Page 36 of Flame True

As he watched the presentation twice with his dad and went over the guest list for tomorrow night, the knot in his stomach grew every time he looked up and saw Mulberry smile or his mother laugh at something she said.

It was distracting.

And he couldn’t wait for it to be over.

“Nick, pay attention to this,” Henri tapped his finger on the screen, and the ad for the Earpods started to play., Nick grinned, despite himself.

He was proud of his small part in designing the Earpods and couldn’t wait for them to launch.

“Going to make me a fortune,” Henri said.

“I’m happy for you,” Nick mumbled, watching as his mother, sister and Mulberry strode across the room to them.

“So Mulberry, how long have you and Nick been dating, ‘casually’?”

Mulberry looked at him, then glanced at the floor. “Um…on and off for a year.”

“And now you’re on,” his Maman said.

“Yes, and we’re happy.”

“Come on, Maman, you know Mamie will be thrilled,” Nick said.

“There is that, as long as your relationship doesn’t get casual again.”

Nick laced Mulberry’s fingers through his. “No. I got lucky.”

Colette clapped him on the back. “Yeah, with a woman who can forgive all your sins.”

His father grew beet-read, looking away from his mother.

Nick sighed.

His parents couldn’t work out their marriage, but they worked out their differences enough to run Laurent Industries together.

“We should eat,” Henri gestured to the buffet table at the back of the room. Mulberry squeezed Nick’s hand as he led her over there.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

He shrugged, and this assignment wasn’t going to last forever.

Something caught in his throat at that.

He’d never wanted commitment because of his family.

The expectations were too high, and it was hard to explain that the business always came first, no matter what.

But as Colette whispered in Mulberry’s ear, he wondered, maybe he was hasty in being committed to being a playboy?

“Mulberry, are you looking forward to tomorrow night?” Colette asked once their plates were heaped with food. Mulberry had only taken some kind of fruity drink, a handful of grapes and a small bowl of almonds.

“Yes! Nick loves the new ad campaign for the Earpods.”

“He had a lot of input in the design,” Henri said. “Right?”

“Yes, Dad,” Nick sighed.

“My secret weapon has always been having you come work for us.”

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