my head and dropped the other to wrap around my waist.
The kiss became frantic, and I poured every ounce of anger I had into it. I don’t know how long we continued on before the sound of the door opening caused us to jump apart, both breathless with our shoulders rising and falling.
Amanda stood there with annoyance on her face as she looked at Josh, but she turned her eyes on me and her features immediately softened.
“Melissa is wondering where you are, better hurry in.” She disappeared back inside and I stared at the door that she vanished through for a minute.
Reality started to seep back in, and I reached up to try to untangle my mask from my hair, where it’d been shoved during our kiss. Josh moved to help me, but I held up a hand, effectively keeping him at arm’s length.
“Don’t,” I warned, finally getting the mask free. I was furious with myself for kissing him, and even more angry with him for kissing me.
“Just don’t. You have a girlfriend and whether or not you choose to acknowledge that, I do. I won’t do this, Josh. Figure your shit out.”
I smoothed out my skirt and walked back inside, leaving him standing out there alone.
Chapter Ten
MMelissa stood in the back with Tim and Spencer, and when she saw me walking back in she rushed over to me. “Are you okay? I heard there was some sort of confrontation.”
I shrugged, and readjusted my hair. “One of the guests is dating a close friend of mine and she recognized me.”
Melissa didn’t accept the explanation, and she stood expectantly waiting for me to go on.
“Ugh. And apparently she doesn’t approve of our friendship and took great pleasure in attempting to embarrass me.”
She nodded and gave me a once over. “I’m proud of you for not reacting. Cara says she will stay out there for the rest of the night if you don’t want to serve anymore.”
I was immediately grateful, and I could have hugged my boss. “That’s great, thank you.”
I spent the rest of the evening filling trays with champagne, coffee, and desserts, while mindlessly chatting with Tim, Spencer, and Jamie.
Three hours later it was nearing 1:30 in the morning and the servers
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