Page 199 of Manhattan Bossholes

Oh. When I’d turned them down before, I’d believed Aiden might renew my contract…which he had, but only on a limited basis. What would happen when this current extension ended? I’d been toying with the idea of staying on with Elixir for a while longer, but it didn’t hold as much appeal as it had, now that things were strained between Aiden and me. Maybe that was what was going on—he assumed that we were wrapping up with our business relationship, and he figured I’d be moving on, personally and professionally?

I didn’t want to leave Aiden, didn’t want to give up on what we had. But I’d learned long ago that I couldn’t count on him. I needed to make my decision based on what was best for me. So maybe it was smarter not to close this door completely. “I’d actually really like to hear more about that. Do you think we could set up a meeting?”

Elenor beamed. “That would be great. Shall I have my assistant DM you?”

I pulled a business card from my clutch. “Actually, email would be better.”

Elenor took the card. “I look forward to our conversation.”

I smiled. “I look forward to hearing what you think about the mocktails. Good to meet you.”

With a nod toward the bar, Elenor set off. She exchanged words with her colleagues, one of them high-fiving her, the other taking the business card and immediately jumping on her phone. I suspected I’d have an email in my inbox within the hour. But until then, I needed a drink of my own. I clocked a relatively empty bar on the other side of the crowded room and made a beeline for it. Before I could even get halfway there, I froze. Ice flooded my veins as a horribly familiar figure cut through the crowd toward me.

“Hi, Cora.”

I stared up at him in shock. “What the hell are you doing here, Levi?”

24

AIDEN

“They’re just, like, so freaking good,” Cassie said, the fashion influencer throwing back the rest of her Elixir Free mocktail like it was a shot of tequila as she tottered on her ridiculously high heels. She stumbled a bit before latching onto Elio as if he were a lighthouse in the darkness. To be fair, the make-up influencer currently had neon-green tips accenting his dark hair, which did make him easy to spot.

“Babes, why are you already tipsy?”

Cassie rattled her glass at him, giggling. “This is my fourth drink.”

“They’re alcohol free.”

Cassie blinked at him, then burst out laughing. “Guess I’m drunk on the vibes.” She threw her arms around Elio, kissing him on the cheek as she snapped a selfie of the two of them. “Where the hell did Artie go?”

I shook my head discreetly, sipping my Old Fashioned. I’d already walked the step and repeat and took the obligatory photos Dominic insisted on—mostly me posing with the mocktails in hand. But I’d needed a real drink to help me endure the task of micromanaging the influencers and keeping them focused.

“Oh my God, should we go live on Snug?” Cassie asked.

“Maybe later,” Elio said. “I heard Bethany Lyons is invited tonight.”

“Ew,” Cassie said, shooting me a hard look. I had no idea what it meant or who the hell Bethany Lyons was. “We’re keeping away from her. She’s nothing but a backstabbing, content-stealing⁠—”

Jesus Christ. I turned away and seized on the chance to talk to some of the execs from Golden Oak Distilleries who came over to congratulate me. I’d already shaken more hands tonight than I would for the next year, and I didn’t exactly enjoy rubbing elbows with our competitors, but at least I could hold a conversation with them without missing every third reference they made. Man, these influencers made me feel old.

By all accounts, the launch was a success, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking a tightrope, waiting for an errant wind to sweep by and trip me up. I needed to keep everyone happy. I had to keep the drinks flowing. I needed to make sure the influencers were sufficiently entertained but not running wild. Mostly, I needed to convince the press that I was a happy, suave, put-together CEO who was riding the high of a successful launch for the photographers because I needed good media buzz about Elixir Free. Any one of these things could tip the balance of the scales I was holding so perfectly, and it was all starting to wear down my nerves.

“So, I’ve made the rounds,” Artie said, as the street artist rejoined the group. I turned my head, half listening to their conversation.

“What did you learn?” Cassie asked, clearly desperate for drama. “Did you see Bethany Lyons? Is she here?”

“Haven’t seen her. But I did hear that the Masked Mixer is being wooed by competing companies,” he stated with a look my way.

“Which company?” Elio asked.

“Ironwood Distilleries.”

I swallowed my whiskey too quickly. It burned on the way down.

“Huh, that could be interesting,” Cassie said. “If she’s smart, she could turn this into a bidding war. Is Elixir going to fight to keep her?” she asked, giving me a sly look.

Fight to keep her. The words were unsettling, because they mirrored exactly where my mind went. Exactly where I didn’t want it to go.