19: Polka Dots

We went back to our hotel to get changed for the party tonight. Jason got changed in the bathroom while I got changed in the room. I was so looking forward to tonight.

I was in my navy jumpsuit with the colourful polka dots dotted all over and had just finished applying all my makeup. I was currently straightening my hair when Jason came out the bathroom.

"Wow" Jason exclaimed, his eyes darting my way.

I raised my eyebrow looking over at Jason in his navy long sleeved shirt, sprinkled in polka dots, paired with black trousers, his hair slicked back to one side "You don't look so bad yourself" I smiled, giving Jason one last look over before getting back to straightening my hair.

"Seems like we're matching" Jason commented, coming over to my side, looking in the mirror.

I chuckled, noticing how we were both in polka dots. "Looks like it"

"Great minds think alike" Jason commented, smiling at me in the mirror. My stomach fluttered as he smiled at me. I had to focus on getting myself ready. "I don't think I'll have any trouble finding you if you ever get lost. Your colourful dots will lead the way"

"They're not that bright" I scoffed, looking down at my jumpsuit. Sure, there were lots of colourful spots dotted about the dress and of course I wanted to stand out. Otherwise, Liz would kill me if I went with anything dull.

I finished straightening my hair and stood up, checking myself once over. My sleeveless jumpsuit showed off my toned arms from my time at the gym and the baggy trousers made my legs look longer than they actually were.

I ran my hands through my hair, making sure each strand was in place. Jason could see me fussing and placed my hand in his "You look great" he reassured me.

"Yeah, but- "

"No ifs or buts. Trust me, when I say you look amazing. You should ask Liz; I never say that to just anyone". I giggled, feeling my face heat up at his compliment. "Anyway, we better go, everyone should be down at the lobby by now"

"Okay, but first, let me take a selfie" I laughed to which Jason just rolled his eyes. I took a mirror selfie, ensuring my jumpsuit could be seen in the full-length mirror. Once I was satisfied, I ushered Jason into the picture "C'mon, let's take another selfie. It's not often we get to dress up"

Jason complied, first taking a picture of us side my side in the mirror, then another of us sticking or tongues out. That one we would have to send to Liz. The last picture we took, the camera was vertical, so we could see ourselves in the full-length mirror. Jason wrapped his arm around my waist, my smile unable to hide my feelings in that moment, as Jason smiled down at me, creating a picture-perfect moment.

After our little selfie session, we made our way down to the lobby, my body on fire from where Jason had placed his hand. My stomach was erupting in butterflies and I had to bite my lip from smiling so much.

I obviously wasn't as good at hiding my smile as I thought I was as Daniel zeroed in on me as soon as we arrived in the lobby. "What's got you all smiley?"

I shook my head "Nothing, just excited to get this party started"

Daniel looked over to Jason, who was busy talking to another colleague and then back to me, raised an eyebrow and didn't say any more on the matter.

The columns of The Dome stood tall, looking magnificent against the modern buildings round about. But inside was even more glamorous. The chandelier hung above us, shining brightly. The marble flooring below showed how elegant the place was. The air filled with chatter as people let of steam after a hard day's work.

I could see why The Dome was aptly named. Up above, light filtered in through the windows where the dome was placed on the roof. Intricate designs patterned the ceiling above us, and columns surrounded the place.

Aisha and her team were at the bar and smiled as we made our way to her. "Hey, you made it". Large flowers bloomed on the bar desk, lit up from the lights above. Aisha wasn't lying when she said we would be impressed; this place was truly magnificent.

Once we had all greeted each other, we made our way to the Grill Room, where we were to have some dinner and apparently a surprise a little later on. Walking in, I felt like I was transported back to the glitz and glamour of the twenties. I could imagine myself in a flapper dress, a feather boa around me, and a feathered hairband ready to dance the night away.

The bar stood in the middle of the room, smaller chandeliers around lighting up the room. We were seated at the back, where large windows loomed with stained glass art. I felt posh just being here.

"Did you all get up to much today?" Aisha asked as soon as we were all seated.

"We went to Edinburgh castle. We didn't go inside though but we took lots of pictures" Daniel explained. "We're planning to visit it at some point"

"I would also recommend the National Museum, if you can fit it in. It's amazing"

The food arrived soon after and we talked about all sorts, from work to hobbies. It was great getting to know everyone at the Scotland office.

While everyone was busy chatting away, I would sneak glances at Jason, watching him as he smiled and laughed with the other colleagues. He was a natural people person, and everyone wanted to be in his presence. Even now, I was slightly envious that he wasn't speaking to me or looking my way.

My mind wouldn't stop thinking about that moment in the hotel. Did it mean something? It was just a picture, of course it didn't mean anything. Did I want it to mean something?

I shook my head, I had to stop overthinking this. I turned to Skye, who was sat beside me, to distract myself. It seemed to work. I found out lots about Skye and decided she was someone I would keep in touch with.

We were all stuffed by the end of our dinner and had some time in between our main meal and desert to walk about or just chit chat with everybody. I decided I needed some fresh air and stepped outside into the cool night air.

The streets were quiet now, lit up by the streetlights. Up ahead, the castle was lit up, magnifying its presence. I closed my eyes and breathed in, feeling my tense shoulders relax. There was nowhere else in the world, in this moment, I would rather be than here. I felt at peace and was so calm, I didn't notice anyone come up behind me until a jacket was placed over my shoulders.

I slowly opened my eyes and turned to see a smiling Jason. "Thought you'd like the company"

I smiled, "Thanks for the jacket"

We both looked up towards the castle, high above the ground, as it sat atop its rock.

"What are you thinking about?"

My heart thundered. This was my chance to say everything I wanted to. Nothing was stopping me getting everything off my chest. But I couldn't. I liked having Jason in my life, and I didn't want to risk our friendship. It just wasn't worth it.

"How amazing the castle looks" I admitted, which was the partial truth. Jason nodded; his attention taken by the beauty of the castle. "How come you aren't inside, schmoozing with all your buddies?"

"I figured I haven't spoken to you all night"

"What are you talking about? We talk plenty. I figured you'd be sick at the sight of me seeing as I'm always at your house and we work together and to make matters even better, we're sharing a room, so you're never rid of me" I laughed.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing" he smiled "At least I've gotten to know you a little bit more outside of being my little sisters' best friend"

I smiled back at him, feeling my cheeks heat up. I was glad I was outside, otherwise, I think I would have been sweating out this jacket. "There isn't much more to know about me than you already know"

"Sure, there is. Like I now know you are a hard worker" he laughed. "You'll even work extra hours to get through month end."

"Well, I was always a hard worker. That's nothing new" I shrugged.

"And I've also discovered that you snore"

"Hey, I do not snore"

"Don't worry, it's a cute little snore" he laughed.

"I'm walking away from this conversation" I said, turning to head back inside.

"Hey, I was kidding" Jason said, taking my hand from stopping me. "Don't go just yet. Can we wait for a few more minutes"?

"Dessert will be ready soon"

"I just want to be out here with you for a little while longer" he said, taking my hand in his.

"We'll have all night to talk when we go back to the hotel"

"That's not what I meant" he said, squeezing my hand.

I pursed my lips, wondering what he meant by that. I wasn't complaining though, the feeling of his hand in mine felt right, making me smile as we stayed in silence looking out into the distance.

"We better get back inside, I don't want to miss the dessert" I chuckled, letting go of his hand, instantly missing his warmth.

"Go on in. I'll catch up with you soon" he smiled.

"Okay" I said, handing him back his jacket and walking back inside.

Once dessert was done with, Aisha revealed her surprise. "Okay everyone, get ready to boogie because I've hired us a private room where a DJ is waiting for us to dance all night long"

We all screamed with delight as we made our way to the room, strobe lights were spinning around everywhere, and the music vibrated around the room. I suppose if there was one way of getting to know people, it was by dancing like crazy.

Normally I would be too shy to dance in front of people, but I did have a little liquid courage, so I didn't hesitate to run to the dance floor and wave my hands in the air to the beat of the music. Daniel noticed me and laughed, running beside me, to dance with me. It felt great to let go and have fun.

"Oh, that is so not how you dance" a voice said behind me.

I turned around to see a smirking Jason, his hands placed on his hips. "Oh yeah, you think you can do better?". Jason raised an eyebrow, accepting the challenge and done the runner man right there on the dance floor. I almost peed with laughter as he continued to pull out some ridiculous moves. "I have to say, this still doesn't beat your twerking"

"What! You've twerked" Daniel shouted.

"I thought we agreed to never speak about that again"

"Whoops" I said, raising my hands in defence.

"I need to know more about this twerking" Daniel grinned.

"Hey Jason, lets go over there" I said, grabbing his hand before Daniel probed any further into the twerking incident. "There, I just saved you"

"Barely, now Daniel will know about the twerking"

"We can just say he imagined the whole thing. Hah, saved you again"

Jason rolled his eyes, putting the conversation to bed. Another song played and he took my hand, smiled, and took me to the dance floor as we danced the night away, twirling and laughing our heads off. We were having such a fun night, I forgot about the people around me and where we were.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but my bladder was telling me to take a little break. "I'll be back in a minute" I shouted to Jason over the music, to take a comfort break.

The Dome had the fanciest bathroom I had ever relieved myself in. Just as I was about to take a picture to send to my mother, the door to the bathroom opened. Aisha smiled as she walked in. "Hey, are you having a good time?"

"The best" I grinned. "I'm not normally one for dancing but I figured it's not every day you get to dance at The Dome"

"You look like you're having fun with Jason" Aisha smirked, turning to the mirror to reapply her makeup.

"Yeah, I suppose. He's my best friends' brother, so I've practically known him my whole life" I shrugged, fixing my hair in the mirror.

"Really? I would of thought that you were more than friends"

"What" I scoffed "No way. Like I said, he's my best friends' brother so it could never happen"

"Why not? I think you look good together. I say go for it"

I shook my head and laughed "I don't know if you've noticed but we work in the same office. I don't think relationships in the workplace are allowed Aisha"

"I won't tell if you won't" she smirked. "I know a good couple when I see one. And like you said, you've known him a long time. He's someone you can trust. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't give it a go"

I sighed, thinking of a million reasons why we couldn't be. Did I even like him that way? Thinking over the past few months, we had gotten a lot closer. And during that time, the way I saw him and thought of him had changed. I definitely didn't see him as my best friends' brother. I saw him as my own friend. But did I think of him as more than that?

My thoughts were interrupted as someone else entered the bathroom. I decided not to think about it anymore and continue to enjoy the rest of the night. Aisha and I walked out and back into the dance room.

Jason smiled as I walked in and my heart fluttered. Maybe I had some thinking to do? He strolled over before I could think over anything. "Hey, I've had an idea". I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. "How about we go explore a little bit of Edinburgh"

"Right now?"

"Why not? Ahmed mention The Royal Mile is a nice place for a walk"

I didn't have to think twice about it. I smiled as we walked out, Aisha giving me a wink as she noticed us. I couldn't stop the blush that was rising on my cheeks in that moment.

The cold wind bit me as we stepped outside. I guess I didn't hide well how cold I was, as Jason took off his jacket and placed it on my shoulders. "Thanks Jason" I smiled "You really didn't have to do that"

"I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable" he smiled. I pursed my lips to hide my own smile. My stomach was erupting in butterflies, at the thought of Jason making sure I was okay.

We walked on in silence, noticing how familiar this trail looked. "Haven't we walked up here before?" I asked, realising this was the same route we had taken the first night we arrived in Edinburgh.

"Apparently, what we walked up was the Royal Mile. And there's so much more of it to explore"

We walked up the same route as before, but this time took a different path. We passed more gift shops, displaying Scotland merchandise and tartans skirts and blankets, which reminded me to pick up some gifts sometime before I left.

The streets were quiet, a few stragglers were about, the hum of the lights above echoing in the night. We walked past a former church, blackened with age, the tall towers and spirals majestic under the night sky. Walking further up the hill, we walked past a museum 'Camera Obscura', before I noticed a familiar site in front of us. "And we've ended up back at the castle"

"It appears we have" he chuckled. The lights illuminated the castle, making it seem magical during the night. "Why don't we sit down for a while"

We went over to the wall, by the entrance of the castle and sat down. The night sky twinkled with the stars above, the full moon shining brightly ahead. Jason took my hand in his, warming me up on the chilly night, just as he had done the first time we were here.

"There's just something about this castle that makes me want to come back again and again" Jason started, breaking the silence.

"Castles are pretty magical. And we haven't even explored the inside of it yet" I chuckled.

"We will tomorrow" he nodded. "Listen, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about that we've been putting off for a long time"

"There is?" I asked, racking my brain for anything that was pivotal we needed to discuss.

"Yeah, every time I bring it up, you seem to ignore me or change the subject. I think now is the perfect time to discuss it"

I shrugged, nothing coming to mind "Okay, so what is it that you want to talk about?"

"That night at the club"

"Ah, that" I sighed. "I thought we agreed not to talk about it"

"Well, you agreed to that. I thought we should at least discuss it with Liz not around. Is there a reason why you don't want to talk about it?"

"What is there to discuss? That night at the club, we had a bit to drink, we didn't know what we were doing". I couldn't admit to him that the kiss ran through my head many times. We were drunk, my feelings were mixed with alcohol at that moment.

"Okay, fair enough, but what about the kiss at the basketball game?" I couldn't use the drunk excuse this time. I definitely couldn't admit then that those feelings I felt at the club were amplified at the game.

"I didn't want to hurt Liz's feelings. I appreciate all you did to keep it from Liz but she's my best friend and I can't do anything that I know will hurt her" I shrugged. "Besides, it didn't mean anything"

"Didn't it?" his eyes bore into mine, the moonlight reflecting off his green eyes, and I knew in that moment, looking at Jason, that I wanted more of those moments where it was just Jason and me. Like when we would go for lunch together at work, or that time at the basketball game, heck, even the time when we were at the club, but with less drink involved of course.

He placed his hand on my cheek, my heart beating faster the anticipation of what was to happen next. He inched closer before his soft lips landed on mine and all rational thought left my head. In that moment, all I knew was that I wanted more. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me.

The cold biting my skin was long forgotten as his body moved closer to mine, his hands moving to the small of my back. If I could kiss him forever, I would, but that was obviously impossible. We let go, our foreheads touching as we breathed hard.

We smiled like two kids in a candy shop. I didn't know what this meant or what was going to happen next, But I was looking forward to finding out.

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The end....

Lol, joking. I wouldn't do that to you guys. There is so much more of their story to tell.

I loved writing this chapter so much and so glad they finally got their kiss. I hope you enjoyed it and hope it was worth the wait.

I managed to include some pics of their outfits and also of The Dome too. You can see how awesome it looks during Christmas time.

Also, just an FYI, the next chapter kinda has some mature content (near the end ish), so if you don't like that kind of thing, just make sure not to read the end of the next chapter.