"Oh no!" Blair suddenly glanced at the time and jumped to her feet. "The concert's about to start! I need to head down and get ready. I'm afraid I won't be able to join you for dinner after all."
"What a shame, beautiful lady!" the foreign businessman exclaimed dramatically.
Blaze, however, merely withdrew his hand, his expression unreadable. He had no intention of stopping her—in fact, he wished she'd leave sooner. The less she clung to him, the better.
"If you have the time," Blair said with a bright, expectant smile, pulling two gold-embossed tickets from her purse, "I'd love for you to attend the New Year's concert. My solo starts at nine-thirty."
The foreigner chuckled and slipped one ticket into his breast pocket. Blaze, on the other hand, placed his untouched glass on top of the other—using it as a coaster.
"Thank you," he said flatly. "But I have other plans tonight. I'll have to pass."
