Page 25 of About Last Night

“I didn’t know this was your family business.”

How could I have missed that in the research I did on the company when we were creating our pitch for Fourteener Sports’ business? There was no mention of Toni at all, though thinking of it now, I realize that there had been two little girls in the grainy photos of the early days at the original store in Aspen.

“I don’t tell too many people.”

“You’d think my sister was ashamed of us.”

Greta Giordani, president and CEO of Fourteener Sports, walks up to our little conclave with a strained smile on her face. She takes in the situation with a glance and her smile turns to something like exasperation, though she tries to hide it.

Sisters? I look between the two women and suppose there’s a family resemblance, though you have to look past their two wildly different styles to see it. Toni relaxed, smiling, and a walking advertisement for Fourteener Sports hiking gear, Greta tense and professional in tailored navy trousers and white shirt. The sisters’ eyes are arresting, but again in totally different ways. Toni’s are a clear, bright blue, while Greta’s are a mesmerizing blue with an orange ring around the center. At the moment Greta’s eyes are boring into Toni.

“It was an accident,” Toni says.

“It always is,” Greta says, obviously trying to maintain a professional facade. “Are you OK, Audrey?”

“I’m fine, just…” I pull the shirt away from my chest. “…wet.” I glance at Toni and see her mind goes exactly where mine does. Good God, I’m blushing. Willa sees, of course. I know she wants to laugh but she’s a professional, thank God, and tries to pull the focus away from me.

“Why don’t you tell people you’re connected to Fourteener Sports?” Willa says. “This company is amazing. A Colorado legend.” She takes Greta in with her comment, who nods and smiles.

“When people find out, they want free stuff.” Toni shrugs. “It’s just easier.”

“Is that why you have a different last name?” Willa asks.

“No, that was just our parents being feminist hippies,” Toni says.

“We have a closet full of samples you can take your pick of to replace your shirt, Audrey,” Greta says. “Take anything else you like. You too, Willa.”

“Free clothes. You’re speaking my love language,” Willa says.

Greta raises an eyebrow. “You’re working in the right place, then.”

“So, we’re going to be working together,” Toni says. She’s wearing the same playful expression she had when she mentioned our possible second date.

“Well…” I clear my throat. Don’t look at her lips, don’t think about her skin, and whatever you do, don’t think about how she spread her legs for you. Shit. I just thought about it.

“Actually, no,” Greta says. “Audrey and Willa’s project is focused on operations, not the adventure division. How do you two know each other?”

“Dewey’s,” Toni says.

“Ah.” Greta nods and frowns.

Willa sees it and crosses her arms over her chest. That’s never a good sign.

“We should get ready for our presentation,” I say. “Excuse us.” I narrow my eyes at Toni. I didn’t necessarily want to be outed at work. My sexuality isn’t a secret, and I’m not ashamed of it, but it’s not something I talk about either.

Toni seems to realize what she’s done and now it’s her turn to blush.

I push through the group and am walking down the hall before Toni can reply. I hear Willa say something to her, which makes her laugh, and mother ducker if a big green lightning bolt of jealousy doesn’t hit me right in the stomach. I refuse to look back, though I want to. Desperately.

I plop into my desk chair. Of course the sexy one-night stand who I’ve been trying to forget about for the last fifty-two hours and fifteen minutes is here, looking good enough to eat in her plaid sky-blue flannel and fleece vest, her dark hair in a side braid that lies across her breast just so, hair that looked incredibly wild and free and hot when I unbraided and ran my hands through it on Friday night.

I turn away and pretend that she isn’t chatting amiably with Willa, my identical twin, and walking right toward me, Greta one step behind. My phone buzzes. I don’t recognize the number, but I recognize the message. Shae has taken to texting me from random numbers since I blocked hers on Friday night. I’m regretting waving a red flag in front of Shae like I did. I put my phone in airplane mode and lay it face down on the desk.

“Let’s get you a new shirt,” Greta says.

“I’ll take care of it,” Toni says. “I’m sure you have some big important CEO thing to do.”

Greta narrows her eyes at Toni and glances between the two of us. She looks at her watch. “The meeting starts in ten minutes, Toni.” Greta turns and leaves and Toni salutes her. I hear someone in the open concept office chuckle.

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