4. Chapter 4

I gritted my teeth when someone pulled my attention away from my handsome young PA. I had honestly been contemplating kissing him. Sure, we were just joking around until he started talking about his last kiss, and then I grew strangely possessive. The last thing I wanted was to imagine Greyson kissing someone else.

Perhaps I should've been grateful for the disruption. Kissing him would've been a bad idea. What would I look like to the rest of my staff if they found out? I didn't have a workplace dating policy because I worked them hard, with long hours. It was difficult to date when you worked so much. As long as they were adults and professional about it, I didn't care.

But when Greyson teased me about practicing kissing, I really wanted to do just that.

"Are you enjoying yourselves?"

I stood straight and focused on the older man and his wife, who were dressed as King Louie the Sixteenth and Marie Antoinette. Their costumes were fantastic and realistic, glittering with soft colors and gold thread. They must have cost a fortune.

"We are," I said, reaching out my hand to shake theirs.

"I'm Mark Copeland from Copeland Finance. And this is my wife, Maddy. We helped sponsor this little shindig."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Xander Hayes from Nomadology. And this is my… partner, Greyson Everett. I also contributed as a sponsor."

Greyson shook their hands.

"You two are business partners?"

"Ah, no. Partners as in we are… together." Coming out to strangers was always a risk, but I refused to hide who I was.

"And you two are adorable as Holmes and Watson," Maddy said.

I smiled. "Thank you." So far, so good.

"And your costumes are stunning," Greyson said.

Mark placed his hand under his chin, thinking. "What is Nomadology exactly?"

His wife rested a hand on his arm. "Oh, you've heard of them, right? They're that specialty travel agency."

"That's correct," I said.

The man looked at me with curious dark green eyes. "What's a specialty travel agency, exactly?"

I reached for Greyson's hand, threaded our fingers together, and pulled him to my side since he was tucked behind me. "We do specialty travel. Not general arrangements for flights and lodgings. For example, we can arrange for you to climb Mount Everest. Or, if you want to have your own private island for two weeks, we can set that up. Maybe you want to explore a sunken ship. We specialize in unique travel plans." I shrugged. "It clearly caters to the wealthy, and we are growing quite rapidly."

"Isn't that interesting? Do you have a business card? I've always wanted to explore the wilds of Africa, mostly go on safari and such."

I dug into my pocket, pulled out a platinum card case, and handed him a business card. "And that can certainly be arranged."

"Excellent!"

I chatted with the lovely couple before they moved on to mingle with others. That was why I attended events like this. They were always good for business.

"Well, it looks like you've got yourself a new client."

I chuckled and finished off my old-fashioned drink. "Indeed."

I really wanted to try that kissing thing again, but the spell had been broken, so I pulled out two more tickets and showed him. "I have these if you're interested. It could be fun."

Greyson took the passes from my hand and scanned them before looking at me with a raised brow. "Fortune telling?"

"Only VIPs have access to them. Don't you want to know your future? Maybe one day you could find your Prince Charming."

"Okay, let's do it. Sounds fun!"

We ordered two Lucifer's Demon drinks, which was a specialty for the evening. It included rum, red wine, and ginger beer. Retaking his hand—because I was getting way too used to holding it at this point—I tugged Greyson toward one of the fortune tellers on this floor who had set up a table tucked into a corner. We had to wait for another couple to get their fortunes told, but we were next in line since it wasn't very crowded up here.

Once they wrapped it up, I nudged Greyson to sit. "Do you want this to be private, or would you like me to sit with you?"

He rolled his eyes up at me, and I wanted to kiss the sarcastic expression off his face. He was too damn adorable for words. "I don't believe in these things. They're all fake. Let's do it together."

We sat down at a round table with a red tablecloth. Our fortune teller was dressed as a gypsy, covered in brightly colored scarves and heavy makeup, but no crystal ball sat in the middle of the table. Instead, she had a deck of tarot cards.

"I specialize in love and relationships. Would you two like to know your future together?" she asked in a heavy accent I could only assume was fake for her gypsy persona.

Before Greyson could tell her we weren't partners, I said, "Yes."

He looked at me with a crooked smile and shook his head. "Sure, have at it."

She spread out the blue cards covered with gold stars face down. "Pick out three cards from the pile," she said to Greyson. Then she had me do the same thing. The three cards Greyson picked were set face down; then mine were placed next to his. In the middle, she chose a card and laid it between ours.

"This set represents you," she said, pointing at Greyson. The woman flipped over all three cards. "This card on the top is the Eight of Swords. The blindfolded and bound woman represents your struggles, while it sometimes feels like your life is out of your control. That your hands are tied, and you don't always know what to do about it. The bottom card is the Wheel of Fortune, which means good luck in love is coming your way. That you'll soon find yourself in a new and exciting relationship. And the card on your right is the Sun card. This is about hope and positivity. It's about you thriving. It could also mean new love, or love at first sight."

He looked at me with a raised brow and a crooked smile again, a common expression tonight, as he shoved up the glasses that had slipped down his nose. Then his face blushed straight to his ears. What did that mean? Was she right? Was there a man he was interested in? Did I really want to know?

Next, she turned over the cards that I'd chosen. "Interesting. The first one here at the bottom draws my attention." It was an image of a heart with three swords stabbing it. It gave me a sense of sadness. That couldn't be good. "This reflects you being hurt and that while you may appear outwardly confident, inside, you get hurt easily and can take things to heart when they are negative. It can also mean sadness, heartbreak, or grief." Then she looked at Greyson. "Because you are blinded currently, you are unaware of his pain."

We looked at each other, but I gave nothing away. I'd been heartbroken before, but growing up alone in foster care impacted me the most. It certainly affected my love life and those I chose to be a part of it, and why my relationships usually ended badly. Those fears of being abandoned, though it wasn't my parents' fault, consumed me for the longest time when I was younger. It was also why I always wanted to please my grandfather. But mostly, it was hard to find someone who was well-balanced and not someone who was arrogant or only wanted sex. I needed something more meaningful, which had been difficult to find.

"This card on the left is the Hierophant. In love, it represents traditional and solid relationships and is filled with commitment." That right there was exactly me. Interesting. "And the last card is the two pentacles. This means you are juggling decisions. Whether it's breaking up or making room for a new relationship." Seriously, she was pretty good. I didn't know how accurate Greyson's cards were, but mine were pretty spot on, not that I really believed in that sort of thing, but it was definitely food for thought.

She flipped over the last card sitting in between each of the cards we had chosen for ourselves. Death. My stomach flipped for a strange reason, unsure of what that meant.

"The Death card can represent many things. If you two are in a relationship now, it could mean a breakup or changes in your romantic status, such as one of you moving away. But it can also mean new love. Relationship changes can also be good. It could mean the beginning of a relationship and newfound love."

I had to admit that I was impressed. I couldn't help but glance over at Greyson again, who was watching me with an expression I couldn't read.

"Your readings could mean many things, depending on your relationship status. If you have been together for a while, you may want to work on your struggles before they separate you. Find out what is blinding you to your current situation," she said, indicating Greyson. Then she looked at me. "And you need structure and a loving relationship. Something fulfilling. Ask yourself if that is what you are getting, and if not, it would explain your heartbreaking card."

"And if we aren't dating yet?" Greyson asked carefully.

"Then open your eyes and accept this new thing growing between you two."

Greyson and I glanced at each other. I wasn't sure what to make of that, but it certainly had me seeing him quite differently. Yes, I was attracted to him, but date him? Could I do something like that and still work with him?