Page 95 of Conspiracies and Chemistry

“Yes. Here, try some.” She held out the plate to him, and he took a skewer.

He bit into it, and his eyes rolled back. “Delicious.”

“I’ll give you her card on Monday,” Tessa said. “We should use her for more events here.”

West’s gaze didn’t leave Savannah. “We should.”

“Excuse me.” A Black woman I didn’t know appeared at Tessa’s side. “You’re Tessa Wright.”

I released Tessa’s hand but stood close beside her as she squared up to the other woman. I wished she didn’t have to fear unpleasant encounters, but we’d occasionally met her former employees who didn’t know that Tessa was as hurt by what had happened at Red Rover as they were.

“I’m Niobe Haines. I’m a healthcare blogger. I understand you’ve got a biomarker test for endometriosis in the approval pipeline?”

“We do. I can’t comment on the approval status?—”

“That’s okay,” Niobe said. “I’m excited about the test, and I wanted to thank you for developing it. I’ve always suspected I have endometriosis, but I haven’t wanted to get the surgery for a proper diagnosis.”

Tessa’s shoulders dropped. “I’m sorry about your condition. I have it too. I know how important the test will be to millions of people.”

I set my hand on her back, offering her my support. She didn’t often talk about her condition, and I was so proud of her every time she did.

“Thank you for what you’re doing for women’s health,” Niobe said. “I’m a big fan.”

Tessa grinned. “Thanks.”

When the blogger walked away, I whispered, “You’re an inspiration.”

She turned to face me. “I’m just doing my job. We all are.”

I rested my hands on her hips and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Your job is important.You’reimportant. You’re a role model.”

“So are you.” She circled her arms around my neck and curled her fingers into my hair. “I admire you. I love you.”

“I love you too,” I murmured.

West cleared his throat. “Still in the workplace. Let’s ease off the PDA.”

Tessa took a step back but trailed her hand down my arm to lace our fingers together. “I think someone’s jealous.”

“Maybe I am,” he said evenly, with another glance at Savannah. “Still, let’s keep kissing to a minimum in the office.”

“Fine,” she huffed.

My heart expanded in my chest. Tessa and I were together, and she wanted to kiss me in the office—and everywhere else. Life was pretty good. And I was glad to be living mine at last.

Epilogue 1

BRIDGET

“Some party, huh?” I tipped my glass of sparkling wine to Justine. She clinked hers against it. “We used to have parties like this, years ago. Now we’re lucky if we get a couple of drink tickets and a taco bar. I guess all the money’s in biotech now, huh?” Oliver and Tessa’s party to celebrate their test’s approval was enough of a big deal to merit free-flowing beer and wine, plus the best hors d’oeuvres I’d ever tasted.

“Margins are higher on drugs than on technology services,” she said. As a divorce lawyer, Justine had no business knowing as much about corporations as she did, but she’d taught herself to manage her own investment portfolio. “Still, events like these can help build morale. When you’re CEO, you can bring them back.”

It was the kind of throwaway comment we often made. I’d been strategizing to earn the top job at my company for my entire career. Now it hit different, like popping candy packed inside a bowling ball in my belly.

“What?” she asked. It was her job to interpret microexpressions. I was afraid there was nothing micro about the face I’d just made. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…exactly.” I wavered. I’d resolved not to say anything tonight since we were celebrating Tessa, but Justine was one of my best friends.

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