Can't Love Christmas

Fourteen

Dinner finished just before eight o'clock, and then it was time for the door prizes. There were tickets attached to the underside of everyone's seats, which they all reached for and waited for the numbers to be called. There were five big prizes, which Margaret referred to as 'the only reason I attend the party'.

Unfortunately, no one from the Miska store won a prize. It was announced that there would be half an hour left in the silent auction, and then the main raffle prize winner would be announced. A tremor of excitement ran through the room at that announcement.

"What's the raffle prize?"

Margaret answered first, "this year it's a weekend trip for two to Jasper Park Lodge with a one thousand dollar gift card to their on-site restaurants, spa, and shops!"

"Holy shit that's a good prize."

"You betcha. Sadiq put all our names in when the prize was announced. You don't even have to come to win it. If your name is on the ticket, you win."

Rowan stood up. "I need to stretch my legs."

Ash watched him walk away and head to the bar, where he stopped to chat with Sarah. He looked relaxed with her, and Ash could see them laughing together from her spot at the table. She watched as two tall, willowy women glided towards the bar. Rowan stepped to the side to give them space to order while he continued his conversation with Sarah.

When Sarah left the bar to head into the back room, the women moved in on Rowan. Ash stood up and headed over to join them. The women were both wearing black dresses, one was skin tight and short, the other was long and flowy. They had long blonde hair and delicate bangles hung from their wrists. They had all the features that you could want in a model. When Ash reached them, she felt tiny and insignificant.

"There ye are, Cinders!" Rowan spoke with an Irish accent, and while Ash stared at him in confusion, he continued as if it were normal, "Have ye met these here lassies? This is Tasha and Liliana."

Ash reached out a hand to each of them in turn. "Where are you from?"

Liliana responded "We own the Norton branch. You?"

"We're from Miska."

"You two make a cute couple, how long have you been together?"

"Oh no, we aren't. Just friends."

"Oh really?" Tasha jumped in with a glint in her eye.

"Yep. Just friends."

Rowan cocked his head at her, then looked back to the girls, "Aye."

Sarah had returned from the back room, and Ash excused herself to go talk to her. "Can you please enlighten me, what the hell is Rowan doing?"

"Oh, the accent? He does that sometimes. He likes to do it at parties where he doesn't know most people. I think it's a shield."

"Wow." Ash would deny how it made her feel to anyone who asked. He leaned back on his elbows against the bar, pulling his shirt open just wide enough that Ash could see the edge of a tattoo inked on his skin. Her breath caught in her chest.

"He's got a lot of them. Irish, English, Scottish, Australian, Bostonian. A few others. I was joking around with him about it when they walked up, so he couldn't exactly stop by then."

Ash looked back to him. A glass dangled from his fingertips, and Tasha's hand rested on his forearm. Liliana leaned in close to whisper something in his ear. "Well that's interesting."

"Oh shit." Sarah had an impressed look on her face.

The president walked back over to the mic and asked for everyone's attention while they announced winners. Rowan caught Ash's eye and nodded his head towards their table. They both excused themselves from their conversations and meandered back to the Miska table.