In the evening, Joy slipped into a sleek black off-the-shoulder gown, reluctantly linking arms with Austin to be his date for the night.
Austin, not one to fuss over his appearance, usually sported a laid-back look with his shirt casually unbuttoned at the top. But tonight, he was all buttoned up and donned a tie, oozing a charm that was hard to ignore.
Upon their arrival at the cocktail party, Joy's gaze wandered, taking in the scene. She noticed that, although there were many stunning dates present, quite a few men were stag, without a female companion in sight.
Baffled, she leaned in and whispered, "Isn't it mandatory to bring a date? How come these guys didn't bring one?"
Austin whispered back, "I never said it was mandatory."
A wave of irritation washed over Joy as she glared at him. "If it's not mandatory, then why did you make me come with you?"
"Just because it's not a must, doesn't mean I can't bring a date," Austin retorted with a mock seriousness. "I'd feel less of myself seeing others with dates and me without one."
Joy was at a loss for words, managing only to mutter, "That's vain."
"What was that?" Austin inquired.
With a forced smile, Joy replied, "I said that's sane."
The business cocktail party was, as the name suggested, all about networking.
Joy, ever so sociable, could strike up a conversation with anyone and charm her way through the evening effortlessly.
Her ability to chat up a storm meant Austin barely needed to say a word; she had the entire event under her spell.
Thirsty from all the talking, Joy was about to grab a drink when suddenly, a glass appeared in her hand. She turned to Austin, who seemed to enjoy playing the role of a silent benefactor, giving her a nod to carry on.
While Joy was off grabbing some snacks, her spot was quickly taken.
Frank, sneaking up with a drink in hand, teased Austin, "Got a new girl? She's got a nice figure."
Austin's eyes followed to where Joy was standing by the buffet, her silhouette hinting at a strength that suggested she could take on three men if needed.
"She's my employee," Austin nonchalantly replied while swirling his drink.
"Wow, making moves on your own staff now, huh? Didn't you say no office romances to your previous admirers?"
Joy, meanwhile, was demolishing a hefty portion of beef tartare and truffle bites.
A lady nearby, intrigued by Joy's enthusiasm, asked if the food was good. Unable to speak, Joy gave a thumbs-up along with a convincing nod, prompting the lady to try some for herself.
Unbeknownst to Joy, the lady was the wife of a high-profile executive. Yet, there she was, engaging in lively banter about which dishes were hits and which were misses, having tasted her way from one end of the buffet to the other. Content belongs
Soon, a small crowd of women had gathered around her, discussing the culinary delights.
"You all should skip this one," Joy advised as she hoarded the mini tacos with tuna topping for herself, claiming they were too delicious to share.
Austin couldn't help but laugh, "She's quite something."
"Is she?" Frank pondered, looking
from Joy back to Austin. "Heard your last blind date was a bust. I mean, you're not bad-looking, so why can't you catch a break? Maybe you should consider your employee here. She's pretty and seems interesting."
Austin took a sip of his drink, "Not interested."
Joy didn't attend the party for nothing; she indulged in the feast and left with a satisfied belly.
As for Austin, he showed a gentlemanly side, perhaps because Joy was there as his date, not as a subordinate, making the treatment a tad more special.
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