Page 21 of Perfect (mis)Match

“Um,” I replied, confused because what he was saying and the way he was acting didn’t compute. “But that’s specifically just for them. It doesn’t apply to the rest of ourworking partnership.” I stressed the last two words.

“True, true, but I think there are benefits to keeping it up here in New York too, not just in Hawaii, at least until Paul’s wedding. That golf nerd is definitely going to be at the reception, and you’ll have to fight him off all night if you’re not on my arm. Plus, you know how annoying it is at a wedding when you’re a single woman. All those questions about when you’re going to settle down…I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be! You could consider me your safety shield.”

I stared at Vincent and tried to figure out why my well-being mattered to him all of a sudden. Then it dawned on me: this was abouthim, not me. He was trying to work an angle—I just didn’t know what it was yet.

“Okay, what do you want?” I asked, not hiding my skepticism. “For real. Why are you asking me to do this? Because I don’t buy that you care about me being harassed at the wedding.”

A shadow passed over his face, and for a second, I came close to believing Vincent Forde had real, human emotions.

But that was impossible!

He sighed and dropped the “help me help you” cheery teammate bullshit. “Fine. The fact is, I’m currently going through some stuff with my father. He’s taking big risks—like doing twenty-four-hour adventure races and climbing mountains without prior training. His latest idea is…” He shook his head, looking genuinely worried. “Not good,” he said, “and even if I manage to talk him off this ledge, he’s just going to climb on another one.”

“I…I’m sorry to hear that,” I said hesitatingly. I didn’t have any memories of my dad—myrealdad. He’d died when I was just a few months old. All I had were some pictures and the stories my mom used to tell me, back before she got together with Prentiss. But not remembering him didn’t stop me from missing him. I knew what it was like to have that absence in my life. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Not even Vincent.

“I need to get him to refocus on all the good around him. He’s too old to be chasing thrills. I want him to be present for family, friends, a future…the stuff that matters.”

“So what does all of that have to do with me?” I asked.

“My father thinks it’s very important for me to find a partner and settle down. He wants nothing more than for me to fall in love, get married, and start a family.”

I was getting a bad feeling about this…

“So when my dad told me he was getting ready to pack up for a trip to Costa Rica for a microdosing experience?—”

I winced, because yeah, that didnotsound like a safe idea.

“—I told him to stick around so he could meet my new girlfriend.”

Ah, sothatwas where I came in. Bad feeling confirmed.

“And you already signed me up for the job!” I fumed at him because he’d basically left me no choice.

I jumped out of my chair and started pacing around his office. This feltwaytoo familiar. Just like Prentiss, assuming he could force me into whatever role he chose for me.

“Now, hold on, calm down,” Vincent said. “I’m not asking you to do it for nothing. I can pay you for the honor of dating you. Or should I say,fakedating you.”

I whirled to him. “What, like you’re mysugar daddy? No freaking way, that’s disgusting! And don’t tell me to calm down, ever.”

“Well, you clearly need the money, because you’re here at Summit despite your obvious distaste for me,” he pointed out. Wonder of wonders, he didn’t sound taunting for once. Just like he was trying to get to the bottom of the situation so he could find a solution. Maybe that was why I answered him honestly.

“For my business.”

“Your photography business? But why? Based on my research, that’s already self-sustaining, what more could you need for it?”

“Not my photography business. I told you I have other goals. My side hustle is going to become my main if things go according to plan.” There was no reason to tell him any more. It was none of his business. But I couldn’t resist. I was proud of what Darcy and I had already built, and I wanted to brag, to prove to him he wasn’t the only one in the room with a head for business. “My best friend and I launched a leathergoods business called Strapped. We make these specialized leather camera straps for photographers—they let you carry three different cameras at a time but still keep them accessible.” I scrolled through my phone and walked over to him to show him a photo. “See?”

Vincent studied it. “Looks a little kinky if you ask me. Like S&M lederhosen.”

“Ofcourseyou’d go there,” I scowled at him, even though he was sort of right. “They’re incredibly functional, and peoplelove them. Right now, they’re only available in little Etsy shops, but we want to mass market them. We sourced a group of leatherworkers in Italy, and they’re ready to go, we just need the funds to place our first major order. We’ve both been saving, but we’re hoping to get Mercedes Horan to come on as an advisor and angel investor.”

“Why didn’t you just ask me to invest?” he asked. “It sounds like you’ve got a solid plan. I’m always looking for new opportunities.”

I couldn’t stop the sour lemons expression on my face. “Ew. How would that even work, seeing as we can’t stand each other? No, we want Mercedes, not only for her deep pockets but also her expertise. She has a shoe line, so she understands the leathergoods market. She could help guide us. And she has a reputation for being a great mentor, especially to all-female enterprises like ours. We just need to get in front of her.”

“Yes, that does sound like something she’d go for. She was just telling me about her latest investment when I ran into her at the New York Public Library Board of Trustees meeting. We’ve served together for years.”

“Wait…what? You know her?” I asked, trying to hide my shock.

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