turn as a would-be Cinderella was over and it was time to let go of the royal jewels and go back to her pumpkin-filled life.
“That was amazing,” Justin cooed as she handed him the queen’s necklace.
The whole day had been amazing as far as Charlie was concerned. “What was the final selling price?”
“You didn’t hear?”
She shook her head. “I must have zoned out.”
Justin just stared at her as if he couldn’t understand how anyone could not pay attention to something as important as diamonds and rubies. “The final came in as a phone bid.” He paused to frown. “I hate phone bids. I like to know who bought one of our pieces.”
Charlie smiled, because Justin really was very proprietary when it came to the jewels in his care.
“Anyway,” he said airily, “the necklace finally went for three seventy-five.”
Charlie blinked at him in astonishment. “Three hundred seventy-five thousand dollars?”
Justin’s eyebrows wiggled and his squinty eyes sparkled with glee. “I said it was an amazing piece, didn’t I?”
She looked down at the necklace, with its antique jewels shining up at her, and took a long, slow breath. “I’m so glad I didn’t hear that when I was still holding it.”
“Thanks for your help tonight, hon.” Justin set the porcelain stand down onto the pedestal waiting for it.
Whoever the lucky bidder was would be paying for the necklace right now. Then it would be wrapped up to be sent from Waverly’s. She didn’t even want to imagine how someone would get such an expensive item safely home. Did you hire armed guards? But that was so not her problem.
“You know I love working the auctions, Justin.” She checked her wristwatch. “I’d better get moving, though. Still have to pick up Jake.”
“Sure, sure.”
“You ready?”
Vance’s deep voice sounded out from the doorway behind her and Charlie felt a small, involuntary sizzle of reaction shoot through her veins. She so didn’t want to feel that. Had no business sizzling over her boss. Yet, somehow, her body wasn’t getting that message.
“Yes,” she said, turning to face him.
“Ready for what?” Justin asked in a suspiciously innocent tone.
Oh, damn. Charlie loved Justin, she really did, but the man wouldn’t know how to keep a secret if someone stapled his lips shut. Surely Vance knew that. So why had he spoken up unless he didn’t care if people knew they were going to dinner? And if he didn’t care, was this more of a business thing than a date? But if it was a business thing, would she be calling him Vance? Would he have really said that about sex and Bali?
And why couldn’t she stop thinking about it?
Vance didn’t say anything and Justin was waiting, shifting his far-too-interested gaze back and forth between the two of them.
Finally, Charlie said, “Vance—I mean Mr. Waverly—is giving Jake and I a ride home.”
“Hmmm …”
“First to dinner, then a ride home,” Vance clarified.
Charlie groaned inwardly.
“I see,” Justin said, his eyes shining so brightly now it was a wonder they weren’t giving off actual sparks. “Well, then, don’t let me hold you up any longer.”
When the older man winked at her, Charlie sighed. Damage done. Justin’s romantic heart and love of gossip would take care of alerting the building to whatever was or wasn’t going on between her and Vance.
She picked up her purse from a nearby chair and slipped the strap over her shoulder. Looking up at her boss, she said, “We might as well go.”
As soon as they were out of earshot, Charlie glanced at Vance. “You do realize that by tomorrow, everyone at Waverly’s will know that we went to dinner together.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’ve known Justin a long time.”
“So why did you say anything in front of him?”
“You wanted to keep our dinner date a secret?”
“Not a secret,” she countered as they stepped into the elevator for the short trip to the fourth-floor day-care center. “But—”
One eyebrow lifted. “Is there a problem?”
“Shouldn’t there be?” she asked, unsure what she should be thinking now. He was her boss, and now her date. He didn’t seem to care who knew, but she felt odd about the whole situation. He was making her feel things she didn’t want yet certainly enjoyed. Then there was the fact that his family had founded Waverly’s and now there was a blackmailer trying to make her betray not only him but the auction house she loved.
Could her life get any more complicated?
“I think,” Vance said, taking her hand in his, “you’re thinking too much.”
Her palm to his, heat swamped her. When he drew her out of the elevator and led her down the hall to where Jake waited, Charlie knew she was in really big trouble.
The worst part?
She didn’t care.
Vance was in hell.
He could tell because of the screaming.
When he had invited Charlie out to dinner, he’d had in mind a nice steak place. Not too elegant, not too casual. Just a nice in-between, with good service and a quiet atmosphere so they could talk. So he could try to discover if she was an enemy or not.
He had not planned on a zoo-themed diner where children outnumbered adults and the specialty of the house was macaroni and cheese.
“You look uncomfortable.”
“What?” He shouted to be heard over the screaming three-year-old in the booth behind him.
“I said, you look like you’re miserable and wishing that you were anywhere but here.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Okay, I just thought most of that, but you do look miserable.”
She didn’t, Vance noticed. Her son was in a high chair pulled up to their table. Vance didn’t know much about babies—happily—but this one seemed good-looking and far better behaved than the little tyrants running all over the restaurant.
“It’s just a little loud.”
“Is it?” She shrugged and shredded a piece of chicken onto her son’s tray table. “I didn’t notice.”
“Really?”
