Flawed Perfection (Beautifully Flawed, #1)

Chapter Fifty Two

I sat at my desk fiddling with the contrast on the photograph I was looking at using for a local designer who was all about the "vintage" look. I'd taken the pictures on a roof top littered with vintage couches; beat up with holes in them and wine casks as tables. I even convinced Adam to come and figure out how to string up a chandelier on one of my spotlights. I didn't know how he managed to, but the picture was almost perfect without any altering.

"No, that's too much," Jesse said as he came in my office. "Go back a bit, increase the brightness...there!"

I smirked up at him. "I'm so glad you think I can do this by myself."

"You took the pic," he said with a wag of his finger. "And I like how you took most of the color out of the photograph and started to play with the contrast. I'm sure you would have come to the same conclusion I just did."

"Mhmm," I replied as he sat down and stuck his feet on my desk.

"My question is why the hell you're still here at," he looked down at his watch; "eight on New Year's Eve. You're young, shouldn't you be partying it up?"

"Adam had a school function...staff only," I replied, my chest tightening at the thought.

"That's stupid!" Jesse said as he leaned forward and tapped on my desk. "I always let you invite a plus one."

"It's a school...I guess they can't afford it. Plus, it's the faculty party. I think it'd be awkward."

"On New Year's Eve, though?"

I leaned back in my chair as I inhaled before answering, "It was that or do it on New Year's day, and who wants to do that?"

Jesse rolled his eyes as he stood and clapped his hands. "Look who it is!"

I turned to see Adam in a black suit with a black button-up and green tie that pulled the flecks of the same color from his eyes.

"Why are you all dressed up?" I asked, blinking at him.

"You really thought the school was having a faculty party on New Year's Eve?"

"I guess so," I answered, pressing my hand to my chest as I took a breath.

Adam pursed his lips, his brows furrowing at me as he shook his head. "Not at all."

"I look like a slob compared to you—where are we going?" I asked.

Jesse came around my desk and moved my office door just enough, so I could see the dress bag hanging there.

"I think there's something here for you to wear," Jesse said before sliding out the door, patting Adam on the shoulder on his way out.

I sat further back in my chair and gazed at him suspiciously. Jesse definitely knew what was going on, and I was at a loss.

Adam nodded over his shoulder. "Go on, take it and put it on."

I narrowed my eyes at him before standing and taking the bag to the bathroom across the hall. I closed the door and stood looking at the bag in my hand. What could be so important we both had to dress up? I lifted the plastic off the dress and stood back to look at it.

It was a rose gold three quarter's sleeve sheath dress covered in what appeared to Swarovski crystals. I undressed and slipped it over my head. The neck line plunged in the front almost as much as in the back, but it fit me like a glove. I took a deep breath as I looked at the dress before slipping into my sapphire blue heels that fit it perfectly by accident. I stuck my head out of the door to see Adam leaning against my doorframe facing me.

He stood up when he heard the door.

"You like it?" he asked, and his face flushed as though he was nervous.