23. Cora
23
CORA
“ I don’t know if strapless was the way to go with the dress,” I said, pulling the silky material up—a sparkly green thing that showed off an obscene amount of thigh. “I feel like I’m going to sweat this off.” It had been a ridiculously humid July day, and even with the sun setting before the launch party, the air wasn’t cooling off much. Our tiny A/C unit was struggling to keep up, and I was already dreading the short walk from the building to my ride.
“There’ll be A/C inside the venue,” Jennifer reminded me, coming into the room with a hairbrush. “You’ll be fine once you arrive.”
“My hair is going to frizz.” It always did when the weather was like this.
“I say we go with a low updo and keep it off your neck,” Jennifer said, pulling my hair back and holding it in place as we both stared into the full-length mirror. “That way you can accessorize with some pretty jewelry but still get your mask on.” Jennifer was due at the restaurant in an hour, but she’d agreed to help me get ready for the party before she left. “We could put it up with one of those fancy claw clips you have.”
I nodded in agreement. “Then hairspray the shit out of it.”
Jennifer clapped her hands together. “That’s the spirit.”
I dragged a chair in front of the mirror and sat down as Jennifer set to work, brushing the tangles from my hair and smoothing out all the bumps. “I really wish you could come tonight,” I said.
She offered me a sad little smile in the mirror. “I tried to get tonight off, but there’s just no one to cover for me.”
I reached back to squeeze her hand. “I understand. It would have been nice to have someone there in my corner, though.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to take away from your time with Aiden,” she teased.
I sighed, releasing her hand.
“Uh oh. What’s wrong?”
“Things have been weird with me and Aiden.”
“Weird how?” Jennifer asked, twisting my hair into a fancy knot at the back of my head.
“Just…odd,” I said. “You know that feeling you get when you’re out of step? Or like when you know you’re not connecting the way you normally do, but you don’t know why?”
She frowned as she pressed my baby hairs down with hairspray. “You feel like you’re not connecting?”
I lifted my shoulder. “It sort of feels like he’s pulling away.”
“Well, he can’t have pulled away very far…” Jennifer said, gesturing to the concealer we’d used to cover the new hickey on my collarbone.
“Yeah, okay fair,” I said. “But even with that, I had to come on pretty heavy to get Aiden to touch me in the first place.”
“Hmm…Has he said anything?”
“Nothing! I literally don’t have anything to go on, which is what’s most frustrating. It just seems like any time we’re alone together, he finds an excuse to get away from me.”
“To go where?”
“It’s been all about the launch party lately, but what if that’s just an excuse?” When we’d finally come together at the reunion, it had felt so right, but maybe that was only on my part. Maybe for him, it was just nostalgia or old memories getting the better of him. It seemed like he wanted me—the grown-up me that I was now—but maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see.
Jennifer added the clip to my hair, making adjustments until she was satisfied with the placement. “What if he’s just stressed about the launch?”
“He could be,” I said. I’d love to believe that—but it really felt like there was something more going on.
“You think you’re being paranoid because of what happened with Levi? Or because of what happened with Aiden the last time?”
“Maybe.” Perhaps I was a little hypersensitive when it came to the idea of being left behind—especially since I still didn’t know why he ended things back then. But just because we broke up when we were kids didn’t mean it was going to happen now. He hadn’t said anything about wanting to end things. Maybe he was just struggling to juggle a relationship, a multi-million-dollar company, and a new product launch. He’d said himself that he hadn’t had a serious girlfriend since he launched Elixir. It could be that he just didn’t know how to be a good boyfriend when he had so much else going on.
Jennifer rubbed her hands up and down my arms. “Hair’s done. You look amazing. How about you try not to stress about the Aiden stuff tonight and enjoy the evening? You’ve worked as hard as anyone on this line. Actually, there wouldn’t even be a line if it wasn’t for you. So go have a good time, let people fawn over you, and we’ll figure out what’s got Aiden out of sorts tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “Okay.” I could work with that. I would focus on one thing at a time. Tonight was the launch. Tomorrow, I would tackle everything else.
There was a knock at the door.
“That’ll be Aiden,” I said, getting to my feet and adjusting my dress once more.
Jennifer pecked me on the cheek. “I’m gonna go get ready for work. You two have fun. Don’t stress.”
“Don’t stress,” I repeated on my way to answer the door. I sucked in a big breath, letting it out in a rush as I swung the door open. My jaw dropped, my pulse skipping a couple beats as I took in Aiden clad in a fitted black tux, his curls slicked back, adjusting his sleeves like some sort of dashing James Bond character.
He was…
Fuck .
He looked so damn good my mouth went dry.
He smiled at me—a real, sweet smile—and the concern I’d felt moments ago shifted into giddy butterflies. “I think you were born to wear this tux,” I said.
He laughed softly, reaching for my hand. “Only so I could deserve to have someone so beautiful on my arm. You look stunning.”
“Thank you.”
“I mean it, Cora. Drop-dead gorgeous.”
A flush washed over me, and all my concerns from before felt silly. I had to relax and give Aiden a break. Of course he’d been distracted and busy working up to this night. But now here we were, about to bask in the triumph together.
It was perfect.
Tonight would be wonderful.
I let Aiden lead me down to the black limo he had waiting for us outside.
“No Ferrari?” I teased. “No Mercedes? No chariot?”
“Thought I’d let someone else worry about the driving tonight,” he said. “But if I knew you’d finally go for a chariot, I might have considered otherwise.” He pulled the door open for me, and I slid across the leather seats. He joined me a moment later, laying his hand on my knee. It sent a shiver up my spine, and I tried to shake off the thought of climbing into his lap. As tempting as it was to fool around a little, it would mean we’d be late for the launch—a very bad idea.
“Nervous?” he asked as the driver pulled away from the curb.
“Not really,” I said. “Mostly excited. You?”
He squeezed my leg, which made me realize I’d been bouncing it. “You’re jumpy.”
“Guess I’m just looking forward to seeing all the hard work pay off.”
He leaned over and kissed my shoulder. “I’m really glad you came on board, Cora.”
“Me too.” For a moment, I thought he might lift his head and kiss my lips, but he pulled back, turning to look out the window. He spent the rest of the thirty-minute drive on his phone.
As we pulled up to the Glasshouse, the event space for tonight’s launch, I slipped my Masked Mixer mask over my head, settling it across my eyes. “How do I look?”
Aiden slipped his phone into his jacket, then reached out to adjust the mask. “Perfect. I’ll try to remember not to blow your cover tonight.”
I smirked. “Now that would get the fans talking.”
We exited the car, and Aiden offered me his arm. A pair of towering security guards escorted us into the venue.
I gaped at the space as we were let through a door. I’d seen pictures of the Glasshouse online, but tonight it had been totally transformed into a gorgeous lounge area featuring plush velvet seating, luxurious floral displays, and gold accents that reflected the warm lighting. The massive windows offered breathtaking panoramic views of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline, the buildings glittering against the evening backdrop. The numerous outdoor terraces had been fitted with mini bar stations. And a huge Elixir branded step and repeat was roped off along the far wall where the guests entered. They paused for the press and photographers that crowded around, conducting interviews and taking photos. But the real showstopper was the large, mirrored bar set up in the center of the room where expert Elixir mixologists crafted signature cocktails and mocktails.
“This is incredible,” I said, reaching up to adjust my mask once more. I turned to Aiden when he didn’t respond, only to find him waving down a group of influencers. It looked like the same crowd that had gathered to watch me compete at Bottom of the Barrel.
“Suppose I should introduce you,” he said, adjusting his suit jacket.
I blinked hard, trying not to read too much into the way he’d said that, like it would be an inconvenience. I knew this was his least favorite part of his job—playing happy host. He already wore that same tight smile he’d had on that night at Bottom of the Barrel. It was obvious he was stressed.
For a moment, I thought he might offer me his arm, but he simply inclined his head across the room. “Shall we?”
He set off for the influencers, and I followed, having to rush to keep up. Part of me considered taking his hand. I thought my presence might comfort him, but an even bigger part of me worried he would yank his hand away in response. He was less than a foot from me, but the distance suddenly felt enormous. The warmth and sweetness from the limo had dissolved, replaced by what felt like indifference. I knew I was playing the Masked Mixer tonight, but when he looked back at me, he was all business, and I immediately missed my Aiden.
“Aiden Callihan!” a man said, interrupting us halfway across the floor. He was older, with a head of thick grey hair, and a smile I was sure had women calling him a silver fox.
Aiden cleared his throat. “Wilson,” he said, shaking his hand. “So glad you could make it.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it. Gotta keep up with the competition.” He winked.
Aiden chuckled politely.
“And who’s your friend?” Wilson asked.
Aiden stepped aside, holding his hand out for me to step forward, careful not to actually touch me. My gaze landed on his hand, which hovered just shy of my elbow. It was like he was worried he’d burst into flames if he did touch me. I didn’t know if he was being hands-off out of respect for the “secret identity” I had thanks to the mask, or if the mask was giving him an excuse to be distant. “This is the Masked Mixer, the brains behind the new Elixir Free line.”
“Lovely to meet you,” I said to Wilson.
“Wilson Manning owns Imperium Spirits,” Aiden explained.
I nodded, unsurprised. The man looked like he bathed in money.
“The superior spirits,” Wilson joked. “But if anyone’s going to give us a run for our money, it’s this guy.” He clapped Aiden jovially on the shoulder. “This young man is going places.”
“I’d argue he already has,” I said.
Wilson tipped one long finger in my direction, giving me a sharp smile. “I see why he’s brought you on board.”
“Excuse me,” Aiden said, gesturing to some people trying desperately to get his attention. “Duty calls. Good seeing you, Wilson. Let’s grab a drink later.” Henry nodded as Aiden was pulled away into another conversation. From the corner of my eye, I watched him greet more guests with handshakes and fake smiles while I stood with Wilson, making awkward small talk. The man was polite enough, but we struggled to find anything to talk about. He had no interest in brand deals or influencers or mocktails.
I might be the one wearing the mask right now, but it sure as hell wasn’t doing anything to hide the awkward blush that spread across my cheeks as the conversation stagnated. Wilson finally nodded to his empty glass, using it as an excuse to set off for the bar, leaving me standing there alone. I considered darting after Aiden, but the last thing I wanted to do was chase him around like a lost puppy.
“…get a picture?”
“Oh, sure!” I said, coming back to myself as a young woman stood at my side, her phone held up for a selfie.
She smiled, and I blew a kiss at the camera.
She immediately tagged the photo on Instagram. Rubbing shoulders with the Masked Mixer at the #ElixirFreeLaunch.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “I’m such a huge fan. Really loved the different takes you did on the Whiskey Sour recently.”
“Did you go for the Red Sun Sour or the Apricot Sour?”
“Oh, definitely the Red Sun. How can you pass up passionfruit and vanilla?”
“You can’t,” I agreed, leaning a little closer. “Just between us, the new Elixir Free Raspberry Chai Royale makes a great base for whiskey drinks.”
“I’ll have to stock up,” she said, smiling. “So great to meet you.”
“You too. Make sure to tag me and let me know what you think about the new mocktails.” She hurried off, and I’d barely turned away before I was stopped for another selfie request.
I smiled and schmoozed, playing up my part as the Masked Mixer, the face of the new line. But as I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about Aiden making the rounds on the other side of the room, barely sparing me a glance. I felt like I’d been cut adrift, or like I was trying to get the attention of a stranger. I knew there was a certain amount of glad-handing we both had to do tonight to fill our respective roles, but why hadn’t he bothered to make his way back over to me? He’d said he was going to introduce me to the group of influencers, but now he seemed perfectly content to have a sea of people between us.
“Masked Mixer,” a woman said, snagging me for a conversation. “I’m Elenor Weisner.” She shook my hand. “I believe we reached out to you on social media.”
I spotted the logo on the business card she handed me. “Oh, right. Ironwood Distilleries. Yes, I remember.”
“It’s great to meet you in person. I was hoping we might bump into you tonight.” She gestured to the bar. “My colleagues are off trying the new line.”
I chuckled politely. “Hopefully they’re impressed.”
“It looks like you’ve done a brilliant job here.” She gestured to the row of Elixir Free on display in the middle of the room. “And now that you’ve delivered on your contract with Elixir, I’m hoping that means your time has freed up. I wanted to renew the offer for a partnership.”
Oh . When I’d turned them down before, I’d believed Aiden might renew my contract…which he had, but only on a limited basis. What would happen when this current extension ended? I’d been toying with the idea of staying on with Elixir for a while longer, but it didn’t hold as much appeal as it had, now that things were strained between Aiden and me. Maybe that was what was going on—he assumed that we were wrapping up with our business relationship, and he figured I’d be moving on, personally and professionally?
I didn’t want to leave Aiden, didn’t want to give up on what we had. But I’d learned long ago that I couldn’t count on him. I needed to make my decision based on what was best for me. So maybe it was smarter not to close this door completely. “I’d actually really like to hear more about that. Do you think we could set up a meeting?”
Elenor beamed. “That would be great. Shall I have my assistant DM you?”
I pulled a business card from my clutch. “Actually, email would be better.”
Elenor took the card. “I look forward to our conversation.”
I smiled. “I look forward to hearing what you think about the mocktails. Good to meet you.”
With a nod toward the bar, Elenor set off. She exchanged words with her colleagues, one of them high-fiving her, the other taking the business card and immediately jumping on her phone. I suspected I’d have an email in my inbox within the hour. But until then, I needed a drink of my own. I clocked a relatively empty bar on the other side of the crowded room and made a beeline for it. Before I could even get halfway there, I froze. Ice flooded my veins as a horribly familiar figure cut through the crowd toward me.
“Hi, Cora.”
I stared up at him in shock. “What the hell are you doing here, Levi?”