Page 49 of Manhattan Bossholes

14

VINCENT

My day was back-to-back meetings, but I still found a reason—no, an excuse—to go down to the photography studio to check on Piper’s progress with our latest shoot.

I wasn’t required to be there; I just liked watching her work. Honestly, I liked watching her do anything, but Piper in boss-mode was a sight. Even though she’d accomplished what I’d hired her to do by helping me secure the heliotrope, I’d promised her six months of work, and it was paying off for us to have her on staff. But it wasn’t just Summit benefiting—she’d admitted that working with us would bolster her résumé and portfolio.

It was a win-win.

I eased into the room quietly and hugged the wall because my presence tended to put people on edge. Luckily, there was enough activity on set that I was as good as invisible.

The shoot was for our new “glowtion” body lotion that left a sparkly shimmer on the skin once it was absorbed. Even though I’d promoted her to creative director, Piper still preferred to be hands-on when it came to certain projects. She wasn’t willing to completely give up being behind the camera sometimes, and on this shoot, she’d tasked herself with the basic product shots for our web site as well as creating some behind-the-scenes content for social media. Based on the way she kept adjusting the lighting until it was perfect, I could tell she was still working on the product shots.

Damn it, she was perfection. Piper was dressed for utility in black cargo pants and a white ribbed tank top that clung to her body, and as an added bonus, she was wearing her black strap invention that made her look like a dominatrix. I’d understood the basic concept when she’d explained it, but now that I was seeing it in action, I could tell why it was such a great idea. Not only was it a cool design, it also really worked; she could switch between her three cameras quickly, going from macro images to standard in seconds.

The rest of the staff was having as much fun as Piper, a welcome change from Eileen’s reign of terror. The woman had the magic touch.

I felt lucky to be a beneficiary.

“Vincent, hello!”

I snapped out of my reverie to realize that I’d been spotted. I mentally scrolled through my employee names, trying to place the earnest young man. I was still trying to be more approachable.

Piper could teach me a thing or two.

“Bradley,” I finally said. “How are things going?”

“Amazing, actually. We’re just about done with the product shots, then on to the social media stuff. Piper is super efficient.”

The rest of my staff sensed that the air in the room had shifted and turned to me.

“Hiya, bossman!” Piper called out as she waved at me.

I chuckled. “Don’t let me interrupt.”

“No, come here, I want you to see what we’ve done so far!”

I noticed she said “we,” not “I.” I joined Piper at the oversized desktop to examine the images.

She scrolled through them, looking at her work with a critical eye. “Not too much editing required. We nailed the lighting setup.”

The images were gorgeous. The three bottles were nestled together on a white backdrop in various formations, then shot alone. I tried to focus on the photos and not the fact that I was standing close enough to pick up Piper’s fragrance. Thankfully, she’d moved on from her cheap old perfume and had started wearing one of our legacy scents called Coral, which was a sunshine mix of coconut, orange blossom, and jasmine. I’d always liked the fragrance, but I appreciated it far more these days.

It reminded me of our time in Hawaii.

“You don’t like them?” Piper asked.

I’d been focusing more on her than her work.

“Of course I do, they’re perfect.”

She beamed at me. “Yay! Now on to the fun stuff. I just need to refine my vision for our social media accounts. I don’t like planning it—I like capturing moments.”

I glanced at the lotions set up on the backdrop and realized we’d done a great job showing the product but not the result. I looked over at Piper, and inspiration struck.

“Hey, team,” I said as I glanced around the room. “You can wrap up in here, Piper and I need to discuss some strategy.”

A few people glanced at each other, a little uncertain since it was an unorthodox request, but they weren’t going to argue with the boss. Soon, they gathered their things and left, leaving me alone with Piper.