Page 98 of Perfect (mis)Match

“Introducing our latest fragrance.” I took a deep breath becausethiswas the moment. “Perpetual.”

I raised the bottle up, and the facets shimmered under the lights. It was a recreation of a one-of-a-kind antique Parisian vial, the original of which I hoped Piper now held in her hand, that reflected light like a diamond.

“I guess you could callPerpetualan epilogue to our Trio of Time collection,” I continued. “I thought thatEvermorewas the last word, but I realized sometimes love can go deeper than evermore. Love should be endless.”

I paused and looked right into the camera. “I met a woman named Piper Doyle who taught me that.”

Gasps rippled through the audience, followed by an excited flurry of whispers.

“This fragrance,” I said, holding the bottle a little higher, “is a tribute to her. I attempted to capture her beauty and enormous heart in this scent, which is a mix of elements that remind me of her. The top notes are of her favorite flower, lilacs, with hints of heliotrope, the scent that’s the soul ofEvermorethat wouldn’t have been possible without her. I also included supporting notes of vanilla, to remind me of the sweetness she brought into my life.”

The room was now buzzing with excitement, but my thoughts were miles away, imagining how she might react. Would she hate me for this, for putting her on display? Or would she appreciate the intention behind it?

“I never expected someone like Piper to come into my life. Sometimes…well, sometimes you just get lucky. From the day I met her, she knew how to shake up my world like no one else.But I made a mistake. Plenty of mistakes, actually,” I admitted. “The biggest one was not realizing how much I was hurting her by trying to protect myself from what she made me feel. Piper won my heart a long time ago, but I wasn’t strong enough to hand it over to her.”

I stared into the unblinking eye of the camera.

“So that’s why we’re all gathered here. I wanted topubliclyapologize for being careless with Piper’s heart, and more importantly…” I felt like I was jumping off a cliff. “I need to let her know that I am deeply, hopelessly,perpetuallyin love with her.” I took a deep breath. “Piper Doyle, I love you, and I’m going to spend the rest of my days proving that to you. If you’ll let me.”

The room broke into wild applause, and I finally allowed myself to feel hopeful. It seemed I’d convinced the people in this room that I was sincere. Maybe I’d convinced her too.

I took a breath as I waited for the applause and cheering to die down. I felt a little dazed. The lights were suddenly too bright, like I was a specimen being examined. But I’d opened myself up to the scrutiny. It was fine; this was exactly what needed to happen.

“Now I’d like everyone to experiencePerpetual. I have sample vials for all of you to enjoy. Team? Can we get them passed out?”

A synchronized group of Summit employees started handing out the small gift boxes with miniature reproductions of the bottle along with a message about the scent profile. It was one thing to talk about the fragrance, but I needed them toexperienceit, to understand the emotions wrapped inside it.

I refocused on the camera. “Piper, if you’re still watching, please open the bottle, close your eyes, and breathe it in. This fragrance is an encapsulation of what we shared. Sun, laughter, and love.”

By now, the audience was opening the sample vials, and their reactions made it clear we had yet another hit on our hands.

But honestly? None of that mattered. The only opinion that counted was Piper’s.

“Before I wrap up, I’d like to open the floor to questions. Anyone?” I glanced around the room as hands shot up. No surprise there. This was about more than a perfume now.

I pointed to a reporter fromNew York Magazinewho had always sided with me when the Maya coverage got bleak. “Andi? What’s your question?”

The bookish brunette stood up and took the mic from an attendant. “Hi, Vincent. I lovePerpetual, it’s a beautiful scent.”

People applauded in agreement.

“I think the question everyone wants answered is about the fake relationship aspect. Jerry aired that footage from the launch party, and what you said was…damaging. So can you clarify it for us?”

I clenched my jaw for a second, steeling myself. We had to address the elephant in the room, and as uncomfortable as it was going to be, I was glad we were starting here. The world needed to know the real story. I needed to set the record straight—for myself and for Piper.

“Yeah, that wasn’t my finest moment.”

Laughter echoed around the room, the tension easing just slightly. But I knew this part couldn’t be brushed off with humor.

“I want to be real here,” I said as everyone settled again. “I don’t often share the details of my personal life. But since you all have heard half of the story, I think it’s important to fill in some of the background.” I paused to collect my thoughts. “Yes, my relationship with Piper started off as a mutually beneficial partnership. There’s no need to talk about the specifics, but we found ourselves in the position to help each other, and we went for it. We had defined parameters to our deal at the start, but the more time we spent together, the more our feelings for each other grew. What had started off as fake became more real than I’d ever experienced. Piper is…exceptional. Falling for her was way too easy. We justfittogether, like we were destined for one another. But I will say that I didn’t make it easy on her. Honestly, I’m amazed she was able to put up with me for so long.”

I recognized Aiden’s laugh from the back of the room. Typical.

“And then I screwed everything up. Three times. Losing my cool at the launch party, not apologizing to Piper for hurting her, and worst of all, not telling her that I loved her all along. But hopefully, I’ve been able to right my wrongs. Now the world knows how I feel…”

And what happens next, I thought,is up to Piper.

That was enough to make me dizzy. Piper now held my heart in her hand. She could crush it or nurture it.

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