Page 72 of Manhattan Bossholes

I blushed. I wasn’t sure if Vincent had told her we were together or if she’d just picked up on something between us at the wedding, but I wasn’t going to make a liar out of myself by denying it. “Summit has been good to me,” I said.

“And you’ve been very good to them. So what does that mean to the future of Strapped? Are you able to step away from Summit? And soon?”

My contract with Summit had guaranteed me a minimum of six months of work back when Vincent had been trying to woo me into taking the position, but it didn’t have a defined end date. I hadn’t thought about leaving—I liked the work, liked my team, liked the chance to build my profile and portfolio. And yes, I’d liked working so closely with Vincent. But if I had to choose…this deal with Mercedes was everything I’d wanted for ages. Was I really going to risk it for my second-choice career path and a guy who wasn’t offering me any kind of long-term commitment? We’d completed our deal. He didn’t owe me anything anymore…and I didn’t owe him.

“I’m sensing that your silence means you’re not quite sure yet,” Mercedes said.

“No,” I replied quickly. “Not at all! It’s just a lot to process all of a sudden. I wasn’t expecting this amazing news tonight. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so excited,” I added quickly. “I guess I just need to work through some logistics.”

Darcy frowned at me. She was ready to quit her job yesterday, and my hesitation would keep her there longer.

“Of course, I know this isn’t the typical place for a discussion like this, but I wasn’t sure we’d be able to get the three of us in the same room any time soon,” Mercedes said. “I’m leaving for a buying trip to Brazil shortly.”

I knew what I had to do. Quitting Summit made sense. Strapped was my future, and it deserved my full attention.

I glanced around and spotted Vincent entertaining a circle of people, including Maya and what had to be a few other models. Life among the beautiful people was his reality, and mine was currently making me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

But still.

“I want this,” I said, locking eyes with Mercedes. “With all of my heart. I believe in this product and the strength of my partnership with Darcy. I’ll give notice; I just need to find the right time. Obviously, it’s not tonight.”

“Understood,” Mercedes answered. “But you’ll do it soon?”

Darcy was perched on the edge of her chair shooting lasers at me.

“Yes,” I said. “Absolutely.”

Mercedes’s stony expression broke into a wide smile. “Then we have a deal, ladies! Welcome to the Horan empire. Here’s to a long and fruitful partnership. We’ll see to getting the paperwork signed soon.” She glanced around. “Where are the servers? This moment needs glasses of champagne.”

“On it,” Darcy said as she hopped out of her chair. She paused to double back to Mercedes and reach out her hand. “Thank you! So much. I’m, like, in total shock. The hell with the glass of champagne, I’ll take the whole bottle!”

Mercedes and I laughed as Darcy jogged off to find celebratory alcohol.

She leaned closer to me. “I understand your hesitation. Vincent is an exceptional man. But you need to put yourself first. Take it from me, men come and go, but business? That’s forever. You made the right decision, Piper.”

I knew Mercedes was right, but why did my heart pinch every time the crowd parted and I spotted Vincent?

21

VINCENT

After three hours of shmoozing and smiling, I’d hoped the night was finally winding down, but the DJ cranked yet another crowd pleaser I didn’t recognize, and the dancefloor was packed. It wouldn’t be smart for the host to duck out early, so I pretended I was perfectly happy to keep my smile plastered on.

The truth was, I felt on edge for reasons I couldn’t explain. Sure, I was thrilled to be celebrating Evermore, but there was an undercurrent of tension with Piper making me uneasy.

I glanced around to find her since we’d barely had time to talk throughout the event. I’d hoped to shine a spotlight on her hard work, but everyone seemed focused on me. Of course, it wasn’t like she needed me to prop her up. I knew she could hold her own with all of the bold-faced names around us. She was probably talking golf with the Sullivans or charming some princess from Austria.

I finally spotted her leaning over the balcony railing, talking with someone I couldn’t see. When the crowd shifted, I realized it was Rodrigo, the model from the Evermore shoot.

They were laughing. Which, really, was fine. People laugh. But why was he touching her back? I squinted at Piper and saw her giving him the smile I thought was reserved just for me. The way they were leaning close looked too familiar. Too flirty. Of course, that was Rodrigo’s vibe, but Piper? I’d never seen her so…coquettish.

What the hell was going on between them?

I realized I was grinding my teeth. I trusted Piper—of course I did. But the flashbacks…they came anyway.

This was exactly what Maya used to pull with me when she felt like I wasn’t paying enough attention to her. She’d find a guy, any guy really, and focus all her attention on him to make me jealous. Usually, I managed to ignore it, but sometimes that backfired when it drove her to take things way too far. The end result was that any hint of those sorts of games was enough to give me a headache automatically.

But this wasn’t Maya. This was Piper.