4. Piper #3
The breakup with Matthew put me off dating to the point where I didn’t even want to consider it.
I’d trusted him, and really started to fall hard, only to find out I’d misread our whole relationship.
The signs had all been there; I’d just been too wrapped up in the fantasy I’d built up in my head to read them.
In retrospect, I felt stupid. Why did I think his late night “you up?” texts meant he actually cared about me?
Was I that desperate? It had taken running into him on the street on a Friday night, in a suit with a gorgeous woman on his arm, for it to dawn on me.
They were on their way to a play, and I was in sweats carrying takeout for one. Mortifying.
I didn’t even allow myself to consider that maybe he’d realized he’d lost a good thing and was reaching out to try again.
Thinking like that—believing lies because they made me feel better about myself—was what had gotten me into that mess with him in the first place.
I wasn’t getting back on that ride again.
Definitely not with him, and maybe not with anyone until I was ready to see a relationship for what it was, not what I wanted it to be.
It was Friday, and the only thing on my calendar was a mercy-hang with Darcy.
She had no shortage of dates, but she’d canceled her plans to try to cheer me up, knowing that my new job wasn’t off to a great start.
Based on how the last meeting just went, I hoped she had a gallon of tequila waiting for me.
I shot Darcy a quick text, then got to work editing some of the test product shots I’d taken for the Summit website.
I was so focused on my work I didn’t notice our internal messaging system blowing up until hours later.
The internal lingo was hard to decode, but thanks to a link someone had included, I realized people were freaking out over the latest Chateau de Parfum campaign. I clicked on it and gasped.
Not only had they ripped off our entire Trio of Time collection campaign vibe, they’d even hired the same two models we’d used in our prior shoots.
Damn it. Shots fired in a big way.
My desk phone buzzed.
“Piper, Vincent would like to see you in his office,” his assistant Linda said in a strained voice.
I rubbed my forehead and heaved a sigh. What now?
It was my first time in his office, and I wasn’t surprised to discover that it was as darkly minimalistic as his clothing choices. I craned my neck to see if he had a roaring fire, candles, and altar in it, because it felt like the type of space where human sacrifices were made.
“Why didn’t you just come out and say Parfum was going to rip us off?” Vincent demanded as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. “You obviously had insider information. How dare you hold it back from the team?”
“What?”
Was this handsome demon accusing me of corporate espionage? I straightened my back to prepare for battle with my brand-new boss, seeing as it appeared to be our only means of communication.
“You knew what they were planning, and you didn’t warn us.” He rose from his chair and stalked toward me.
I sucked in a breath as he crossed the room, because of the whole “scary hot” scenario. His brows were pulled down and his eyes scalded me, like he was ready to take me over his knee and paddle me.
I forced myself to focus on the fight to come and not the mental image of his palm coming down on my naked ass.
“Hold on!” I threw my hands up at him, both nervous and furious.
“I had no idea what they had planned. I don’t have any insider information.
I just assumed something like this would happen.
I mean, it’s not that big of a leap of logic to think a competitor would copy a successful campaign.
I’m sort of in shock that no one on the team considered they’d do it to steal attention away from the release of Evermore. ”
He froze a few feet away from me and crossed his arms. “How exactly do you know all this, Piper? How do you know how our competitors think? You’re just a—”
“Photographer?” I met his gaze, my anger giving me strength.
“I have my own plans in life. You think I’m just snapping pictures?
I’m more than a pair of eyes behind a camera, Vincent.
I know how to play the game.” Maybe I was overselling myself, but what the hell—I’d be damned if I was going to let anyone at Summit treat me like the help.
“Why didn’t you bring your concerns to Eileen?”
I shrugged. “We talked about it during my orientation meeting, and I mentioned it again after the meeting, and she scolded me like I was a naughty kindergartener. So much for being a team player.”
He watched me for a moment, cool and calculating. “But you’re not a team player.”
That was it.
I had had it with this suit-wearing overlord.
I stomped a few steps closer to him, so hot with anger my vision went blurry.
“How dare you? How dare you, Vincent? I’m doing you a huge favor by being here!
I agreed to make nice with the Sullivans to get you the damn flowers you’re so desperate for, remember?
Without me, Evermore won’t happen! I’ve been here for a week, and I’ve already gone above and beyond for this stupid company! ”
“Exactly what I meant.” He pursed his lips and studied me for a beat. “You’re not a team player, you’re a leader.”
He turned abruptly and walked back to his desk, then picked up his phone. “Linda? Could you prep an exit package for Eileen Murphy? I’m letting her go today.”
He was watching me like I knew what was going on, which I didn’t, because…was he firing Eileen?
Vincent hung up, still staring at me.
“Congratulations, Piper. As of right now, you’re Summit’s new creative director.”