Page 70 of Perfect (mis)Match

“Never!” I laughed.

I couldn’t quite comprehend that we were cracking jokes with none other than the great Mercedes Horan. And she called us VIPs! My night was looking up.

“Why don’t we sit?” Mercedes asked. She pointed to a cluster of chairs in a quieter section of the deck.

Darcy grabbed my hand and squeezed it as we followed behind her.

“I want to begin by saying how impressed I am with the two of you. Darcy, your projections are based on well-researched industry trends, and Piper, your creative vision is unmatched.”

My heart dropped. There was a “but” coming.

“I’d be crazy not to invest in Strapped, but?—”

And there it was.

“I’d need a one hundred percent commitment from the two of you before agreeing to anything,” Mercedes continued. “Right now, you’re both working full-time jobs, which means you can’t give Strapped the attention it needs in order to grow. If you want to work with me, you have to focusallof your attention on the business. It can’t be halfhearted. And if we’re committing to this, it has to be soon. Leather prices are set to shift in the next month, so I’d want to place a big enough order to cover your operating expenses for the first six months of production.”

Her cheerful expression had downshifted to deadly serious, but given how much money we were seeking, it made sense. Mercedes didn’t play around when it came to her resources.

“Say no more.” Darcy pulled her phone out of her bag and held it up. “I’m calling my boss to give my notice right now.”

Mercedes chuckled. “Okay, okay, I get it, Darcy. You’re in.” She turned to face me. “Now, Piper. You’re very enmeshed in Summit. In more ways than one, if I may be so bold.”

I blushed. I wasn’t sure if Vincent had told her we were together or if she’d just picked up on something between us at the wedding, but I wasn’t going to make a liar out of myself by denying it. “Summit has been good to me,” I said.

“And you’ve beenverygood to them. So what does that mean to the future of Strapped? Are you able to step away from Summit? And soon?”

My contract with Summit had guaranteed me a minimum of six months of work back when Vincent had been trying to woo me into taking the position, but it didn’t have a defined end date. I hadn’t thought about leaving—I liked the work, liked my team, liked the chance to build my profile and portfolio. And yes, I’d liked working so closely with Vincent. But if I had to choose…this deal with Mercedes was everything I’d wanted for ages. Was I really going to risk it for my second-choice career path and a guy who wasn’t offering me any kind of long-term commitment? We’d completed our deal. He didn’t owe me anything anymore…and I didn’t owe him.

“I’m sensing that your silence means you’re not quite sure yet,” Mercedes said.

“No,” I replied quickly. “Not at all! It’s just a lot to process all of a sudden. I wasn’t expecting this amazing news tonight. Don’t get me wrong, I’msoexcited,” I added quickly. “I guess I just need to work through some logistics.”

Darcy frowned at me. She was ready to quit her job yesterday, and my hesitation would keep her there longer.

“Of course, I know this isn’t the typical place for a discussion like this, but I wasn’t sure we’d be able to get the three of us in the same room any time soon,” Mercedes said. “I’m leaving for a buying trip to Brazil shortly.”

I knew what I had to do. Quitting Summit made sense. Strapped was my future, and it deserved my full attention.

I glanced around and spotted Vincent entertaining a circle of people, including Maya and what had to be a few other models. Life among the beautiful people was his reality, and mine was currently making me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

But still.

“I want this,” I said, locking eyes with Mercedes. “With all of my heart. I believe in this product and the strength of my partnership with Darcy. I’ll give notice; I just need to find the right time. Obviously, it’s not tonight.”

“Understood,” Mercedes answered. “But you’ll do it soon?”

Darcy was perched on the edge of her chair shooting lasers at me.

“Yes,” I said. “Absolutely.”

Mercedes’s stony expression broke into a wide smile. “Then we have a deal, ladies! Welcome to the Horan empire. Here’s to a long and fruitful partnership. We’ll see to getting the paperwork signed soon.” She glanced around. “Where are the servers? This moment needs glasses of champagne.”

“On it,” Darcy said as she hopped out of her chair. She paused to double back to Mercedes and reach out her hand. “Thank you! So much. I’m, like, in total shock. The hell with the glass of champagne, I’ll take the whole bottle!”

Mercedes and I laughed as Darcy jogged off to find celebratory alcohol.

She leaned closer to me. “I understand your hesitation. Vincent is an exceptional man. But you need to put yourself first. Take it from me, men come and go, but business? That’s forever. You made the right decision, Piper.”

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