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“Yes. Reagan Wellbridge has accepted the position after proving himself on our public relations team,” I said, feeling a familiar pride at being able to speak well of Reagan to others. “As you know, he was an invaluable member of our team on a recent press tour, and he used the opportunity to begin improving our social media presence. The response has been tremendous.”
“Several of the posts from your trip have gone viral,” Chris said. “In fact, I’ve seen a few celebrities posting comments about potential partnerships. Do you have anything to announce there?”
“Not today, Chris. Reagan and the rest of the PR team will make any announcements when the time is right,” I stated firmly.
Chris shifted in his seat. “There’s a rumor that PennCo has had some other leadership changes this week. Would you care to elaborate on that?”
I nodded and smiled. “One of the things I love most about managing a business is the opportunity to recognize and foster leadership talent. The new vice president of PennCo Fiber is a man named Jensen Roberts, who has been with Pennington Industries for over ten years. We are excited to see what he does with the direction of PennCo and the launch of our new apparel fabric this summer.”
“Is this new leadership a result of the Nova Davidson situation?” Chris asked.
I nodded again. “Indirectly, yes. We discovered that an employee did, in fact, send Ms. Davidson the shirt she was wearing when she got into the unfortunate accident. On behalf of PennCo, I’d like to apologize for what might have seemed like a serious, if inadvertent, marketing misstep. We’re thankful that Ms. Davidson has fully recovered from her injuries, and we’re hopeful that under our new management, nothing like this will happen again. I’m confident in Jensen’s leadership.”
As agreed, Chris moved on without asking me to name Layla directly. We spoke for a few more minutes about our partnerships with Apex, Sierra Outfitters, and Zen Activewear before wrapping up the interview. Once the cameras and microphones were off, Chris reached out to shake my hand again and thank me for the opportunity. “Congratulations on your new relationship. Reagan’s a good man.”
I took a deep breath and reminded myself Chris was also a good man. “He is. And thank you.”
Reagan approached hesitantly. “What… the fuck… was that?”
Chris laughed as I leaned in to wrap an arm around Reagan’s waist and yank him in close for a kiss that left no doubt exactly what Reagan was to me. The room was still full of other people, but I didn’t care. When I finally let him up for air, his eyes were clouded with want.
“I repeat,” he said breathily, looking between me and Chris. “What. The. Fuck.”
Chris put up both hands and backed away. “I think that’s my cue to go help pack up.”
After he walked away, I leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to Reagan’s cheek. “You’re mine,” I told him softly. “And I need you to know I’m not keeping you a secret. Ever.”
Reagan’s body deflated like the weight of the world fell off of him. “Really? But… Thatcher, you hate people knowing your private business.”
“You’re not my private business. You’re my partner. You’re important. We’re going to be seen together in public and at work. Word will get out because I don’t plan to keep my hands off you if I can help it. Assuming that’s okay with you.”
He nodded. A shy smile quirked the corners of his mouth. “Yeah. It’s definitely okay with me.”
“And baby, next time you’re worried about something, talk to me. I know it’s early days and we’re still figuring each other out, but you need to come to me when you have concerns. Check in with me and tell me how you’re feeling.”
“I was going to,” he insisted. “After things calmed down at PennCo, and Brant was settled, and?—”
“And nothing. You are my priority,” I told him. “First place, always. And I’ll remind you as often as I need to until you really believe it.”
Reagan’s smile spread until it creased his face. “I’ll remember,” he promised.
His pocket began to vibrate with the familiar buzz of his phone, and when he took it out, his eyes widened at whatever he saw on the screen.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“My parents heard about my promotion,” he said. He lifted his gaze to mine. “My mother wonders if this means I was serious about quitting the campaign and staying in New York.”
I wasn’t sure which of us began laughing first, but I knew that even after it subsided, neither of us could stop smiling.
Chris came over and took his leave with a handshake for each of us. “Thank you again for the interview, Thatcher. And good luck to both of you. Stay in touch.”
I watched him follow his crew to the door, but before he could leave, McGee grabbed his elbow and yanked him into a nearby bedroom before slamming the door closed.
Reagan and I stared at the closed door. “What was that?” Reagan murmured. “Do you think McGee still blames Chris for the bloody nose in Honeybridge? Should we rescue him?”
I shook my head as I remembered McGee’s curious comments back in the emergency room. “I… don’t think he’s angry,” I said carefully.
Reagan’s confusion cleared to shock and then absolute glee. “Oh my god. Love smacked McGee in the face, just like I told him it would. I am going to give him so much shit about this. But first…”
