small band next to the dance floor began to play. I watched as the tables emptied and people made their way out.
“Alice?” Dante said suddenly.
“ Yeah?” I said as I turned to him.
“ Would you like to dance?”
“ It would be my pleasure.”
I smiled at him as he held his hand out to me. He led me out onto the floor between all of the people. I stretched my arms up and wrapped them around h is neck. I looked up into his eyes and saw the sly smile on his face.
“ What’s so funny?” I asked him.
“ You’re drunk,” he laughed.
“ No, I’m not.”
“ A lot of people don’t realize that it doesn’t take very much wine to affect you. They drink it because it tastes so good. And then before they know it, they’re stumbling around and having trouble thinking.”
“ Well, I’m not stumbling or having any trouble thinking.”
“ True. But your face is quite red.”
If it weren ’t, it would have been at this point. He laughed at me again. Thankfully, the alcohol made me feel less embarrassed. I looked down at the ground and watched my feet shuffle back and forth.
“ Don’t worry,” he said. “You’re not stepping on my toes.”
“ Not yet.”
I felt his body shake with laughter underneath my gr ip. There were couples surrounding us from every side. The music was loud and throbbing. Dante’s broad shoulders were hard and rigid underneath my wrists. I stopped thinking about everything and just enjoyed this moment. I sighed as any stress I might have left me.
When the song came to an end, I stopped dancing and applauded with the rest of the crowd. The next song began and all of the couples resumed dancing.
“Would you like to dance again?” Dante asked me.
I looked back at our table and watched as Rafae l escorted Cheryl onto the dance floor. I turned away from them and looked back at Dante.
“ I think I’ve had enough dancing for tonight,” I said. “Who knows when that alcohol will kick in?”
“ Hmm, good point. How about the beach?”
“ Yeah, that sounds like fun.”
“ Thirty minutes?”
I nodded and smiled at him. We headed out of the ballroom together. I didn ’t look back to see what was happening behind me. Instead, I thought about changing out of my dress and into something more appropriate for the sand.
Chapter 13
I took another gulp of coffee to try and perk myself up even though I knew it wouldn’t help very much. Thankfully, my head wasn’t throbbing as it would if I had a hangover. I didn’t drink as much as Dante suggested but the taste of the wine was still lingering somewhere between my stomach and tongue.
Instead of the old men and women from the conference, Dante and I spent the rest of the night surrounded by the younger beachgoers who were enjoying the surf and sand. We sat there on the beach and had pointles s conversations. It was all just a reason to relax underneath the stars and enjoy the atmosphere. I would have fallen asleep right there on the beach if it hadn’t been for Dante reminding me to come to his presentation the next morning.
And here I was. I d ragged myself out of bed and cleaned myself up to look like the representative for Barnett Industries that Rafael wanted me to be. I had to force myself to look away from the water. It had been three days since we arrived and I still had not experienced what the beach was like during the day. Today wasn’t looking any different.
My schedule was completely loaded with presentations and workshops I needed to attend. The responsibility of an impending report for Rafael and the board of directors was always loom ing over me. I thought I made a mistake in tacking-on another presentation to attend but Dante seemed appreciative as he stood in front of the conference room. He smiled and winked at me before beginning his presentation to all of the executives and representatives in the room.
Despite how friendly I was with him, the presentation was little different from everything else I was
“Alice?” Dante said suddenly.
“ Yeah?” I said as I turned to him.
“ Would you like to dance?”
“ It would be my pleasure.”
I smiled at him as he held his hand out to me. He led me out onto the floor between all of the people. I stretched my arms up and wrapped them around h is neck. I looked up into his eyes and saw the sly smile on his face.
“ What’s so funny?” I asked him.
“ You’re drunk,” he laughed.
“ No, I’m not.”
“ A lot of people don’t realize that it doesn’t take very much wine to affect you. They drink it because it tastes so good. And then before they know it, they’re stumbling around and having trouble thinking.”
“ Well, I’m not stumbling or having any trouble thinking.”
“ True. But your face is quite red.”
If it weren ’t, it would have been at this point. He laughed at me again. Thankfully, the alcohol made me feel less embarrassed. I looked down at the ground and watched my feet shuffle back and forth.
“ Don’t worry,” he said. “You’re not stepping on my toes.”
“ Not yet.”
I felt his body shake with laughter underneath my gr ip. There were couples surrounding us from every side. The music was loud and throbbing. Dante’s broad shoulders were hard and rigid underneath my wrists. I stopped thinking about everything and just enjoyed this moment. I sighed as any stress I might have left me.
When the song came to an end, I stopped dancing and applauded with the rest of the crowd. The next song began and all of the couples resumed dancing.
“Would you like to dance again?” Dante asked me.
I looked back at our table and watched as Rafae l escorted Cheryl onto the dance floor. I turned away from them and looked back at Dante.
“ I think I’ve had enough dancing for tonight,” I said. “Who knows when that alcohol will kick in?”
“ Hmm, good point. How about the beach?”
“ Yeah, that sounds like fun.”
“ Thirty minutes?”
I nodded and smiled at him. We headed out of the ballroom together. I didn ’t look back to see what was happening behind me. Instead, I thought about changing out of my dress and into something more appropriate for the sand.
Chapter 13
I took another gulp of coffee to try and perk myself up even though I knew it wouldn’t help very much. Thankfully, my head wasn’t throbbing as it would if I had a hangover. I didn’t drink as much as Dante suggested but the taste of the wine was still lingering somewhere between my stomach and tongue.
Instead of the old men and women from the conference, Dante and I spent the rest of the night surrounded by the younger beachgoers who were enjoying the surf and sand. We sat there on the beach and had pointles s conversations. It was all just a reason to relax underneath the stars and enjoy the atmosphere. I would have fallen asleep right there on the beach if it hadn’t been for Dante reminding me to come to his presentation the next morning.
And here I was. I d ragged myself out of bed and cleaned myself up to look like the representative for Barnett Industries that Rafael wanted me to be. I had to force myself to look away from the water. It had been three days since we arrived and I still had not experienced what the beach was like during the day. Today wasn’t looking any different.
My schedule was completely loaded with presentations and workshops I needed to attend. The responsibility of an impending report for Rafael and the board of directors was always loom ing over me. I thought I made a mistake in tacking-on another presentation to attend but Dante seemed appreciative as he stood in front of the conference room. He smiled and winked at me before beginning his presentation to all of the executives and representatives in the room.
Despite how friendly I was with him, the presentation was little different from everything else I was
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