New Year's Steve

“Better?” he asks gently, taking the glass from my hand and placing it on the table.

“Much, thank you.” I look around the rooftop again and notice all the little details that have gone into tonight — thousands of my favorite flowers, a carafe of chocolate milk on the table, a direct view to the brand new New Year’s Eve ball from my seat. Harry, Harrison… Mr. McGinnis, put in so much effort just for me. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”

He nods once and stands, making his way to the opposite chair. “It’s kind of a long story. Shall we eat while I tell it?” He gestures to his seat and I nod my approval.

As he tucks his legs under the table, a man I assume is a waiter comes out and begins pouring champagne into sparkling clear flutes. He then proceeds to fill our plates with a variety of appetizers and small finger foods — enough to give us a good taste of everything while filling me up in the process.

Once we’re alone again, I pick up a mini quiche and blow on it before addressing Harry directly. “Who are you really?”

He pops what I have since learned is a meat and cheese empanada in his mouth and chews, wiping his lips with a napkin before answering. “Like I said, I’m Harrison Steven McGinnis. Most people call me Harrison. You’ve already figured out I’m the guy in charge of this company, but like you found out today, I also like to get my hands dirty sometimes.”

“Yeah, explain that. I don’t know many CEO’s who go around fixing squeaky drawers on the last day of the year. Come to think of it, your knowledge of acquisitions makes more sense now.”

“And for the record, I’m impressed with your knowledge of them as well.” He chuckles deep in his chest and now that I know Harry is Steve and Steve is Harry, I have zero guilt about enjoying that sound. He takes a sip of his champagne and continues. “I like tinkering. If something’s broken, I usually know how to fix it. And with Skeeter on vacation. and me having some free time, it doesn’t hurt to pitch in.”

“Skeeter is off. That makes so much more sense now.”

“That nothing was getting done?” I nod. “You could have just had the office manager call him about it.”

I narrow my eyes, getting real irritated by people trying to force that middle man on me.

“Or not,” he tacks on with a playful smile.

Trying and failing at attempting the dainty way of cutting meat off a chicken wing, I give up and rip it right off the bone with my fingers.

“But when you figured out who I was, because it’s obvious you did,” I gesture at the milk in front of us as evidence, “why didn’t you tell me?”

He runs his hand through his thick hair which I just realized has been cleaned up around his neckline. Wow. He really did pull out all the stops for me.

“It threw me off guard at first. Here was this super cute employee spouting off directions on regular maintenance and demanding I not leave until it was done. It was funny.”

I groan. “Now that I know who you are, that’s not funny. I could have been fired.”

“Yeah, because it’s such a smart idea to fire the only person in accounting who bothers to come in on the last day of the year.”

“Touché. And yet, you didn’t call me out.”

He shakes his head and sips the champagne again. “Steve, that’s my online alter ego in case you haven’t figured that out yet…”

“We’ll get to him later.”

“Noted. Steve isn’t all that great at planning romantic dates. He had a few ideas and was close to nailing one down, but when he met you, he decided it was best to get some insider information about the lucky woman he got to go on a date with tonight.”

I snort a laugh. “And let me guess, then Sheila showed up and helped you plan the perfect rooftop romance.”

Harry, er… Harrison’s jaw drops open and he stares at me in shock. “How’d you know she helped?”

“Pretty sure the waiter is her sister’s nephew Andrew. She hired him to carry hors d’oeuvres around at the Christmas party a couple weeks ago.”

“Dammit Sheila. She swore she was going to be stealthy on her involvement.”

“Have you met Sheila? She is absolutely going to take credit for helping with this. Oh and be warned, the second she figures out I’m the one you did all this for, she’s going to call you New Year’s Steve from now on.”

“New Year’s… what?”

“Inside joke. I’m letting you in on it so just roll with it.”

“I will never understand that woman.”

“Probably best that you don’t. What I don’t understand, though, is why Steve? Why all the secrecy and going by your middle name on LoveSwept?”