Page 39 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

Eleven

Annalise

The person working the cuddle area smiled as we walked up. "Hiya. Wanna snuggle with a puppy?"

"Do we want to snuggle with a puppy?" Jared repeated. "Abso-fucking-lutely."

The guy laughed and reached down to grab what looked like a little cotton ball, with so much fur we could barely see any eyes.

"Is that a stuffed animal or a dog?" Jared asked, gesturing for me to go first, which I gladly did.

If all galas and balls and bullshit like this had a puppy cuddle corner, I'd gladly return to the world I'd pretty much shunned in recent years. While my sister Aria embraced it and even went into the party planning business, I'd had enough in my formative years to last a lifetime.

The puppy was an energetic ball of energy, but after a few calming moments of petting, she or he calmed down.

"We're calling this dog Sunny. She's a rescue from the recent hurricane in Florida, and we're just helping out and hoping to find her a good home."

"She's the cutest. Oh, my God," I gushed.

"She kind of reminds me of my dog, Freddie. Similar size and personality."

Oh dear lord, it was Venus coming over tousto talk. I looked up at her, not realizing before that she was quite tall, at least compared to me, and I suddenly found myself at a loss for words.

"But of course, Freddie is a boy and has some dark spots on his adorable wittle belly."

The baby talk made me laugh, and I tried to think of something to say, but absolutely nothing was happening in my stupid brain. Which was odd. I'd met all kinds of big shots and never had this problem before.

"Freddieisthe cutest," Jared chimed in.

Venus looked at Jared, her eyes narrowing. "You look familiar."

Jared seemed taken aback. "I do?"

"I feel like we've met before," Venus said, every word she said like a cat purring, sensuality dripping from her luscious lips with each syllable.

I could sense Jared's sudden tension, and I handed him the puppy, which he gladly took. "Hmm," he said. "I just have that kind of face."

"I'd remember a mustache like that, though. So you've left me very puzzled. Although..." She patted the dog she still held in her arms. "There's something about your mustache. I do know a lot about disguises. It's the only way I can get through this world sometimes anonymously and retain any semblance of sanity."

What the fuck? This was hitting way too close to home, and I needed to say something.

"That's incredible that you've found a way to do that," Jared said.

"It really is," I finally chimed in. "Your life story and the way you've lived your life are really inspirational." Oh, God, was that laying it on too thick?

"Thank you. That's very kind of you."

Her voice seemed genuine, thank goodness. Or she was just a really great actress.

"We should introduce ourselves properly," Jared said. "This lovely lady beside me is Cordelia, and I'm Jared, and we both work in acquisitions at Insight Ink, a boutique publishing house here in Manhattan that specializes in compelling non-fiction that informs and inspires readers."

I had to stop myself from gasping out loud at Jared's little speech, repeating almost verbatim what I'd told him about our company on day one when I'd first met him.

"Insight Ink. Insight Ink," Venus repeated, a thoughtful look on her face. "Aha. Yes! You sent my agent that proposal, didn't you?"

My heart took off in a gallop. This was the big moment of truth that could either make us or break us.

"We did," Jared said, his voice deep and confident. "And what did you think?"

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