Page 71 of Perfect (mis)Match

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 celebratingEvermore, 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 theEvermoreshoot.

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 lookedtoofamiliar. 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.

So why the hell couldn’t I shake the jealousy?

Then Piper slid her arm around Rodrigo’s shoulder to give him a quick side hug. When he dropped his head to her shoulder and she rubbed his back, something in me twisted.

I’d seen enough.

The perfect night meant everyone was outside, so the only spot for me to disappear to was the darkness inside, just beyond the sliding glass doors. I needed a few minutes to myself, to breathe. I smiled my way through the crowd, doing my best to avoid getting dragged into yet another endless conversation about exactly how we’d distilled the heliotrope or how perfect Mayalooked in the new campaign, and let out a sigh when I finally crossed the threshold and pulled the door shut behind me.

The party sounds muted, and I could finally exhale.

It was a triumphant night for Summit, but I felt hollow inside. Something had been shifting with Piper, and it felt like she was slipping away. But every time I asked what was wrong, she insisted everything was fine, leaving me with no clue how to make things better.

I loosened my bow tie, popped open a few buttons on my shirt, and dropped into a chair.

“You taking thatallthe way off?” a voice floated out to me.

My shoulders reflexively sagged because I recognized it immediately.

Maya. The last person I wanted to see.

“Hey,” I said. “I’m only here for a minute. I need to get back outside.”And away from you, I thought.

She was playing the part of supermodel in a beige-y mesh corset dress that made her look naked. At least her outfit would guarantee tons of social media event coverage.

“Babe, you sound so sad! What’s wrong?” she pouted as she sashayed to me. She always strutted like she was on a catwalk with the world watching.

“Don’t call me that,” I sighed.

She came and stood right in front of me and placed her hands on her hips. “You look miserable, but I bet I know how I can cheer you up.” She gave me a wicked smile. “It starts with me on my knees.”

“Maya, come on. Enough,” I grumbled, leaning back in my chair to put some space between us. How many times did we have to go through this?

But Maya was relentless.

“We both know what makes you happy, babe. You need some vitaminme.” With one swift motion, she hiked her skirt way up her thighs then straddled me.

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