Page 45 of Manhattan Bossholes

“Excellent idea,” Piper replied. “I want to make sure I look perfect for the celebration to come.”

She always looked amazing, but I got the sense that that feedback wouldn’t be helpful.

Piper still seemed unsteady on her feet from the moment we’d just shared, but neither one of us moved closer to try to rekindle it. We walked back to the bungalow in silence.

“More champagne, seeing as we have something to celebrate?” Jean suggested.

It was the moment I’d been waiting for, yet all I could focus on was my beautiful partner in crime. Piper looked stunning in a red cocktail dress with her hair piled on top of her head, and the way she kept smiling at me throughout the night made it hard for me to focus on the conversation.

As always, she’d charmed her way through the meal, picking up slack when I was at a loss for words. Once again, I found myself in awe of Piper. She was unlike anyone I’d ever known.

“Indeed, we do have something to celebrate,” Joe said. “Look how far we’ve come since the first time we met.”

Piper giggled softly at the reminder of my monstrous behavior at Paul and Chloe’s engagement party.

The server refilled our flutes, and I took the opportunity to raise mine. “I’d like to say a few words before we move on.”

“That would be lovely,” Jean murmured.

I glanced around the table as everyone lifted their glasses.

“You might have noticed I can be rather single-minded when I have a goal in front of me,” I began.

Piper snorted out a laugh then slapped her hand over her mouth. I cut my eyes at her with a mock scowl then resumed.

“Thankfully, I’m lucky enough to have someone at my side who helps me remember life isn’t just about achieving goals.” I glanced at Piper again. “She forces me to slow down and enjoy the little things, whether it’s a fresh-baked croissant or the afternoon sunshine. Piper is the reason we’re all gathered here tonight, so I’d like to raise a toast to her, as well as to you, Jean and Joe, our wonderful hosts. This new partnership is important to me for so many different reasons, but I think the core is the strong connections we’ve forged over the past few days.” I lifted my glass higher. “To big dreams, new friends, and the happily ever after that is Evermore.”

The room filled with the sound of clinking crystal as we toasted our mutual success.

“I’d like to say a few words as well,” Jean said as she slowly stood up. She looked every inch the manor matriarch in a flowy beaded caftan with a bright orange and blue pattern. “Vincent, I think we all know our first meeting was bumpy,” she paused to give me an eye-crinkling grin. “But now that we’ve had a chance to spend time together, I can see why Piper is in love with you. And vice versa. You complement one another so beautifully. You remind me of the two of us when we started our life together.” Jean glanced at her husband, and he reached out to take her hand. “This man of mine is a bit of a curmudgeon, but like Piper, I keep him laughing. If I may be so bold, I predict the two of you will have a long and happy marriage that mirrors our own, so here’s to your next forty years together!”

I felt a little off balance as I reached out to touch glasses. Forty years? It seemed like an impossible goal. But then I looked over at beautiful, effervescent Piper…yeah, I could picture her finding someone to love her for that long.

Spending a lifetime loving her would be easy.

I certainly wasn’t cut out to do it, but surely she’d manage to secure her fairy tale somehow.

I frowned as my mind flashed images of Piper in a wedding dress standing beside someone else. The thought of Piper with another man sent tension unfurling across my back, and I caught myself grinding my teeth. She deserved a lifetime of happiness, but I didn’t want to witness some other asshole getting to enjoy it.

I jumped when I felt a kick beneath the table.

“What’s wrong?” Piper whispered.

I must’ve been frowning without realizing it.

I shook my head. “I’m fine,” I mouthed back.

“Well, folks, I think the time is right,” Joe said, pushing back from the table to walk over to the sideboard. He opened a drawer and pulled out a stack of paperwork. “Your attorney approved the language in the contract, so all that’s left to do is put pen to paper. Shall we?”

“Hooray!” Piper cheered.

I was thrilled as I walked over to take the heavy black pen in Joe’s outstretched hand. This was what I wanted, after all. Evermore was so close to being finalized, and I could bask in the glory of achieving what I’d set out to do. My chemists now had everything they needed to extract the oils and prove that Summit was peerless in the industry.

So why did I feel like something was still missing as I leaned over to sign?

13

PIPER