Page 80 of The Serendipity

Or letting him distract me again—because I have a plan.

Just as I hoped, the fairy lights Sophie hung are lit, crisscrossing over the rooftop garden. It really looks…magical.

No—I need a different word. Because magic makes me think about the closet that facilitated my meeting with Archer. Our meet cute, as Sophie called it. It’s one more thing on a long list of items Archer and I have not discussed, and I don’t plan to.

I still can’t explain it, and somehow, I don’t think Archer will believe the truth. So I’m going to continue avoiding my closet and pretend the unexplained transportation didn’t happen. Or that there’s some logical explanation I simply don’t know.

I’d rather bury the memory of it all and keep the prize: Archer.

“This is the rooftop garden,” I tell him, spreading my arms wide and doing a little spin. Trying to sell it.

Because while I do plan to kiss Archer up here, my ulterior motive tonight is to get him to sign off on continued funding for Sophie. I’m assuming he doesn’t know about it yet, so I’m both dropping a bomb and then asking him to hang onto it.

A cute little garden bomb. With flowering roses and fairy lights.

My palms start to sweat a little. Because this is only stage one of my plan. For the last few days, even before the kiss, I’ve been trying to think of ways to broach the subject of Archer’s proposed changes to The Serendipity. Like the rent increase that is going to force me out. Or the new pet policy that puts people like Sara and Frank in tough positions. That’s stage two.

I mean, stage one won’t even matter if Sophie has to move out because of the rent increase. But it feels like a good baby step, a place to start, a way to dip my toe in rather than taking the full arctic plunge.

Archer said he had already decided to not charge me for the kitchen when I agreed to work for him. That was the first hint of a heart somewhere underneath his hard exterior. Now, I’ve seen more evidence of his heart. No, it’s not ooey-gooey, as I joked with Bellamy. But he was right—there is more to Archer.

I sense a battle in Archer between the part of him that wants to be a practical businessman, focused only on the bottom line, and the more human part of him. Part of the evidence came from Google. I learned that even if Archer had a head start from what his father had built, after they split up the Gaines empire, Archer quickly surpassed and then eclipsed his father’s holdings and net worth.

Part of me wonders if maybe his father committed the financial crimes he did in an attempt not to be bested by his son. I don’t know their dynamic, but from what Idoknow, this doesn’t sound so far off. But the most interesting article was a tiny one that didn’t make any of the major news outlets. Or … they chose to ignore it because it didn’t fit their narrative.

After his father’s arrest and the collapse of his father’s companies, Archer tried to take care of the employees impacted. Creating what amounted to severance packages he was in no way responsible for, helping executives find new positions, even creating or opening new positions in his own company.

Archer is an astute businessman. But he also is a man with a very big heart not many people get to see. Maybe one he actively tries to keep under wraps.

I just need him to turn that same big heart toward The Serendipity.

“Well,” I say, taking Archer’s hand and linking our fingers. “What do you think?”

I lead him under the arch of wisteria. It’s not in full bloom, but after a few warm days, the lilac blooms are just starting to show. It really is romantic up here. And it’s for this reason, not in any way because I’m nervous to talk to Archer about continuing Sophie’s monthly stipend or lowering the rent, that I link my arms behind Archer’s neck and tug his mouth down to mine.

His big hands slide down my spine, making me shiver, and stop at my waist. He’s warm, and the night air is a little crisp, so I lean in closer.

“Do you bring all your boyfriends up here?” Archer asks, trailing his lips across my jaw.

“Now who’s jealous?” I tease.

“Me.” The word comes out almost as a growl against a spot just under my jaw.

“You don’t need to be. I’ve never come up here with anyone.”

“Good.” The word hangs in the air, heavy with meaning, even before he pulls back and catches my gaze, sending a silent message with his intensity.

Maybe I’m reading into things, but I feel like he’s telling me I’ll never come up here with another guy again.

“Enjoying the ambiance, I see?”

We both turn to see Sophie leaning against one of the cement planters, smirking. She has been nothing but smug since I told her Archer kissed me. I’d be annoyed by it, but … I don’t actually care. I’ll happily admit I was wrong about Archer liking me all day long.

But she hasn’t been around Archer and me together. I’m actually not sure if they’ve met. Taking Archer’s hand again, we walk over, meeting her by the beds she and I worked on just last week.

“Sophie, have you met Archer?”

I’m surprised when he says, “We’ve met.”

---