Page 615 of Manhattan Bossholes

Usually, a kiss from Felicity was a hit of dopamine. Today, I felt like I’d built up a resistance to it.

“I’m getting antsy,” I said, pacing in a circle.

“Clearly,” Felicity replied. “Hey, your shoelace is untied.”

I knelt in front of her to tie and immediately heard an ear-piercing squeal echo in the distance. I glanced over my shoulder to discover Lucy holding her camera out and running toward us, chattering something. At first, I thought she was talking to herself, but when she finally got close, I realized she was live streaming. She stopped abruptly a few feet away.

“Oh my gosh, please keep going,” she said in a shaky voice. “Don’t let me interrupt this beautiful moment!”

I frowned at her.

“Friends,” Lucy said to her phone, sounding like a reporter doing a live spot, “we are witnessing something incredible, and you can say you saw it here first! Cameron O’Connor is making CamLicity legit…he’s actually proposing to Felicity Rhodes right now! Oh my gosh, I can’t believe how many people are jumping on to see this! Keep watching, my friends, because true love is in the air!”

What in the fucking hell was going on?

I stood up abruptly. “Now hold on, this is absolutely not a proposal,” I said. Lucy stepped forward, like she might actually have the nerve to argue with me about it, and my temper—already strained to the breaking point—snapped.

I walked closer to make sure what I was about to say was caught on camera.

“I know how it looked from a distance, but I was leaning down to tie my shoe, for fuck’s sake!” I opened my blazer and patted my pockets. “Look, folks, not a single ring box on me. Got it? We’re here to do a Q&A, not for a proposal. Sorry to disappoint you. If I were proposing, it wouldn’t happen in a place like this with a pack of…gawkers watching me. No fucking way.”

I glared at Lucy. “I think we’re done here.”

“I’m so sorry, Cameron,” she said, jogging a few steps closer to me with her camera still pointed at me. “My mistake, I just assumed⁠—”

“Don’t assume,” I responded. “And end that fucking livestream now.”

She jammed her finger on her phone, and I could finally take a breath.

“What the actual fuck, Lucy?” I demanded once she dropped the phone to her side. “Why would you do that? We’ve choreographed nearly every aspect of this bullshit relationship, so did you actually think I’d go rogue and just ask Felicity to marry me on the spur of the fucking moment in Central Park?” I spat out the words like it was an absurd idea.

“I…I didn’t know, Cameron. I just thought maybe you got swept up in the moment⁠—”

“Swept up with a camera crew watching, after hours of being styled and lit and mic’ed and everything else? And the crowd of fans? Right, super romantic,” I laughed harshly, rolling my eyes. “You’re supposed to be a professional, Lucy—you should’ve thought this through. I put up with you going rogue and starting this whole CamLicity nonsense in the first place, but like hell am I going to let you use social media to peer pressure me into an actual engagement that I absolutely do. Not. Want.”

A tremor ran through me at the memory of what had happened the last time I got caught up in the moment. Never again. I glanced at Felicity. Her face looked haunted, like she didn’t recognize me.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t have jumped ahead. I guess I got caught up in the romance too. Now, with what just happened…we’re going to need to do some damage control.”

“Hold on, do you think this ridiculousness is going to impact the Veritique brand?” I demanded.

She shrugged. “It’s definitely going to reflect badly on the CamLicity campaign. The way you reacted isn’t the vibe we want⁠—”

Vibes. Please. This was a business.

“I’m sure you, Sandrine, and Felicity can come up with a spin that works. It’s what you marketing people do, right?”

Lucy went a shade paler. “Yes, we can come up with some crisis management talking points.”

“You call this a crisis?” I laughed. “Please. This entire campaign is just a silly soap opera, and everyone knows it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have real work to do.”

I stormed off, trying to focus on what was waiting for me at the office and not the car crash I’d just been forced to endure.

20

FELICITY

Lucy looked at me with pity in her eyes as Cameron turned on his heel to leave.