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million stars in the sky, even in broad daylight. So I’d say the chances of you saying yes are pretty darn high.”
    She groaned in exasperation, the sound raspy and appealing in a way it shouldn’t have been. “Please stop talking.”
    “Okay.” The corners of my mouth quirked in a lopsided grin. “Whatever Miss Sadie wants Miss Sadie gets.”
    “You’re still talking,” she said with a slight inflection in her voice that indicated she might have in fact enjoyed our playful banter.
     

Chapter Five
     

     
     
     
     
    “Are you going to the office holiday party?” Julian asked as he passed me in the hallway.
    I blinked. “When is it again?”
    “This Saturday.” He paused, then pointed out. “Tomorrow.”
    I thought briefly, then nodded. The firm’s holiday parties were held right after Thanksgiving, almost three weeks before Christmas.
    At Hall and Heinrich, they liked to ring in the celebrations early.
    “So are you going?” he asked again.
    “Of course,” I said with false cheer. “Miss an opportunity to watch my coworkers get drunk and act like total asshats? Not a chance.”
    Julian flashed me a grin that could only be described as morose. “I’m looking forward to suffering through the indignity of forced merriment.”
    Forced merriment . Hah. I liked that. Office holiday parties had a way of living in infamy. Every business has its own culture, but advertising seems to attract a slightly more, shall I say, progressive type of person than others.
    Last year, Hall and Heinrich threw a party on a yacht that was so scandalous the firm was banned from the cruise line.
    So this year, I heard the firm had rented out a banquet hall in downtown San Francisco.
    Truth be told, I usually showed up out of a sense of obligation, and it was an excuse for me to wear a pretty dress.
    “Will you save me a dance?” he asked, his sea-green eyes intent upon my face.
    I bit back a laugh. “It isn’t prom night.”
    “Will you?” He continued to hold my gaze steadily.
    God. He melted my insides when he looked at me like that.
    “Maybe.” My body tensed with sexual awareness. I forced my voice to lightness, determined to hide my own traitorous emotions.
    “Maybe?” He pantomimed a knife to his chest. “Is that a polite no?”
    Smiling at his theatrics, I slowed to a halt when I reached my office and paused with my hand on the door. “Ask me again tomorrow night and you’ll know.”
     
     
    I could have gone with the slightly more conservative black dress, but something inside me rebelled and I went with the long red dress with a low, plunging back and a side slit that ran to my upper thigh. It showed an indecent amount of leg.
    The silky material was so soft and fluid it melted against my curves, fitting over my body like a snake’s skin.
    It was bold and ballsy and it gave my confidence a much-needed boost.
    Before I left my room, I stood in front of the mirror to check myself. After a quick deliberation, I removed the long onyx necklace dangling from my neck.
    Taking off at least one piece of jewelry before I left the house was a habit instilled by my mom. Mom had always embraced Chanelism—a hallmark of the fashion designer Coco Chanel. I didn’t know if Chanelism was even a word, but Mom had always insisted it was. And according to her, Coco Chanel once famously said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory.”
    This rule always ensured that I didn’t overdo it. Less is more, so to speak.
    By the time I was ready to leave, the doorbell rang and it was Brianna, my babysitter.
    “Evan’s already in bed,” I told her. “And my mom will probably be home sometime tonight. I’ll only be gone for a few hours, but call me if you need anything. My number is on the fridge.”
    “Okay.” She flopped down on the sofa, reached for the remote, and turned on the TV.
    As I stood in the foyer, slipping on my strappy heels, Brianna’s lilting voice drifted over from the