Page 99 of Perfect (mis)Match

People in the audience started shouting more questions, but there was no need to continue. I’d said everything I’d come to say.

“That’s all I have time for today,” I said with a nod. “Thank you all for coming. Here’s hoping that the love you find is perpetual.”

I gave a quick wave, then hustled back to the holding room, which was blissfully empty. My heart was pounding like I’d just sprinted a mile, and I needed a few minutes to clear my head. No cameras, no questions, no lights burning down on me. Just quiet.

But the quiet wasn’t calming me down. My head was still spinning, my heart still racing.

No, what I needed was to finish what I’d just started.

I’d told my driver to wait for me out front. I knew my team probably wanted to do a postmortem and check metrics, but I had no interest in gauging how my message had landed with the world. Metrics wouldn’t tell me if I’d reached the person who mattered most.

I slipped out the service entrance before anyone could corner me. The first thing I did once I was in the back seat of the sedan was pull out my phone to call Piper.

My fingers hovered over her name for a moment as I felt a brief flicker of hesitation. Had she even been watching? I swallowed my disappointment when I saw that she hadn’t called me first.

The car eased into traffic as I dialed. Fuck, I needed to see her, but I wasn’t about to force the issue. I held my breath as the call rang through, waiting for the voicemail message I’d become far too familiar with.

The phone rang again and again, and just as I was about to give up hope…

The ringing stopped.

There was a pause, a moment of silence so thick it felt like it was squeezing my chest, and then I heard the sweetest of sounds.

“Vincent?”

30

PIPER

He started talking before I could even say anything else, his words coming in a rush that barely made sense.

“Piper I’m so glad you picked up,” Vincent said quickly. “I hope you liked the scent—I thought it would be a fitting tribute to you. Did you try it yet? The balance of the base notes with our topline of lilac is next level. The fougere accord has citrus undertones, which I thought you’d really appreciate. Dwayne suggested a camphorous note, but we usually pair that with lavender, so I had to talk him out of it. The real tenacity of the fragrance is in its depth and longevity, which, given the name, makes a lot of sense. Don’t you think?”

I couldn’t help laughing at his stream-of-consciousness perfumer talk. Half of it was a language I barely understood, given that my tenure with Summit had been so brief, but I knew what was behind his word vomit.

The great Vincent Forde was nervous. I settled onto my couch and got ready for what was bound to be a long conversation.

“Hey, hey, can I get a word in edgewise?” I laughed softly. “Yes, I am wearing it right now, and yes, it’s the most exquisite thing I’ve ever smelled. It’s perfect for me. Thank you, Vincent.”

I brought my wrist up to my nose, closed my eyes, and breathed in the fragrance. A thousand memories exploded as I took it in. Sunsets in Hawaii, lazy mornings tangled up in bed, sharing croissants at the farmers’ market, laughing together, making love. It was the entirety of us, distilled into a single drop.

I heard a relieved exhale. “I’m so glad,” he said.

I wasn’t sure what to say next, because there was so much to cover.

“Did you watch the whole press conference?” he asked.

I looked out the window at the bright blue sky and tried to keep my pulse in check. “I did,” I said, keeping my voice even. No point in pretending like I hadn’t been glued to every second of it, heart in my throat the whole time. “I always follow instructions.”

He chuckled. “That you do.” There was a pause, a heartbeat of silence. “So…what did you think about it?”

His voice sounded strained, and I realized I needed to put him out of his misery. My hands went shaky; it was my turn to be vulnerable.

“Given everything you just said, I think it’s only fair for me to let you know?—”

“Hold on, wait,” he demanded. “Give me a minute.”

My forehead furrowed. What was going on?

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