Page 29 of VOGUEish

“Thank you for your loyalty to my new company. I see you and I appreciate you.”

Ms. Birdie glanced at Isabella. “You need an office. For now, take over Amanda’s former one. When I hire a new fashion editor, we’ll look at our options for your space.”

“Thank you.” Isabella did her best not to smile like she’d just won the lottery. Amanda’s office had a view to die for.

“I’ll drop by later to go over the details of your new position. In the meantime, make a list of your questions and ideas.”

“I’m on it.” Isabella stood and hurried toward the exit. She had an office. And a new job.

And fellow employees primed not to like me.

CHAPTER TEN

Isabella sat in her office and spun circles in her chair. Her good fortune, combined with the fabulous view, had her more excited than the time both Vogue and People had accepted one of her articles. Or at least she thought that’s what had her so giddy. On a particularly fast spin, she caught a glimpse of someone standing in the doorway.

“I have to say, seeing you spin in circles like a child doesn’t ease my worry about your capabilities.” Chandler strode into her office like a soldier going to war.

Isabella dropped her feet to the floor. “Good thing my capabilities are no longer your concern.” She refused to feel embarrassment at being caught. Excitement wasn’t a crime. “Why are you still in the building?”

He took a seat in front of her desk. “I want to talk to you about something that isn’t my business, but for whatever reason, I feel the need to get involved.”

“That’s quite the buildup. Spit it out, and let’s see what’s got you wound up tighter than the thong I’m wearing.”

He blinked.

“What? Don’t look at me like that. Thongs can get very twisty and uncomfortable. If you don’t believe me, I’ll loan you one, and you can give them a go.”

He swallowed hard. “I’ll just trust you on that. What I wanted to talk about is Nonna and her huge romantic heart.”

She propped her elbows on her desk and rested her chin in her hands. “Is this about her trying to pair us up? Because if it is, I can assure you, you’re not my type. I’m not after your body or your money.” Or the baggage that would come with dating you.

“Nonna believes there is a prince for every princess, and she has made it her mission to make sure each of her Fairy Godmother Project clients meet their prince or princess while under her watch.”

Isabella leaned back in her chair. She’d often wondered how many clients the Fairy Godmother Project had helped. And call her sexist, but she’d sort of assumed they would all be female. Had she been wrong? Did the project help men in distress as well? Was Chandler a former project? Did one become a godchild of their Fairy Godmother once their contract ended? “It is sweet of her to want to do that.”

“The point is you can tell her no. Finding you a Prince Charming is like a bonus in her eyes. It’s not the goal of the program.”

Was he right? Could she tell Ms. Birdie no? Had the woman been bluffing this morning? “What is the goal of the program?”

“There are a few. One of them is to encourage women to support other women.”

Isabella snorted in shock. “No wonder she took me under her wing. The night we met, I had a knife the size of the Mississippi River in my back courtesy of a whole group of women who sucked at the concept of ‘Vagina Strong.’” She did air quotes around the last two words.

He rubbed the back of his neck as if she’d given him a pain there. “As I was saying, she acts like she will, but she won’t hold your feet to the fire on the Prince Charming part of your contract. If you push back, she will let you off the hook. That is, unless you like being on that hook.” He leaned in and peered like he was viewing her through a magnifying glass.

The old her, the one who sucked at letting people in, would have been all about getting off the hook. But the new her, the one who’d spent three days in silent meditation imagining a better life for herself, wasn’t inclined to give a knee-jerk response. “I’ll be honest—I’m not opposed to finding the man of my dreams and having my happy ever after start sooner rather than later. And if Ms. Birdie has quality candidates to set me up with, who am I to turn her down?”

“Then you’re interested in marrying money?”

“I’m interested in love. Does falling in love with a rich man sound lovely? Yes. Yes, it does. And you heard Ms. Birdie, it’s just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as it is a poor one. That being said, I’m not at all opposed to living on the wrong side of the tracks with the right man. My dad came from the wrong side of the tracks, and he’s fabulous.”

Chandler scratched his cheek. “One more thing?”

“I’m listening.”

“As you heard, I owe Nonna a favor, and I will pay off my debt. Even if that means taking you out on a date, and, if it comes down to it, pretending to be your fiancé at your class reunion. But make no mistake about it, that is as far as things will ever go between us.”

Isabella blinked. What an egotistical ass. Was that the real reason he’d dropped by? To warn her off? Ugh. “I told you. You’re not my type. Stop worrying.”

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