approval. She was a lot more perceptive than Sam gave her credit for.
“Thank you,” he said and gave her a half hug. He meant that much. He really did appreciate her. And dammit, she meant well. Wasn’t it the thought that counts? With that, he limped into the open loft space that was his living room.
It seemed to be going off without a hitch. That’s all that Cammie cared about. This was going to be one of the very last functions she worked for her parents and she couldn’t very well leave a bad impression that would tarnish the reputation of the family business. Ah, but she wanted more from life. Completing her MBA from Columbia University in another month should help in that department. Maybe then her parents would have more respect for her. She scowled. Nope. Doubtful. They were still so angry that she was leaving the business after the holidays; they were barely speaking to her. It would take far worse treatment than that to make her change her mind.
Looking around the room, Cammie sighed. This…was pretty bad. And then she considered how she would be spending her Sunday afternoon, dressed as a clown, making balloon animals for a five year old’s Circus Circus Birthday Party, and remembered that it could always be worse. Although here she was, hot pink bustier, black mini skirt, fishnet stockings, and a pair of the most uncomfortable black heels she owned, working as the bartender for some thirty year old bachelor’s birthday party.
Tightening her long blond pony tail, and smoothing her hair down, she freshened her lip gloss, mashed her lips together and pasted a smile on her face. Something told her this was going to be another long night. And the birthday boy had only just arrived.
Cammie watched as he made his way through the room and hid a genuine smile. He was doing his best to make it look like he was mingling, but clearly he was making his way as directly to the bar as possible. Maybe he was just as thrilled as she was to be here? Before she could give it further thought, guests began ordering drinks and she was struggling just to keep up. And then, there he was, standing in front of her.
“Tell me you have something back there that’s older than I am,” Adam said with a sigh.
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s rare that we carry anything older than forty years to these events.” She pretended to be looking while biting her cheek to keep from laughing.
“Jeeze! Thirty! I’m only thirty!” Adam sat heavily on the vacant wooden bar stool. He cupped his face in his hands for a moment, then stood some to get a better look at the stool. “Hey, these are nice. Are they mine or yours?”
“Ours. You really wouldn’t know the difference?” She wondered for a moment what it must be like to have so much that you couldn’t keep track of it all. Then she shook that thought from her head and added, “I was just teasing you. I know this is your thirtieth birthday. It is, after all, kind of why I’m here.” She shrugged, smiled, and noticed a guy gesturing for her at the end of the bar. “Give me just a second.” And without a moment of hesitation, she glided down to the guest, heard his order and prepared it for him with ease and efficiency.
Adam turned his head, but not quick enough. She definitely caught him staring. Damn. He was still chuckling to himself when she returned.
“What’s the joke?” She asked. She was used to pretty much every eventuality that could occur at a party. She had been raised in the business. Her parents had started the birthday party business when she was a child after a few years of producing successful imaginative gatherings to celebrate her birth. It didn’t take long for them to realize that they could easily turn a profit and gradually, they left their day jobs to do this full-time.
“No joke,” Adam admitted. “You just caught me looking. That’s all. I must be losing my touch. I used to be so smooth.”
Before she even considered what she was about to say, the words escaped her lips. “Please. You were never that smooth. You just thought you were. Although maybe those rocket scientists you always seemed to find attractive were genuinely impressed.” Instantly, Cammie’s mouth snapped shut. Once again she had said too much. It really was her biggest flaw. Or