Vodka Espresso

23. party

August, 2017

There was more to Ingrid's early departure from the office than putting on make-up and a little black dress. She took a detour on her way back, which brought her to Teddy's attic studio late in the afternoon.

He sized her up, grinning, when he opened the door. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She winked at him. "I'm taking you to a party."

He stepped aside to let her in. "What kind of party?"

"Rooftop party. At my office. I need a date."

Teddy wiped his painted fingers on a stained rag he'd worn slung over his shoulder. "People don't usually bring dates to office parties. Not outsider dates, at least."

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "Come on! You've never been one to turn down a party invitation."

He seemed to ponder on that for a minute. "How did it go with Michelle? She called me, you know."

"Went well. Thanks to you. I made it very clear to her," Ingrid pointed out, "that you hadn't breached client confidentiality."

"So is this you trying to pay me back or something?"

"Busted!" Ingrid exclaimed and Teddy laughed. "I'll make it worth your while, I promise."

He shook his head, his impish intentions reflected in his plump, quirky smile and playful, dark-chocolate eyes. Ingrid mirrored that expression and winked again.

Promise is a promise.

Teddy donned all black, open-collared matte shirt tucked into tight-fitting trousers. For shoes, he chose a pair of black suede moccasins, with a golden buckle-like finish on top, the kind of outlandish style only Teddy could pull off with such confidence. He offered Ingrid his arm as they left the flat and took a cab to the venue.

Security were checking badges on the rooftop and Ingrid's word alone that her date was trustworthy did not sway them. Teddy chuckled beside her, as if he'd expected all along to be denied access. Ingrid fumed.

"Are you seriously going to make me do this?" She had asked them to get Ian and they hadn't budged.

The guards glanced at each other. "We're so sorry, miss, but we cannot – "

"All right, then, I'll get him myself." Ingrid fished out her phone.

"Miss – "

She held up one finger as she dialled and the security guard fell silent. "Hi, Ian. It's me. Yeah, I'm at the door and I can't seem to be able to get past security. There's – you'll see when you get here. Thanks."

"Was that really necessary?" Teddy whispered in her ear. "Your CEO boss is probably the one who gave them the order to keep outsiders out in the first place."

"I am getting you in," she whisper-shouted back, just as Ian was coming through from the crowd.

"What seems to be the problem here, gentlemen?" he asked the security guards. Then he saw Ingrid with a man he didn't know by her side. "Ingrid! Good of you to come. Would you mind introducing us?" He gestured to Teddy, balancing a half-empty tumbler in his other hand.

"Teddy, meet Ian Brennan, the CEO of The Brennan Company. Ian, this is... my former therapist, Theodore Tran."

Teddy raised his eyebrows at her before he reached out to shake Ian's hand.

"Delighted, Mr Tran," Ian said.

"Oh, please just call me Teddy. Mr Tran sounds so bloody ridiculous."