‘You look incredible,’ he said, in a voice that sounded a little huskier than usual.
‘Thank you,’ I said softly.
Something was preventing me from moving, and whatever it was it seemed to be affecting him too, because several seconds ticked by and neither of us said a word or moved away from my open door.
If my appearance had caught him by surprise, then his was just as arresting. Almost every man looks good in a dinner suit, but Rhys took it to another level. It’s just the power of a tux, I told myself, not sure if I entirely believed that.
‘We’ve got plenty of time, but if you’re ready to go?’
I nodded and turned on my heel to pluck up the shimmery wrap I’d left on the hallway table. As I did, I heard a small, stifled sound, as though Rhys’s next indrawn breath had suddenly got caught in his throat. Between the tuxedo and the backless dress, we could both be in trouble here. The thought stayed with me as I followed him down the stairs to the waiting cab.
The venue was impressive and far more grand than I’d been expecting. I’d imagined our destination would be a typical city hotel, so the elite former private members’ club took me by surprise. The sun was low in the sky, its rays bouncing off the building’s many windows, making it look as though a score of fires blazed from within.
While Rhys paid the cab, I stood on the pavement, admiring the building’s exterior. I was pretty good at dating architecture, and I put this one to be somewhere around the late 1800s. I was eager to see inside, yet part of me wanted to freeze the moment. The night had yet to unfold; we were poised on its threshold, and a feeling of anticipation was already fizzing inside me.
The orange light from the sunlit windows reflected for a moment in Rhys’s eyes. Amber flames burning in fathomless green pools. I shook my head, but the fanciful imagery refused to be evicted.
‘All set?’ Rhys asked, offering me his arm. I took it gratefully. Cobblestones and heels are a dangerous combo at the best of times, and tonight absolutely nothing about me felt steady or sure-footed, literally or metaphorically.
The entrance foyer was as breathtaking as the exterior. A small table had been set up to one side of an enormous, sweeping flight of red-carpeted stairs. It was the kind Cinderella ran down at midnight or Rhett climbed with Scarlett in his arms. After giving his name to the woman at the welcome table, we were directed to a huge reception room bordered on each side by enormous columns covered in gold leaf. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, redundant for now as golden sunlight still flooded through the room’s floor-to-ceiling French windows.
We were so early the guests were outnumbered by the catering staff, who immediately swooped on us with trays of champagne and canapés.
‘Thank you for a wonderful evening, Rhys,’ I said, clinking my long-stemmed flute against his in a toast.
His eyebrows rose in amusement. ‘Aren’t you meant to say that at the end of the night?’
I gave an easy shrug. ‘Well, you know what my memory is like these days. I might forget.’
He smiled. ‘Then you’re welcome.’
My eyes toured the room, which was still empty enough to appreciate the intricately decorated panelling. ‘It’s spectacular, isn’t it?’ I murmured.
‘Wait until you see the library where they present the awards – it’s even more impressive.’
‘You’ve been here before?’
‘Yes. We were shortlisted a couple of years ago but lost out to a much bigger company. Maybe this time you’ll bring us luck.’
‘Never thought of myself as particularly lucky. I grew up being told you had to make your own luck.’
His frown spoke volumes.
I wondered if Annalise had been standing in my place on that previous awards night, but I think I already knew the answer to that one. Just when I thought I recognised the ground we were standing on, it slipped away again beneath my feet.
‘Does it feel strange being back in the corporate world?’ I asked, surveying the rapidly filling room. ‘Do you miss it?’
If Rhys was surprised that I’d steered us back onto neutral territory, he hid it well.
‘I’ve always liked being part of a team.’ His words were careful, as though he wasn’t entirely sure if he was being secretly tested.‘When you’re with the right people, it can be really fulfilling and inspiring.’
More double meanings.
‘I’m not sure I agree with you there. I kind of like being a lone wolf.’
Rhys gave a quick smile. ‘That’s something I’d already guessed about you. But even wolves need a pack, Ellie.’ Were we still talking about business, or something more personal? He held my gaze with his kryptonite green eyes, and I’ve never been so happy to be interrupted in my whole life.
‘Rhys. You beat us here.’ I looked up to see the watch-tapping colleague from the bar standing beside us. He clapped a weighty hand on Rhys’s shoulder.