Page 77 of A Perfect Fit

I exchange another glance with Jackson, who gives my hand a gentle squeeze, the look in his eyes telling me that everything that’s happening is real.

“I’d be so honored,” I say, turning to Liz with a grateful smile. “Thank you so much for the opportunity.”

“Fantastic.” Liz beams. “My assistant will be in touch. I’m going to talk to some others, but it was lovely to chat. And, Jackson, good luck with your firm’s award nomination for tonight.”

“Thank you, Liz,” Jackson says.

Liz gives us both another nod before walking off, leaving a trail of Chanel perfume behind her.

“Oh my God, I’m going to be featured in Sparkes Magazine!” I squeal, glancing up at the ceiling. “Sparkes Magazine, here I come, baby!”

Jackson chuckles. “Sparkes Magazine and the entire fashion industry should watch out because my favorite fashion designer is about to make her mark.”

I turn to see Jackson grinning from ear to ear, as though he’s proud—proud of me.

“Okay, serious questions: What did you do to Liz?” I ask. “Did you cast some kind of magic spell on her?”

“I told her that if she came to tonight’s event, I’d arrange free gym memberships for her entire team.”

Despite the joking tone in his voice, I can still feel my imposter syndrome screaming and kicking loudly at me, so much so that I’m questioning whether he actually said that to Liz.

Jackson must sense what I’m thinking because his expression grows tender. “It turns out that the sister of one of my clients had a contact at Liz’s head office in California. Originally, I was just hoping to arrange a video call, but she was going to be in Chicago at the same time as us, so we were able to make it work in person.”

Dazzled, I run a hand through my hair. “But how did you make her come to this event and offer my business an opportunity to be featured in her magazine?”

Jackson cups my face, forcing my gaze to meet his. “I didn’t make her arrange that interview or do anything. She saw your talent and passion. This is all you, Bella, and you deserve this and everything more.”

I stare at him in silence, taking in his words. He’s being humble and refusing to take credit, but without him, none of this would have been possible.

“Thank you for doing this,” I eventually say. Suddenly, the surprise I prepared for him tonight feels tiny and pathetic in comparison.

“As long as you’re happy, anything is worth it.”

I’m melting. I think I might melt into a puddle right now.

“If I told young Isabelle that she’d have the opportunity to be featured in her favorite magazine one day, she would’ve shaken her head and told me I was crazy.”

“Young Isabelle would be so proud,” Jackson says. “You were always reading Sparkes Magazine back in school. Sometimes, you’d accidentally leave copies in the classroom, too.”

My cheeks warm at the thought of him remembering that.

“I still have old stacks of the magazines in my room,” I fondly recall. “I remember when my parents used to give my sister and me pocket money back in elementary school, and I’d spend it on buying Sparkes Magazine. My mom always thought I was wasting money.”

Jackson stares at me, listening intently. It prompts me to open up to him more.

“I think everyone’s definition of happiness is different, and just because it doesn’t align with our own doesn’t mean we should degrade it,” I add. A wistful smile forms on my lips. “We should be able to write our own stories without someone else putting a strikethrough on our words.”

His eyes swirl with something gentle, tender. “No one should ever put a strikethrough on your words, Bella. If they do, they don’t deserve a place in your book.”

I let out a shaky breath, my voice faltering. “Not even a footnote?”

“Not even a footnote,” he softly says.

“The atmosphere’s really nice, isn’t it?” A high-pitched voice suddenly butts in.

My eye twitches as I watch Hilary beam at Jackson. She looks gorgeous in a floor-length, bright-pink dress with a slit at the side, her blonde hair pulled into a neat updo.

Beside me, Jackson stiffens. A hefty weight settles in my chest, my mind racing. Has he only been saying all those flirty and sweet things to me tonight because of this—because he wants to throw off Hilary?